E5 Route

Disclaimer

I did this route twice (with some variations) and relied on my own experience when preparing the route description. Everybody who has something to contribute is welcome.

The version described below avoids cheats (taxis, buses, cable cars...) whenever they can be avoided.

In the route description, I splitted days into smaller segments to ease planning of your own variation of the route. To each segment, I added the time estimate by Outdoorsactive.com (OA) and, in case of discrepancy, my own time (AS).

Overview

E5 is a very popular multiday hiking route, crossing the Alps from North to South. It starts in Oberstdorf, which is the southernmost town in Germany, crosses western Austria (Tyrol) towards the Italian border, and ends near lake Vernago in South Tyrol, Italy. The route is divided between three Alpine regions: Allgäu Alps, Lechtal Alps, and Ötztal Alps.

Season: late June to September, subject to weather conditions.

Views: great and diverse. You move from green pastoral landscapes of Allgäu Alps towards severe peaks and glaciers of Ötztal Alps. Two-headed Wildspitze (3768), which is the highest point of the region, is just several kilometers from the trail.

Duration: the described "normal route" requires six days. Five is reachable with a cable car ride (almost 1.5 km uphill!), but intense.

Length / Elevation change: 115 km / 7300 m for the described version. Add 30 km / 700 m for the bus ride (see below).

Maximum height: 3017 m (rifugio Similaun at Niederjoch).

Technical difficulty: most of the route is not above T2 by Swiss grade. A few rocky T3 sections.

Protection: clear and well-marked trails. In valleys, a big percent of roads. Exposed trail passages, some of them protected with handrails.

Variability: A lot of variations, some of them included into the route description.

Necessary cheat: a 1-hour bus ride up the Pitze valley instead of an additional day of road hiking.

Starting point: Oberstdorf station.

Requirements: fitness, stamina, basic depth tolerance.

Maps: outdooractive.com.

Getting There

Two hours by train from Munich to Oberstdorf, several trains a day. After finishing the trail, it is possible to take a direct bus from Merano to Munich (4-5 hours).

Route Description

Day 1. Oberstdorf - Holzgau. 22.5 km, +1165 / -870 m

1.1 Oberstdorf (station, 805) – Spielmannsau (990). 8.6 km, +185/-0 m OA: 2h20m AS: 1h50m

Just a warm-up to check gear and everything. Almost flat, a wide trail / road up Trettach creek. Pastoral views.

1.2 Spielmannsau – Kemptnerhütte (1845). 6.1 km, +855/-0 m OA: 3h10m AS: 2h45m

Clear trail, initially almost flat, then climbing up Sperrbach (right tributary of Trettach). Some handrails at exposed passages. You start to feel mountains.

1.3 Kemptnerhütte – Mädelejoch (1970) – Holzgau (1100). 7.8 km, +125/-870 m OA: 2h35m

Easy short ascent to the col (Austrian border) followed by a long descent along Hӧhenbach to Lechtal, nothing technical. You check your knees on descent for the first time.

Side attractions: upper waterfall on Hӧhenbach, nice and close to the trail. Below, a side trail leads to a 200m long suspension bridge across lower Hӧhenbach valley (+30 min) AS: 3h00m with both side attractions

Variations: from Kemptnerhütte climb Oberer Mädelejoch (2035) and after some ups and downs descend to Lechtal at Bach (1055). OA: ~5h. Bach is closer by one hour than Holzgau to the second day’s goal. You can stay overnight at Kemptnerhütte, but then the next day will be quite long if walked on foot all the way.

Day 2. Holzgau - Memmingerhütte. 18.3 km, +1265 / -125 m

2.1 Holzgau – Madau (1310). 11.5 km, +290/-80 m OA: 3h10m AS: 2h50m

Another long warm-up, following a road first down Lech, then up Alperschonbach.

2.2 Madau – Memmingerhütte (2240). 6.8 km, +975/-45 m OA: 3h25m AS: 2h30m

Another hour by a flat road up Parseierbach, then a steep (though not exposed) ascent to the left shoulder of Seekogel. The final part is a gentle ascent towards the hut. The surroundings of the hut provide astounding views, especially at sunset and sunrise.

Side attractions: climb Seekogel (2412; 1h round trip from the hut).

Variations: from the road along Parseierbach turn left and proceed up its tributary Rottabach. At the altitude 1950, there is a junction on a scree field (6.4 km from Madau, OA: 2h45m, AS: 2h25m). From the junction, the right trail goes to Memmingerhütte through Oberlahmsjoch (2510); 4km, OA: 2h25m. A side walk from the col to climb Reiserkogel (2562) takes another 30m (there is a bit of scrambling there!). Following the left trail, one can reach an alternative hut: Württemberghaus (2220) through Leiterjoch (2530). 4km, OA: 2h20m, signpost at the junction says 2h45m.

Day 3. Memmingerhütte – Schihütte. 20.1 km, +1370 / -1870 m

3.1 Memmingerhütte – Seecharte (2590) – Zams (760). 14.1 km, +390/-1870 m OA: 5h30m AS: 5h50m

A one-hour ascent to a picturesque col (a small drop in a rocky wall); last steps are protected by handrails. Then a moderately steep drop to Lӧtzbach creek (1800), followed by a gentle descent along the creek. After crossing the creek back to the left bank, the trail traverses a wall of the creek’s canyon (at some places more than 250 m above the creek bed); the trail is good but has no protection. Finally, the trail turns left and drops rather steeply to the river Inn at Zams.

Variations: the way from Württemberghaus to Zams is significantly shorter (10.5 km, +0/-1460 m OA: 3h40m).

Side attractions: climbing an impressive Silberspitze is attractive but the return trip from the main trail takes 4h according to OA (and likely even more).

3.2 Zams – Schihütte (also spelled Skihütte; 1740). 6 km, +980/-0 m OA: 3h15m AS: 2h50m

A long ascent, mostly in the woods, to a hut on the upper slopes of the Krahberg mountain. No danger except for crazy downhill bikers.

Cheat: use Venetseilbahn lift from Zams to the Mittelstation (or to the station on the top of Krahberg if you do not plan an overnight stay at Schihütte).

Day 4. Schihütte - Braunschweigerhütte. 20.4 km, +1900 / -1615 m (+ 30 km bus ride)

4.1 Schihütte – Krahberg (2210) – Venet (2510) – Kreuzjoch (2465) – Larcheralm (1810). 9.7 km, +875/-805m OA: 4h35m AS: 4h15m

Ascend to the top of Krahberg (one hour), then traverse the Venet ridge (two more hours). Mild exposure, great views 360 degrees. From Kreuzjoch, a moderately steep descent through the fields of blueberry and cowberry to a gravel road between Galflunalm and Larcheralm, then to Larcheralm by the road.

Variations: skip the ridge traversal, descending from Krahberg to Goglesalm, and then to Larcheralm (saves an hour). On the other hand, one can proceed to the very end of the Venet ridge, aiming at Venetalm (add 1h to the whole way to Wenns).

4.2 Larcheralm – Wenns (1000). 5.4 km, +0/-810 m. OA: 1h35m AS: 1h15m

An easy way downhill by the road (shortcut trails can be used also) to Pitztal.

4.3 Wenns – Mittelberg (1730) by bus

An inevitable cheat if you do not have a spare day to walk 30 km up the Pitze valley. Takes one hour, the bus operates with 1-hour intervals.

4.4 Mittelberg – Braunschweigerhütte (2755). 5.3 km, +1025/-0 m, OA: 3h05m, AS: 2h40m

A rather hard exercise for the end of the day. Great views all the way (if the weather permits), including Wildspitze (3768), the highest mountain in this part of the Alps. A quick start by the road following up Pitze until the lower cascade (40-60 minutes from the bus stop). From there, a demanding ascent by a rocky terrain, many handrails and steel steps. Not a pleasant walk during thunderstorm!

Day 5. Braunschweigerhütte - Vent. 16.2 km, +525 / -1380 m

5.1 Braunschweigerhütte – Tiefenbach glacier parking lot (2790). 5.8 km, +425/-390 m OA: 2h15m

The options for this section change over time as Rettenbach glacier melts; currently (2023, end of season) extensive construction works are under way to re-shape the skiing zone. As a result, there is no way by foot from Rettenbachjoch (2995): you must use the Schwarze Schneid lift down to the bottom station (2670). To walk by foot, climb Parseier jӧchl (2995) and descend to the mentioned bottom station. From there, either take a shuttle bus, going through a tunnel under Äussere Schwarze Shneide to the destination or walk the same way by foot (it is permitted but you may feel uncomfortable in the tunnel). Both ways are sort of cheating, but …

Variations:
- either go the long way around the Schwarze Schneide ridge (+12 km, +4.5-5 h)
- or walk up the straight part of the Rettenbach glacier along the Seiterjӧchl lift (crampons needed!) to Seiter jӧchl (3050), then descend to the parking lot (+0.5 h)

5.2 Tiefenbach glacier parking lot – Vent (1900). 10.4 km, +100/-990 m OA: 3h20m, AS: 3h

A long nearly flat traversal of the canyon of Venter (a kilometer above the bottom!). Clear trail, superb views including Similaun (3606) and Hintere Schwartze (3624) on the Italian border. Moderately exposed in places. One segment is designated as a rockfall hazardous area. The final part is a steeper descent to the valley.

Day 6. Vent - Vernago. 18 km, + 1130 / -1330 m

6.1 Vent – Martinbuschhütte (2500). 7.4 km, +610/-10m, OA: 2h40m AS: 1h55m

A straightforward ascent by a road over the canyon of Niederbach. Nice views, especially when Similaun with its glaciers comes into view.

6.2. Martinbuschhütte – Rifugio Similaun (3020). 4.6 km, +520/-0 m OA: 2h05m, AS: 1h30m

Continue to ascend along Niederbach by a rocky trail to the main ridge of the Alps, which is also the Austrian—Italian border. The rifugio stays at the col named Niederjoch. South view, the distant Ortler ridge (3905) can be spotted from the col.

Side attractions: visit “Ötzi memorial” (3210) on the ridge near the place where the mummified remains of a pre-historical man were found (2.5-3h return trip from the hut, many handrails and steps on the way; the estimate 2h15m from OA seems incorrect). Continuing from the memorial to climb Punta di Finale (Finailspitze; 3515) is also possible; it is advised to let at least 5 hours for the return trip and be prepared for scrambling and pathfinding. If you have crampons, you can climb the beautiful Similaun, either as a return trip from Rifugio Similaun or as a longer trip from Martinbuschhütte through Marcelkamm, descending to Rifugio Similaun on the way back. The climbing includes one step (8-10 meters) of easy but deadly exposed scrambling. The time may vary depending on the condition of the Niederjoch glacier, which retreats rather fast. In any case, the time estimates by OA are way too optimistic. AS: 5h (excluding breaks) for the ascent from Martinbuschhütte plus 2h to descend to Rifugio Similaun.

6.3 Rifugio Similaun – Vernago (1700). 6.0 km, +0/-1320 m, OA: 2h10m

Straightforward descent to the lake Vernago. The initial segment is rather steep.

6.4 Getting out: Vernago - Merano.

Take a bus to Naturno (1h, with 1-hour intervals), then change to a train to Merano (0.5h)

Essential Gear

Good hiking boots and poles. Maps (like OsmAnd) and a GPS navigator in your smartphone suffice for navigation.

External Links

Use-All-Cheats-You-Find version

Alternative final part. Crosses Italian border at Timmelsjoch (road!)