Filmoor-Standschützenhütte

The Filmoor-Standschützenhütte is a mountain refuge (Schutzhütte) belonging to the Sektion Austria of the Österreichischer Alpenverein (ÖAV), the Austrian Alpine Club. It stands on the Filmoorböden in East Tyrol, Austria, just north of the Italian border with the province of Belluno and south-east below the Große Kinigat. The hut is a key waypoint on the Karnischer Höhenweg, the long-distance high trail of the Carnic Alps, situated between the Porzehütte and the Obstansersee-Hütte, and it also serves as a base on the Friedensweg (Peace Trail), a cross-border remembrance route. The hut was built on the initiative of Walther Schaumann, who from the 1970s led the Dolomitenfreunde association in restoring the Karnischer Höhenweg and its network of shelters. Construction of the Filmoorhütte began in 1976, carried out by members of the Landwehrstammregiment 64 Lienz (today the Jägerbataillon 24 of the Austrian Armed Forces) together with volunteers from the Dolomitenfreunde. Funding came mainly from the Sektion Austria, while building materials — partly financed by municipalities and agrarian communities — were flown in by helicopter, carried by army Haflinger pack horses and hauled up by soldiers on foot. After many weekends of work the hut was completed the following year and inaugurated on 14 August 1977. At the suggestion of Othmar Doblander, then district governor (Bezirkshauptmann) of Lienz, the hut was given the name Standschützenhütte in memory of the fighting around Filmoor and Kinigat during the mountain war of July 1915 and of the tireless service of the Lesachtal Standschützen, the local militia riflemen. Initially the hut was looked after by Austrian Armed Forces personnel before the Sektion Austria took over its management. For almost thirty years, army Haflinger horses handled the transport of firewood to the hut. The refuge has been expanded and modernised several times. A small sleeping hut was added in 1990. By 2000 the hut had become too small, so it was comprehensively renovated and a separate sanitary block was added. In 2007 the old dormitories were replaced by a larger sleeping hut with a basement, and a modern wastewater treatment plant was put into operation. Today the Filmoor-Standschützenhütte is a serviced alpine hut catering to hikers and mountaineers on the Karnischer Höhenweg. It can be reached on foot from Kartitsch/Rauchenbach via the Erschbaumertal in about 3.5 to 4 hours or via the Schöntal in about 3.5 hours; from the Kartitscher Sattel via the Schöntal in about 3.5 hours; and from Leiten via the Leitnertal and the Stuckenseen lakes in 3 to 5 hours. From the hut, other stages of the Karnischer Höhenweg lead to the Obstansersee-Hütte (2304 m) and the Porzehütte (1942 m) in about 3 hours each, to the Sillianer Hütte (2447 m) in about 7 hours and to the Hochweißsteinhaus (1868 m) in about 11 hours. Nearby summit objectives include the Große Kinigat (2689 m) in about 1 hour and the Filmoorhöhe (2457 m) with the Corrado d'Ambros via ferrata in about half an hour.

The Filmoor-Standschützenhütte owes its existence to the post-war restoration of the Karnischer Höhenweg. In the 1970s the association of the Dolomitenfreunde, led by Walther Schaumann, began rebuilding the long-distance trail along the Carnic Alps main ridge, a project that required the construction or reconstruction of mountain shelters. As part of this effort, and on Schaumann's initiative, construction of the Filmoorhütte began in 1976. The builders were members of the Landwehrstammregiment 64 Lienz — today the Jägerbataillon 24 of the Austrian Armed Forces — together with volunteer helpers from the Dolomitenfreunde. Financing came mainly from the Sektion Austria of the Austrian Alpine Club. Building material, partly funded by municipalities and agrarian communities, was brought up to the Filmoorböden by helicopter, by Haflinger horses of the armed forces and through "Gepäckmärsche" (loaded marches) by the soldiers. After long weekends of work the hut was finished the following year and inaugurated on 14 August 1977. The naming of the hut reflects the region's First World War history. To commemorate the fighting during the mountain war of July 1915 around Filmoor and Kinigat, and the tireless commitment of the Lesachtal Standschützen, the hut was given the name Standschützenhütte at the suggestion of Othmar Doblander, then Bezirkshauptmann (district governor) of Lienz. In its early years the hut was looked after by Austrian Armed Forces personnel until the Sektion Austria took over its running. For almost thirty years the army's Haflinger horses carried firewood up to the hut, a supply arrangement that became part of its identity. The refuge has been repeatedly adapted to growing visitor numbers. A small sleeping hut was added in 1990. By 2000 the hut had become too small, so it was comprehensively renovated (generalsaniert) and a separate sanitary block was built. In 2007 the old dormitories were replaced by a larger sleeping hut with a basement, and a modern wastewater treatment plant was put into operation. Today the hut is a serviced refuge on the Karnischer Höhenweg between the Porzehütte and the Obstansersee-Hütte, and a base on the Friedensweg. It is reached by marked trails from Kartitsch/Rauchenbach through the Erschbaumertal (3.5–4 hours) or over the Schöntal (3.5 hours), from the Kartitscher Sattel over the Schöntal (3.5 hours), and from Leiten over the Leitnertal and the Stuckenseen (3–5 hours). From the hut, hikers can continue to the Obstansersee-Hütte (2304 m) and Porzehütte (1942 m) in about 3 hours each, to the Sillianer Hütte (2447 m) in about 7 hours and to the Hochweißsteinhaus (1868 m) in about 11 hours. Nearby summit destinations are the Große Kinigat (2689 m, about 1 hour) and the Filmoorhöhe (2457 m) with the Corrado d'Ambros via ferrata (about half an hour).

• 2007

  The old dormitories are replaced by a larger sleeping hut with a basement, and a modern wastewater treatment plant is put into operation.

• 2000

  The hut, by then too small, is comprehensively renovated and a separate sanitary block is added.

• 1990

  A small sleeping hut is added to the refuge.

• 1977

  The hut is completed and inaugurated on 14 August 1977; it is named Standschützenhütte in memory of the Lesachtal Standschützen.

• 1976

  Construction of the Filmoorhütte begins, carried out by Landwehrstammregiment 64 Lienz and Dolomitenfreunde volunteers on the initiative of Walther Schaumann.

A traditional Austrian Alpine Club refuge on a cross-border high trail, valued for its history, location and role in the Friedensweg remembrance route.

• Mountain hut accommodation (dormitory beds)

• Meals and refreshments for hikers

• Waypoint services on the Karnischer Höhenweg and Friedensweg

1. 1Filmoor-Standschützenhütte – Wikidatawikidata.org
2. 2Filmoor-Standschützenhütte – Wikipedia (German)de.wikipedia.org