“Welcome”
The Oberettes mountain hut, at 2,670 meters (N 46 ° 45,888 ‘, O 10 ° 42,672’) is managed by the Matsch branch of the AVS Alpine Club. Normal access to the Oberettes Cottage requires around a three-hour walk and begins at the bottom of the Matsch Valley at the Glieshöfe farms.
The hosts Karin and Edwin place great importance on sustainability, the use of regional products and traditional cuisine (Alpine Club initiative: “Taste the mountains”): dumplings, goulash, Kaiserschmarrn pancakes, Meisl`s pasta bake, soup or the “Holbmittoug” midday meal with home-smoked speck and alpine cheese sourced directly from the farmers of the Matsch Valley.
- Beds in communal bedrooms: 50
Dorm beds: 23 - Opening hours summer: mid-June-end of September. Depending on the weather, the hut may open a week sooner or later. Please call to check beforehand.
- Opening hours winter: The hut is closed in winter.
The hut is also a suitable destination for families with children from eight years old (walking time for children = normal walking time x 1.5) and offers child-friendly food and equipment and endless opportunities for adventure.
Set-off point for numerous tours
The Oberettes mountain hut is the set-off point for, amongst others, the classic glacier tour on the Weisskugel and a hike to the Saldurseen lakes, the highest lake group in South Tyrol. With its unique views and tranquillity, this secluded environment is a feast for the eyes and soul.
The tour to the “secret queen of the Ötztal Alps” calls for glacier equipment and experience in mountaineering in the high mountains.
From the Oberettes mountain hut, trail no. 5b leads to the 3,000 m high saddle. From here we head towards the small basin of the Spaiktsee Lake and over a broad ridge down to the entrance to the glacier.
- Altitude difference: 1,200 m
- Time: 5 h
Over the glacier with its many crevasses, then the middle, up to the “Schwarzen Knottes,” then veer towards the left (north) to the large basin below the Quellspitzen. Here we meet up with the old route, which leads below the Inner Quellspitze towards the Hintereisjoch pass (3,469 m). Then we follow the ascent over the “Matscher Wandl,” a fairly steep south-facing slope, which must be tackled carefully in smooth ice or fresh snow conditions. Just above, the airy summit ridge begins, where a sure foot is a must.
The Höllerscharte saddle was the former route to the Weisskugel and was named for Franz Höller, a merchant from Karlsbad, who earned himself the honour through the building of the hut. In gratitude, the hut was called the “Höllerhütte” for about 20 years.
From the hut we climb the path no. 5 up into the valley below the Oberettescharte saddle. We turn left here, and take a small, secured steep escarpment to Höllerscharte saddle, where a magnificent view of the Weisskugel opens out.
Alternatively, the outer Quellspitze (3,385 m) can be climbed to the summit (keep to the right of the saddle) or follow the signposted ridge out of the valley to the Spaiktsee Lake and, from there, take trail no. 5b back to the hut.
Altitude difference: 600 m
Time: 4.5 hours for the entire loop route
The classic of the high-altitude hikes of the Matsch Valley is the Lakes Tour “iber die Lockn,” as it known to the locals. The former mountain-hut landlord Roman Burgo writes of this hike: „Five high mountain lakes of rare beauty adorn magnificent mountain scenery: In their crystal clear waters are reflected the glowing, steep glaciers of Lazaun and Saldur, the blue sky over Matsch and the rusty-red, age-old glaciers of the southern Ötztal. The plateau has an almost Tibetan air …“
The hike begins at the Glieshof and requires some stamina. The tour can either pass the Oberettes Cottage (for families, for example, with overnight accommodation) to the Saldurseen Lakes and the Glieshof or vice versa. From the hut we climb a steep ascent up to 3,000 metres and then over the terraces of the plateau to the individual lakes, each of which glows in a different shade. After the last lake, the path leads down in a steep descent to the Inner Matscher Alm.
The hike calls for sure-footedness and good weather. The best time is July to October. If you wish, you can extend the hike with a trip to the summit of the isolated Spitzat or the Schwemmserspitze to the south.
Altitude difference: 1,200 m
Time: 6.5 h for the entire loop route