Zillertal Rucksack Route. IV.

Berliner Hütte – Furtschaglhaus.

The Schonbichlerhorn, today’s objective.

Today takes us over one of the highest ‘walking’ passes in Austria. The forecast is for rain later so we plan an early getaway. The breakfast in the Berliner is poor and expensive, they could do so much better – some fruit juice and maybe boiled eggs. The hardy young crowd who eat their own breakfast on the terrace are away early, we are happy with 7.15am. It was uphill all the way, at first through shrubs on zigzags and then at a rock wall we took a shelf up to the right into a rocky area. Here a ridge soared upwards towards a vertical rock face, surely we don’t go up there but yes a few hundred metres of scrambling led on. Poles were packed away for the hands on experience, there were cables but they weren’t needed as the rock was solid and full of jugs. From the col the summit cross of Schonbichler Horn, 3133m, was 5mins away. The rockman proudly bore the summit stamp on his forehead and we signed the book “post Brexit”. Fantastic views as you can imagine, a whole new world opened up to the NW, The Tuxertal Alps with the Olperer 3426m prominent. To our left were glacial systems coming off the Grosser Moeler, 3480m, and the Hochfeiler, 3510m, the highest peak in the Zillertal. We sat and ate more of that stale bread and cheese whilst looking around. Cables led us down loose ground but there was no hard packed snow that had been so difficult last year, our micro spikes were never used. After an 8 hour day the Furtschaglhaus was a perfect traditional hut with super friendly guardians. An early supper and we were in bed way before the beer-swilling weekenders at the hut. We never meet any British walkers.