Beginner Short Lasörling Höhenweg

From Hinterbichl, the route starts gently towards Islitzer Alm and the Umbalfälle, but this should not be treated as a simple valley walk. You are moving into alpine terrain on unpaved paths, mountain hiking trails and steeper sections. With 800 m of ascent, the climb to Clarahütte is a real mountain effort. Expect uneven ground, stairs, viewing platforms and places where steady footing matters.

The first part follows the valley towards Islitzer Alm, a good place to pause before continuing to the Umbalfälle. Around the waterfalls, the route becomes more varied, using wooden platforms, steps and viewpoints close to the water. After this section, the trail leaves the easier valley character behind and climbs higher through the Upper Isel Valley. You pass crossings and river viewpoints as the surroundings become more open and alpine.

Higher up, the route passes the crossing of the Isel and Glacier Way Daber Steg before reaching Clarahütte at 2,038 m. The mountain hut sits in a high alpine setting, with the main climb already behind you.

Note: If you park at Ströden instead of Hinterbichl, the walk gets shorter, since Ströden is on the way to the hut. You arrive earlier, possibly before Clarahütte is open, so a picnic in your backpack is a good idea.

From Clarahütte, this is a serious alpine stage with 730 metres of climbing. The key part comes early: almost 3 kilometres through the narrow Dabertal on a T3 mountain path, narrow, steep and partly exposed, with a fixed rope in places. Sure feet, calm movement and a head for heights are needed here, and the short, steep drop to the Isel bridge just before it asks for care too.

After leaving Clarahütte, you drop to the Isel and cross into the Dabertal on path 311. Take the gorge section slowly, use the rope where there is one and don't stop where the path is narrow. In wet weather or with lingering snow, this is where the day gets tricky. Above the gorge the valley opens up and the climb builds steadily past the Regenbach waterfall and small alpine lakes to the Daberlenke saddle at around 2,630 metres, the high point of the day.

From the saddle it's a short stretch to Neue Reichenberger Hütte beside the Bödensee glacial lake, a remote hut deep in Hohe Tauern National Park. About 10.5 kilometres, count on 5 to 5.5 hours.

This is the easier of the two ways back to Hinterbichl, but it is still a demanding final day. Over about 11.8 km you lose roughly 1,330 m of height, and most of it comes in two steep sections. For anyone new to alpine hiking, the descent is one of the hardest parts of the trek, so plan the day around it: start early, take regular breaks, and use trekking poles if you have them. Allow around 4 hours 15 minutes of walking.

The first steep section begins right after the hut. In the first 1.5 km the path drops about 300 m through open, rocky alpine terrain, and it is very steep in places. Take this part slowly and watch your footing. The trail then levels out on the high valley floor of the Großbachtal near Großbachalm, with views into the Sajatkar. This is an easy stretch of around 2 km and a good place for a break before the second, longer descent.

From roughly km 4.5 the path drops again, this time for about 2.5 km. It loses around 600 m on a steep, steady gradient with little let-up. This is the most tiring part of the day for knees and thighs, so keep some energy in reserve and go at a slow, controlled pace. This is safer and easier on your legs than trying to get it over with quickly. You pass close to Großbach Waterfall and come down to Islitzeralm in the Isel valley at about 1,500 m. From here the hard work is done: the last 4 to 5 km follow the valley on gentle, easy paths to Hinterbichl.