Jamtalhütte

The Jamtalhütte is a mountain hut (Schutzhütte) of the Schwaben section of the German Alpine Club (Deutscher Alpenverein, DAV). It sits at 2,165 metres above sea level in the Silvretta range in Tirol, Austria, about 10 kilometres above Galtür at the head of the Jamtal valley, directly at the entrance to the Futschöltal side valley. It is one of the largest and most modern Alpine Club huts and serves as an Alpine training centre of the German Alpine Club. The hut is a well-known base for ski touring in spring and for hiking, climbing and high-alpine glacier tours in summer. Classic tour destinations from the hut include the Augstenberg, the Jamspitzen, the Piz Faschalba or Curuna Lada, and the Dreiländerspitze, as well as crossings to the Wiesbadener and Heidelberger huts and into Switzerland. In summer the surrounding area offers a wide range of summit objectives, from easy walks to high-alpine glacier tours and demanding alpine undertakings such as the ascent of the Fluchthorn. The hut is normally catered from mid-February to early May and from late June to late September; a self-catering unit is available outside the catering periods. The hut was built in 1882 by the Schwaben section of the German and Austrian Alpine Club and was initially unstaffed. It has been extended and modernised several times, notably in 1929–1932, 1958–1961 and 1978–1979, and was extensively repaired and made avalanche-safe after damage in 1999. It has been run by the Lorenz family of Galtür for four generations; the last Lorenz hut warden, Gottlieb Lorenz, managed it from 1995 to 2024 and handed it over in summer 2024 to the new tenant Gerhard Walter, also from Galtür. The hut offers 180 sleeping places, a large kitchen, a ski and boot room, drying room, sanitary facilities, showers, a modern seminar room and a climbing room, as well as a large terrace and a chapel. Energy is supplied by its own small hydroelectric power station on the Futschölbach. The remote site is connected to the grid by a 20 kV cable. The hut is a popular and sometimes crowded ski touring base in spring.

The Jamtalhütte was built in 1882 by the Schwaben section of the German and Austrian Alpine Club (Deutscher und Österreichischer Alpenverein) as an unstaffed summer base for alpinists. It initially offered seven sleeping places on wooden bunks for men and three women's berths with hay under the roof. The first building plan and the first view of the hut hang in the dining room. Due to rising visitor numbers, the small hut was extended in 1896 and again in 1907. During the First World War (1914–1918) the hut remained closed. In the 1920s, demand for ski tours in winter increased, so a comprehensive modernisation took place from 1929 to 1932, including a drinking water pipeline, a small power station on the Futschölbach and a coke-fired warm-air heating system. During the Second World War (1939–1945) the hut was closed because of the border restricted zone with Switzerland and was occupied by the customs border guard. In 1946 a tentative touring operation resumed, but all German huts in Austria belonged to the Allies until 1955. The State Treaty of 1955 allowed the return of the huts to their original owner, the Schwaben section of the DAV. Strongly growing visitor numbers led to the construction of a better sleeping house with a kitchen section in 1958–1961 and the enlargement of the power station in its present form. Until 1958 the hut was supplied in summer by pack animals, then by small tractors or off-road vehicles. Until 1963 the tenants and porters had to carry all supplies up on skis in winter; then the first snow vehicles appeared. In 1978–1979 the old hut parts were demolished and rebuilt, including new water supply and disposal. The remote site is supplied with grid electricity via a 20 kV cable. After damage by avalanches in 1999, the hut was extensively repaired and made avalanche-safe: the entire roof was lowered to the ground floor and rebuilt with reinforced concrete, as were the walls; the dormer windows were reinforced with metal struts, and in case of avalanche danger the metal-reinforced shutters can be closed so that a future avalanche would be guided over the building. Since its opening it has been run by the Lorenz family of Galtür for four generations. The last Lorenz hut warden, Gottlieb Lorenz, managed it from 1995 to 2024 and handed it over in summer 2024 to the new tenant Gerhard Walter, also from Galtür. Slightly below the hut, with its own buildings, ice climbing tower and cable car facilities for mountain exercises, is the training centre of the Tirol mountain rescue service. At times the hut bore the byname Dr.-Eugen-Heinz-Haus. Near the building there are a snow measuring station (2,172 m) and a weather station (2,141 m) of the Tirol avalanche warning service; another weather station (2,987 m) of this institution stands on the Western Gamshorn. In early July 2024 a grey Aérospatiale SA 341 Gazelle helicopter with US registration landed at the landing site and departed the following day; a passenger couple stayed overnight in the hut. The aviation authority is investigating. Avalanche accidents in 1999: on 22 February 1999 the hut was heavily damaged by two powder avalanches; no people were harmed. A day later, on 23 February 1999, 38 people died in the devastating avalanche disaster of Galtür, among them the two hut wardens Hildegard and Edith Lorenz, relatives of the then tenant Gottlieb Lorenz, in office since 1995. On 28 December 1999 an avalanche that descended from the Steinmandl area (2,353 m) westward into the upper Jamtal buried 14 ski tourers near the Jamtalhütte; nine of them died. An ascent from the hut towards the Jamtalferner should therefore not follow the avalanche-prone summer path in winter, but rather, accepting an intermediate descent, along the marker poles through the valley floor (see notice in the hut). Equipment: the hut has 180 sleeping places, of which 120 are in room dormitories and 60 in mattress dormitories. The winter room has 12 sleeping places, its entrance is at ground level on the west side in the basement of the building. Besides a large kitchen, there is a large ski/boot room and drying room in the basement. Various sanitary facilities on the floors and showers are available, as well as a modern seminar room and a climbing room. Outside there is a large terrace and a chapel. Energy is supplied by its own hydroelectric power station on the Futschölbach. The hut is supplied with off-road vehicles in summer and in winter by snow groomer or snowmobile. Access: in summer the normal route begins...

• 2024

  Gottlieb Lorenz hands over the hut to new tenant Gerhard Walter.

• 1999

  Hut heavily damaged by avalanches on 22 February; extensively repaired and made avalanche-safe.

• 1978

  Old hut parts demolished and rebuilt, including new water supply and disposal (until 1979).

• 1963

  First snow vehicles replace carrying supplies on skis in winter.

• 1958

  Construction of a better sleeping house with kitchen section begins (completed 1961).

• 1955

  State Treaty allows return of the hut to the Schwaben section of the DAV.

• 1946

  Tentative touring operation resumes; German huts in Austria under Allied control until 1955.

• 1939

  Hut closed and occupied by customs border guard due to border restricted zone.

• 1932

  Modernisation completed.

• 1929

  Comprehensive modernisation begins, including drinking water pipeline, small power station and warm-air heating.

• 1907

  Hut extended again.

• 1896

  Hut extended due to rising visitor numbers.

• 1882

  First Jamtalhütte built by the Schwaben section of the German and Austrian Alpine Club as an unstaffed summer base.

One of the largest and most modern Alpine Club huts, serving as an Alpine training centre and a popular ski touring and mountaineering base in the Silvretta.

• Mountain hut accommodation

  180 sleeping places, 120 in room dormitories and 60 in mattress dormitories.

• Self-catering unit

  Available outside the catering periods.

• Alpine training courses

  The hut serves as an Alpine training centre of the German Alpine Club.

• Ski touring and glacier tours

  Popular base for ski touring in spring and high-alpine tours in summer.

1. 1Startseite - Jamtalhüttejamtalhuette.at
2. 2Geschichte - Jamtalhüttejamtalhuette.at
3. 3Jamtalhütte - Wikidatawikidata.org
4. 4Jamtalhütte - Wikipediade.wikipedia.org