Mountain Days around the Seefeld High Plateau - a new idea for long-distance hiking

The first day of the tour leads into a mountain range that is more alpine and rugged than one would expect from the plateau: the Wetterstein. Mountain guide Franz Markart knows the contrast from dozens of guided tours in this area. "The Wetterstein has steep walls, striking rock formations and significantly more challenging routes than much of what you find in the surrounding area," he says. "At the same time, you can find quieter corners away from the well-known destinations, with plenty of nature experiences."

The starting point is the parking lot by the football field in Leutasch – you stand directly beneath the summit you want to conquer that day. The path leads into the tranquil Puittal, through forest and serpentines, until wide meadows open up and reveal a scenery that has little in common with the tourist hustle and bustle one would expect around Seefeld. Nearby in the Schüsselkar, climbers search for their routes, while curious chamois watch the ascent from a safe distance. "Here, many are surprised by the silence," says Markart. "While it is often lively around Seefeld, you can still find true solitude in the Puittal and at the Gehrenspitze."

With a distance of 25 kilometers, 1,560 meters of elevation gain, and about 11.5 hours of hiking time, the Gehrenspitze is anything but an easy start. It is the longest tour of the BIG 3 in terms of distance. In the upper section, sure-footedness and good orientation are essential. At the top of the summit at 2,367 meters, the wall suddenly breaks off. The view extends over the Wetterstein massif, the Karwendel, and the entire Mieminger chain. Those who stand here get a sense of what the next two days will hold. And those who choose the descent over the Wangalm or the Hämmermoosalm will later sit with dumplings and buttermilk on a wooden bench in the afternoon sun.

On the second day, the key mountain of the BIG 3 awaits. The Hohe Munde is not a mountain you simply walk by. Its powerful twin peaks dominate the Inn Valley so majestically that they can be seen from almost anywhere in the region. The locals refer to it as the "Grand Dame of the Alps". The Mieminger Chain, of which the Hohe Munde is a part, appears more open and sunnier than the Wetterstein, says Franz Markart - less rugged, but by no means to be underestimated.

The tour begins in the Gaistal - the valley that was seen in the distance the previous day from the Gehrenspitze. Through forests and dense larch belts, the path leads up to the eastern summit of the Hohe Munde.

What follows is the heart of the tour: the crossing from the eastern summit to the western summit at 2,662 meters - the highest point of the entire BIG-3 series. Then the transition to the Niedere Munde with a short, cable-secured section and the long descent back into Gaistal, where at the end of the day a stop at one of the alpine huts awaits - Gaistalalm, Tillfussalm, or Hämmermoosalm.

"What many underestimate is the sheer length of this tour," says Markart. "The summit is not technically difficult, but the combination of 1,720 meters of elevation and 21 kilometers of distance makes it very demanding. It is typical for hikers to find the return through the Gaistal longer than expected." At the top, one is rewarded with a 360-degree panorama that stretches from the Stubai Alps over the Karwendel to the Zugspitze. Sufficient water is essential - long stretches offer neither a source nor a place to stop.

On the third day, we head east, into the Karwendel. "The Karwendel feels more primal and wild," says Franz Markart. "The valleys are wide, the landscape rugged and less developed."

The path begins directly at the Reith platform, leads over the Roman road, and through open larch forests, climbing into increasingly alpine terrain. Just below the summit awaits the Nördlinger Hütte – and with it a Kaiserschmarrn, golden brown and crispy, accompanied by cranberries from the jar. The hut clings to the mountain ridge like a swallow's nest.

Then the summit at 2,374 meters. And here everything becomes clear. To the west, the Hohe Munde, just under our feet yesterday, now a distant silhouette. To the northwest, the Wetterstein, the Gehrenspitze, one of countless jagged peaks. To the east, the open Karwendel, valley after valley, peak after peak, with no end in sight. Three days, three directions – all viewable from a single point.

The tour earns its name "King's Tour": From the summit, it continues over secured, partially exposed ridge passages to the Seefelder Spitze and back down to the valley via the Rosshütte. "Despite its height and location, the Reither Spitze is often underestimated," warns Franz Markart. The cable car takes many people without alpine experience relatively far up. "Even seemingly easy mountains deserve respect."

If one has tired legs on the third day, the Reither Spitze can be tackled in the opposite direction with cable car support – making the summit achieved much faster.

And for those who complete the full round, there awaits a cold Radler at the Rosshütte at the end, legs burning, with Seefeld basking in the sun down below.

What distinguishes the BIG 3 from a classic multi-day tour is not the demands – they remain high. It is the freedom around the mountain. The backpack is light because the luggage stays at the accommodation. The order is freely selectable, depending on the weather and daily condition. And if a day doesn’t work – because a thunderstorm is approaching, because the legs are failing, because the forecast changes – then one can postpone, instead of bringing a tightly scheduled stage system into disarray.

"Having a fixed base eliminates the pressure to have to be at a specific hut every evening," says Karmen Nahberger. "One enjoys the advantages of a fixed, comfortable accommodation and can still dive into the alpine mountain world every day."

Three mountain ranges, three characters, one plateau as a hub. The Wetterstein is rugged and quiet. The Mieminger chain is open and demanding. The Karwendel is wild and expansive. Whether this is the reinvention of long-distance hiking is something everyone has to decide for themselves. The freedom to try it out is available starting from the Seefeld train station.

Three challenging summit tours in three mountain ranges – Wetterstein, Mieminger Kette, and Karwendel – from a fixed base on the Seefeld high plateau. No change of accommodation, light luggage, flexible daily planning. Accommodation can be freely chosen, from guesthouses to five-star hotels. Recommended order: Gehrenspitze → Hohe Munde → Reither Spitze

Seefeld in Tyrol is accessible by train (ÖBB/DB) and via the Inn Valley motorway. Local shuttle buses and regional trains take mountaineers to the starting points. With the guest card, regional bus transport and the Seefeld–Scharnitz rail line can be used for free.