Neustift to Innsbrucker Hütte

Our first day of hiking in the Stubai alps, from Neustift im Stubaital up to the Innsbrucker Hut.

Today we hiked from the top of the Elferbahn cable car to the Innsbrucker Hütte (hut), over the 2,370m (almost 8,000ft) Pinnisjoch pass. This trail is rated “Red”: “Mostly narrow and often steep; there may be short challenging passages with additional securing where there is some risk of falling.“

Sunday 24 July – Innsbrucker Hütte

We enjoyed breakfast in the restaurant at the Hotel Viktoria, where they had a little bit of everything. We went back up to our room to pack, put on shoes/boots, then back down to the front desk to check out where they gave us free passes for the Elferbahn cable car which would take us to the start of today’s route. We walked across the street and boarded the Elferbahn for a ride to the top.

From the berg (mountain) station at the top, we hiked up a steep, tightly switchbacked trail 700 feet in just 3/4 mile to the Elferhütte where we took a short break. Nice gentle introduction to the Stubai alps (not!).

The weather up here was perfect for shorts and t-shirts. We hiked up the hillside above the hut to a junction with the Stubaier Höhenweg (high trail) that would take us to Karalm, our destination for lunch.

The trail climbed at a nice grade up behind the Elferspitze.

Soon we were able to see up to the head of the Pinnistal valley, with the 3,277m (10,750ft) Habïcht (Hawk peak) to the right, and the trail that would take us up and over the Pinnisjoch (pass) to the Innsbrucker Hütte. The Habïcht is the dominant peak in this area, visible from Innsbruck.

Further up we reached a junction with the trail down to Karalm. This trail descended, steeply at times, with a long switchbacking traverse next to an electrified line to contain livestock.

Eventually we could see the gravel road below that terminates at Karalm, which soon came into view directly ahead.

We stopped at Karalm for lunch where I had a delicious Speckknödel (traditional German Bacon Dumplings) with kraut.

We departed Karalm after 45 mins to start the arduous ascent up the höhenweg to the Pinnisjoch and Innsbrucker Hütte (hut).  The signpost at Karalm indicated 2 hours, but I thought it would take us 3. We gained a 1,000 feet per mile which is the maximum I prefer. But the trail was well graded which made it doable. We started in forest, then the trees gave way to bushes, and eventually we climbed up above tree line where vegetation was limited to alpine grasses.

We took a break a little less than halfway up where I was surprised to see we weren’t far off the 2 hour time. I re-estimated it would take us 2.5 hours.

After a while we could see the final switchbacks directly above. The switchbacks were a little steep in places and I stopped a few times to catch my breath.

Soon enough we passed through a gate in a livestock fence (for sheep) just below the joch. I stopped to take a picture of Allan next to a large ÖAV flag at the joch then “ran” up the final few steps to the top (showboating).

Amazing view from here to Karalm far below in the Pinnistal, and what may have been Innsbruck in the distance. From here it was a hundred yards or so to the hut.

We took a few pictures on the terrace of the view of the Tribulaun Alps on the Italian border, and then swapped our shoes/boots for hut shoes (flip flops for me) and checked in.

Our overnight stay was only €12 with Alpenverein (alpine club) membership. We went up to our room, unpacked and changed into clean dry shirts and washed up a bit. Showers are €1 for 30 seconds.

We went out onto the terrace for a bier and to enjoy the view – starting to feel a little chilly now. A German guy named Merlin from Muenster(?) northwest from Frankfurt, sat at the other end of the table and I struck up a conversation with him while Allan stepped away for a couple minutes. Merlin seemed to be 30-ish with receding hairline and thick glasses, and is a medic in training to become a fireman. We discussed current events and he shared his German perspective. After Allan returned we decided to go inside for dinner (I was getting a chill out there).

The three of us ended up at a table with a German couple from Frankfurt and they seemed interested in talking. The guy, whose name I didn’t get, was closer to my age. He had studied English in school but hadn’t used it much in 40 years and struggled to express himself, so Merlin frequently translated. His female companion appeared to speak even less English and rarely tried. We talked about all kinds of things, and I learned that one should not use the word Wehrmacht without the context of 1935-1945. The germans drank a lot of bier (beer) – we wanted only one or two as we didn’t travel all this way get drunk in the huts and nurse hangovers. He teased us for not drinking more biers with them, asking if we preferred warm milk and cake instead.

We went to bed after 9:30. This particular “shared bedroom” is my least favorite sleeping arrangements – 8 spaces all side-by-side. At least there were short dividers between pairs of spaces, which provided a sliver of separation from the stranger next to me. I also don’t like when you have to climb in from the foot of the bed to wriggle into your liner from the other end while not disturbing the person on either side. The only things worse would have been no dividers or a second level of sleeping spaces.

I couldn’t sleep and and spent much of the night sitting up at the foot of the bed, finally catching an hour or two of sleep in the morning before sunrise.