Braunschweiger Hütte

The nice Braunschweiger Hütte (2759m) is a very big refuge in the Ötztal Alps. You can expect a lively mixture of all sorts of visitors. The biggest category is hikers, a substantial number of which are following part of the E5 long distance hiking trail. And when I say long, I'm not exaggerating: from the start at the Atlantic coast of France, to the finish in the Italian city of Verona, the whole trail is more than 3000 kilometers! The trail doesn't exactly take the shortest or easiest route, but it's still 'only' hiking. And one of the more strenuous sections is where the trail goes through the heart of the Ötztal Alps, where the Braunschweiger Hütte is one of many along the way, so you don't need to carry all that much. Then there are alpine courses, which make good use of all the glaciers east and south of the refuge. Several easy glacier climbs require only a short day from the refuge, including the Linker Fernerkogel and Innere Schwarze Schneide, leaving enough time for instruction. The Mainzer Höhenweg, a long alpine route, heads north, over the southern part of the Geigenkamm, bagging several summits on the way to the Rüsselsheimer Hütte. For fit and experienced mountaineers, there are a lot of possibilities as well, such as the Wildspitze north face. And that's only a selection. 1 July 2012.