von Tessa Mellinger
January 12, 2020
Winter
Long-distance hiking in the snow: Welcome to the White Carpet!
When your shoes crunch softly over the snow with every step, your breath hangs in the air glistening white, the trees bend gently under the weight of the snow and you can literally smell the invigorating stop at the alpine pasture – then you will experience a very special winter magic. All this and more is available during the winter long-distance hiking in the snow: in four days the long-distance hiking trails lead you through the snow-covered landscape. You'll find out what you need for this and what you'll experience along the way when you read on.
Winter magic at its best: winter long distance hiking
Being far away in the mountains for days on end, getting closest to nature, focusing on the essentials, experiencing a true mountain adventure and outgrowing yourself in the process – that and so much more is what long-distance hiking is all about. Anyone who has ever hiked from hut to hut over several days in (almost) any weather knows that this is a particularly formative experience. One that touches, leaves traces and has an addictive factor. That's why long-distance hiking is now also available in the cold season: since last winter, our region has been home to Tyrol's first long-distance winter hiking trail. On the 4-day winter long-distance hike you hike through the beautiful snow-covered landscape from accommodation to accommodation and even up to the Wettersteinhütte. By the way, you don't need snowshoes, because the hiking trails are perfectly cleared. All you need is sufficient physical condition.
The highlight: A night on the mountain
54 kilometers and 1300 meters of altitude have to be mastered during the winter long-distance hike. In four days, the stages will take you to the most beautiful spots in the region and high up into the mountains. The first stage starts in Leutasch in the district of Burggraben and leads on 14 kilometers and 145 meters of altitude to Weidach. If you still haven't had enough, you can extend the first stage a bit more and hike up to the Katzenkopf, which offers great views. On the second day, you start in the morning from Weidach and hike via the Wildmoos and the photogenic Lottensee to Lake Mösern. In Mösern you can relax after 16 kilometers and 400 meters of altitude.
Stage 3 holds a very special highlight: the night at the Wettersteinhütte at 1717 meters. Here, the warm hosts Beate and Hans await you with delicious Kaiserschmarren and breathtaking views over the mountains. With 14 kilometers and 720 meters of altitude, this stage is probably the most strenuous of all. The next morning you leave the Wettersteinhütte behind and hike in the last stage on 9.5 kilometers back to the district of Weidach, where you can look back proudly on the past four days, tired, happy and with many collected experiences and impressions.
Wetterstein Hut in winter - Leutasch
Less is more: luggage transport included
A very special advantage is the luggage transport. You can check in your heavy luggage in the morning and start the hike with light luggage for the day. When you arrive at the next accommodation, your luggage will already be waiting for you there. Another advantage: snowshoes are not needed during the long winter hike, because the trails are cleared daily. In addition, there are several alpine pastures and huts on all stages, which invite you to a refreshing stop.
The facts at a glance
Time: Between the beginning of January and mid-March, the multi-day hike can be booked at the beginning of each week from Monday to Thursday.
Stages & overnight stays: 4 day stages and 3 overnight stays
Luggage transport: A special service is the luggage transport, which is included. This way you can enjoy the stages with light luggage.
Special highlight: Overnight stay at the Wetterstein hut
You don't need snowshoes for the long winter hike. However, spikes ("snow chains for the shoes") are recommended, as they prevent you from slipping. The spikes are attached to the shoes in just one movement and can easily be stowed away in your backpack when you don't need them. In our sports stores in Leutasch (Sport Norz and Sport Wedl) you can borrow the spikes. Hiking poles also make walking easier, especially with a backpack. A detailed packing list with everything you need can be found here.
Winter long distance hiking with Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner
Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner is one of the best alpinists and high-altitude mountaineers in the world. She was the first woman ever to climb all 14 eight-thousanders without artificial oxygen. What makes such a woman and extreme athlete go winter hiking? In mid-December 2019, she was in the Region Seefeld to try out the winter long-distance hiking trail – and was thrilled:
"It's just great to hike through the beautiful landscape around Seefeld and be completely with yourself."
Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner
This is what Gerlinde says after the second stage of the winter long-distance hiking trail. "Summer long-distance hiking is becoming more and more popular, after all, and I'm sure that will come a lot more in the winter. All you need for it are your own feet, a few Grödel and hiking poles, and off you go." Grödel – that's what the likeable Upper Austrian calls the spikes for the shoes. Which she certainly does not need as a professional mountaineer, but still liked to have in her daypack for safety. "Even if I love the extreme and like to do without any comfort on my tours, I like to do gentle tours just as much. Listening to your own thoughts in the silence of nature and being completely with yourself is something very precious to me."Komperdell athlete Gerlinde also appreciates the many alpine pastures and huts on the stages. "Everywhere on the stages you have great places to stop for refreshments!" A comfort that she does not have so naturally on her extreme expeditions and is happy here about a warm refreshment at noon. In conclusion, Gerlinde, who incidentally also likes to use the trails in Leutasch for her training and preparations, says:"
It's really nice that long-distance winter hiking brings many people closest to nature in winter and inspires them!"
All information about the stages of the winter long distance hiking trail, the times and the booking you can find here.
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