European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - April 3, 1985, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Treks off the beaten Inch by David and Janet Dean looking for a beaten track that off the beaten track seeking a Way to make the most of your time in Europe operating on a limited travel and vacation budget interested in combining vigorous exercise with spectacular scenery and old world  if the answer to these questions is then you May wish to investigate hut hopping in the austrian Alpine clubs maintain a number of these huts throughout the Alpine the huts Are accessible Only by hiking they offer inexpensive overnight lodging and meals to members and nonmembers the trails that connect the huts take the hiker through some of the worlds most breathtaking Mountain we made a six Day trip last August in Austria famous Stubavi we were Able to plan a circular route that started and ended in a Small town off the Brenner autobahn 50 Kilometres South of inns daily treks of three to six hours brought us to a different hut each along the Way we met new sunny Alpine fog and Friendly hikers of All Ages and nationalities except for the most the trails were Little More difficult than those found on a vol Smarch through Hill but there were stretches that required full concentration and some handan foot scrambling Over Loose rocks but not terribly danger Ous and not requiring climbing we Are a desk bound Navy officer and his College student both physically Active but not As fit As we would like to the trails presented us photo by Dave Didio signs signify an Alpine Border crossing into photo by Gus Schuettler hikers sharing Trail with w Dave die to Alpine huts serve a variety of drinks and hot but dont expect High with no insurmountable even though the route took us to several peaks of nearly Bottom line one need not be Mountaineer Joe or graduate from a Swiss Alpine school to enjoy Alpine in not spending my vacation in any hut if the word hut brings to mind an image of a Wood choppers crude shelter or the place Abraham Lincoln was you Are in for a pleasant the huts maintained by the Alpine clubs Are solid multistory structures of varying construction unsurprisingly most Are built of Stone and degree of creature the latter ranging from Basic to something approaching rustic All huts serve a variety of drinks and hot Alpine hut cuisine will never be written up in but it is nonetheless Deli Cious and most huts offer a selection of three or four main dishes that tend to be of the prepare in Large quantities Type Bauern ruths tuck farm breakfast and an obligatory Berg Steigers sen Mountain climber noodles with meat and sauce or a meat and potato variations Are so it is Wise to ask about the contents when prices Range from 40 to 90 austrian schillings about to with most meals in the 60schilling about drinks Are a la and Cost somewhat More than in the but not unreasonably most huts these Days Are connected to civilization by an umbilical Cable car to the an unobtrusive bit of modernization that adds to Comfort and convenience without doing violence to even the most fanatical purists sense of breakfast is the typical German fro stuck Coffee or three slices of butter and we thought the Price of 25 schillings about was a bit but Only in comparison with the cover photo by Gus Schuettler prices of other one can also order a Light lunch of Wurst or sandwiches at a reasonable huts have a variety of sleeping some have bedrooms with a Small number of individual All have dormitory accommodations that con Sist of either double Decker bunk Beds More com Martraz enlarger Wal Towall platforms with mattresses Laid out Side by each occupant gets a Pillow and two blankets or a Feather to Comfort the blankets Are prominently Sten filed fuss ende foot sleeping quarters Iri the huts will not remind one of the but they Are without exception comfortable and Well main we had read that some huts have separate dormitory facilities for men and but we didst find any in the Stubavi As a some of our preconceived Ameri can notions of privacy had to be sacrificed on the we adhered to the when income principle and followed the Lead of our fellow All of whom had developed to an Art form the Talent of changing outfits under the slightest cover without undue loss of As nonmembers of an Alpine we typically paid 80 schillings about settled up with the innkeeper the evening before departure for a fees can vary from hut to we paid As Little As 50 schillings about curiously this was at the most luxurious of our five on night Alpine club members Are entitled to a substantial Dis count on but we were advised that one would need to use the huts and receive the discount several weeks each year to recover the Cost of the Day in the Alpine huts begins at old Arthir to or at least no later than hikers finish breakfast and Are on the Trail most Are proceeding to the next perhaps a thereto five hour that goal is normally reached by Early it is advisable to Check in Early by placing some gear on Lay claim to the choicest remaining this can be trickier than it we observed one unfortunate photo by Gus Schuettler hikers taking off for a four hour ascent from a Mountain Camp in the Berchtesgaden woman who arrived Early at the hut with what she thought was Superior staked out a claim to the single lower bunk in a Large Only later did she realize a that she Lay Only inches from the rooms Only b that any one trying to exit in the stygian darkness would have to find the Doorknob by a combination of dead recon ing and the braille and c Success in finally locating the Doorknob resulted in a blinding Flash of Light from without being beamed into the now Hope Lessly Alert victims if Early checking is not not to worry capacity at the huts is expandable and no one is turned August is the Peak of the Short mid june to september summer hiking we found the huts comfortably but not each hut has a common area for socializing and for drinks and Here maps Are the next Days adventures Are postcards Are sold and stories Are most huts maintain a Cache of Board and it is usually possible to scare up a Grimy and Wellborn deck of a guitar seems to be a mandatory item and Hollywood Central casting provides a Modeller to play it and Lead the ample supplies of wine and Schnaps Are on hand to promote but with a thought towards the next Days no one Over lights go out at 10 even the most enthusiastic Rev Ellers observe curfew without for More read hut hopping in the Austri an a Sierra club notebook by William reefs Ned Michelin guide to Austria and the Bavari an Alps for general information about the Mountain specific information is available from the German and Swiss Alpine clubs Oesterricher Alpene 15 Wilhelm Greil a6021 aus Tria Deutscher 5 d8000 my Germany Schweitzer Helvetia Platz ch3005 David Dean is stationed in dress travel Light a la books on hiking advise the hiker to enough extra items to provide a change of dry cloth begin with a sturdy and Well fitting pair of hiking boots or we  agree one should buy the very Best footwear he or she can shoes should be broken in on a few Volks orches or Day trips before hitting the High the terrain in the Alps is often Good traction underfoot is a dont try to get by with your nikes your feet would not understand the Alps subject the visitor to wide and sudden extremes of weather and even in sum the key to Comfort lies in the ability to adjust quickly to knickers and knee socks perform that function As the cuffs can be regulated to let in More or less we didst have knickers but made do with hiking shorts Over which sweat pants be slipped when the temperature dont jeans they Are either too hot or not warn and take too Long to dry if but that is a matter of personal preferences the rest of the hikers wardrobe should con Sist of take from this list sweat flannel or Wool Cotton or Wool jacket w Parka enough items to pro 4wiq layers add a Bandana and a to Over your pack Page 14 the stars and stripes i t possibly of being should carry ing after arriving at the next dont overdo All that is needed Are an extra socks and knit sweats offer the added advantage that the Bottoms can be slept in with no serious loss of Comfort or add a pair of slippers or soft shoes for lounging in the As hiking shoes Are verboten or restricted to certain areas inside the once you have chosen your wardrobe using the above resist the temptation to add extra be above give up the idea that it is necessary to have multiple changes of out it and he who gives in to the urge to stuff half the contents of his closet into a Backpack is doomed to carry extra of dirty the hiker will a certain air about couple of strenuous Days on the Trail the be reduced somewhat by air Trig garments in the drying rooms provided in the thu Aind by hand washing Small for several Days Worth of Al Pine hiking will Inte a Small the will be Light enough Jot to be a and Sive enough tight quarters and when Claffe Errig Over in the in addition to the clothing not being go the Fol lowing necessaries Toothbrush and soap and Small Towel towels Are not provided at the multipurpose pocket fir staid kit if travelling one per group will suffice kit need not be but should contain fir staid Ace maps and Guidebook Berg Verag Rudolf publishes an excellent series of Alpine maps on the scale of a publisher that offers a Les expensive product is Heinz pass camera and collapsible drinking Sun glasses and screening Trail snacks St Denten Futter student food can be bought ready made or prepared at Home pick what you like from dry roasted dried chocolate mix and store in Ziploc pen and extra Ziploc bag for laundry that int quite optional if space and extra weight is not a major these items Are Nice to have German English pocket playing compact Board something to pen toilet the network of huts makes it possible enjoy the without being burdened with All the impediments of sleeping cooking food and drink that usually accompany the Back Woods it makes no sense to forfeit that by adding the extra weight of nonessential less is april 1985 the stars and stripes Page 15