Trekking in the Zillertal Alps. Allan Hartley

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      A smiling face awaits you at the end of your day’s walk

      The word ‘hut’ is a misnomer. All the huts in the Zillertal as described here are more akin to mountain inns or guest houses that provide overnight accommodation and some form of restaurant service (see ‘Meals and menus’ below). This means that the mountain traveller does not need to return to the valley every few days to stock up on provisions.

      There are well over 1000 huts in Austria, half of which are owned by the Austrian and German Alpine Clubs. In the Zillertal there are 30 OeAV and DAV huts, most of which are open from the end of June to mid-September. All the huts in the Zillertal have a resident guardian (Huettenwirt), who traditionally was a mountain guide (Bergfuehrer). Each hut has simple sleeping accommodation in the form of mixed dormitories (Matratzenlager) with blankets and pillows, and a small number of bedrooms (Bettzimmer) with duvets and sheets.

      In addition to sleeping accommodation, each hut has some form of restaurant service offering a number of traditional dishes (see Appendix C for a glossary of menu terms). The menu generally comprises soup, a choice of main meals, Bergsteigeressen (literally ‘mountain climbers’ food’), cold meats, cheese and sometimes cakes and sweets. All huts serve drinks, tea, coffee, beer, wine and so forth, and most huts have a small shop where visitors can buy postcards, chocolate and biscuits.

      On arrival at the hut, you should first remove your boots and store them in the boot rack, which will be close to the front door. You should also hang your ice axe, crampons, rope and other clobber on the racks provided, since such paraphernalia is not permitted in dormitories and bedrooms. If you are wet on arrival, your waterproofs should be shaken as dry as possible outside and hung up to dry with your ice tackle. If you are in a group, do not mill around the doorway, and again if you are wet make sure your group leaves outside as much water and dirt from boots as possible. Many of the huts are spotlessly clean, and for the benefit of all guests would like to remain that way.

      You should then establish contact with the hut guardian to obtain your overnight accommodation. You will usually find this most important person in the kitchen (Kuche), dining room (Gaststube) or office (Bureau). A maximum of three nights is the Club rule, but this is not generally rigidly enforced. (Note that members have priority when accommodation is busy.)

      Having found the guardian it is important to greet him or her (‘Gruss Gott’) and to explain that you would like some accommodation. The Huettenwirt is then likely to ask if you are Alpenverein and to ask for your membership card, which may be retained overnight or until such time as you leave, when you will be asked to pay.

      If you do not speak German and feel uncomfortable asking for rooms in German, then write down and read out the following phrase ‘Ich/wir hatte gern ein zimmer oder matratzenlager, bitte’ (‘I/we would like a room, please’). Be polite by asking bitte when handing over the message and answering danke (‘thank you’) when the message is returned. Trivial as this may seem, these polite gestures are extremely important and will go a long way to ensuring a pleasant stay.

      At the Olperer Hut – it doesn’t come much better than this!

      If the hut is full you may have to take residence in the Winterraum, which is usually the preserve of ski-mountaineers and those visiting when the hut is closed. The Winterraum is generally an annexe to the hut and may double as a storeroom or shelter for animals (as is the case at the Greizer Hut). Although the Winterraum can be quite cosy, remember to keep your gear off the floor out of reach of any mice.

      Should the hut be beyond full, you will be provided with a mattress for Notlager, which roughly translated means ‘sleeping with the furniture’ – be it on the floor, in the corridors, on tables, on benches, or simply anywhere you can lie down. In the Zillertal this is a rare scenario, which results in some cosy, if somewhat noisy, situations.

      Only on very rare occasions will you be asked to move on by the Huettenwirt, but only when bed space has been secured at an adjacent hut and only when there is sufficient daylight for you to reach your destination.

      At the hut you will also require a sheet sleeping bag or Schlafsack for use with the blankets and bedding which the hut provides. This is to minimise the amount of washing required and any water pollution downsteam of the hut. The sheet sleeping bag is a compulsory requirement, and if you do not have one the Huettenwirt will tell you to hire one.

      You will also need to bring with you a pair of lightweight shoes or a pair of socks to wander around the hut, as boots upstairs are strictly forbidden (Verboten).

      Each hut will have some form of male and female washrooms and toilet facilities, which vary from excellent at the Berliner and Olperer Huts to more modest at Friesenberg Haus and Greizer Huts. Elsewhere in the hut, usually near the front door, is the drying room (Trockenraum), where wet clothes can be dried.

      The heart and soul of the hut is the dining room (Gaste Stube). Here you will find all manner of activities going on – from groups planning their next day, people celebrating a climb or a birthday, to people just chatting. It is a feeling best described by the German word ‘Gemutlichkeit’, which means ‘homely’ and ‘friendly’, and is something that is fostered and cherished throughout the whole of Austria.

      At the end of your stay remember to make your bed and fold your blankets, to look around to make sure nothing is forgotten, and to search out the Huettenwirt and thank him and his staff for a pleasant stay. Remember to collect your membership card if it has not been given back to you. You should then fill in the hut book to record your stay and to indicate where you are going next.

      Hut information and reservations

      At Friesenberg Haus (ZRR Stage 7)

      As more and more huts in the Zillertal develop websites and are accessible by email, it is easier than ever to check for up-to-date hut information and make a reservation (see the Hut Directory, at the end of this guide, and Appendix B for contact details). For small groups of three or four people it is not necessary to make a reservation at the huts. However, groups of six plus are strongly advised to make contact with the hut before they go by post (sending a prepaid stamped addressed envelope for a reply), telephone, email or the hut website.

      It is worth noting that members are allowed only three consecutive nights at any one hut, although this is not strictly enforced.

      Cancellations

      Because huts can be booked over the internet and by telephone, abuse of this facility is beginning to become an issue. When reservations are made and people do not turn up, this results not just in a loss of business for the huts but also in a significant waste of food. Some huts are now asking for deposits to offset some of this risk. It is worth noting that in Austrian law if you make a reservation and do not allow adequate time for a cancellation then you are still liable to pay the bill in full or in part. Remember that most huts are businesses, and it is only polite, if you have to cancel your reservation, to make every effort to contact the hut to inform them. If not, don’t be surprised if you get billed.

      Meals and menus

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