Hirzerhütte – Meraner Hütte – A Magnificent High-Altitude Trail in the Sarntal Alps

On this leg of the hike, we’ll take the Gebirgsjägersteig trail from the Passeier Valley into the Meran 2000 ski area; fortunately, though, we’ll only have to hike through the ski area for the last 20 minutes to reach the Meraner Hütte. The Gebirgsjägersteig dates back to World War I. Offering spectacular views and with minimal elevation changes, it leads from the small lakes near the Anteranalm to the Meraner Hütte. Leisurely hiking at its finest! ▶ Even from the terrace of the Hirzerhütte 01, you can see almost the entire ascent up to the Hirzer Scharte or Obere Scharte. From the hut, we ascend along Trail 4/E5, past the Resegger Alm, up to the Tallner Alm, and continue left past it into the pastureland. The Gebirgsjägersteig trail leads through scree fields, crosses streams, and finally reaches a flat high saddle. We hike up through an extensive scree field into the Hirzer Kar. The ten-minute ascent that follows—up an easy rock path to the Obere Scharte—is a short (easy) climbing section that occasionally requires the use of your hands. In dry conditions, the passage is straightforward; it becomes tricky if the trail is icy or very wet. From the Hirzer Scharte/Obere Scharte 02, you can then enjoy a magnificent view to the east over the peaks of the Sarntal Alps toward the Dolomites, to the west toward the Texel Group, and in the distance to the peaks of the Ötztal Alps.At the saddle, we keep to the left toward the summit and, a short time later, reach a fork in the trail via a partially narrow path slightly below the ridge. Here, the trail branches off straight ahead toward the summit of the Hirzer. In good weather, this short detour is highly recommended, as the mountain offers a magnificent panoramic view in all directions.Those who do not climb to the summit follow the Gebirgsjägersteig (Trail 4) down a rocky path through the scree field of the cirque to three small lakes 03, which are located not far from the Anteranalm and are clearly visible from the saddle. The trail leads across the meadows and between the lakes to a trail junction, where we keep to the right.The Gebirgsjägersteig now winds gently up and down into a spacious cirque and across the pastures of the Anteranalm to Kratzberger Lake 04, where we reach another trail junction. Since the lake is very deep, it’s too cold for swimming even in summer, but it’s an ideal resting spot before the final push to the Meraner Hütte. The lake is framed by the walls of the Kanzel Plattingerspitze (2,670 m), the Hinterer Plattinger (2,660 m), and the Verdinser Plattenspitz (2,680 m). With no significant changes in elevation, we hike from Kratzberger Lake—enjoying magnificent views of the Sarntal Alps—along the slope, first heading southeast, around a ridge, and then south, already catching a glimpse of the Missensteiner Joch, beyond which the first cable cars of Meran 2000 are visible. Along the way, we cross a few streams before reaching the Missensteiner Joch 05 via the pastures of the Kirchsteigeralm. Ahead of us, nestled in a flat basin, lie the Meraner Hütte and the Kirchsteigeralm. We follow the trail markers through the stream bed 06 and descend along an artfully paved path—which is very slippery when wet—to the road; following this road, after a brief climb past the Kirchsteigeralm, we reach the Meraner Hütte07.