Autumn Hike in the Kaiser Mountains

East of Kufstein, the gateway to Tyrol, lies the Kaiser Mountains. The two mountain ranges, Zahmer Kaiser in the north and Wilder Kaiser in the south, are separated by the Kaisertal valley. Most of the mountains are a nature reserve. From Kufstein, an easy path leads up to the Ritzau-Alm and further to the sun terrace of the Vorderkaiserfeldenhütte. From there, on a clear day, you can enjoy a panorama stretching from the Wilder Kaiser over the Zillertal Alps, Inn Valley, Rofan Mountains, Karwendel, all the way to the Wendelstein.At the end of October, I took advantage of the forecast good weather to undertake a tour in the Kaiser Mountains again after more than 20 years. Back then, I climbed the Scheffauer via the via ferrata from the Kaindlhütte; this time, I just wanted to hike the Pyramidenspitze (1,997 m) as the season’s finale.

The first day started frosty but later spoiled us with sunshine, clear views, and a magnificent sunset. To the south, the high, steep climbing walls of the Wilder Kaiser glow with the peaks of Kleine Halt (2,116 m), Gamshalt (2,292 m), and behind them Ellmauer Halt (2,344 m), the highest peak in the range. To the west, the sun slowly disappears behind the Rofan Mountains; in front, the Pendling rises above the Inn Valley, and behind it, the silhouette of the Karwendel forms a jagged border against the golden evening sky. The views are rightly praised on the hut’s website.