Spannorthütte

The Spannorthütte SAC is located at 1956 m at the foot of the Schlossberg above Engelberg, in the municipality of Attinghausen in the canton of Uri. It belongs to the Uto section of the Swiss Alpine Club and is one of the classic bases for tours in the Spannort group. The hut is serviced during the summer season, usually from mid-June to mid-October; outside of this period, an unattended winter room is available. The Spannorthütte serves as a starting point for high-altitude tours on Gross and Chli Spannort, Krönten, Zwächten or Gletscherstöckli as well as for numerous climbing routes and multi-day tours, such as the crossing of the Schlossberglücke to the Kröntenhütte. Culinary delights await guests in the form of simple but varied hut cuisine with products from Central Switzerland. Home-made dishes such as the Spannorthütte spaetzle pan with nettle or wild garlic pesto, soups, fresh hut bread and various desserts are popular and can be enjoyed on the sun terrace after a long day of touring. The approach usually starts at the Fürenalpbahn valley station or at the Bründler parking lot near Engelberg and leads steeply up to the hut via Alpenrösli and Stäfeli in 2½ to 3½ hours. The trail is typically exposed and requires sure-footed, experienced hikers. In summer, the hut is mainly used for mountaineering and climbing, but is also a stopover point on longer hut tours. In winter, it is unattended and only recommended for experienced ski touring and snowshoe tour groups, as the area has a high avalanche risk. Current conditions, closures and the weather and avalanche situation should be carefully checked before every tour. The Spannorthütte was inaugurated on August 8, 1880 - at that time still as the "Hotel Uto" - and is therefore the oldest SAC hut in the Engelberg/Grassen area. The first extension was added in 1901, and in 1961 the current building was added. In 2017/2018, the hut was given a modern extension under the terrace and was ceremoniously reopened in summer 2018, retaining the rustic character of the building nestled against the rocks.