Glorer Hütte -> Kals – Byebyepoor Arms

6. July 2025

 

 

4,4 km

0 m up

740 m down

2 hrs.

In the morning, the sun was smiling down at us once again – as so often – but we could already sense the heavy clouds lurking behind it and mentally prepared ourselves to take the bus down. Besides, we felt that 740 meters of descent would be enough for the day. By now, my legs were always feeling it quite a bit, but what’s new is that my arms and wrists have started complaining too. I used to hike without poles, then sometimes with them – mostly for the descents. But since this year, with my new, very light and sturdy poles, I’ve been using them pretty much all the time. And I really notice that – parts of my arms just aren’t used to it yet. Or maybe it’s the arthritis starting to knock gently, which I’ve been dealing with more noticeably for about a year and a half now.

 

(Side note: My finger joints and one in my foot hurt off and on. The fingers have been calm for a while now, but I always feel that foot – which isn’t great for hiking. That’s partly why I’m doing so much of it now: before it gets worse or even more painful.)

 

Anyway, I first enjoyed my last breakfast outdoors – I always love that: how the coffee slowly heats up, the little flame flickers, and I stir my muesli together.

 

We weren’t in any rush (the first bus would leave at 11:37) so we could still chat, rummage around, and soak up the views one last time.

 

 

 

 

A remarkably fitting reminder for 2025 — but it was already written back in 2001. Seems it hasn’t helped all that much, unfortunately.

 

And then it was our turn to head off too, enjoying a lovely descent. These mountain huts, by the way, are usually supplied by helicopter (like the Sudetendeutsche Hütte or the Salmhütte), by material cableway (like this one), or less often by road (like the Kalser Tauernhaus or the Lucknerhütte). This particular hut is also open on certain winter days as a day business, since it’s located on a popular ski touring route. I imagine it must be quite tricky on some days to estimate just how much food and staff you’ll actually need.

 

 

 

 

That red backpack of Lydia’s really is just perfect for photos. We walked through meadows, passed huge boulders, and then entered the forest where there were a few cows grazing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then we reached the Lucknerhaus with its bus stop. We still had a bit of time, wandered around — and then! Unbelievable! The bus arrived at the exact same moment as the rain started! We were back in the dry, just in time!
The rest is quickly told: the bus dropped us off at our car, we sank into the car seats, drove to a self-service shop with delicious local cheese and more goodies, and then headed back. The road was much busier than on the way there. We stopped again at the same rest area as before.

 

 

But hadn’t I written in the previous blog post about an unbelievable experience? That actually happened somewhere after Kitzbühel. We got caught in a torrential downpour like I’ve never experienced while driving! The hail sounded like constant rockfall, and once an oncoming car plowed through such a massive puddle that all the water slammed into my windshield and I was completely blind for a few seconds. And somehow there was no good place to pull over either. I kept thinking: surely this will be over soon. But nope. So I just stuck to the taillights of the car in front and we crawled on, half in awe. Eventually, it did stop. We’d rather not imagine what it would’ve been like if that storm had hit while we were still up on the mountain.

 

 

Conclusion

Now for a little conclusion to the tour. Obviously, we were very lucky with the weather — despite various forecasts predicting rain, I never got to test my new rain jacket. What a stroke of luck! But it really makes planning tricky when you try to rely on weather forecasts. Especially since it did actually rain in side valleys or at other times. And when it does come down, as from buckets…
 

I came across this route suggestion somewhere online and didn’t research much — I just took it as advertised. In hindsight, I think a different route would have made more sense, especially regarding the Lucknerhütte. It would have been better to hike from the Kalser Tauernhaus to the Stüdlhütte and from there to the Salmhütte, or even directly to the Glorer Hütte. And you could also descend to Heiligenblut, but that would have meant a bit of awkward logistics with the car (and even more so if you were travelling only by public transport) — the connections by bus and train aren’t really that good or attractive.
 

So why was the route planned this way? My guess: the Lucknerhütte probably sponsored a good bit — or maybe they figured that Salm and Stüdlhütte already get enough guests because they’re the bases for the Großglockner. Although that’s not entirely true either — you can also use the Lucknerhütte, which some people actually did, as we gathered from the guests there.
 

The bus and valley option was nice as a change of scenery, adding some cultural landscape too — but honestly, it would have been even nicer to just stay up high the whole time. But is that even possible (often) in the Alps?
The mountain scenery was fantastic, varied, and for me, the second day was a particular highlight in that regard. A small comparison with my previous tour in the French Mercantour: the vegetation is different (I actually prefer Austria a bit here), the hut hosts too (overall I find the people in France friendlier, more flexible and more easy-going), and instead of loads of chamois and ibexes like in France, here there were “only” the occasional marmots.

 

 

And what about Lydia? It was actually the first time we went on a multi-day hike together. Hiking with a partner definitely has many advantages — and I really enjoyed all of them. Even though I sometimes like being on my own, for hut-to-hut tours that’s only partly true now. In Ladakh I enjoy it a bit more — but I’m actually never truly alone there either, since I always have a horseman with me. I also think it’s really great that we are two (older) women — especially when I look at the gender ratio in the mountains.

 

Lydia is easy-going, sociable, and had no trouble at all with the hut conditions. That made me really happy and relieved (yes, I did have some worries — it’s not everyone’s thing to sleep in dorms with snorers and only have cold-water washbasins). Out on the mountain she managed even better. Fearlessly, she dances along steep slopes and bounces down the hillsides like a young deer. Unfortunately, that’s not the case for me. She always waited for me and didn’t seem to mind, but I still felt like a bit of a brake. Without me, she’d manage to do so much more. But since she didn’t really know that beforehand either, this turned out to be a good tour for the two of us together. Still, I probably wouldn’t want to repeat it. Why? Well — for her, coming from Berlin, it’s a proper vacation; for me, living nearby, it’s a leisure activity I can easily do when the timing fits.

 
But in general, I really hope I’ll get to do some more (day) hikes in the mountains with her — whether in the Alps, Ladakh, or somewhere else. Because what’s also wonderful about her: she truly loves the mountains! It was really lovely to share in her joy.
 

My next tour? We’ll see! By mid-August at the latest — but maybe something will work out before then. In any case, it’s always fun to discover new corners of the Alps!
 

And one small insight: I’ll make sure to choose routes where no more than 6 hours of walking are planned. Anything more feels a bit too stressful for me these days.