Self Guided Hut to Hut in the Hohe Tauern

Choose from 3 spectacular itineraries

New for 2018, we are extending our offering of self-guided hut to hut routes to our newest resort, Austria’s Hohe Tauern. Our three 7-night itineraries have been tailormade to offer our guests the opportunity to explore some of Austria’s most spectacular alpine scenery and enjoy the unforgettable experience of watching the sun rise and set from spectacular high-altitude locations. Our three routes venture into the heart of the Hohe Tauern, an area of striking glacial landscapes, flower-strewn meadows and idyllic mountain lakes.

While this area of Austria is already noticeably less “discovered” than much of the Austrian Alps, the true beauty of these itineraries is the opportunity of spending the night in the mountains and appreciating a rare feeling of solitude once most walkers have descended to the valleys.

We have prepared comprehensive route notes for each itinerary, providing you with a thorough description of the route, the terrain you will encounter and any logistical information that may help along the way.

Each route crosses a variety of alpine terrain and traverses one of the main mountain groups in the region, visiting mountain lakes, glacial corries, crossing rocky alpine cols and passing through rustic East Tyrolean hamlets and farms.

The Hohe Tauern seems tailormade for multiday hiking, and the region is liberally studded with mountain huts and traditional working farms. On a Collett’s hut to hut itinerary, you will stay in rustic but well-appointed mountain huts, all serving local cuisine and offering the perfect refuge after a full day’s walking. In some cases you will stay in more comfortable local guesthouses in hamlets nestled in the valleys.

One of the charms of the Hohe Tauern is its freedom from overdevelopment and the areas explored by our itineraries are free from the scars of ski infrastructure or excessive tourism. However, access to some of the routes is facilitated by public buses and by also jeep hut taxis which offer a convenient means of ascending (or descending!) the valleyside.

Collett’s offer airport transfers from Salzburg Airport (approx. 2.5hrs) on Saturdays and Mondays, or alternatively you can hire a car and arrive on any day you wish (except Wednesday, our staff day off).

On a Collett’s hut to hut holiday, we take all the hard work out of the planning for you, and leave you to simply enjoy the trek! At the planning stage, we offer a factsheet for each of our itineraries which give a brief day by day description of what to expect, along with figures indicating height gain, total descent and distance covered each day. Once you settle on your preferred route we make the relevant reservations for the huts and then, nearer the time, send you the detailed day by day route notes printed on waterproof paper. We also supply the relevant 1:50,000 Hohe Tauern map. Upon arrival in Matrei, you will be greeted by our Hut to Hut Host who will talk you through your itinerary, confirm any transport or tailored booking arrangements and answer any final queries.

To make an enquiry click here.

Three Superb Self Guided Itineraries

Our hut to hut holidays are available between late June and mid-September, depending on the itinerary. We especially recommend late July, late August and early September, when the routes are usually in the best condition and the huts are generally quieter. The earlier you book, the easier it is for us to guarantee your accommodation and confirm your arrangements.

We have three 7-night itineraries to choose from, of Easier Moderate, Moderate and Hard grades. The nature of the terrain here in the Hohe Tauern means that these itineraries are more challenging than our other hut to hut routes in the Dolomites and Zugspitz Arena, and on the whole, are half a grade harder. Please read the downloadable PDF factsheets below in detail to get a clear picture of the terrain and day by day route.

Your first and last nights of the week are spent in a hotel in Matrei. The first night is on a half board basis, but your last night does not include dinner, giving you the opportunity to choose a local restaurant in the village to end your week with.

If you would like us to check availability in the huts, please contact Kelly to talk through the itinerary of your choice and to let her know your specific travel dates. We ask you not to book flights or travel plans until we have confirmed all the accommodation for your itinerary.

Tour 1 – Virgental Balcony Traverse

Easier Moderate

This itinerary incorporates 2 nights in a hotel in Matrei at the beginning, allowing you to explore the area and ease yourself in with a day walk, before commencing the 5-day 4-night hut to hut route. You explore the panoramic balcony paths of the Lasörling mountain group above the Virgental valley. You end with two final gentler days visiting the Umbalfalle waterfalls. Accommodation is a mix of 3 mountain huts with basic yet comfortable facilities, a charming guesthouse, along with 3 nights in a hotel in Matrei. The route is an excellent introduction to the hut to hut experience in the Hohe Tauern.

Factsheet – Virgental Balcony Traverse – Easier Moderate Itinerary

Tour 2 – Lasörling Group Traverse

Moderate

The first and last night is spent in a hotel in Matrei, and then in 5 mountain huts situated in scenic locations. This is a varied traverse of the Lasörling gruppe, one of the main mountain groups of the Hohe Tauern. Offering an excellent introduction to the area, the route explores steep-sided valleys and stunningly panoramic balcony paths, visiting idyllic mountain tarns and offering superb, far-reaching views. Access is aided using a public bus followed by a jeep taxi on Day 1, enabling you to begin your tour high in the mountains.

Factsheet – Lasörling Group Traverse – Moderate Itinerary

Tour 3 – The Venediger Hohenweg

Hard

The first and last night is spent in a hotel in Matrei, and then during the 5 night trek you stay in 2 valley guesthouses and in 3 remote yet comfortable mountain huts, always with stunning views and serving good hearty food. This is a true classic of the area, and explores the wild and remote alpine terrain of the Venediger Hohenweg, a high-altitude traverse through some of the most stunning scenery in the Hohe Tauern. Crossing varied and challenging terrain, including an exposed protected path, the tour offers stunning, close-up views of the expansive glaciers that characterise the Hohe Tauern. The final day ventures onto the parallel Lasörling group.

Factsheet – Venediger Hohenweg – Hard Itinerary

To make an enquiry click here.

Accommodation in Guesthouses and Alpine Hütte

Your first and last nights (and second also for the Easier Moderate route) will be spent in the East Tyrolean village of Matrei. Very much a working village, Matrei has retained a “lived in” feel and, nestled at the junction of three major valleys, and is an ideal base from which to embark on a multi-day hike.

During your trek, accommodation is provided in Hütte, traditional Austrian mountain huts. Not only does this offer the unique opportunity to experience sunset and sunrise high up in the mountains, the huts also serve hearty food and drink, often with an emphasis on local produce with locally produced milk, cheese and meat, and offer basic yet comfortable facilities and a convivial atmosphere – everything you could wish for after a good day’s walking. Sleeping arrangements are mixed sex and in dormitory-style accommodation, in bunk beds or in some cases, on sleeping platforms where you sleep on mattresses in a row alongside one another. In some huts, it is possible to upgrade to a private room, subject to availability and a supplement – see the individual factsheets for details. All of the huts have washing facilities and showers, some of which are coin operated. Sleeping bag liners are required in all of the huts.

To make an enquiry click here.

Food in the Mountains

Each hut serves breakfast and an evening meal. Breakfasts are usually offered in the form of a simple continental buffet, varying in selection depending on how remote the hut is. Huts in more isolated locations tend to offer a more basic breakfast such as cereals, cheese, ham, bread and preserves and tea and coffee, while other huts may offer a wider choice including fruit, yoghurt and boiled eggs. Lunch is not included in your holiday and while on some days you may wish to eat in a different mountain hut encountered on the route, lunch items and snacks can be purchased at each accommodation. Some huts are happy for guests to make a simple sandwich from the breakfast selection to take away with them, whilst others charge a small fee for this. In the evening, dinner is usually taken from a set menu with two or three choices for each course. However, some of the more isolated or basic huts offer a fixed menu with no choice. The food is invariably hearty, filling and tasty, and usually gives a good representation of local cuisine. Vegetarians are catered for, but please be warned that meals tend to be much more limited in choice and variation; given their remote locations, certain huts do not have a ready supply of fruit and vegetables and consequently the choice of ingredients is more restricted.

If you wish to sample other local food at lunchtimes, you will often pass other huts along the route serving traditional dishes such as Knödel (dumplings) Schlutzkrapen (ravioli) and of course Strudel, while may huts serve their own locally-distilled Schnapps.

To make an enquiry click here.

Airport Transfers from Salzburg Airport

Return Transfers at £80 per person to the Hohe Tauern
Available Saturdays and Mondays

Our airport transfer service is easy to use and popular. If you need any help or advice or have any questions regarding how our Airport Transfer System works please call us on 01799 513331 or make an enquiry here.

Our transfer service is not a personal taxi service and waiting can be unavoidable, so please do not book a transfer unless you are relaxed about the possibility of having to kill time in Salzburg (if time permits) or at the airport. In short, we send one vehicle down to the airport to drop off all our departees for their flights home, whilst the same vehicle will collect all our arrivals to take them up to the mountains.

Transfer Times – We will contact you about 2 weeks before your holiday with the times of your transfers. These are determined by the flight times of everyone we collect on that day but 5pm is the deadline for a transfer, as this allows us to get everyone up to the mountains in time for dinner. We try to keep waiting to a minimum but we can make no guarantees. For example, if your flight lands at 11am and we have other arrivals landing at 4.30pm, the transfer is likely to set off at 5pm. On the other hand, you might be our only arrivals on that day, in which case we will meet you from your flight and take you straight to Matrei.

On your outward journey, your flight should arrive before 5pm and leave after 10.30am on the day of your departure. Make sure you understand how our transfer system works by reading this page in full – Thank you. Before booking a flight or transfer, please make sure your desired accommodation is available.

Journey Time from Salzburg to Matrei – 2½hrs

Homebound Transfers – on your day of departure, be prepared for an early start. If someone has a flight home at 10.30am, we have to leave the mountains at about 6am – 10.30am is the earliest we allow guests to book a return flight. Again, departure times are dictated by the flight times of all our transferees.

Alternatives

• Consider fly driving – we can help you arrange a safe, comprehensive and competitive car hire package giving you ultimate flexibility for your arrival and departure days. There is parking in Matrei for you to leave the car for the duration of the trip. See the next tab for car hire details.
• Taxi – efficient but expensive – about €425 one way.

We send you the times of your airport transfers and meeting details 14 days before your holiday.

Car Hire

Fly-driving is popular and most of our guests choose this option, if you need any help or advice please call us on 01799 513331.

Having a car gives you complete flexibility to arrive on any day and based on your own flights and timings.

The journey from our nearest airports (Salzburg, Innsbruck and Munich) is simple. Driving conditions are good and motorists are civil – the spectacular surroundings tend to remove the need to hurry.

How car hire with Collett’s works

Collett’s have teamed up with Car Trawler in order to offer you car hire from all the big name brands (as well as some of the lesser known local suppliers), at some of the most competitive prices available anywhere on the internet. All we ask is you give our car hire a try before making your final decision – you may well be pleasantly surprised by what we can offer you. Fill in the details in the form below and the search engine will open up in a new tab or window – If you need any help or advice please call 01799 513331.

Please note that:
* Cartrawler deals direct with all customer service issues, and their Helpdesk number is 0207 043 9764 or alternatively visit their Frequently Asked Questions Webpage.
* it is essential that you read carefully the full rental conditions of the vehicle you intend to book, paying particular attention to matters such as whether unlimited mileage is included, fuel policies (eg. some rentals require you to buy a full tank of fuel on collection and then return the vehicle empty), the accepted forms of payment and ID, and the applicable cancellation policy. It is very important that you are familiar with all rental conditions in order to avoid incurring any additional fees or unexpected charges on collection or return.
* your rental will be direct with the supplier identified on your confirmation e-mail not Collett’s.
* if you return the vehicle at a later time than your collection time you will be charged an extra days rental. Pro rata.
* you may add additional drivers when you collect your vehicle. Prices vary but are approximately €8.50 per additional driver per day.
* Worldwide Insure can offer you Excess Reimbursement Insurance for only £2.50 per day, click here to take out this cover.

Hiring a vehicle abroad

After 8 June 2015 if you are hiring a vehicle you will be asked to provide evidence of your driving record (entitlements and/or penalty points), you will be able to do this online for free by accessing the DVLA's 'Share Driving Licence' service. This service is currently in development but will be available before the counterpart is abolished. The service should be used by both paper and photocard driving licence holders and will also allow you to download a summary of your licence record which can be printed or shared.

For full details please visit the DVLA's website here.
To view or share your driving licence information visit the DVLA's website here. You must take this as a printout with you to show to your car hire company.

Please see Individual Factsheets for Exact Pricing

Late June to late September, with limited availability in August when the huts and alms are particularly busy.
£750 per person with Airport Transfer (Saturday & Monday only)
£670 per person without Airport Transfer

Arrive on the day of your choice, except Wednesday which is our day off.
Please note that all bookings are subject to availability in the accommodation – please do not make any travel arrangements until we have confirmed your accommodation arrangements.

Based on Half Board accommodation in dormitory style rooms in mountain huts/alms and private double rooms in the hotels.
NOTE: Some dormitories have sleeping platform bed arrangements; sleeping side by side in a row.
A few huts have the option to upgrade to a private room – subject to a supplement of £15 per person per night.
All dormitories are mixed sex and vary in size from hut to hut.
No single supplements apply for dormitory accommodation but are applied to private rooms.
You must supply your own sleeping bag liners for all hut accommodation.
Towels are not provided in any hut accommodation (but are in the hotel and guesthouses) – please bring your own.

What’s Included

• If required – return airport transfers from Salzburg. (Flights arriving in Salzburg must land before 5.00pm, and depart from Salzburg no earlier than 10.30am – please see the Airport Transfers tab
• Accommodation in Matrei for the first and last night of your trip – normally in a hotel – B&B basis for last night
• Breakfast and dinner each day
• A meet and greet in Matrei with a member of the Collett’s team, who will talk you through your route and itinerary
• All accommodation
• Detailed route laminates
• Relevant map
• Detailed pre-departure information including packing suggestions

What’s Not Included

• Flights
• Insurance
• Evening meal in Matrei on last night.
• Lunches (lunch items are available for purchase at each hut and hotel)
• Drinks/snacks and any other purchases in the accommodation
• Lifts/cable cars, buses and trains – see routes notes for details and estimated costs

At Your Own Risk

Your self guided hut to hut itineraries will be spent entirely at your own risk and it is important that you understand that whilst these routes are accurate at the time of writing, the situation on the ground may change and the itineraries rely on your sound judgement and decision making throughout.

Our self-guided hut to hut itineraries are put together on a basis of goodwill so that you might enjoy a route you may not otherwise have discovered having organised the itinerary yourself. It represents nothing more than the opportunity to go out on a beautiful walk in a part of this wonderful walking area, with the support of knowing that many of the logistics have been arranged for you.

It is a fact that mountains, mountainous areas and activities undertaken in them are associated with personal injury and death. By coming to such areas, you are exposing yourself and your party to the possibility of personal injury or even death. In such an event, Collett’s Mountain Holidays will not be held responsible for your interest in mountainous areas and your involvement in mountain pursuits, which can occasionally have tragic consequences.

It is important that you understand that these routes are put together using our extensive knowledge of the area, to provide a route which we believe will be enjoyable and realistic for people who decide that they have the appropriate level of fitness and ability in order to complete the itinerary safely. The information provided uses only marked paths which are in use at the time of writing, however, it is your responsibility to continually assess the suitability and safety of the route throughout the walk and to undertake any action necessary to avoid any terrain which each or any member of the group is not comfortable with. The route choice also assumes an ability to read maps and navigate competently.

It is the responsibility of each individual in the group to make an assessment of the information provided, and to make an informed decision about whether the itinerary is suitable for them.

Finally, during your holiday with Collett’s Mountain Holidays you act at your own risk on any ideas, information and opinions you might acquire from our walk organisers or from material prepared by us to help you get the most from the area.

To make an enquiry click here.