Situated in the heart of Austria and the Eastern Alps the Hohe Tauern National Park is the largest in Europe and a World Conservation Area, taking in the Tirol, Salzburg and Karnten. The area boasts dramatic valleys headed by scores of peaks and trekkers are well supported by some of the best huts in the Alps.
This guide concentrates on three areas - the little known Reichen Group with its folklore of dwarves and giants, the Venediger Group with its glaciers and finally the Gross Glockner Group taking centre stage.
Contents Introduction When to go Getting there and back Places to stay Visiting Innsbruck Tourist offices Post offices Left luggage Health and fitness Emergencies, mountain rescue and insurance The Austrian Alpine Club About huts Using this guide Maps and guidebooks Alpine walking skills Glacier travel Kit list Mountain guides The Reichen Group Introduction and Topography The Reichen Group Hut to Hut Stage 1#Mayrhofen to the Plauener Hut #Excursions from the Plauener Hut Stage 2 #Plauener Hut to the Birnlucken Hut Stage 3 #Birnlucken Hut to the Warnsdorfer Hut Stages 4 and 5 #Warnsdorfer Hut to Krimmler Tauern Haus and the Zittauer Hut Stage 6 #Zittauer Hut to the Richter Hut Stage 7A #Richter Hut to the Plauener Hut Stage 7B #Richter Hut to the Plauener Hut The Venediger Group Introduction and Topography Hut to Hut routes The Venediger Rucksack Route Stage 1#Matrei to the Essener Rostocker Hut Stage 2#Essener Rostocker Hut to the Johannis Hut. Stage 3#Johannis Hut to the Bonn Matreier Hut Stage 4#Bonn Matreier Hut to the Badener Hut Stage 5#Badener Hut to the Neue Prager Hut Alternative Stage 5#Badener Hut to the Venediger Haus Stage 6#Neue Prager Hut to the Sankt Poltener Hut Stage 7#Sankt Poltener Hut to Matreier Tauern Haus Venediger Glacier Tour Stage 1#Mayrhofen to the Warnsdorfer Hut Stage 2#Warnsdorfer Hut to the Essener Rostocker Hut #Excursions from the Essener Rostocker Hut Stages 3-6#See Venediger Rucksack Route stages 2-5 Stage 7#Neue Prager Hut to the Kursinger Hut #Excursions from the Kursinger Hut Stage 8#Kursinger Hut to the Warnsdorfer Hut The Gross Glockner Group Introduction and Topography Hut to Hut routes Glockner Rucksack Route and Round Tour Stage 1#Kals, Lucknerhaus to Studl Hut #Excursions from the Studl Hut Stage 2#Studl to Salm Hut Stage 3#Salm to Glockner Haus Stage 4#Glockner Haus to Fusch Stage 5#Fusch to Gleiwitzer Hut Stage 6 Gleiwitzer to Kaprun or Heinrich Schwaiger Haus #Excursions from Heinrich Schwaiger Haus Stage 7#Heinrich Schwaiger to Rudolfs Hut #Excursions from Rudolfs Hut Stage 8#Rudolfs to Sudetendeutsche Hut #Excursions from the Sudetendeutsche Hut Alternative Stage 8#Rudolfs to Kalser Tauern Haus Stage 9#Sudetendeutsche Hut to Matrei Across the Hohe Tauern National Park Appendix 1#Hut Directory Appendix 2#Useful Contact Information Appendix 3#German-English Glossary Appendix 4 Further Reading Index
In addition to his first loves - Austria and the Alps - Allan Hartley has climbed across the globe from East Africa to the Falkland Islands, in Nepal and Pakistan, the Zagros mountains of Iran and the Hajr Mountains of the Arabian Peninsula. He is a member of the Austrian Alpine Club and an Associate of the Royal Photographic Society. This is his third Alpine guide for Cicerone.