Hochfeilerrunde in 4 days

From the Schlegeisspeicher, the route follows the east shore on easy paths for about 5 km. Note: rockslide (see below). Then it goes slowly uphill, then steeper up to the Furtschaglhaus. The hut keeper is happy to provide information about the Nevessattel and weather conditions. The path to the Nevessattel is very well marked and initially easy to walk. It is an old smuggler's trail, which used to be a pure high alpine route, then was not passable for 20 years due to glacier retreat and is now partly secured as a mixed route. The path becomes somewhat harder to find later; we liked to climb up on rocks, climbing sections up to grade II, crossing snowfields in mountain boots in between. At around 2800 m altitude, you switch to the glacier, going straight up. A gentle saddle is visible, but this is the wrong one; to the left is a rock ridge, and to its left is the crossing marked with a pole. We took quite a long time to get here, about 5-6 hours. To the left into the rock to the visible anchors. Then over the saddle on the rock; in our July experience there was still a large remnant snowfield on the descent that we had to cross with crampons. The descent is now well marked to the Neveser Höhenweg, from which it takes another 2 hours to the Edelrauthütte. There are still many fairly large snowfields on this path.

The path to the Hochfeilerhütte leads over the lower Weißzintscharte with glacier crossing. It descends steeply, the path through the adjacent rock is unstable and difficult, the most unpleasant part of the tour. From the hut, after a meal, you go up to the Hochfeiler. Information about conditions can be obtained from the hut keeper. The path starts on a secured trail, then well marked on a ridge that is first broad, then increasingly narrow. Shortly before the summit, at our ascent, there was a very narrow ridge with a firn cover, not for sneakers!!

The descent is initially rather relaxing, then increasingly varied, later becoming more difficult in the vegetation zone because the slope is clearly moving. Many wooden bridges and footholds are necessary to keep the path passable in unusual beech forest.

Further down first towards Stein, bridge over the Pfitscher Bach, then head towards the Pfitscher Joch. Now another 500 meters ascent to the pass. The hut is very touristy, but the descent towards Zamser Grund is extremely picturesque and rewarding, but also still quite long. Anyone already tired at the Pfitscher Joch can ask for a bed.

Arriving at the Schlegeisspeicher it's hard to believe that you've crossed the Nevessattel visible from there. A beautiful route!!