Glungezerhütte

The Glungezerhütte is a mountain hut (Schutzhütte) of the Austrian Alpine Club (Österreichischer Alpenverein, OeAV), specifically the Sektion Hall in Tirol, located in the Tux Alps of the Austrian state of Tyrol. It sits at 2,610 metres above sea level on the saddle between the Glungezer summit and the Sonnenspitze. The hut is open in both summer and winter. In winter it is primarily frequented by ski tourers, as it can be reached from the Glungezer ski lifts in about one hour of walking; it also serves as a base for avalanche and mountain rescue courses. In summer it accommodates hikers arriving from the Glungezer lift or from the Patscherkofel. The hut is also a waypoint on several long-distance trails: the Tiroler Adlerweg, the Via Alpina, the Munich–Venice Dream Path, the Inntaler Höhenweg, and the Olympiaweg Garmisch–Cortina. The hut's history began in 1932 when the Ski Club Tirol built a small wooden hut on a stone base at the start of the Glungezer descent. It proved too small, and in 1933 a first stone hut was erected, with a dining room for 50 to 60 people and a sleeping room with ten emergency berths. This structure can still be recognised in the narrow north wing of today's hut. Because the hut was overwhelmed by visitors from the start, a first extension was built in 1934. However, it remained barely able to cope with the rush of skiers in winter; four-fifths of visitors came over from the Patscherkofel. Architect Theo Prachensky, himself a member of the Ski Club Tirol, was engaged for a further expansion. In summer 1935 his plans were realised in record time. Prachensky's idea was to create a magnificent mountain home that, despite the bulk of its outer walls and the beams and columns inside, radiates cosiness. The Prachensky building was ceremonially inaugurated on 6 April 1936. Until the early years of the Second World War, the Glungezer was one of the most popular ski mountains in the Alps and the hut was heavily visited. From 1941, visits declined sharply; in December 1945 a foehn storm tore off part of the roof and severely damaged the masonry. The hut was renovated between 1946 and 1948. In 1951 the Sektion Hall-Wattens of the OeAV took over the Glungezerhütte and extended it in 1952. The hut entrance was moved from the south to the north side. In the following decades the hut was frequently modified. In summer 1962 the roof had to be re-covered after a storm tore off a large part of it. From 1965 the hut had electricity from a petrol-diesel generator. In 1968 a material cable car was built to the hut. In 1978 the hut was connected to the public electricity grid by laying a cable from the Austrian Armed Forces air monitoring station on the Glungezer summit down to the hut. In 1994 the hut was converted and extended; between 1994 and 1996 a drinking water pipeline was built up from the Tulfein and a wastewater pipeline down. Because the drinking water pipeline often froze, in 2003 a 100-cubic-metre cistern was built just below the hut, from which the hut can be reliably supplied with drinking water even in winter. The Glungezerhütte can be reached from the Tulfeinalm in about 1.5 hours. In summer the Tulfeinalm is reached from Tulfes by two cable cars. The hut can also be reached directly from Tulfes in about a 3.5-hour ascent. From the top station of the Patscherkofelbahn the hut is reachable in around 3 hours. From the Meißner Haus in the Viggartal the hut is also reachable in about three hours' walking time. From Tulfes or from Rinn the ascent takes three to four hours. The hut can also be reached via the Glungezer via ferrata. Although the approaches are mostly long, several summits lie very close: the Sonnenspitze (2,639 m) is reached in only ten minutes' walk, and the Glungezer summit takes only a quarter of an hour. Further south, the Kreuzspitze (2,746 m) and the Rosenjoch (2,796 m) are two and a half and three hours away respectively.

The Glungezerhütte's history began in 1932 when the Ski Club Tirol built a small wooden hut on a stone base at the start of the Glungezer descent. It quickly proved too small. In 1933 a first stone hut was erected, featuring a dining room for 50 to 60 people and a sleeping room with ten emergency berths. This structure can still be recognised in the narrow north wing of today's hut. Because the hut was overwhelmed by visitors from the start, a first extension was built in 1934. However, it remained barely able to cope with the rush of skiers in winter; four-fifths of visitors came over from the Patscherkofel. Architect Theo Prachensky, himself a member of the Ski Club Tirol, was engaged for a further expansion. In summer 1935 his plans were realised in record time. Prachensky's idea was to create a magnificent mountain home that, despite the bulk of its outer walls and the beams and columns inside, radiates cosiness. The Prachensky building was ceremonially inaugurated on 6 April 1936. Until the early years of the Second World War, the Glungezer was one of the most popular ski mountains in the Alps and the hut was heavily visited. From 1941, visits declined sharply; in December 1945 a foehn storm tore off part of the roof and severely damaged the masonry. The hut was renovated between 1946 and 1948. In 1951 the Sektion Hall-Wattens of the OeAV took over the Glungezerhütte and extended it in 1952. The hut entrance was moved from the south to the north side. In the following decades the hut was frequently modified. In summer 1962 the roof had to be re-covered after a storm tore off a large part of it. From 1965 the hut had electricity from a petrol-diesel generator. In 1968 a material cable car was built to the hut. In 1978 the hut was connected to the public electricity grid by laying a cable from the Austrian Armed Forces air monitoring station on the Glungezer summit down to the hut. In 1994 the hut was converted and extended; between 1994 and 1996 a drinking water pipeline was built up from the Tulfein and a wastewater pipeline down. Because the drinking water pipeline often froze, in 2003 a 100-cubic-metre cistern was built just below the hut, from which the hut can be reliably supplied with drinking water even in winter. The Glungezerhütte can be reached from the Tulfeinalm in about 1.5 hours. In summer the Tulfeinalm is reached from Tulfes by two cable cars. The hut can also be reached directly from Tulfes in about a 3.5-hour ascent. From the top station of the Patscherkofelbahn the hut is reachable in around 3 hours. From the Meißner Haus in the Viggartal the hut is also reachable in about three hours' walking time. From Tulfes or from Rinn the ascent takes three to four hours. The hut can also be reached via the Glungezer via ferrata. Although the approaches are mostly long, several summits lie very close: the Sonnenspitze (2,639 m) is reached in only ten minutes' walk, and the Glungezer summit takes only a quarter of an hour. Further south, the Kreuzspitze (2,746 m) and the Rosenjoch (2,796 m) are two and a half and three hours away respectively. The Patscherkofel, at 2,247 m considerably lower than the hut, is also reached in three hours' walking time. The traverse from the Glungezerhütte to the Lizumer Hütte over the Rosenjoch and the Navisjoch takes about eight hours. This route over seven summits is called the Glungezer & Geier Route and received the Tyrolean mountain trail seal of quality in 2008. The Glungezerhütte is part of the wider "Glungezer & Geier" area promoted by the Alpenverein Hall in Tirol, which also includes the Lizumer Hütte and the "Glungezer-Geier-Weg" (AV 335) over the "seven tuXer summits". A special feature of this area is that a considerable part (from the Naviser Jöchl) lies within the Lizum-Walchen military training area of the Austrian Armed Forces, so there can be time-of-day closures of paths, path sections or ascents.

• 2008

  Glungezer & Geier Route (7-summit traverse) receives the Tyrolean mountain trail seal of quality.

• 2003

  A 100-cubic-metre cistern built just below the hut to ensure reliable winter water supply.

• 1994

  Hut converted and extended; drinking water and wastewater pipelines built between 1994 and 1996.

• 1978

  Hut connected to the public electricity grid via a cable from the Austrian Armed Forces air monitoring station on the Glungezer summit.

• 1968

  Material cable car built to the hut.

• 1965

  Electricity supplied by a petrol-diesel generator.

• 1962

  Roof re-covered after a storm tore off a large part of it.

• 1952

  Hut extended; entrance moved from south to north side.

• 1951

  Sektion Hall-Wattens of the OeAV takes over the Glungezerhütte.

• 1946

  Renovation of the hut begins, lasting until 1948.

• 1945

  December foehn storm tears off part of the roof and severely damages masonry.

• 1941

  Hut visits decline sharply from this year.

• 1936

  Prachensky building ceremonially inaugurated on 6 April.

• 1935

  Architect Theo Prachensky's expansion plans realised in record time.

• 1934

  First extension built due to overwhelming visitor numbers.

• 1933

  First stone hut erected, with a dining room for 50–60 people and ten emergency berths.

• 1932

  Ski Club Tirol builds a small wooden hut on a stone base at the start of the Glungezer descent.

A traditional, high-alpine mountain hut of the Austrian Alpine Club, positioned as a welcoming base for hikers, ski tourers, and mountaineers in the Tux Alps, with a strong heritage and a central role in the Glungezer & Geier trail network.

• Mountain hut accommodation

  Overnight stays for hikers and ski tourers in a high-alpine setting.

• Food and beverage service

  Dining room and refreshments for day visitors and overnight guests.

• Base for alpine courses

  Used as a base for avalanche and mountain rescue courses in winter.

1. 1Glungezer & Geier – 7 tuxer summitsglungezer-geier.at
2. 2Geschichtliches – Glungezer & Geierglungezer-geier.at
3. 3Glungezerhütte – Wikipediade.wikipedia.org
4. 4Glungezerhütte – Wikidatawikidata.org