We infer from contributions to the Austrian Alpine Club Newsletter that some parents have discovered the secret of imparting to their children an unswerving dedication to mountain walking from the age of three. Regrettably, this secret has eluded out family! Though we live within an hour's drive of the Lake District, the delights of Helvellyn or Crinkle Crags are usually a lost cause in competition with the home computer or the A Team. So the short tour described below was devised for young people whose dedication to the peaks is less than total, and should be imagined as one element of a holiday that will include other activities as well.
We followed the itinerary with our oldest child, then aged 10 (well, nearly 11) in 1985. It was such a success that we repeated it in 1989 with all three of our boys, now aged 14, 13 and 13. It is to be found in the area around St. Anton, which can be reached very conveniently by direct rail couchette from Ostend (it used to be from Calais), arriving mid-morning with plenty of day still left. In our family, the rail journey is seen as one of the highlghts of the holiday, not as a tiresome necessity. Huts are thick on the ground in this area, so distances are not large. The plan is devised so that each summit is higher than the last, culminating in a 3000+ peak, the Hoher Riffler. For keener members of the party, there are plenty of optional extras on the way.
Day 1. Leave the train at Langen, at the west end of the Arlberg tunnel. Take the bus to Zürs and climb to the Stuttgarter Hütte. Don't rely on Zürs for any last-minute purchases: it's just a collection of ski hotels that are closed in the summer. A nice short hut ascent (600m, with splendid views) to start the programme, and an unbeatable choice for the initiate's first hut. Having reached it, stroll up the Trittwangkopf, an innocuous grassy hill rising only 172m further. However, it's still 2482m above sea level, and for children who are newcomers to the Alps, it will surely be their highest summit to date.
The immediate surroundings of the Stuttgarter Hütte are notable for two things, marmots and wild flowers. It's the best spot for marmots I have ever come across: in fading light, you have to take care not to step into one of the holes and sprain an ankle! And my wife Pauline collected no fewer than 37 varieties of wild flower on a brief evening stroll. If you are captivated by this, as well as the choice of nearby summits like the Krabachspitze, you might decide to spend an extra day here, as we did on the first occasion.
Day 2. To the Leutkircher Hütte, taking in the Fanggekarspitze (2640m) to set the new altitude record. The peak is in full view from the Stuttgarter Hütte, and is reached by a straightforward 210m climb from the Erler Joch. An optional extra is the Erlenspitze on the opposite side of the Joch, but the route to it traverses a very steep scree slope, making it rather less attractive for a family outing.
The path now descends to the Erlach Alm, a beautiful spot where the view is dominated by the spectacular, pointed Roggspitze, remembered in our family as the ``leaning-over mountain". There is then a dramatic section called the Stapfetobel, where the path is cut into a cliff. This bit was much appreciated by our boys, who constantly made it clear that they wanted something more stimulating than a simple, unadventurous path. The rest of the way is a gradual climb through quite ``British" grassy terrain. This is where people will begin to notice the weight of their rucksacks, if they haven't already!
You can sit at the Leutkircher Hütte watching everything that is happening at St. Anton (how many other huts can count train-spotting among their attractions?). And the ultimate objective, the Hoher Riffler, is in full view across the valley, looking most impressive.
Day 3. To the Kaiserjochhaus, with an ascent of the Stanskogel (2757m). A shorter day: without the mountain, the hut-to-hut walk would only take about two hours. The Stanskogel is a worthy new high point, finishing with just enough of a scramble to give satisfaction to our party.
There are optional extras both on the way and after arrival. A little bump called the Malatschkopf offers a perfect short walk from the hut, ending with another nice little scramble. One of our boys did it three times
Day 4. Down to Pettneu and up the other side of the valley to the Edmund Graf Hütte. Not such an exciting day, and of course no new altitude record. But necessary if the challenge of the Hoher Riffler is to be met. Anyway, our children found ample compensation in the big-city attractions of Pettneu. Spirits were raised by a plate of chips and - after three whole days of deprivation - by Corn Flakes and milk, consumed in the open beside the village fountain.
It's a 1250m climb to the Edmund Graf Hütte: good psychology and light rucksacks essential. Some of our 1989 party eventually resorted to hiding surplus baggage in a bush (Pettneu station offers a more orthodox alternative for shedding weight). The reward is a beautifully situated hut, with its own small pond. Sadly, the horse that was resident in 1985 had gone in 1989. However, the Wirtin Frau Schweiger hadn't changed, and amazingly she recognised us at once after the four-year interval (I don't recall having done anything shocking enough on our first visit to make us all that memorable!).
Day 5. Hoher Riffler (3168m) - the Big One. Actually, the route is quite short and (in good conditions) easy, though steep. We met one person (British, inevitably!) treating it as a run. The actual summit is split by a deep vertical gash, with the cross on the far side. Only the most adventurous and well-equipped parties will insist on trying to get past this obstacle. In 1985, we enjoyed superlative views all round - and in particular, across to the mountains climbed in the last few days, looking satisfyingly lower. In 1989 we were deprived of the view and had to be content with the achievement. Instead of going back the same way, one can complete a very fine circuit by going down the far side of the mountain to the Blanke Seen (a really idyllic spot) and climbing back over the Kappler Joch. This involves a slightly delicate traverse on loose ground near the top.
Consenting adults will certainly wish to continue further into the Verwall group, where well-spaced huts give access to a multitude of summits. However, these are no higher than the Hoher Riffler, and some are distinctly harder. The children's programme has now reached its climax, and unless a dramatic conversion has taken place, this is the right place to declare it completed.
Postscript. At least one of our family emerged with fond memories of Hoher Riffler. Some years later, while on a rail tour of Europe, he climbed the mountain from the valley, without staying at the hut, having first walked (or run) 20 km from Landeck to Pettneu!