The E5 Trans-Alp

Day 1: Arrive in Oy-Mittelberg

Rendezvous at Munich Airport. KE Land Only services begin with a single, timed group transfer (2.5 hours) to the group hotel in the beautiful little Bavarian village of Oy-Mittelberg. We meet with our guide and have a briefing about the week ahead. Dinner and overnight at the group hotel. Meals included: Dinner. (D)

Day 2: A first short hike to the Kemptner Hut

After a final check of our equipment, to make sure we are carrying only the essentials, we can leave our trek bags at the hotel. We then make the short transfer to Oberstdorf, Germany's famous and most southerly winter resort. There’s no real rush today and we will have time to buy a few snack items for our picnic lunch, before setting off on the shortish hike to our first mountain accommodation at the Kemptner Huette (1846m). The route heads south out of Oberstdorf, following the Trettach stream and through pretty ‘alps’ or grazing areas with many Alpine flowers. We pass the small lake of Christelessee and reach a steeper and meandering rocky trail which brings us to the hut after approximately 4 hours of walking. 850 metres of ascent. (B,D)

Day 3: Cross to the Memminger Hut in Austria

We climb to a ridge forming the border between Germany and Austria and cross the pass known as the Maedelejoch (1974m), before descending to Holzgau in the Tyrol. We then have a short transfer to the next trailhead and our back packs are taken up to the next hut by cable car while we enjoy the short, but steep hike up to the Memminger Huette (2242m). Situated on a grassy plateau, with a pretty green lake, this is an idyllic spot. In the late afternoon, possibly even after dinner, there is the option to make the short (30 minute) hike to the summit of Seekopf (2412m) to enjoy the Alpine ambience as the sun begins to set. 6 to 7 hours walking. 950 metres of ascent. 850 metres of descent. (B,D)

Day 4: Up and then down, to Zams

Today, we have a short ascent and a much longer descent. The first part of the walk takes us to a pretty Alpine lake amongst meadows, beyond which we climb to the Seescharte pass (2599m), with great views of distant peaks and of the route dropping into the valley ahead. Beyond the pass, it’s a long and scenic descent to the village of Zams, beside the River Inn. Here, we check in at a pleasant guesthouse, with the prospect of hot showers and hearty Tyrolean food. 6 to 7 hours walking 420 metres ascent. 1800 metres descent. (B,D)

Day 5: Hike to the Braunschweiger Hut

We have another longish day today, made somewhat easier by the fact that we can take the Venet Gondola up to a height of 2208 metres, thus regaining much of our lost altitude. From here, well above the tree line again, we follow a scenic ridge across several minor summits and have ever-changing 360 views of the rugged Tyrolean landscape. Descending open slopes towards the town of Wenns in the valley, there are several great places to stop for a coffee or a snack. Reaching the Pitzal Valley, we have another transfer of almost 30 kilometres to the next trailhead close to Mittelberg. Once again, we can use a luggage lift to take our bags up to the hut, whilst we walk beside a series of waterfalls on the River Pitze. Onwards and upwards, we finally come within sight of the ice of the Mittleberg Glacier, beside which the Braunschweiger Huette is located at an elevation of 2760 metres. 6 to 7 hours walking. 1150 metres of ascent. 800 metres of descent. (B,D)

Day 6: Via the Rettenbach Ferner to Oetztal

High in the mountains, we have a good chance today to spot ibex, as we make our way towards the highest point on the E5 at the Rettenbach Ferner (2820m). The ascent to this pass is quite straightforward, but there is often a big snowfield on its east side and more tricky conditions, with some scrambling and sections of cables to protect exposed places. From here, we have views of many big peaks including the Wildspitze (3780m), before we begin the long descend to the famous town of Oetztal, where the ‘Iceman’ Otzi was found. We stay tonight in a comfortable guesthouse equipped with spa and sauna. 6 to 7 hours walking 300 metres of ascent. 1400 metres of descent. (B,D)

Day 7: Cross to Pfandler Alm in Italy

We start the day with a short transfer to the pass of Timmelsjoch (2600m) on the border between Austria and Italy. Then, it's gently uphill, with a chance to spot mountain goats grazing on the sparse vegetation. Soon, however, we are heading down into a valley, towards the small village of Moos, where we stop for lunch. After lunch we hike back up through forest for 2 hours to the Pfandler Alm (meadow). The hut on the Pfandler Alm is small and privately owned. It sits on a green meadow surrounded by forest. Nearby, a rustic hut is supposed to have provided shelter to Andreas Hofer, a freedom fighter at the time of Napolean. 6 to 7 hours walking. 700 metres of ascent. 1470 metres of descent. (B,D)

Day 8: The last stage of the hike, to Meran

For our last day on the E5 we hike across Alpine meadows to the Hinteregg Alm (1990m) where we have spectacular views of Ortler (3890m), the highest peak in the Eastern Alps. After a further hour an a half of pleasant hiking, we reach the gondola that takes us down to the medieval town of Meran and the end of our trans-Alp journey. We overnight at a comfortable hotel. 4 to 5 hours walking 850 metres of ascent. 200 metres of descent. (B,D)

Day 9: Return to Oy-Mittelberg, stopping off at Bozen en route

We have a scenic drive back across the Alps to our starting point of Oy-Mittelberg. On the way we will stop at the museum in Bozen to visit the 5000 year old 'Iceman' found mummified in the Schnalstal Glacier. Arriving in Oy-Mittelberg we check in at our guesthouse and enjoy a celebratory dinner. (B,D)

Day 10: Transfer to Munich Aiport where services end

After breakfast at the hotel, we have a group transfer to Munich Airport where KE Land Only package services end. (B)