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Bill and I had skied extensively in Austria - particularly in the Arlberg - arguably the best skiing in Europe - and decided we should explore the area in the Summer. We knew almost nothing about hut to hut walking or where we should go, but I found some very helpful books in a second hand shop and i guess we found our routes there.. We also joined the Austrian Alpine club (just under £30) which gave us reduced prices in the huts and free basic insurance.
The Ratikon and SilvrettaWe started in two areas close to the Swiss border - the Ratikon just to the North across the border from Klosters and the Silvretta slightly further East. We found that certainly before the schools broke up around the last week of July there was no need to book huts - you just turned up and the guardians were very pleased to see you.
We drove out - going down the Rhine to Bregenz, left the car in Brand I think, took the cablecar up to the1970m Lunersee - going round the West side of the lake. there was a lot of winter snow left, and crossing streams we had to be careful not to fall through
Day One map: The SAC have made it progressively more difficult to copy maps from their site so there are blank panels that can't be eliminated LIBRARY PICTURE AND TEXT: We headed around the RHs in this pictureLooking back to the Lunersee. The Drusenfluh from the trackThe route took us up to the 2137 Schweiztor (Swiss door) on the border where there was an old customs post We then descended the snowy Sporentobel to the 1739m Lindauer hut
The limestone towers of the Drei Turme from the Lindauer hut A modern library picture of the hut - vastly bigger and I've no doubt you have to book onlineDay 2 MapWe left the hut and took a path up an alpenrose covered ridge - the Bilkengrat to a col - the 2335m Schwartze Scharte, and then contoured Right to climb easy angled limestone ledges to the 2817 m Sulzfluh. We then retraced our steps and descended R to the 2208m Tilisuna hut.
There were a lot of interesting alpnie flowers not only on the limestone but in the valleys where the snow had melted. I took quite a few photos, but they weren't very good and have become lost.
crossing the head of the GauertalThe Klein Sulzfluh from the BilkengratThe Drei Turme from the BilkengratAt the Schwartze Scharte - The Drei Turme and the Schesaplana. Yesterday's path from the Lunersee to the Lindauer hut descended the snow-filled Sporentobel - R of centreThe Schwartzhorn from the Schwartze ScharteLimestone pavements below the SulzfluhLooking SE from the path up the Sulzfluh across the steep Partnun valley to the Wiss Platte and the ScheienfluhLooking W from the SummitZoomed view - the S face of the Drei Turme with the Schesaplana behindSulzfluh summit from a subsidiary high pointThe Tilisuna hutte modern Libary pictureDay 3 mapFrom the hut we traversed first to the 2235m Gruoben pass, then East of the Wiss Platten to the 2352m Plasseggen pass and finally over a section in Switzerland under the Sarotlaspitz to the 2388m Sarotla pass.
Looking back to the Tilisuna hut from the path to the Gruoben pass: Schwartzhorn on the RFrom near the Gruoben Pass - looking back to the Klein Sulzfluh and the Sulzfluh From the 2352m Plasseggen pass looking South ito the mountains above Klosters In Switzerland under the Sarotla Spitz - the Sulzfluh on the LFrom the Sarotlapass we climbed to the 2448m Robispitz and then descended the path to Gargellen. I imagine we caught a bus back to our starting point
On the RobispitzIt's a long time ago a nd I have had to spend a long time looking a maps to see exactly where we went, but we both found it very enjoyable and it encouraged us for our next walk in the Silvretta