Finkau to the Zittauer Hütte

This is an amazing hike, with the first two-thirds being relatively easy and the last third more challenging. If you’re in good physical shape, you can complete it in under four hours in good weather. On hot summer days, it’s best to start early in the morning so that you can walk most of the route in the shade. At the top, you’ll be rewarded with breathtaking views of the lake, glacier, and valley.

The perfect hiking weather was announced for today and so we jumped out of bed quite early and set off for Finkau. The starting point of today's tour is the parking lot at the Alpengasthof Finkau. It's still before 9 am, the valley is still in shadow and it's quite chilly. But there are not many hikers on the way and we walk through the Leitenkammerklamm and later the road and later the mountain path almost alone. At today's destination, the Zittauer Hütte, there is not much going on and we enjoy the fantastic view over the lower Gerlossee. After a snack we go back almost the same way and when we get home we are happy about the great day. The tour is part of my collection "Hiking in Salzburger Land" (https://www.komoot.de/collection/1752569/-wandern-im-salzburger-land)

“Can you charge your cell phone at their place? - as long as there is enough electricity..." - that made us sit up and take notice when we made the reservation, and that's exactly how it was. In the hut there was only one socket... But in front of the hut was the march. We started in Finkau, with a packed backpack for 3 days - it's amazing what you don't need when you have to carry it yourself! Bad weather was actually forecast, but we were lucky, it was only hazy and overcast, no sign of thunderstorms - lucky... Only when we left civilization behind and the path was no longer a hiking trail, but rather a rocky, narrow mountain climb with ropes to hold on to, only then of course it started to rain, but that can no longer shake us. Arrived at the hearty landlord of the Zittau hut, everything went into the drying room and that was it. That was also the last electronic contact with the outside world, no telephone, no mobile phone, no internet, well - smoke signals would have gone... The rooms - yes we had one of the few double rooms, otherwise there was only camp - were clean and very spartan, just a hut feeling. Tattoo was 2200, but that wasn't necessary, because you were so tired. The hut was just great, 122 years old, at 2,328m, the action alone to build something like that was terrific. Renovated and extended in 1999, and completely self-sufficient. The food is amazing - Austrian specialties including homemade Sachertorte. Once a week there is supply via a small material cable car, the team of the hut stays completely on the mountain in the summer months from June to October. A life in the Alps. For those interested: https://www.zittauerhuette.at/zittauer-huette-home/ See you out there soon 😎! greeting Madze ****

At the parking lot you have to pay 5 euros for the day ticket for cars. The first 30-45 minutes you should walk next to the driveway. Great little waterfalls and nice trail. You shouldn't underestimate the incline. Then it's 45 minutes on the road, with a break you can put your feet in the cold water or you can save it for the way back. The last ascent is exhausting and goes partly "wild". Tour is worth it!

It started around 9 o'clock in the morning, from the parking lot of the Finkau restaurant. First for us it is a gravel path through the Leitenkammerklamm up to the Trisslalm. From here the valley widens. We walk along the Gerlos to the Zittauer Hütte cable car. From here it is a beautiful hike towards the glacier up to the hut, which is located on the lake there. Here you can stop off very well. Cottage is very clean and staff friendly. It went back the same way. There was coffee and cake at the Trisslalm.

From the parking lot of the Alpengasthaus Finkau (1420m) at the end of the Durlassboden reservoir, take a shady forest path along the Leitenkammerklamm natural monument up to the Trissalm. Continue straight ahead along the stream through the beautiful Wildgerlostal to the large waterfall at the end of the valley. For the steep ascent to the Zittau Hut (2328m) a head for heights and proper shoes are an absolute requirement. Over stone steps and secured with a rope on the rock face, you climb the trail past the moraine to the waterfall and finally to the Zittau hut. You have great views all the way, but once you get to the top it's just fantastic. The path led us back the same way. However, you can also spend the night in the Zittauer Hütte and continue your hike the next day rested. Exhausting but very nice and recommendable tour.

Fantastic weather - fantastic tour! I'm still blown away by this hike. The Wildgerlostal Valley, with its beautiful Leitkammerklamm Gorge and the very well-maintained trail to the Zittauer Hütte, is simply magnificent. From the Finkau parking lot, take the forest road to the gorge. Pleasantly shaded and lush green. There are numerous great viewpoints into the gorge with its roaring water. Now follow the path to the Trissl Alm, then continue along the water's edge and gently uphill until, in about 5 km, the ascent to the Zittauer Hütte begins at the cable car. The trail is perfectly constructed and leads along the ridge to a large rocky outcrop, which is surmounted by stairs and a grating path. Further up, you cross glacial erosion and a waterfall. Then you stand in awe in front of the hut, the lower Gerlossee, and the amazing view of the glacier and the wide valley below. Simply breathtaking! ``` After a well-deserved break, we returned the same way.

@Garmin oh Garmin My old eTrex HCx tracked it correctly. The Fenix 5x is so totally wrong If I set stop when stopped, the watch recognizes walking with sticks as a break and often does not track longer sections. If I enter the minimum of 1.6 km/h, it can also lead to the recognition that I am standing when climbing steep stairs ... Unbelievable, ... However, if you run through the times, it distorts the entire tracking and in the end, if you stop manually at small breaks, the GPS will be stopped (which is not the case with an auto stop) and you get rabbit jumps in the path tracking in . So we had come up under 2 hours ...