Hochfeilerhütte

The Hochfeilerhütte (Italian: Rifugio Gran Pilastro) is a high-alpine mountain hut owned and operated by the Sektion Sterzing of the Alpenverein Südtirol (AVS). It sits at 2,710 metres above sea level in the main crest of the Zillertal Alps, about 2.5 kilometres southwest below the 3,510-metre Hochfeiler, the highest peak of the Zillertal Alps. The hut lies on Italian territory in the Autonomous Province of South Tyrol and primarily serves as a base for ascents of the Hochfeiler, the Hochferner and the Hoher Weißzint. The present hut was planned from 1982 by the Sektion Sterzing of the AVS, construction began in 1984, and it was inaugurated on 14 September 1986. It replaced earlier structures on the mountain: a first hut begun in 1880 by the German and Austrian Alpine Club at 3,400 metres, which fell into ruin by 1900, and the Wiener Hütte at 2,665 metres, built in 1881, which passed to the Club Alpino Italiano (CAI) in 1922 and was destroyed in 1967. The Hochfeilerhütte is a staffed mountain hut offering accommodation and refreshments to mountaineers. It is reached from the west via Sterzing, the Pfitschertal and the Pfitscherjoch road, followed by a three-hour hike requiring sure-footedness, with a cable-secured passage and exposed sections on steep grass slopes. Other approaches include from the Edelrauthütte to the southeast over the Untere Weißzintscharte and the Gliderferner glacier (2.5 hours, but the route has been closed since 2 August 2022 due to a difficult bergschrund and unstable moraine), and an 8- to 10-hour route over the Pfunderer Höhenweg. From the hut, mountaineers can reach the Hochfeiler (3,510 m) in just under three hours via the southwest ridge, the Hochferner (3,463 m) in 3.5 hours via a glacier tour, and the Hoher Weißzint (3,371 m) in three hours via the glacier and an exposed block ridge with UIAA grade I to II climbing. The hut is a commercial hospitality operation within the AVS network of alpine huts, providing shelter, food and overnight stays in a remote high-mountain environment. Its official website is hochfeilerhuette.it (also reachable at hochfeilerhuette.com).

The history of shelter on the Hochfeiler begins in 1880, when the German and Austrian Alpine Club (Deutscher und Österreichischer Alpenverein) began construction of a first hut at 3,400 metres, considerably higher than the present building. This hut was unstaffed and fell into ruin by 1900 due to low interest and lack of maintenance. Meanwhile, since 1881 an unstaffed Wiener Hütte existed at 2,665 metres between the Weißkarferner and Gliederferner glaciers, about 600 metres west below the present house. It was expanded several times before the First World War. After the First World War, in 1922, it passed into the ownership of the Club Alpino Italiano (CAI), and from 1926 it was managed by the Monza section. Shortly before the end of the Second World War, the hut was looted and severely damaged. In the 1950s the CAI restored it. In 1964, however, it was closed because during the political tensions over South Tyrolean autonomy the military occupied the hut. In 1967 the Wiener Hütte was destroyed; the exact cause remains unclear, whether an avalanche or an explosive attack by terrorists. From 1982 the Sektion Sterzing of the Alpenverein Südtirol (AVS) began planning the present hut. Construction started in 1984, and the inauguration took place on 14 September 1986. The hut has since served as a staffed base for mountaineers in the Zillertal Alps.

• 2023

  Bridge over the Gliderbach damaged again and impassable since 7 September, closing way 8a.

• 2022

  Route from Edelrauthütte over Untere Weißzintscharte and Gliderferner closed since 2 August due to difficult bergschrund and unstable moraine.

• 1986

  Present Hochfeilerhütte inaugurated on 14 September.

• 1984

  Construction of the present Hochfeilerhütte begins.

• 1982

  Sektion Sterzing of the AVS begins planning the present hut.

• 1967

  Wiener Hütte destroyed; cause unclear (avalanche or explosive attack).

• 1964

  Wiener Hütte closed because the military occupied it during South Tyrolean autonomy tensions.

• 1926

  Wiener Hütte comes under management of the CAI Monza section.

• 1922

  Wiener Hütte passes into the ownership of the Club Alpino Italiano (CAI).

• 1900

  First hut at 3,400 m falls into ruin due to low interest and lack of maintenance.

• 1881

  Unstaffed Wiener Hütte established at 2,665 m between the Weißkarferner and Gliederferner glaciers.

• 1880

  Construction of the first Hochfeiler hut begun by the German and Austrian Alpine Club at 3,400 m.

High-alpine mountain hut and mountaineering base in the Zillertal Alps, operated by the AVS.

• Overnight accommodation

• Food and beverage service

• Mountaineering base for Hochfeiler, Hochferner, Hoher Weißzint

1. 1Hochfeilerhütte official websitehochfeilerhuette.com
2. 2Hochfeilerhütte – Wikipedia (German)de.wikipedia.org
3. 3Hochfeilerhütte – Wikidatawikidata.org