Long-distance hike Eagle Walk Stage 12: Hallerangerhaus - Innsbruck

Today it's time to grit your teeth and push through - the city feeling of Innsbruck awaits at the stage finish. But before the Aperol Spritz in Maria-Theresia-Straße, there is one more challenging stage of the day - with names such as Lafatscher Joch, Stempeljoch, Pfeishütte and Hafelekar. Here we float down to the city center with the Nordkettenbahn.

Description

Route description: Before the hut, first take the path towards "Lafatscher Joch". The trail leads into a scree cirque, which becomes increasingly steeper and narrower. The route then soon leads through the so-called "Durchschlag" (here the old mule track has been broken through the rock) and a little later - past a cross - gently up to a floor (in this area there is a turn-off to the Speckkarspitze). Over the Boden, the trail continues in a leisurely northerly direction to the Lafatscher Joch. At the pass, follow the signs for "Pfeishütte". Descend gently along the path and follow the signs for "Pfeishütte" and then "Pfeishütte über Wilde-Bande-Steig". On the rustic "Wilde-Bande-Steig" trail, often through mountain pines, crossing gullies several times, slightly uphill to the entrance to the cirque below the Stempeljoch. Follow the signs for "Stempeljoch" and "Pfeishütte".

The climb (built with planks, numerous wire ropes) through the cirque becomes increasingly steeper, while the (initially gravelly) ground becomes firmer further up. From the ridge, descend to the right and leisurely through meadows and alpine pastures to the Pfeishütte. The signposted "Goetheweg" (No. 219) begins directly at the Pfeishütte. This leads as a footpath or later as a trail, gently ascending into the basin south of the refuge. At a fork in the path, head towards "Mandlscharte" or "Hafelekar Bergstation", continue right at the next fork in the path (left would take you to the Arzler Scharte) and in a wide loop through a scree cirque up to the Mandlscharte. From the saddle on the other side, descend through scree.

The path, which is now good and quite wide again, now practically always crosses the scree tracks at the same height under the rocks (great view to the back of the Nordkette). After a short ascent, switch to the Inn Valley side and descend a few meters in serpentines. Then follow the easy path in the upper part of the sloping, partly grassy southern flank of the Nordkette, ascending slightly to the west to the Hafelekar mountain station (always follow the signs "Hafelekar Bergstation" or "Goetheweg"). At the end, alternate between left and right of the ridge. The Goetheweg is well secured in many places. The descent with the renovated Nordkettenbahn and the new Hungerburgbahn takes you directly into the city center to the Congress Innsbruck, whereby the descent is also possible on foot, where a visit to the Alpine Zoo can be included as a stopover.