huckepack

Karwendel Höhenweg

Length

Stated
About 70 km, the stated length (Naturpark Karwendel (karwendel-hoehenweg.at))
Map line
69.1 km, OpenStreetMap along the official track
Used for
The charts on this page, and comparing trails in the search

about70km

Ascent · descent

This trail
4,470 m up, 4,530 m down
Source
The sum of the 6 main stages (Naturpark Karwendel (karwendel-hoehenweg.at))

4,470m ↑4,530m ↓

Difficulty

What
How hard the trail is, in three ways: the terrain, the climate in season and the length of the days
Scale
Easy to Hard, with the same thresholds for every trail; each takes its hardest measure
Keep in mind
It describes the trail, not how it will feel to you: that depends on your fitness, experience, pack and the weather you get
  • Terrain: HardPath grade: ≈ T4
  • Climate: Hard in Jul–SepCold: −4 °C at night (September)
  • Effort: HardLongest day: 9 h (stage 3)

All measures

Terrain: Hard; Climate: Hard in Jul–Sep; Effort: Hard
Suggested
6days

Per stage

How
The 6 main stages' totals over their number
Source
Naturpark Karwendel (karwendel-hoehenweg.at), so the averages come from one source

11.2km· 750 m ↑
Season

Landscape

Source
ESA WorldCover satellite land cover, along the main route
  • Grassland and shrubs: 44%
  • Forest: 39%
  • Bare rock and sand: 14%
  • Farmland and villages: 3%
  • Water, snow and ice: 1%

Landscape along the route

Mainly Grassland

Location

Country
Austria
Regions
Tyrol
Start
Reith bei Seefeld
Finish
Scharnitz
Route type
Point to point
Travel hubs
  • Reith bei Seefeld0 km by road · 0 min
  • Scharnitz13 km by road · 13 min
  • Innsbruck Airport (INN)18.9 km by road · 21 min
  • Munich Airport (MUC)171.2 km by road · 129 min
Protected areas
Karwendel Nature Park
Managed by
Naturpark KarwendelOfficial website
Waymarking
Marked and signposted mountain paths (red-white-red Alpine Club marks)
  • Trail
  • Start
  • Stage start
  • Finish
  • Contour lines

Difficulty

Terrain

Rates
How hard is the ground to walk: the path, the climbing, the steep bits, the ground underfoot?
How
Rated over the whole main route.
Level
The hardest measure sets it
Path grade
the trail's SAC grade, stated, converted or estimated
  1. EasyT1
  2. ModerateT2
  3. DemandingT3
  4. HardT4 to T6
Climbing
ascent of the main stages over their length
  1. Easyunder 15 m per km
  2. Moderate15–30 m
  3. Demanding30–50 m
  4. Hard50 m or more
Steep stretches
share of the route steeper than 15 %, up or down (terrain model)
  1. Easyunder 5 %
  2. Moderate5–15 %
  3. Demanding15–30 %
  4. Hard30 % or more
Natural ground
share on footpaths and trails (OpenStreetMap); never Hard on its own
  1. Easyunder a third
  2. Moderatea third to two thirds
  3. Demandingtwo thirds or more

Hard

  • SAC hiking scale

    This trail
    T4 (our estimate)
    Basis
    The nature park grades the route a black mountain path: "Schwierig, schmal und steil, sehr ausgesetzt, längere versicherte Abschnitte oder Klettersteigpassagen", for "schwindelfreie, trittsichere, alpin erfahrene Bergsteiger", not for beginners or children, with A/B via ferrata passages on the Großer Bettelwurf (stage 5). Exposed alpine hiking (T4).
    Scale
    The Swiss Alpine Club's hiking scale, from T1 (easy) to T6 (very hard)
    Why
    Trails rate difficulty in many local scales, or only in words; we translate each into this one so trails compare
    Keep in mind
    An estimate: how hard a trail feels depends on your fitness, experience, pack and the weather
    T1 · Hiking
    Well-made paths, mostly flat or gently sloping. No risk of falling; trainers are enough.
    T2 · Mountain hiking
    A continuous path, steep in places, where a fall can't be ruled out. Be sure-footed; wear hiking boots.
    T3 · Demanding mountain hiking
    The path is not always visible; exposed spots may have chains or ropes, and you may need your hands for balance.
    T4 · Alpine hiking
    Often no path. Hands are needed in places, terrain is exposed, and there can be easy snowfields.
    T5 · Demanding alpine hiking
    Mostly pathless, with easy climbing and exposed, demanding terrain. Needs alpine experience.
    T6 · Difficult alpine hiking
    Pathless, very exposed, with climbing and glaciers. For experienced mountaineers only.

    The scale at the Swiss Alpine Club

    estimated T4
  • Climbing67 m per km
  • Steep stretches38 % of the way
  • Natural ground63 %

Climate

Rates
How hot, cold, wet and windy does it get?
How
From 30 years of daily weather (ERA5), rated per month. Without months picked: the trail's best run of at least two season months, each measure at its hardest month. Pick months in the search to rate it for yours.
Level
The hardest measure sets it
Heat
mean daily high at the lowest point
  1. Easyunder 22 °C
  2. Moderate22–27 °C
  3. Demanding27–32 °C
  4. Hard32 °C or more
Cold
mean nightly low at the highest point
  1. Easy8 °C or more
  2. Moderate3–8 °C
  3. Demanding−2 to 3 °C
  4. Hardbelow −2 °C
Wet days
days a month with 1 mm of rain or more, the wetter of both points
  1. Easyunder 10
  2. Moderate10–14
  3. Demanding14–18
  4. Hard18 or more
Snow
days a month with 1 cm of snow or more at the highest point
  1. Easyunder 1 day
  2. Moderate1–3 days
  3. Demanding3–6 days
  4. Hard6 days or more
Wind
mean of the day's strongest wind (hourly mean, 10 m above ground), the windier of both points; over land: a point whose 25 km weather cell is mostly sea takes the nearest mostly-land cell's
  1. Easyunder 15 km/h
  2. Moderate15–20 km/h
  3. Demanding20–25 km/h
  4. Hard25 km/h or more

Hard in Jul–Sep

  • Heat · July21 °C by day
  • Cold · September−4 °C at night
  • Wet days · July21 days
  • Snow · September9 days
  • Wind · July8 km/h

Effort

Rates
How long are the days?
How
Rated by the longest main stage; a time range counts its upper end.
Level
The hardest measure sets it
Longest day
walking time of the longest main stage, stated or by DIN 33466
  1. Easyup to 4 h
  2. Moderate4–6 h
  3. Demanding6–8 h
  4. Hardmore than 8 h

Hard

  • Longest day · stage 39 h

Climate

Days in season · lowest point
17–21°C
Nights in season · highest point
−4 to −0°C
Wet days a month
16–21
Daylight
12.5–15.6h
SeasonDay high and night low−30 °C−20 °C−10 °C0 °C10 °C20 °C30 °CWet days, at the highest point510152025Daylight8.9 h10.2 h11.8 h13.6 h15.1 h15.9 h15.6 h14.2 h12.5 h10.8 h9.2 h8.5 hJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Climate by month, 1995–2024 average
MonthLowest point, day high / night low (°C)Highest point, day high / night low (°C)Wet daysSnow daysFrost nights at the highest pointDaylight (h)
January1.6 / -8.2-9.7 / -19.213.211.9318.9
February3.6 / -6.3-7.7 / -17.213.111.828.310.2
March6.4 / -3.1-4.6 / -13.915.614.23111.8
April9.9 / 0.2-1.1 / -10.416.214.43013.6
May14.6 / 4.73.9 / -6.12214.930.415.1
June19 / 98.3 / -1.921.68.321.515.9
July20.5 / 10.99.9 / -0.121.44.414.915.6
August20.4 / 10.99.8 / -0.120.45.214.714.2
September16.8 / 7.45.9 / -3.815.89.226.412.5
October13.7 / 3.92.4 / -7.513.11130.810.8
November7.3 / -1.8-4.2 / -13.313.112.2309.2
December2.5 / -6.5-8.8 / -17.813.712.7318.5

Climate by month

Source
ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, averages for 1995–2024
Places
The trail's lowest and highest point, adjusted to their height
Bars
From the mean night low to the mean day high
Wet days
At least 1 mm of rain; snow days at least 1 cm of snow
Daylight
Sunrise to sunset in the middle of the month
Shading
The trail's season

Stages

RouteDistanceAscentDescentElevationTime
1Reith bei Seefeld Nördlinger Hütte6.5 km1,130 m ↑10 m ↓1,120 → 2,230 m4 h 30
2Nördlinger Hütte Solsteinhaus6.7 km370 m ↑795 m ↓2,240 → 1,800 m4 h 00
3Solsteinhaus Pfeishütte16.5 km1,550 m ↑1,400 m ↓1,800 → 1,930 m9 h 00
4Pfeishütte Bettelwurfhütte8.9 km590 m ↑390 m ↓1,920 → 2,080 m4 h 30
5Bettelwurfhütte Hallerangerhaus9.0 km800 m ↑1,100 m ↓2,090 → 1,780 m6 h 00
6Hallerangerhaus Scharnitz19.3 km30 m ↑835 m ↓1,770 → 970 m5 h 30

Totals and averages count the main stages only. ≈ marks our estimates where the source gives no figure: heights from the terrain model (Copernicus DEM, 30 m grid, sampled every 100 m), to the nearest 10 m.

Terrain

Highest · lowest point
2,707m high962m low

Gradient

Steepest climb
66 % (33°), 332 m up over 500 m, stage 5
Steepest descent
−68 % (34°), 339 m down over 500 m, stage 5
Gradient
Height per distance: 20 % is 20 m up per 100 m forward; 100 % is 45°, not 90°
Keep in mind
Averages over 500 m from a 30 m terrain model: steps and ladders within them are steeper
GradientAngleFeels like
10 %6°Noticeable on a road
20 %11°A steep path, slow going
30 %17°Very steep, often steps
100 %45°Scrambling

66% ↑−68% ↓

Steep stretches

This trail
12.9 km up, 12.4 km down: the darkest parts of the profile
Steep
15 % or more (9°, 15 m of height per 100 m), in 200 m stretches
Why it matters
Slow going uphill, hard on the knees downhill

25.3km

Surfaces

  • Natural ground: 63%, 41.9 km. Earth, grass, rock and roots: footpaths and forest trails. Can be muddy after rain.
  • Gravel: 32%, 21.1 km. Gravel, compacted and stony surfaces: mostly forest roads and farm tracks.
  • Paved: 5%, 3.3 km. Asphalt, concrete and cobbles: roads and village streets.

63% natural32% gravel5% paved
1,200 m1,600 m2,000 m2,400 mTree line 1,800–2,050 m2,707 mStage 1Stage 2Stage 3Stage 4Stage 5Stage 60 km66.3 km

Terrain along the route

Heights
Copernicus terrain model, 30 m grid, every 100 m along the main route; in forests it reads the treetops
Colours
Each 200 m by its gradient in walking direction: climbs warm, descents violet, darker when steeper (to ±30 %)
Ground
The strip below, from OpenStreetMap; the 32% without a surface tag is read from the way type (footpaths natural, tracks gravel)
Tree line
1,800–2,050 m, depending on the slope (BFW (Kilian, Müller, Starlinger)): above it, open ground without trees. Pasture and clearing can keep the forest lower

Landscape

Forest39%Grassland and shrubs44%Bare rock and sand14%Water, snow and ice1%Farmland and villages3%12Stage 3Stage 4Stage 5Stage 60 km66.3 km

Landscape along the route

Source
ESA WorldCover 2021, a 10 m satellite map
Points
Every 100 m along the main route; each takes the most common class within 30 m, so the path itself doesn't count as bare ground
Groups
Its eleven classes, folded into the six shown
Keep in mind
What the landscape looks like, not which plants grow there

Sleeping

Wild camping is prohibited. Camping outside campsites is prohibited in Tyrol; a one-off emergency bivouac in high alpine terrain above the tree line is allowed.

16.3 km without a bedCamping1Huts12Hostels1Rooms1312Stage 3Stage 4Stage 5Stage 60 km66.3 km

Places to sleep along the route

Ticks
One per place to sleep: 1 campsites, 12 huts, 1 hostels, 13 guest houses
Counted
Within 1 km of the trail or 3 km of a stage's end (stage towns often lie off the trail); no hotels or day shelters
Shaded
The longest stretch without any, km 47.1–63.4
Source
OpenStreetMap: it may miss places or list closed ones, so book or check locally

Water & Supply

Clean water

This trail
12.2 km without clean water, km 29.3–41.5, stages 4–5
Rating
  1. Frequentup to 10 km
  2. Regularup to 20 km
  3. Scarcebeyond
Counted
Within 500 m: 20 taps, fountains and drinking springs, 18 refills at huts, hostels, guest houses and campsites
Refills
Guests come first and many close out of season: ask, and carry a little extra. Places marked without drinking water are left out
Source
OpenStreetMap; the counts include the approach and variant, the chart shows the main route

12.2kmRegular

Any water

This trail
12.2 km without any water, km 29.3–41.5
Rating
  1. Frequentup to 10 km
  2. Regularup to 20 km
  3. Scarcebeyond
Counted
Clean water, plus the 4 springs within 500 m
Keep in mind
Spring water's quality is unknown: filter, boil or treat it, and expect some springs to run dry in late summer

12.2kmRegular

Shops

This trail
65.1 km without a shop, km 0.9–66
Counted
4 supermarkets, convenience and general stores and petrol station shops, within 1 km of the trail or 3 km of a stage's end
Keep in mind
Small village shops are often missing in OpenStreetMap, and opening hours vary: check before relying on one

65.1km
Water · 12.2 km withoutPublic drinking water · 28.1 km withoutSprings (treat before drinking) · 31.2 km withoutRefills at places to sleep · 17.1 km withoutShops · 65.1 km withoutSupermarkets · 65.1 km withoutConvenience and general stores · 65.4 km withoutStage 1Stage 2Stage 3Stage 4Stage 5Stage 60 km66.3 km

Water and shops along the route

Ticks
One per place along the main route
Counted
Drinking water and springs within 500 m; refills at huts, hostels, guest houses and campsites within 500 m; shops within 1 km, or 3 km of a stage's end
Shaded
Each lane's longest stretch without. "Water" counts every kind and opens into one lane per kind, each with its own
Source
OpenStreetMap: it may miss places or list ones that have closed or run dry, so check locally

Wildlife

Wildlife

Shows
Animals that can be dangerous to hikers on this trail: large animals, venomous snakes, scorpions and spiders, ticks, and plants that harm on touch
Level
Ours, read from the official source
High
A bite of a species it calls common can be life-threatening within hours
Moderate
It warns of attacks or serious harm, or places the trail in a risk area for tick-borne encephalitis
Low
The harm is mostly minor or treatable, or avoidable by how you behave
What to do
From the official sources: Austrian Federal Ministry of Agriculture; AGES (Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety)
Pictures
Silhouettes from PhyloPic, not to scale, each maker named with its advice; the landscape is the trail's own, drawn by us

Cattle on alpine pastures ModerateTicks Moderate

Cattle on alpine pastures

Moderate danger

The route crosses alpine pastures where cattle graze in summer (the Hinterautal, the Halltal); mother cows protect their calves, and dogs make an encounter riskier.

If you meet one

  • Avoid contact with grazing animals and keep a safe distance; stay calm and don't startle them
  • Stay on the marked paths
  • Keep your dog under control on a short lead; if an animal is about to attack, let the dog off at once
  • If cattle approach: stay calm, don't turn your back on them, step out of their way
  • Use gates where there are any, close them behind you and cross the pasture quickly

Don't

  • Feed the animals
  • Let mother cows and dogs meet

Advice: Austrian Federal Ministry of Agriculture. Level: ours. Silhouette: Katy Lawler (Bos taurus), PhyloPic, public domain.

Ticks (tick-borne encephalitis, Lyme disease)

Moderate danger

AGES, Austria's health agency, says the risk of catching tick-borne encephalitis from a tick bite exists all over Austria; the forest climbs at both ends of the route are tick country.

If you meet one

  • Get vaccinated against TBE before you go: AGES calls it the best protection, also for travellers to Austria
  • Wear closed clothing that fits well
  • Check your body for ticks after walking through forest, bushes, tall grass or meadows

Advice: AGES (Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety). Level: ours. Silhouette: Guillaume Dera (Ixodes ricinus), PhyloPic, public domain.