Last summer I found 4 days in which to make a short hut to hut tour in the Steinernes Meer starting at the Peter Wiechenthaler Hut, taking in the Riemannhaus and the Kärlingerhaus before ending the tour at St. Bartholomä with a boat-trip back to Schönau am Königsee.
This is a short trip but beautiful and very rewarding. It is not too strenuous and could be done in 3 days if necessary. There is a useful brochure available to download from the Ingolstädter Haus website which shows other possible routes.
I started the tour at the bus stop at Pabing in Saalfelden with a half hour walk up to the car-park at Bachwinkl. I started off at 10 am as the walk up to Peter-Wiechenthaler hut takes about 3 hours and thought there would be plenty of time as I intended to stay overnight at the hut. However, this was a big mistake as it was very hot, over 30 degrees and the route is often in blazing direct sun, especially the upper part. There is a slightly longer route around the shady side of the mountain up to the hut which I did not take – there is a signpost about half way to the hut which clearly marks where the routes divide. It is definitely worthwhile trying the shady route if the weather is hot as I ended up with heat-stroke! Part of the problem was not setting off early enough and having to walk through the heat of the day. After plenty to drink and a rest at the hut I felt much better. The hut is one of my favourites and is also easily accessible for day walkers. There is a fantastic view over the Saalfelden basin, down to Zell am See and the mountains behind.
Peter Wiechenthaler Hut on the bump in the centre of the picture
I set off early the next morning after a typically unsatisfying hut breakfast of cardboard bread and cheese slices. The path heads around the mountain range, gradually ascending up to the Weissbachscharte. There are no particular difficulties on the way although there are a few cables and staples in the rocks higher up. Once over the pass the landscape changes to the bleak and desolate stone sea.
The going is quite difficult over the stony ground. There are cables to help at various points. The path heads down from the path quite a way to signpost where the routes divide to the Ingolstädter Haus, Kärlingerhaus and Riemannhaus. This time I headed off upwards across seemingly endless rocks and snowfields. Supposedly it takes 3.5 hours from Peter Wiechenthaler Hut to Riemannhaus but it took much longer than that – approaching 6 hours. Anyone planning on doing this trip should leave plenty of time because it will take longer than you expect. The Riemannhaus is a large hut in a spectacular location underneath the Sommerstein mountain. The food was delicious too. Enjoy it…
The next day I set off early to the Kärlingerhaus. This was a very short hop, 2.5 hours in total. I then spent the whole day in and around the Kärlingerhaus.
The Kärlingerhaus is situated next to the Funtensee. This hut is very popular and the beds are already nearly completed booked up for summer 2011. There are still places in the Matratzenlager available (this is a room with a large mattress on which everyone sleeps together) but on some weekends these places are also fully booked up. If you intend to stay, book a place by telephone before setting out. It is a long way down to St. Bartholomä and there is no accommodation there. If you miss the last boat back to Königsee you will be stranded. The other huts are not as busy but it is still worth booking. When I first started hut to hutting about 6 years ago, no-one bothered booking. You simply turned up and were given a place. In the last few years more and more people are reserving places in huts so it is important to do the same otherwise the hut could well be full. You can be turned away if the hut warden thinks you have enough time left to walk on to the next hut or down to the valley. There is a trend developing where large groups book places in huts in more than one location for the same dates, then they look at the weather forecast and go to the area with the better weather, not bothering to inform the hut wardens of the place they didn’t go to.. This is really bad form and some huts are now starting to insist on a deposit sent by bank transfer to book a place. I find this very annoying and selfish especially if small groups are turned away because a warden is expecting a large group to arrive. There seems to be little alternative but to phone and reserve a place a couple of days in advance rather than just turn up as people did in the past.
The Kärlingerhaus is supplied by helicopter so there is a limited choice of food. I found the offerings pretty poor and I was hungry to whole day. The main meal consisted of pasta with tomato sauce which simply wasn’t enough for an evening meal after hiking. I ordered a “Linseneintopf” after that (a thick soup of lentils and any other odds and ends) and I was still hungry. Stock up on extra bars of chocolate and biscuits at the Riemannhaus to quell the hunger pangs at the Kärlingerhaus.
On the final morning I left the Kärlingerhaus and walked down to Königsee. It was steep all the way and seemed never-ending. There were endless zigzags to be negotiated but the scenery was amazing. From St. Bartholomä I took the boat back to Königsee – wonderful to sit and relax after the steep downhill.
Hiking in Austria 
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