Day 1: Stage 1_Jubiläumssteig & Klamml via ferrata
The 3-day tour starts in Going, Hüttling (820 m). Forest road 817 leads you past Graspoint-Niederalm (981 m) and up to the Obere Regalm (1,313 m - only open on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays). In the cosy mountain hut below the south faces of the Regalmspitze, there is a special breakfast on the mountain every Wednesday when the weather is dry. This organic buffet includes fresh homemade farmhouse bread along with sausage from the farm’s own cows. Continue on the panoramic path 827, making a steep ascent across Alpine meadows to the Brennender Palven mountain (also known as the Baumgartenköpfl, 1,572 m). You will be rewarded for the ascent with fantastic views over the rock massif of the Wilder Kaiser to the north and over the Kitzbühel Alps and Hohe Tauern mountain range to the south. This is also the location of the famous Bergsteigergrab, which is the final resting place of the “Koasamuch”. This renowned mountain climber from the “Edelweissgilde” organisation, who was born Much Wieser in Scheffau in 1888, brought the idea of the summit book to the Wilder Kaiser. From the Brennender Palven, hike along Wilder-Kaiser-Steig trail 823 – also known as the Much-Wieser-Steig trail – as you head past mountain pines and sometimes over scree as you proceed towards the Ellmauer Tor rock saddle. You will need to head across a few exposed sections on the way to the turnoff leading to the Ellmauer Tor. At the turnoff, which is located below the south-west faces of the Vordere Karlsspitze mountain, turn on to the Jubiläumssteig trail. The trail is highly exposed in certain places, but features wire ropes almost throughout. It snakes across slabs and along a wide range of imposing rock faces before coming to a distinctive natural arch, with slight ascents and descents leading to a notch. This must be crossed with the help of a ladder, along with steps that are secured using wire ropes. Heading through a gorge, over beaten steps and along a number of iron rungs, you will reach the exit of the Jubiläumssteig trail. At the fork, turn southeast on to path 813/824. After a brief descent through the Klamml, you will reach the entrance to the via ferrata. The lower section is difficulty B/C, while the upper section that is accessed via a spectacular rope bridge features difficulty C/D. From the end of the via ferrata, it is only a few more minutes before you will come to the Gruttenhütte mountain hut. (The Klamml via ferrata is an ideal indicator. Only if you are able to cross this without any problems should you take on the rest of the tour as planned.)
The Gruttenhütte (1,620 m), which was built in 1899 on a rocky crest, is the highest mountain hut in the Wilder Kaiser region and features a beautiful sun terrace. It is located directly at the foot of the Ellmauer Halt (which is the highest summit in the Wilder Kaiser region at 2,344 m) and is therefore the ideal starting point for climbing to the Ellmauer Halt summit via the Gamsängsteig trail on the following day.
CAUTION: due to renovation work, the Gruttenhütte in Ellmau will only be open to a limited number of guests in summer 2017. With regard to the availability of places for overnight stays, at least on particular weekends, this information will only be announced at short notice. Alternative options for overnight stays are provided by the Gaudeamushütte and the Riedlhütte. Please make sure to reserve your places at these mountain huts in good time!
Caution: Obere Regalm – in the summer, food is served only on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays when the weather is good.
