The Start of Stubaier Höhenweg
Technical difficulty: 6/10
Fitness: 7/10
Objective danger: 3/10
Landscape: 8/10
Busy: 5/10
The first section of Stubai High trail between the village of Neustift and the Franz Senn Hütte.
Starting point: Neustift im Stubaital
Ending point: Seduck
Length: 29km
Vertical: 2000m
Speed: Good trails in the beginning, technical trails in the middle and forest road in the end.
Route:
We start of from the village of Neustift im Stubaital, passing through the village north-west. We soon hit a trail and start climbing steeply uphill, following the sign to Starkenburger Hütte. We eventually leave the forest and get into a more open terrain. It is quite a long way to the hut, but the signs and almost no intersections make it very easy to navigate.
We continue northwestwards, still climbing and traversing the south-west face of Schlicker Seespitze until we reach the saddle at Seejöchl. From the saddle, we have a great view towards the Kalkkögel. Here we turn south-west and traverse a hillside of a continuous mountain ridge heading towards the Oberberg valley.
We follow the Stubai High Trail along the technical trails. The next place we pass along the way is Seducker Hochalm. This is a great place to stop and have a break in the summer. We continue traversing the hillside. After another few kilometers we cross a prominent side ridge called Villergrube - offering some excellent views.
We still continue in the same direction traversing the hill side. We can already see a hut in the distance. We work our way through the traverse until finally reaching the hut - Franz Senn Hütte. This is a great place to stop and have a break, with one of the best Schnitzel around Innsbruck ;) .
Here we leave the Stubai High Trail and make our way back to the access road. First we descent north-east. We follow beautiful trail down the valley, passing Alpeinalm along the way. We suggest taking the winter route option (follow the GPS). It leads you down through a narrow technical trail that’s worth a visit.
Eventually the trail gets broader and reaches another hut and a great break opportunity at Oberissalm. From here, we can follow the road out of the valley for quick exit. If we are interested in more trails, there are trails parallel to the road that we can follow. In any case, we head out of the valley until reaching the main road at Seduck.
Pro tip: Bring cash for the huts.
Photos by @bennibru, @the.running.nomad and @meid.bereit
