Two-Day Trek: Zams - Steinseehütte - Württemberger Haus

Stage 1: Zams - Alfuzalm (shuttle bus) – Steinseehütte – Rosskarscharte – Gebäudjoch – Württemberger Haus
Uphill/downhill: 1,433/456 vertical metres, walking time: 7 hours, distance: 11.3 kilometres, highest point: 2,452 metres, difficulty: dificult (black)

From the village of Zams, take the shuttle bus up to Alfuzalm and descend to the stream. A forest road takes you past a water catchment and crosses the stream. Follow the dirt road into the valley, slightly above the valley floor in the beginning and later across alpine pastures; some sections of the trail run parallel to the Starkenbach stream. At the same altitude as the bottom station of the small cable car used to supply food and materials to the Steinseehütte hut, the road merges onto a footpath that climbs through thick understory of dwarf pines on its way to the Steinseehütte. The hut sits at an elevation of 2,061 metres. It takes some 2.5 hours to get there from Alfuzalm. From the hut, the route coincides with the Eagle Walk (a long-distance hiking trail crossing Tirol from east to west). Follow the signs for “Württemberger Haus, 601, E4”. The trail ambles through gentle terrain until it reaches the foot of the Gufelgrasjoch ridge (2,382 metres), from where it climbs across rock-laden terrain to the top of the 2,400-metre-high Roßkarscharte notch (2,400 metres). Beyond the notch, steeply descend into a narrow rock gully (fixed wires are anchored into the rock here for safety) and thereafter into a slightly broadening rubble cirque and down to the glacier scoured basin of the Roßkar cirque. Towered over by the lofty Roßköpfe peaks, the trail resumes its climb and runs above “Steiniger Boden”. From there, the route climbs the 2,452-metre-high pinnacle of the Gebäudjoch ridge in switchbacks (2,452 metres). Beyond, steeply descend through rock-laden terrain where fixed wires anchored to the rock. Finally, the route runs past a tiny mountain lake on its way down to the Württemberger Haus lodge (it takes roughly four hours to get there from the Steinseehütte hut).

Stage 2: Württemberger Haus – Zammer Loch – Zams
Uphill/downhill: 35/1,487 vertical metres, walking time: 4.5 hours, distance: 12 km (to the Venet cable car), highest point: 2,220 metres, difficulty: intermediate (red)

From the Württemberger Haus lodge, follow the signs for Zams. In the beginning the trail runs below the lodge and traverses alpine meadows and dwarf pine fields on its way to the Unterlochalm hut (1,567 metres). A gentle downhill stroll through a wonderful larch grove takes you to the entrance of the Zammer Loch, a narrow gorge that has been incised into the rock by the cascading waters of the churning stream. On the left side of the valley the trail weaves high above the gorge in easy ups and downs. The last section runs high above the Inn Valley with a steep plunge taking you down to the first houses of Zams. At the tiny chapel follow signs for “Zams, Krahberg E5” and cross the Inn river using the bridge that leads into the village centre. Pass the parish church on your way to the destination end of this walk, which is the base of the Venet cable car. If you want to catch a train, continue walking along the main road for another kilometre to get to the railway station of Landeck/Zams.

Tip! In the Zammer Lochputz gorge the water plunges over cliffs of limestone many millions of years old. The scenic "Wasser-Erlebnis-Steig " is a learning trail with information boards leading past spectacular viewpoints and magnificent scenery.