THE MOUNTAINS ARE CALLING
Our hiking suggestions
1
From Vorderkaser to the Eishof
Duration: 2 hours
Distance: 4 km
From the Vorderkaser inn we follow mark 39 and walk along the wide, unpaved road moderately uphill through larch forests towards the valley. The old valley path leads us after about one hour to the former Mitterkaser farm at 1,954 m. Just like the Rableidhof hut, which we pass shortly afterwards, a snack station. Then we hike further into the valley and after another 45 minutes we reach the Eishof. After a little refreshment we return on the way in one and a half hours. (Suitable for buggies)
2
From the Vorderkaser inn to the Refuge Stettiner Hütte
Duration: 4-5 hours
Difference in altitude: 1,260 m
Distance: 23 km
As described in hiking trail no. 1, we hike from the Vorderkaser car park or Gasthof Jägerrast to the Eishof in the Pfossental valley basin. At the end of the valley, the peak "Hohe Weiße" rises majestically, towards which we continue along the forest path. The further ascent initially leads over pleasant meadows and after a while turns into numerous hairpin bends, which is why the gradient is only moderate along the entire route. At a crossroads in the upper part, we keep to the left and eventually end up on a high plateau. After crossing it, we hike over the last hairpin bends in the barren terrain to the Eisjöchl (2,895 m), which lies between the "Hohe Wilden" (3,480 m) on the left and the "Hohe Weiße" (3,278 m) on the right. Just behind it, the Refuge Stettiner Hütte (2,875 m above sea level) awaits us for a break.
3
Stages of the Meraner Höhenweg: From Katharinaberg via Eishof to Pfelders
Two daily stages:
1st stage: from Katharinaberg to the Eishof in about 4.0 hours (approx. 13 km)
2nd stage: from Eishof to Pfelders in about 6.5 hours (about 17 km)
In Katharinaberg we first follow the signs to the Höhenweg (trail mark 24) along the asphalt road. At the junction we follow the trail marker No. 28 to the left, which marks the ascent to the junction with the Meraner Höhenweg Trail. Along the Montferthof and through dense larch forest the path leads us to the Vorderkaser inn, where the Pfossental actually starts. From Vorderkaser we hike in one and a half hours to the managed Eishof, which is idyllically situated in the valley basin, and stop there overnight.
The next day we continue our walk into the valley, where the wide hiking trail finally becomes narrower and steeper and crosses the Pfossental stream again and again. At the next crossroads the trail continues in serpentines towards Eisjöchl at 2,895 m. From here you can already see the Stettiner Hütte hut with its blue-green mountain lake, which we reach after a few minutes’ downhill. In the face of the peaks Hohe Wilde and the Hohe Weiße, the trail zigzags steeply down to the Lazinser Alm hut. From here a forest road leads us to the Zeppichl to Pfelders.
4
From Eishof to the Johannesscharte and the Lodnerhütte hut
Duration: 5 hours
Distance: 8,13 kilometres
From the Eishof, the trail marked 25 leads us into the valley on a pleasant ascent to Eisjöchl. After a little more than an hour, we leave the path at approx. 2,500 m and turn right onto marker 8. We climb over scree to the rope-insured Johannesschartl at 2,854 m. This is located directly at the foot of the west ridge of the Kleine Weiße peak and should not be confused with the west cut in embrasures. The path there is abandoned because of the danger of falling rocks. From here we first descend steeply and then over hairpin bends on a well-developed path. Finally we continue out of the valley via the Johannesweg to the Lodnerhütte hut up to 2.259 m. This is an excellent alternative to the Meraner Höhenweg Trail.
