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"Summary"

Back in 1992 Sue and I made our one and only trip to Europe and hiked around the alpine regions of Austria, Italy, France, & Switzerland.  That trip long ago simply whetted our appetites, and now at last we have the chance to go back and perhaps share a little of what we have experienced.  Hut hiking is in complete contrast to the wilderness type of hiking that we experience here in North America.  First off, there are a whole lot more people of all ages, including old folks, hiking over there.  Little is done to control the numbers of people hiking in the mountains and from the European point of view, there is not much reason to ….. the mountain are there to be enjoyed and for the most part high usage of the mountains is encouraged.  Consequently, a system of alpine huts are found throughout the Alps to help accommodate the large population found hiking the paths and alpine routes.  The huts range from fairly basic to quite luxurious accommodations.  All huts have beds with mattresses as well as toilet facilities. Some huts even have private rooms and It is very common to find huts with complete hot meal service.  All of this means that a hiker with proper monetary backup can expect to ramble through the Alps with a small pack dispensing with things like tents, stoves, sleeping bags, food, heavy boots, and large backpacks.  So with this small introduction lets get down to a brief explanation of the two regions that we will be visiting.

• Human Requirements: Though the actual hiking mileage's on both trips are generally less than 10 km per day, you will find that European Alpine trails tend to be a bit more strenuous than our American counterparts.  My feeling is that if you can handle 10 miles of hiking with a loaded backpack in mountainous terrain here in the US, with a lighter pack, you can certainly handle the trails that we will encounter in Austria and Italy.  Our first trip in Austria should not be much of a problem for anyone that has had much hiking experience.  The "Via Ferrata" (Iron Way) in Italy is probably even less demanding than the Austrian Alps from a physical point of view, but because the routes, safe as they may be with all those wires & ladders to aid you, present some awesome vertical exposure that can be terrifying if you have trouble with heights. If you have any doubts about your ability, we need to talk.  More important than your physical abilities from my point of view, however, is how well do you adapt to strange and constantly changing conditions.  We normally don't book our huts or hotels in advance.  How comfortable do you feel with the uncertainty of not knowing for sure that a comfortable bed awaits you every night?  Can you tolerate a large hut full of strangers, many whom probably snore?  Can you accept unforeseen changes in itinerary with humor and grace? Can you tolerate often crowded campgrounds in the height of the European holidays?  How about if we can't get a hotel or campground before or after our hikes and wind up in a barn? Can you handle it …. and what's more, enjoy it?  If not …. Well this is probably not the trip for you.
  

• Equipment: In theory, because all the huts we will be visiting supply food & bedding all you need for hut hiking is clothing for a mountain environment, a rucksack, a decent set of boots and you are set to hit the trail.  If you have a pretty good sized budget then this will probably work.  However, we are visiting Europe at the height of it's vacation season and to expect empty huts, available cheap hotels, and inexpensive food is wishful thinking.  Sue and I travel as light as we possibly can, but always have a light tent, small stove, compact sleeping bag and other normal backpacking equipment.  When we are in towns, we always have the option to stay in a campground and prepare our own food or find  low end lodging if it is available.  At the huts you can generally be assured that a bed will be available, however it might just be a mattress thrown on top of a table or on the floor down the hall.  In the huts, we generally buy the evening meal, but carry our own breakfast and lunch fixings to save money. Anyway, what I'm getting at is that you can travel with only a credit card and lots of money if you want, but by traveling self-contained you give yourself more options.  You can always stash the extra gear in a locker in town before we head for the huts if you don't want to carry everything with you.  At any rate, everything you show up with should fit into a backpack.
  

• Costs: We charge $50 for arranging each of the hiking trips. You pay us when we see you in Innsbruck. Beyond your roundtrip airfare which can run anywhere from $800 to $1400, plus a little for train fare, your daily expenses will run anywhere from $25 to $100/day. We have nothing to do with how high up the ladder you want to be as far as spending money. On the low $25 end, you will carry all your own food (rice, noodles, granola), camp out when you can, and have membership to the Austrian Alpine Club which gives you a discount in the huts.  In the mid range of $50 you can enjoy evening hut meals, have a drink of Schnapps occasionally, and stay in hostels when you are in town.  At the $100 level…... well hell, you can sneak us into your nice hotel room can't you?  Sue and I look to be in the $35-50 range somewhere. (Per person.)   Unless Europe has converted over to the "Euro" by the time we arrive, be prepared to deal in a lot of different currencies.  Sue and I go over-seas with U.S. dollars and convert it over there.  We also have a credit card that comes in handy at times.  Some people feel more comfortable with travelers checks.  It's your call.
  

• Passports & Visas:  You will need a current passport. Visas are obtainable at the borders of each country as we enter them as long as we are not planning an extensive stay.
  
• Specific Maps:   Here is a list of maps that you might consider obtaining for planning the trip.
  

Specific Books:  I hesitate to recommend many books because of the large amount of additional weight they can add to our already heavy loads. Much of the information we need will be obtainable from visitor centers as we travel in each country.  However … it certainly doesn't hurt to find some books and make Xerox copies of useful information.   With that in mind here are some titles.

• Web Sites: If you have the time an inclination, you can dig up a whole bunch of useful information by going to the following  web sites.
  

• Camping Cards:  It might be advisable to obtain a Camping Card International from your local  Triple AAA office so that when you camp in Europe, you won't necessarily have to give up your pass port as collateral for your campsite.  I understand that there is a small charge for this card.
  

"Itinerary

• Aug. 15 (Tuesday)  Munich Arrival & Train to Innsbruck.  We will meet you at the Innsbruck train station at 6:00 pm. You will probably fly into Munich, Germany. If you arrive before noon,  you will have time to make connections by train to Innsbruck that same day. It takes 3-4 hours to go from Munich train station to Innsbruck. If you arrive later, give yourself an extra day to get to Innsbruck, and of course book your flight accordingly to give yourself an extra day.   After you arrive at the Munich Airport you can catch the S8 commuter train directly from the airport to the main train station in Munich.  Both the airport and train stations have information centers to help you with transportation and tourist needs.  From the main Munich train station you can make connections to Innsbruck that same day.  Don't worry, they speak English at the ticket counter.  If you arrive in Innsbruck earlier  or later (Sue and I will be there on the 14th.), you can walk, catch a bus, or take a taxi to our campground 4 km away which is: Camping Innsbruck-Kranebitten, Kranebitten Allee 214, A-6020. Phone: 0512 29355.
  
• Aug. 16 (Wed.) Innsbruck Tourist Day.  We'll take the time to buy food & supplies, visit tourist information centers, and see the sights of this wonderful Bavarian town. Anyone arriving a day late will still be able to hook up with us at the campground.   
  
• Aug. 17 - 23  The Adventure Begins.  We'll begin the trip by catching a bus in downtown Innsbruck to take us up to the small village of Neustift where are hiking for the day begins.  To the right is a daily itinerary by hut along with estimated mileages and hiking times. Keep in mind that these times and distances only reflect the connections between huts, not necessarily the side explorations that we will probably be doing as well. The altitude indicates the elevation of the hut, not necessarily how much we climb that day.
  
• Aug. 24 (Tues.) Return to Innsbruck. We'll head quickly down the trail from Starkenberger Hut to catch a bus in the valley below back to our campground in Innsbruck or some other form of lodging and take a brief rest before getting ready for the "Via Ferrata" in Italy.  Those of you heading home will probably be heading to Munich to catch a flight. If so you can book a train as soon as you get back to Innsbruck or even before you start the hike.
  

"Itinerary

• Aug. 24 (Tuesday)  - Innsbruck Assembly Day.  Just in case someone is just joining us on this trip, we'll meet you at the Innsbruck train station at 6:00 pm.  You will probably fly into Munich, Germany. If you arrive before noon, you will have time to make connections by train to Innsbruck that same day. It takes 3-4 hours to go from Munich train station to Innsbruck. If you arrive later, give yourself an extra day to get to Innsbruck.   After you arrive at the Munich Airport you can catch the S8 commuter train directly from the airport to the main train station in Munich.  Both the airport and train stations have information centers to help you with transportation and tourist needs.  From the main Munich train station you can make connections to Innsbruck that same day.  Don't worry, they speak English at the ticket counter.  If, on the other hand, you arrive in Munich fairly late in the day, you might want to consider flying in a day earlier and staying in Munich for the night.  If you arrive in Innsbruck earlier or later, you can walk, catch a bus, or take a taxi to our campground 4 km away which is: Camping Innsbruck-Kranebitten, Kranebitten Allee 214, A-6020. Phone: 0512 29355.
  
• Aug. 25 (Wed.) Innsbruck Tourist Day.  We'll take the time to buy food & supplies, book our train, bus, and lodging for the next day.  Anyone arriving a day late will still be able to hook up with us at the campground.
  
• Aug. 26 (Thursday) Train & Bus to  Italy and the Dolomites.   We have a 2-3 hour train trip over Brenner Pass to Trento, Italy followed by another 2 hour bus trip to the small resort town of Madonna di Campiglio. We will have booked lodging in advance here as there is no campground nearby.  We'll probably have time to check out the local climbing & hiking shops as well as gather last minute facts at the local Information Center.
  
• August 27 - 31 The Adventure Begins.  Off to the right I've listed the huts that I propose we stay at as well as hiking times, distance, and the route used to get to them.  At this point I have no idea as to whether or not the huts have complete meal service; however I suspect by the time we get there, those facts will be available.  If I have not mentioned it before, we might have to buy a little webbing and a couple of carabiners  to clip into some of the cable systems that we will be using.
  
• Sept. 1 ( Wed.) Madonna di Campiglio & Innsbruck.  After coming down off the cableway, we should have plenty of time to catch a bus and train back to Innsbruck and our campsite or lodging.
  
• Sept. 2 ( Thurs. ) Train to Munich.  For those who have plane connections, you can easily catch one of the many daily trains running back to Munich. End of trip.
  
• Sept. 3 ( Friday ) Catch a Jet Plane Back Home.   
  

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