Lizumer Hutte, Walchen

There was lightning and thunderstorms last night and we woke to low cloud in the valley, so options for a simple day was on the agenda. We had originally planned staying in a hut for part of the second week here to it seemed a good idea to explore the route up to the Lizumer Hutte - follow the standard access route, have a coffee and come back. That way we would know more about it when we went up for a longer stay.

We drove up the road from Wattens to Walchen camp - this is an army base in the mountains, in fact the whole area is one huge training ground with only limited public access. Being a weekend there were no restrictions on access and we parked in a large (free it seemed) car park in front of the base, loaded up with skis on the bags and walked in the front gate. On the drive up it had started raining, but this cleared as we left with occasional sunny periods throughout the ascent.

The route up to the hut was signed and we skirted the main buildings using as path along a stream, mainly rocky with occasional snow patches.

We left the stream to climb up the side, slightly around a wooded area.

Before following a road into it properly. this road was covered in ice/ old snow with some clear patches so we continued to climb with the skis on our backs.

As the road came out of the woods we put the skis on and worked our way into the pasture fields. Around here we were passed by a group of very loud tourers and we let them pull away to return to the peace.

Across the meadows and along a second road to a water pumping station.

Crossing the stream once more using the road bridge. Here we had to carry the skis around the road until it turned away.

The path diverted into the woods on the side of the stream. After a while it took a very sudden turn up a junction to the right and climbed up deeper into the woods.

On this trail we crossed several streams, a couple of which needed to be crossed on foot.

This trail wound around the trees climbing up to the military road that had contoured above us.

The trail now followed the road sometime to the side on a very narrow strip of snow, but also on foot carrying the skis.

At a junction of roads the trail followed the lower one as this was covered in snow - descending a little then climbing up to meet the other beside the buildings of Lager Lizum - another large set of barracks blocks.

These buildings nestled in a big bowl with the hut on a rise above it.

We then followed the trail as it wound about over the meadows trying to miss all the roads (as they were clear of snow), and eventually climbing up beside the road to the hutte.

Arriving at the hutte - it had taken us a little longer to get here than guide book time, I guess this was due to the back packing and also the numerous on/ off obstacle course.

Sitting on the terrace for a coffee, sheltered from the wind looking at the view into the depths of the cwm beyond. The sun disappeared and the wind got stringer, with snow gusts falling.

Then it was time to depart, however we could not discern a good alternative than the way we came - we could have climbed another 350m and over a pass, but discretion took hold and we loaded the skis onto our packs once more - it was not worth trying to ski down the side of the roads.

We walked back through Lager Lizum and down the upper of the two roads then following it up and over the hump we had bypassed on the way up, and down to the point where we had exited the forest onto the road. By now the snow had stopped and the sun was trying to come out.

Skis on, we took the tight track down through the forest (except the bits we had to walk over the streams) navigating the tight turns and obstacles before coming out onto the more sedate track along the stream.

Back to the pumping station then we had to carry the skis around to access the meadows and into the woods we had started with.

This time we continued with the skis on down the forest track until we met a completely bare patch, even sliding down the icy bits where we could fit.

The skis now went back on the packs for the walk out...  along the remainder of the forest track then alongside the stream and back to the Walchen camp.

Back at the camp we walked through teh checkpoint and into the car park. At the van we packed up everything - the day had been longer than we thought and much more of an obstacle course than expected, but we had now got valuable info about the route, and also the current exercises going on. This would mean that we would have difficulty doing much during the week due to area closures, and the hut was full over the weekends.

back at the apartment the skis cleared once more and there was a sunset to watch.