Distance: 13.1km (246.6km), time spent: 4:53.
Weather: Sun and thunder.
After having climbed Olperer, I have still some time left of the day and some distance to go. It is a good thing that I did make the climb, as I believe the next stage of Der Traumpfad might have been a little bit too short of a day if not. The walk from the Olpererhütte to Stein is only about 13km and is of moderate difficulty. Combining this stage with the next (to Pfunders) might be possible, but that would make for a very hard day, so I am extremely happy to have had time to climb the Olperer today.
Sunrise from earlier in the day, at Olpererhütte.
The path going above the Schlegeisspeicher after leaving Olpererhütte.
Finishing my kaiserschmarrn lunch, I gather my belongings where I left them at the hut earlier. Most of the hike today will be on a contour path known as the Panorama Höhenweg, starting almost immediately after leaving the hut. I can see the line of the path clearly ahead.
Looking back towards the Olpererhütte with Gefrorene-Wand-Spitzen towering above the left.
Staircase in heaven.
Not entirely aching, but I can feel it on my knees that I have used them today. If they were hinges, they would be making little creaking noises. They get better as they get warmer from moving again. The walking is lovely, with great views of the Schlegeisspeicher below, now more to my left. The Olperer and Gefrorene-Wand-Spitzen are looking down upon me on this side of the lake, but the highest mountains in the Zillertal Alps are found on the other side (with the Hochfeiler one of them).
A religious icon overlooking the Schlegeisspeicher lake.
The path is entirely engineered and all by machine, the construction was done in 2006 and featured nothing other than about 2600 slabs of rock. Whatever engineering lies behind it and the flatness of the rocks, the path is far from flat. Parts of it appear like staircases. I share the joy of walking on it with several others, going in both directions. Climbing a little I arrive at a white idol, what appear like a Virgin Mary statue. You could get religious of less.
Panorama Höhenweg.
View of the Alpeiner Scharte pass from the descent to Unterschrammach Kar.
When I see the sky is darkening above the mountains on the other side of the valley, I set up the pace. Those clouds are all thunder and I do not want to be caught up in them. At this point the trail is beginning a meandering and sometimes steep descent towards the bottom of a bowl known as Unterschrammach Kar. This is where an alternative route on Der Traumpfad comes down from the Alpeiner Scharte, another high pass with a steep descent to follow (this alternative route comes from the Geraerhütte and is a route you can take if you want to avoid the Friesenbergscharte, although this descent is still very steep).
Thunderstorm above the Zillertal Alps on the other side of the valley.
Looking back at the Panorama Höhenweg cutting through the landscape.
Rain drops are felt as I start climbing again and on the other side deep rumbles are heard from between the peaks. The lovely contour path continues its journey at the sides of the mountains and suddenly the path is barred by ropes, cordoning bands and signposts warning of mortal danger (lebens gefahr). Here the path crosses a creek and is much is made so that the hiker should take a safer detour further up the creek. The crossing does not look that bad, but the water flow is quite low at the moment and I believe it would be a different matter when there are more water gushing down.
Cairn and thunderclouds.
View back towards Schlegeisspeicher, Olperer visible all the way up to the left.
Italy is now getting closer by the minute and slowly the path winds down towards the last climb before saying goodbye to Austria. Unceremoniously I cross the border of Italy at the Pfitscher Joch pass (2251m), on a gravel track, entering the last country of my trek. Maybe the thunderstorm was not allowed to enter Italy, but after the early rain drops and rumblings from afar, the thunder never came any closer. Here on the approach to the Pfitscher Joch Haus, the weather is beautiful, although there are darker clouds visible ahead. A good wind is blowing.
Crossing into Italy at the Pfitscher Joch pass.
Satisfied with the day, although not yet finished, I take a break at the Pfitscher Joch Haus and sit outside in the sun and wind with a cold beer (well earned according to myself). Martina would only be going here today, but when I spotted her, she was down by a little pond near the cabin and soon vanished out of sight.
Heart at Pfitscher Joch Haus, ribbons fluttering in the wind.
If you stay here instead of in Stein, you could bypass a section of the hike and so avoid the descent to Stein and the following ascent. The trail do go down to Stein, but on the climb back up again it will pass close by where you go down from here (there is a path that can be used to avoid the descent). As at the Olpererhütte, there is also a heart sculpture here, with ribbons fluttering in the wind.
Divine light on the sky.
Descent to Stein from Pfitscher Joch Haus.
A dramatic sky further down the valley and in places I can see rain showers. On the way down I meet Martina, on her way back up again. I am sorry that she does not go down to Stein too, but I will see her again tomorrow, at Pfunders. The walk down is wonderful, first past a couple of abandoned barracks, then through an open landscape with lovely views of the valley below, as well as the valley the trail is heading up into tomorrow. Going further down, the trail enters the forest on a good path.
Looking into the Gliderbach valley with the Gliderschartl pass.
Stein.
Stein is a tiny hamlet tucket in at the end of a valley, consisting only of a few houses, mostly farms and a small chapel about to collapse. And then there is the Gasthof Stein, a chalet adorned with flowers, where I will stay for the night. It is also quite old and ancient, the dining room is wonderful in that essence, but I will not have my dinner there. The weather is too good to sit inside in, and upon arrival they tell me that I will have to eat right away if I want to have dinner. Both Enrique, Dieter and Karin are here and they keep me company outside while I eat. I also meet another couple who are here doing some walks around in the area, they met each other on the Camino Francés.
The flower adorned chalet of Gasthof Stein.
What a day. You have to give credit to Olperer for probably making this day the best day of hiking so far on Der Traumpfad, particularly so since the following hike from the Olpererhütte to Stein was such an enjoyable walk too. I go to bed in this creaking and charming guesthouse with the knowledge that another pass awaits me tomorrow, the Gliderschartl, I could see it from the descent to Stein. If the weather is good, it will be good.
Inside the ancient dining room at Gasthof Stein.
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