Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Der Traumpfad // day 8 // Hall in Tirol - Glungezer

Der Traumpfad, day 8.
Distance: 23.1km (187.9km), time spent: 8:21.
Weather: Great.


Causality, cause and effect. By deciding to only go to Hall in Tirol yesterday, I have to face the whole of the long slog up to the Glungezer Hütte today, which implies a total gain of 2400 altitude metres. If the climb is too long, I have the weather to aid me, it appears to be a beautiful day. Der Traumpfad is from Hall moving up and into the Tux Alps, keeping relatively high up for several days. In very bad weather, it is advised to bypass the Glungezer Hütte and go directly to the Lizumer Hütte from Wattens instead. Wattens is found a little bit more to the East of Hall in Tirol.

Hall in Tirol and the Karwendel.

I had a warm night, as the air-condition in my room was failing. When I talked to the manager about it in the morning, he apologized, but was surprised that I find it hot. According to him it was cold, but then, I am from Norway. At least the breakfast should give me enough energy for the climb up. Then I pick up my humble belongings and goes out to try to find the way out of Hall.

Sunlit path out of Hall.

Tirol landscape.

Looking at the map, the markings of all the connected paths appear like a spiderweb, it is quite the navigational task to find the correct threads to follow through the web. However, Der Traumpfad does not follow a single set of waymarks and in that line of thought, I believe that it is room for personal choices in regards of which path to take. Meaning, if you know which place you need to go to, it does not matter much which way you choose to get there. A good example of the term you make your own path, or way, so to say. I like that, even as a purist, but I will still try to do what is the official route. It must be said, though, that if you do not have any description or guide of the route, you are unlikely to be able to follow the route properly.

A religious icon next to the path.

Actually, finding the way out of Hall was not tricky, but it is making all the correct turnoffs afterwards that is tricky. As expected, the walk alternates between being pleasant and uninteresting. And with no waymarkers to follow, I do at times wonder if I am taking the right course. Places and signs some times differ from what I read in the description of the route. One reason why the trail do all these twists and turns, I believe is because they have tried to make the route go as much as it can through wood- and farmland paths as possible, at times taking an unexpected direction. On the final approach to Tulfes, the path is lined with religious icons, like a way of the cross, each icon depicting a scene from Jesus' walk to the cross.

Great view of the Karwendel Alps from the Gästhof Windegg, Hall in Tirol below.

The small chapel at Gästhof Windegg.

Tulfes is not as bad as expected, but not interesting either. Last place to buy any provisions if needed until you reach Niedervintl, some six to seven days away. After a break, I look at the people boarding the cable car and then I set forth on the road leaving Tulfes. Although on a paved road, this is an improvement, I have already gained some height, so there are views from the road. Rising more clearly on the other side of the Inntal valley is the Karwendel.

Road above Windegg, the Glungezer directly overhead.

Having walked about two and a half hours since I left Hall, I reach the Gästhof Windegg, which is maybe the best option to go to if you want to go further than Hall, but not all the way to Glungezer Hütte. The views are great from the guesthouse and the small chapel next to it. For all the talk of being a mountain trek, this trail is passing by so many religious items that you will not be far off if you call it a mountain pilgrimage.

An icon inside a chapel at Tulfein Alm.

The next haul is somewhat less interesting again, as the trail heads into the forested belt between the Gästhof Windegg and Tulfein Alm. This is the part where the path intermingles at most with all the items you find in a ski resort. And the surface is a mix of paved and gravel roads. Large trucks are pounding by on the roads at the beginning, at great speed, sending up large clouds of dust as they pass by. There appear to be a path that goes inside the forest, rather than on the roads, if I had known, I would have taken that route instead.

At Tulfeinjöchl.

Nibelungia Hall, a cross above the Tulfeinjöchl.

Arriving at Tulfein Alm is thus a little bit of a relief. Both in regards of the views of the past and future alps. Some part of me is thinking that this would have been a better experience had the weather been worse, believe it or not. Alright, I would have missed out on the views of the Karwendel Alps, but the hike up would have been more mysterious and atmospheric, especially if it was foggy. I think the main problem today is that it takes too much time to get to the exciting part of the walk. Which really is still somewhat above Tulfein Alm, and also close to the end at Glungezer. The paraphernalia is still scattered around and what appear to be the construction of a dam.

Looking up at the mighty ridgeline I will walk over tomorrow, the Olperer in the background.

Climbing higher it all become history and so better. Another summit with a cross on top stands overlooking the line of mountains above the valley below. Things are getting more barren only when the trail is making its final approach to the hütte. The jagged line of the seven summits that I will walk over tomorrow lies daunting ahead. Bare bones of rocks and stones.

The path climbing up above Tulfeinjöchl.

Ascent of Glungezer.

Tucked in between the Glungezer and the Sonnenspitze, I find the Glungezer Hütte (2610m). A small stone cabin with a nice terrace and a weird metallic structure outside. Which is where I will sleep in, it looks like a space capsule or pod, of a kind. Quite cool. The young people working at the hut are playing football at a small wooden platform next to the hut, occasionally kicking the ball over the railings and down into the bouldery basin below.

Glungezer Hütte.

View of the Inntal valley from the Sonnenspitze.

Lucas and Martina is at the hut. The others are now one day ahead of me, I envy them the walk they must have had today over the undulating high ridgeline to the Lizumer Hütte, it must have been great in this fantastic weather. Lucas had taken a wrong turn on the way up, which had led him to what appeared to be far nicer route up, although a little uncertain in terms of getting to the right place.

Glungezer, gipfelkreuz and the Karwendel.

Above the cabin stands the summit of Glungezer, at 2678m. Adorning the summit is a supply-lift, various communication equipment and the gipfelkreuz. Nearby is also the summit of Sonnenspitze, at 2639m, with only a gipfelkreuz at its top. At the top, I meet a German girl who is walking the Inntaler Höhenweg with a friend, the trails cross paths at the Glungezer Hütte.

A hiker sheep.

At sunset after dinner, the manager of the hut is gathering all the guests at the summit of Sonnenspitze. The next day over the seven Tuxer summits is a hard one and should be avoided in foul weather they say. At the summit, with great views in the waning lights, he gives us the weather forecast for the next day and a brief about the hike to the Lizumer Hütte we face tomorrow. It is both informative and social. Thankfully the forecast is good, although not as good as today.

Sonnenspitze at sunset.

In the evening, I meet Josef, as Lucas only doing part of the way. It is a good place to stay at. A partly boring and partly pleasant walk, thankfully with great views on the way up, but it all works more as a transport stage for the next day on Der Traumpfad, a walk proclaimed to be one of the best stages of all of the trail.

My home for the night, the space capsule.

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