Once on foot across the Alps, for many a long-cherished dream. The dream comes true with the E5. Our tour starts in Oberstdorf and leads over passes and through Alpine valleys which were used centuries ago as a transition to goods trade between southern Germany and Italy. On the tour you have to master 160km and 10000hm in 6 stages. We hike through the Allgäu, Lechtaler and Ötztal Alps to South Tyrol in Italy. The E5 is a European long-distance trail that runs its entire length from Pointe du Raz in France to Venice in Italy. The tour presented here includes the part of this long-distance trail that leads across the Alps, from Oberstdorf to Merano. It is also the most demanding, but probably most beautiful section of the E5. The route leads through very beautiful and varied mountain landscapes, such as lush alpine meadows, past rugged cliffs and gigantic glacier tongues. The E5 is one of the oldest long-distance hiking trails in Europe and this section of the E5 has developed into a classic long-distance hiking trails in recent years. It is technically a relatively simple crossing of the Alps, which, however, already make a certain claim to the condition (sometimes more than 1500hm climb on the day), as well as to the sure-footedness and vertigo. Accommodation is spent on idyllic mountain huts with breathtaking views or in cozy guesthouses in the valley. Parts of the way are covered by taxi, bus or cable cars to avoid long walkings through the valley.
Day 1: We meet early in the morning in Oberstdorf, the southernmost town of Germany in the beautiful Allgäu Alps. Our way leads us through the steep and rocky walls, very wild and original Trettachtal. Passing rushing brooks, which must be overcome in part, we continue uphill until we reach our destination for the day, the Kemptener Hütte at 1844m. Total: ascent 1100, descent 50, 15km, walking time 4-5h
Day 2: After a delicious breakfast with local delicacies we start soon in today's strenous and long day. Our way leads us up to the upper Mädelejoch, over which we already reach Tyrol. Steep down this section of road on alpine meadows and continue to Holzgau in the Lech Valley, from where we shorten the way by taxi a little. Arrived in Madau, we have to cope for about 3 hours to our accommodation hut today, the Memminger hut. Total: ascent 1300hm, descent 900hm, 15km, walking time 7.5h
Day 3: Today it is a little bit more comfortable, and so we start after a hearty breakfast for the longest descent on our tour, 1800hm down to Zams are to cope. But first we go up to the Seescharte, from where we again enjoy the gigantic view back into the Lechtal Alps. Steep down over scree and debris go past Oberlochalm, Unterlochalm to Zams. Here we take the cable car and get comfortably up to the middle station of the Venetbahn, from where we hike the short piece up to the Zamser ski hut. Here our tired muscles can relax a little from the long descent . Total: ascent 550hm, descent 1800hm, 17,5km, walking time 7,5h
Day 4: Already in the morning the first climb waits for us, so we have to conquer the steep path to the Krahberg in the morning, on the top we first enjoy the breathtaking panoramic view of the surrounding mountains. Soon we will continue uphill and after about 1.5 hours we reach the Kreuzjoch and Wonnejöchl before our further way leads us down to Wenns in the Pitztal. Here we climb quite comfortably in the bus and let us drive 30km through Pitztal to Mittelberg. There we will hike on a beautiful hiking trail up to the Brunswick hut, the highest hut of our tour and enjoy a gigantic view in the immediate vicinity of the Pitztal ice giants. Total: ascent 1700hm, descent 1500hm, 17km, walking time 10h
Day 5: Today's stage is a real highlight in the truest sense of the word, because most of the time we are over 2800 meters, above this limit, the snow melts only partially throughout the year and we are in the area of ??permafrost. We walk along the Geigenkamm always with a view of the glacier world of the Pitztal up to the Pitztaler Jöchl with 2995m. Here we leave the classic route of the E5 and it goes past the Rettenbachferner through the Rosi Mittermeier tunnel and soon on the Ötztal mountain trail down to Vent, where we spend the night. Total: ascent 300hm, descent 1500hm, 17km, walking time 6,5h
Day 6: Today we cross the border from Austria to Italy. We first walk along the Venter valley until we reach the Martin Busch hut, where we can strengthen ourselves for the further increase. It continues further into the valley into the Similaunhütte, where we treat ourselves to lunch, before we go for our remaining rise to the border between Austria and Italy. We cross the Niederjochferner and reach the Niederjoch, the highest point of our tour with 3019m. We let the breathtaking view over the Ötztal Alps and towards Ortler in the south affect us before our last descent is imminent, it goes steeply down to Vernagt. Here we reward ourselves for the effort with tasty South Tyrolean specialties. It then takes about 90 minutes by bus from Vernagt to Merano. Here we enjoy freshly showered the evening with one or the other glass of wine and let the last week review again. Total: ascent 1200hm, descent 1300hm, 19km, walking time 7.5h
Day 7: After a last breakfast together we start the journey home.
Information about the tour:
- Duration: 8 days
- Meeting point: 9:00 am Parking lot Renksteig
- Minimum number of participants: 5 participants
- Extra cost:
- Cable cars: -
- overnight stay / meals: -
- train rides: -
- Other entries: -
- Drinks and meals outside of half-board
- Included services:
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7 days guided tour and organization by mountain guide
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6x overnight stay incl. Half board
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Bus and train rides (Holzgau-Madau, Venetbahn, Pitztal Postbus, Vinschgau Postbus)
- Return from Meran to Oberstdorf
- Requirements for the participants:
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Sufficient condition for ascents up to 1700hm and 10h walking time
- Skills: Surefootedness and a head for heights
- Recommended equipment:
- ankle-high mountaineering boots
- weatherproof clothing
- Grödel (snow chaines)
- Lightweight backpack 35-45l
- Country: Germany / Austria / Italy
