Parkirišče pri gostišču Feuerstein - Habicht (običajna pot mimo Innsbrucker Hütte (Feuerstein))

Access to starting point:
From Ljubljana, we drive on the highway past Salzburg in the direction towards München. At the multilevel junction Dreieck Inntal we go on the road A93 in the direction of Innsbruck/Kufstein/Brenner. When we return to Austria we continue to the junction with the exit Innsbruck-Mitte. Here we don't turn towards Innsbruck, but we continue on the highway A13 in the direction towards the mountain pass Brenner. We continue on the highway all the way to the settlement Matrei am Brenner, where we go to the exit 19-Matrei. We continue driving on the road B182 to the settlement Steinach am Brenner, where at the roundabout in the middle of the town we go to the first exit and in a gentle ascent, we continue driving through scenic valley Gschnitztal past Trins and village Gschnitz to a bigger inn Feuerstein near the atrakcije "Miller's village", where we park on a larger settled parking lot.

Alternatively we can drive through northern Italy: in this case from the main Slovenia on the highway A2 we drive to one of the border crossings with Austria and we continue towards Lienz. Here we continue on the road 100 and past the passage Prato alla Drava we drive into Italy. In Italy we follow the road SS49 all the way to the juncture with highway A22 in the direction towards the mountain pass Brenner. After the mountain pass, we continue in the direction towards Innsbruck, but only to the exit on the road B182 near the Brennersee. On this road we continue to Steinach am Brenner, thence following the instructions described above.

Path description:
From the parking lot, we continue few ten meters on the road which leads into the gable of the valley Gschnitz, and near the road block and homestead Innersiller we go on a narrower marked footpath towards Innsbrucker Hütte. After a shorter passage through the forested slopes, we cross the forest road and in zig-zags we continue on a marked, in parts quite an overgrown path through rich high mountain meadows. In a moderate ascent we gradually pass on open, more panoramic grassy slopes, where the footpath is for a short time crossing towards the east. Still undemanding path soon brings us to a bench high above the valley Gschnitztal, from where we can in front of us already see the mountain hut on slopes above us. We are loosely following the route of a cargo cableway on a narrow footpath, through a grassy steepness, we move forward in the direction towards Innsbrucker Hütte; just before the saddle Pinnisjoch, which is situated just a short distance east from the hut, we joins also the alternative ascent variant from Gschnitz.
From the inn Feuerstein to Innsbrucker Hütte there is around 2.15-2.45 hours. Even though the path runs in a constant ascent and to the hut there is a large altitude difference, the described approach isn't too strenuous. Alternative approach from the proximity of the center of Gschnitz is slightly longer and more demanding, but a little more panoramic.

Behind the mountain hut, we continue on a winding footpath through the high mountain meadow, which soon passes into relatively gentle rocks of side broad ridge of Habicht. On a well-marked path on flat rocks we ascend to a large cairn, from where we can clearly see the further path on a wide broad ridge of Habicht, and the view opens up also on a nice high mountain lake Alfaier below us. We descend a little to the main massif of Habicht and we moderately ascend to fixed safety gear, which help us at the crossing of sharp rocks of the western flank of the mountain (demanding). After approx. 10 minutes of walking on a secured path, we find ourselves above the edge of a small high mountain valley, into which steep gullys are falling. After a shorter less steep ascent with the help of steel cables we ascend on flat rocks to a short of side ridge of Habicht, past which with nice views towards the mountain hut, northern and eastern part of Stubai Alps and Zillertal Alps we get towards the upper building of Habicht massif.

Further, we follow the path on a rugged rocky rib of Habicht, where we occasionally have to help ourselves also with hands. A moderately steep ascent after a little less than half an hour, brings us to a large platform below the summit, where we step on the last remnants of Habichtovega glacier. Here, even in the high summer we can't avoid the snow, but the passage through the snow field is relatively easy; because the path is well visited, in the summer season there will always be a clear path, and the winter equipment usually isn't needed.
Above the glacier we follow the path on high mountain rocky terrain, which in a gentle ascent crosses towards the west towards the clearly visible cross on the top. A little below the summit, we get to occasionally unpleasant loose steel cables, which will help us in the final part of the path. With their help, we at first cross exposed terrain above the precipitous steepness below the summit, and then we steeply ascend towards the large cross on the ample summit, which rewards us with a great view.

Due to a relatively less demanding path, mightiness and a great view Habicht is among most popular Tyrol three-thousanders. The ascent on normal path past Innsbrucker Hütte belongs on the bottom edge of a very demanding path (technically it could even be "just" demanding), even though it is located in still glacially intense Stubai Alps, it usually doesn't demand any additional equipment, and at the same time Innsbrucker Hütte offers an option for accommodations somewhere on the halfway way to the top. In spite of that, the ascent is not to be underestimated: no matter from where we ascend on Habicht, there will be more than two thousand altitude meters, and the paths are in parts precipitous. Even though the tour feasible in one day, I recommend a two-day trip with possible visit of the lake Alfaier and learning ferrata near the mountain hut or the ascent on the nearby Kalkwand or Ilmspitze.

On the way: Innsbrucker Hütte (2369m)