The Adlerweg (Eagle's Way) is an excellently waymarked 300km path that traverses the length of the Austrian state of Tyrol from St. Johann in the east to St. Anton in the west. This guide gives detailed route descriptions to the Adlerweg's 23 principal stages, as well as its 6 easier low-level alternatives and 8 more difficult high-level alpine variants through the Lechtal Alps. Strong walkers could complete the route in two weeks.
Each stage is graded for difficulty but even the most difficult are accessible to most experienced walkers, and no special equipment is required. The route is also well served by good quality, well-positioned mountain accommodation and refreshment opportunities.
Named the eagle's way due to its appearance on the map (outspread wings reaching to either side of Tyrol and Innsbruck in the middle as the head), the Adlerweg is a beautiful long-distance path that is relatively new and becoming ever more popular.
Series: Cicerone Guide
Paperback: 192 pages
Publisher: Cicerone Press Limited; 1 edition (April 12, 2012)
Language: English
Product Dimensions: 4.5 x 0.6 x 6.7 inches
Shipping Weight: 9.9 ounces
Review
"The author of the book, Mike Wells, chanced upon us at Binsalm in the summer of 2010 as my daughter and I were traversing a section of the Adlerweg. He was walking from St. Johann to St. Anton and when we met, was walking from Lamsenjochhuette to Falkennuette (Stage 9). He announced that the book would appear by Spring 2012 and indeed it has.
I decided to purchase it, but wondered why he was reinventing the wheel for the english market. Surely, a translation of the red, german Rother Wanderfuehrer would have sufficed? This excellent, german series covers most areas and trails around the world.
However, it seems that Mike Wells has found a gap in the market. There is no Rother Wanderfuehrer guide for the Adlerweg at the moment. There is a glossy german production by Stefanie Holzer, but this is not as detailed as Mike's Cicerone guide and is too large to be carried en route. The Cicerone guide is compact and packed with all the information you need. (It is also packed with some you don't need, but this is extremely informative about the history of the area.)
This is a "must have" guide for the route.
Last year (2011) I walked from Scharnitz to Pertisau in four days, which took in Stages 8, 9 and 10. For those seeking a challenge, the last Saturday in August (typically a wet one) is set aside for the annual Karwendelmarsch (Scharnitz to Pertisau). Runners and walkers set off at 06:00 and must have reached Eng by 15:00 in order to be allowed to complete the 52 km route. A place on the march has to be prebooked with the organisers and costs about 30 Euros. This covers organisational costs including water served en route. The route joins the Adlerweg at Karwendelhaus and diverges from it between Binsalm and Lamsenjochhuette. Instead, it passes over Binssattel to enter a green and stunning bowl-like valley (the hidden eighth wonder of the world!) and then drops down to Gramaialm Hochleger and eventually to Gramaialm. A flat valley walk to Pertisau completes the route.
I have also covered parts of stages 2 and 3 when I scaled Scheffauer in the summer of 2010. The Wilder Kaiser range is stunning, but for the faint hearted, rest assured that the Adlerweg circumvents these treacherous mountains. The Wilder Kaiser range and its environs are particularly stunning in Autumn, as the valleys comprise mainly golden larches.
The prime time for the route is July and August. Most of the huts close by the end of September, as the snow comes early at these altitudes (approaching 2000 metres)."
- Esther Bergman
About the Author
Mike Wells has been walking long-distance footpaths for 25 years, and a keen cyclist for 20. He has walked the major British paths, the GR5 from Lake Geneva to the Mediterranean, and explored the Dolomites Alta Via routes in Italy. He has also walked in Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Norway and Chilean Patagonia. Starting with UK cycling routes, he soon moved on to long-distance routes in the rest of Europe and beyond, including a circumnavigation of Iceland and a ride across Cuba.
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