Meraner Höhenweg

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Meraner Höhenweg
View from the Meraner Höhenweg to the Passeier Valley
View from the Meraner Höhenweg to the Passeier Valley
map
Map of the hiking trail
Data
length 93 kmdep1
location South Tyrol , Texel Group
Start / finish point z. B. Hochmuth
46 ° 42 '8.2 "  N , 11 ° 7' 53.5"  E
Type Mountain path
Height difference 6000 m
The highest point Eisjöchl 2,895 m
Lowest point Kalmtal 839 m
Level of difficulty medium
season summer
Months July August September
particularities Partly difficult alpine path, without climbing sections, steps

The Merano High Mountain Trail ( Italian Alta via Meranese ) is a mountain trail in South Tyrol , marked with the number 24. He circled the majestic. Texelgruppe - part of the Tessa Natural Park - on its slopes and offers views of the valley of the city of Merano , the Etschtal and the Vinschgau , the Passeier and Schnalstal . The circular route consists of a northern section, which leads from Schnalstal to Passeier, and a longer, southern section, from Passeier to Schnalstal. The northern section requires fitness for high alpine tours, while the southern section can also be mastered by less experienced hikers.

history

The path was opened as a “friendship bond from farm to farm, from municipality to municipality, from valley to valley” after almost ten years of construction on June 30, 1985 by Helmut Ellmenreich, then first chairman of the Merano section of the South Tyrol Alpine Association . He is also the "father of the Höhenweg", which he developed together with the signage supervisor Robert Schönweger.

course

The Meraner Höhenweg has a total length of approx. 100 km and can be mastered by hikers in four to six daily stages, each with a walking time of six to eight hours. When hiking the entire high path, you have to walk about 6,000 meters of ascent and descent. The path crosses the municipal areas of Tyrol , Kuens , Riffian , St. Martin in Passeier , Moos in Passeier , Schnals , Naturns , Partschins and Lagundo .

The path runs alternately through mountain forests and alpine meadows , as well as through the typical heather vegetation at high altitudes. A distinction is made between the northern and southern Meraner Höhenweg . The southern section runs steadily below or along the tree line . For the inspection of the southern part, at least 22 hours of walking must be allowed for. The northern route takes about half the time, but leads into high alpine terrain up to almost 3000  m . When walking to the Eisjöchl (at an altitude of 2895  m ), one overcomes an altitude difference of around 1500 meters from Ulfas ( 1368  m )  and around 1600 meters of altitude from Katharinaberg ( 1245  m ). The lowest point of the path is at Gruberhof in Kalmtal ( 839  m ), the highest point is Eisjöchl.

Along the Meraner Höhenweg in the Texel Group Nature Park there are numerous old mountain inns, known as Schwaighöfe , which have existed since the Middle Ages , or managed alpine huts, many of which offer overnight accommodation. There are also a number of ascent and descent options by cable car , car, bus or on foot. This makes it possible to undertake many parts of the trail as single or multi-day hikes.

Sections and route conditions

For the northern part of the route, the following stages are given in the literature:

  • ( Naturns ) - Katharinaberg - Monfert - Eishof ( 2071  m ): 4 hours (road and alpine paths)
  • Eishof - Stettiner Hütte ( 2875  m ): 3½ hours (high alpine crossing Eisjöchl with 2895  m altitude ( exposed ), difference in altitude 800  m )
  • Stettiner Hütte - Pfelders : 3½ hours
  • Pfelders - Ulfas - Matatz : 5 hours

Since the 2895  m high Eisjöchl at the Stettiner Hütte is crossed on this path , weather-related circumstances, such as a sudden fall in the weather , can make the transition difficult or impossible. The Stettiner Hütte is open from the beginning of July to the end of September and can provide information about the path conditions.

For the southern part of the trail, the following stages are given in the literature:

  • Matatz - Vernuer: 5 hours
  • Vernuer - Leiteralm: 4½ hours
  • Leiteralm - Giggleberg: 4 hours
  • Giggleberg - Katharinaberg: 5½ hours

No difficulties are to be expected for the lower southern part of the trail. However, you have to calculate with about 500 meters of ascent and descent per stage. Accommodation can usually be reached within a 2-hour walk. The path runs at an altitude of between 839 and 1800  m and, thanks to its south-facing exposure to the sun, offers a special flora and fauna on very dry ground in places. It is accessible from May to November.

variant

A possible variant over the Spronser Lakes is described in the literature . Here you cross the Texel group from Pfelders to the Leiteralm or the Hochganghaus . This is a high alpine tour that can only be done when there is no snow. The highest point is the Spronser Joch (2,581 m). This stage replaces the stages in the west from Pfelders to the Leiteralm. The distance to the Leiteralm is 17 km. You cover 1,200 vertical meters in the ascent and 900 in the descent. The hike takes 6 ½ hours.

Literature, map and media

  • Henriette Klier: Around Meran , Rother hiking guide, Munich 2009, ISBN 978-3-7633-4290-7
  • DVD / VHS "Der Meraner Höhenweg", published in the series "Fascination Mountains", Bruckmann Verlag
  • Hiking and ski tour map “Texel Group Nature Park, Meraner Höhenweg”, published by Kompass-Karten, ISBN 3-85491-483-0
  • Oswald Stimpfl: The Meraner Höhenweg . Vienna / Bozen: Folio Verlag 2019, ISBN 978-3-85256-785-3
  • Werner Bartl: South Tyrol: Meraner Höhenweg with Spronser lakes. Conrad Stein Verlag GmbH 2016, ISBN 978-3-86686-537-2

See also

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Helmut Dumler: Höhenwege im Vinschgau , Bruckmann Munich, 1988, p. 49
  2. ↑ a b c d Conrad Stein Verlag GmbH: South Tyrol: Meraner Höhenweg with Spronser lakes and Waalwege . 3rd edition, revised edition. Welver, ISBN 978-3-86686-537-2 .
  3. ↑ a b c South Tyrol - Meraner Höhenweg - most important information - hiking in stages . In: Stage hiking . July 16, 2018 ( etappen-wandern.de [accessed September 3, 2018]).
  4. ↑ Henriette Klier: Around Meran , Rother hiking guide, Munich 2009 p. 92 ff.

Web links

Commons : Meraner Höhenweg  - Collection of images, videos and audio files