The Adlerweg. Mike Wells

      The Adlerweg climbs into Rofangebirge through Schauertalkar to reach Schauertalsattel (Stage 7)

      With a few exceptions, which are shown in the text, it is not usually necessary to book ahead. Indeed Alpenverein (AV) refuges only require reservations from groups and recommend other members not to book, as places are guaranteed. However if you want a bedroom rather than a dormitory place, booking could be useful. For locations such as Hintersteinersee, Kaiserhaus, Fernstein and Bschlabs, where there is no AV accommodation and only one private guesthouse/inn/hotel, reservations are recommended. The same applies to private refuges with only a small number of beds, particularly at weekends.

      HOLIDAYS IN AUSTRIA

      There are a number of Austrian national holidays during the summer. On these days banks are closed and public transport operates feiertage (holiday) timetables, which are usually the same as Sunday schedules.

      School summer holidays run from mid-July to mid-September. Most towns and villages have summer festival days, and from mid-September to early October many villages celebrate Almabetriebsfest, when cows are welcomed back from summer mountain pastures (see box in Stage 21). In Innsbruck, the battle of Bergisel is commemorated on 14 August.

      Tourist offices

      Tourist offices operate at both regional and local levels. Tirol Werbung in Innsbruck is responsible for marketing Tyrol as a tourist destination and part of this role involves setting up, managing and promoting the Adlerweg network of paths. They produce a map and guide to all 128 stages and through their website www.adlerweg.tirol.at individual Kompass 1:50,000 maps of each stage can be downloaded. While the guidebook provides excellent outline information, it is not sufficiently detailed to walk the path as only one paragraph is allocated to each stage.

      A popular pastime of Tyrolean walkers is to collect the passport type stamps available at every refuge and most hotels and guesthouses. To encourage Adlerweg walkers to participate, Tirol Werbung has produced a stempelbuch (stamping book) that can be obtained from their offices in Innsbruck. When you have completed your walk, you can claim an eagle pin, in gold, silver or bronze colours depending on how many stamps you have collected. Alternatively, a few pages at the end of this book have been left clear for you to collect your stamps.

      Every town and most villages have their own local tourist office, which can provide local maps and full details of accommodation and events in their area. Opening times vary and smaller offices may not be open at weekends. Staff are generally very helpful and speak good English. Advice is provided on all grades of accommodation and most offices will call to check vacancies and make reservations. They cannot make reservations ‘out of area’ but are usually willing to phone the relevant local office and relay your requirements. Contact details for all tourist offices can be found in Appendix C.

      Alpine Club

      Founded in 1862, the Oesterreichischer Alpenverein (OeAV, Austrian Alpine Club) now has nearly 400,000 members involved in all kinds of mountain sports. Among other activities, it is responsible for building, maintaining and modernising a large number of mountain refuges, waymarking and maintaining footpaths, producing maps and guidebooks and aiding the independent rescue service. It works closely with the Deutsche Alpenverein (DAV, German Alpine Club) which owns and operates the majority of mountain refuges on the Adlerweg. Many of these were built by DAV sections early in the 20th century to provide mountain recreational facilities for members throughout Germany. After WW2 they were placed under Austrian control, but since the sixties have been returned to their former owners.

      Facilities can be used by anyone, but members obtain specific benefits including substantial discounts on accommodation and guaranteed overnight space in club refuges, annual rescue and repatriation insurance and maps and guidebooks at discounted prices. Benefits are available on a reciprocal basis with other national alpine clubs, including DAV.