Winter hiking in the high mountains

There are not many winter hiking trails at a good 2,000 metres above sea level that you can walk with ease and without much effort. Today we are going on a trail that is always perfectly groomed in the Kühtai region.

The starting point is the so-called Sattele, the point at the transition from the Inntal to the Nedertal. There you will find a parking lot for which a fee is charged. From the train station in Silz, which can be reached with the S-Bahn from Innsbruck main station, the bus runs to Ochsengarten with a stop at the Sattele.

At the parking lot you will find a large hiking map and a good overview of the trail. You can walk the trail in both directions. I walked the variant with the first destination Feldringalm.

Via the forest path, which is used as a toboggan run, the route leads leisurely but never steeply up to the Feldringalm. It is a good 200 metres in altitude to the alpine pasture, which you reach after about 30 to 45 minutes in a large clearing. The view of the Mieminger mountains, the Gurgtal valley, the Außerfern and the Simmering on the opposite side is wonderful.

The hut is unfortunately currently closed due to the Corona pandemic, but there are still plenty of places for a short rest before the only steeper part of the winter hiking trail begins above the hut.

From the alpine pasture, the trail now climbs steeply up into the short strip of forest and soon beyond it above the timberline. Here the expanses of the Feldringer Böden open up with views into the Kühtai and the surrounding mountains. The wide winter hiking trail leads uphill over slightly cropped terrain to our next destination, the Grünwaslkreuz. Accompanied by the majestic sight of the Pirchkogel, you can see the popular Faltegartenköpfl on the left, which I have already reported on during a sunset tour with snowshoes. On the right, you can see well into Kühtai with its high mountains and to Hochötz with the striking Acherkogel.

The Grünwaslkreuz is the highest point of the winter hiking trail and lies at 2,026 metres - and offers a beautiful photo motif with the 3,000-metre peaks close behind and the wide Feldringer Böden towards the Inntal. From the Grünwaslkreuz, the trail continues well signposted in the direction of Marlstein and those who want to go a little further can make a detour to Marlstein. Otherwise, shortly before, the path branches off again down to Sattele to end our circular tour. The very wide path is also perfect for tobogganing, so if you like, you can take a toboggan with you and toboggan down the last bit. Back at the Sattele you have covered a good ten kilometres and have been able to collect high alpine winter impressions.

• Circular trail Feldringer Böden: approx. 10 kilometres
• Time required: approx. 2.5 hours with breaks and photos
• Metres in altitude uphill: approx. 400 hm
• Highest point: Grünwaslkreuz at 2,026 metres
• Feldringalm and Gasthof Marlstein are currently closed due to the Corona pandemic

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