On good days in the 1990s, the landlady would count as many as 250 mountain bikers a day on her hut’s terrace. So there was no need to ask whether she – unlike many of her colleagues – had anything against these new-fangled mountain bikers. Most of the bikers back then came from Ischgl and were just passing through on the Transalp route. Their motto was: ‘Quick, let’s have a bowl of hot dumpling soup before we tackle the push section up to the Fimber Pass.’
The first enduro cyclists arrived by cable car in 1995
But as early as 1995, the first enduro cyclists reached the hut: by that time, Ischgl had already opened the Silvretta Cable Car to cyclists and created trails specifically for those with good riding skills. The neighbouring, duty-free village of Samnaun joined in with a downhill run leading down into Switzerland – and so the Heidelberger Hütte finally became the legendary hub for all types of cycling. Every enduro rider wanted to experience the thrill of balancing their way along the ridge trail, which winds its way for kilometres through the high Alps like a pump track between Flimsjoch and Zeblasjoch. Admittedly, you still have to push your bike up a 150-metre climb to reach the hut at the end, but then all that’s left before your well-deserved plate of dumplings is a 500-metre descent down a scree-strewn trail.
Even when the ever-cheerful Alois Eiter, ‘Loisl’, took over the reins at the Heidelberger Hütte in 2014, the hospitality shown to mountain bikers remained unchanged. It’s just that the food has since become excellent and more regionally focused. That could be the reason why more and more half-day tourers from the Paznaun Valley are now cycling up to the hut, enjoying a delicious meal, meeting like-minded people and cycling back down the same route.
The Heidelberger Hütte as a hub and its hiking options
It would be lovely if we could set off straight away this autumn, especially as the paths up there have only recently been repaired, but: the Heidelberger Hütte is, after all, situated on the main Alpine ridge and has a short summer season. It has been closed since 19 September and won’t open again until mid-June 2027, once the snow has melted. But until then, you can already start planning your trip for next summer:
1. The dumpling soup version:
- Length: 13.8 kilometres
- Ascent: 920 metres in altitude
- Riding technique: easy
From Ischgl, take the quickest, most direct route up to the hut: in the lower section, where the gradient is particularly gruelling, the road is tarmacked. From about halfway up the climb, at a barrier, the route levels out and winds its way up a gravel track through the increasingly beautiful Fimbatal valley to the Heidelberger Hütte. A half-day hike with an iconic stop for refreshments – that’s it.
2. Alternative route: officially permitted, but few people know about it
- Length: 32 kilometres
- 585 metres of elevation gain uphill
- 1,490 metres of descent
- Riding ability: intermediate
You can actually spice up the classic day trip to the Heidelberger Hütte with a few officially authorised trails: From Ischgl, the most battery-friendly option is to take the Silvretta Cable Car up to the Idalpe at 2,307 metres, and from there head straight along a specially laid flow trail through the alpine meadows to the flank of the Sassgalunkopf. Here you’ll find an extremely steep uphill ramp, but on the other side of it lies a challenging downhill trail leading down to the main path in the Fimbatal valley.
You then follow the route another 500 metres in altitude up to the hut. After a stop for refreshments, the route takes you back to Ischgl via the Fimbatal valley. If you fancy it, you can branch off onto the trails at the end of the descent, which cross the path repeatedly. However, you’ll need the inclination and the skills to tackle some fairly rugged terrain.
3. Transalp route: Over the legendary Fimber Pass
The 2,608-metre-high Fimber Pass between Paznaun and Val Sinestra on the Swiss side is also one of the absolute highlights for any trail-savvy Alpine traveller. The crossing involves a very gruelling 300-metre climb on foot behind the Heidelberger Hütte.
Locals recommend being up there at sunrise, as these are said to be the most magical moments at the top of the pass. To do this, you should plan to spend the night at the Heidelberger Hütte, skip breakfast and set off whilst it’s still dark. In Val Sinestra, there are lovely places to stop for a bite to eat during the seemingly endless trail descent, so you can catch up on breakfast. Fancy a Mini Transalp in 4 stages?
4. New Big Mountain route: Kronenjoch Epic
- Length: 49.5 kilometres
- Ascent: 1,220 metres in altitude
- Downhill: 2,616 metres of descent
- Proportion of trail: 55 per cent
- Difficulty: hard
You should only attempt this tour if you have sufficient alpine experience, as it takes you into the truly wild Silvretta. At the Kronenjoch, you may well be on your own, so you need to know what to do in any situation. Furthermore, the tour passes through sensitive conservation areas – the utmost consideration must be shown towards nature and alpine farming here. Take the Silvretta cable car towards the Äußeres Viderjoch and continue along the ridge trail to the Salaaser Kopf. There’s a short climb at the Zeblasjoch, then on to the Fuorcla Val Gronda, where the first longer descent on the Swiss side begins smoothly and becomes increasingly technical as it ends at the Heidelberger Hütte.
Here, rather than taking the south-eastern branch off towards the Fimber Pass, you take the more westerly route towards the Kronenjoch. A 700-metre climb that is only partially rideable even on an e-MTB and is tough enough to push. At Kronenjoch (2,974 m), the descent begins on a wide scree slope: initially moderately technical, but narrow and steep. For a short while, the trail gets really nasty, then it transitions into soft meadow slopes (possibly trampled by cows). After the Jamtalhütte, a final long trail branches off: root-strewn, stony and constantly featuring small steps. In Galtür, you rejoin the valley road and follow the cycle path along the Trisanna back to Ischgl.
GPX data for all Ischgl tours
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Ischgl Trail Guide with GPX data
Gitta Beimfohr
Editor