Jamtal Hütte 2165m
by Allan Hartley
Owner: DAV Sektion Schwaben
Location: Located at the head of the Jamtal valley
Open: End of June to the end of September
Facilities: 90 B /102 M/12N
Good restaurant facilities, as would be expected from a hut that is more akin to a hotel, including the provision of hot water in most of the rooms and matratzenlager.
Valley and Hut Connections:
Galtür 3hr,
Bielerhöhe 4 hr.
Weisbadener Hütte 4-5 hr,
Heidelberger Hütte via Kronenjoch 2974m 5-6 hr.
Heidelberger Hütte via Zahnjoch 2945m whilst shorter at 4 hr, is not recommended due to the unstable nature of the rock on the Swiss side of the col and the risk of stone-fall.
Address: Herr Gottlieb Lorenz Telephone: Hut (0043)05443 8408
Haus Winkel Nr 27B A-6563 Galtür Austria
Email: info@jamtalhuette.at
Web Site: www.jamtalhuette.at
This large three storey hut began life in 1882 as a six metre square box located on the rocky platform over-looking the then Jamtal Ferner glacier. Thereafter the hut was extended in 1896, 1905 and 1913. The hut was closed during the First World War and did not re-open until 1929 when it was modernised with water and electricity being added. Similarly the hut was closed during the Second World War and did not re-open until 1956. The hut underwent moderate changes in 1961and 1978 remaining virtually unchanged until 22 February 1999 when the hut was ripped apart by an avalanche that killed two ladies from the Lorenz family whose memorial picture frame can be found in the main dining room. After this catastrophe the hut was closed for around two years whilst it was re-built into its present L shape that wraps around the old hut.
The hut has been managed by the Lorenz Family from Galtür since 1882 and whilst I cannot help thinking much of the gemutlichkeit tradition has been lost by the construction of such a large hut, the dining room area has managed to retain something of the old hut to please most tastes.
With the addition of the service road the hut is now a popular day outing from Galtür, so much so that at lunch time it is not unusual for the terrace to be packed with walkers and mountain bikers who have made the effort to grind up the hill from Galtür. For the more serious the climbs from the hut are mainly limited to the Dreiländer Spitze 3197m that splits the mountain between Austria and Switzerland and the provinces of Tirol and Voralberg. The Fluchthorn 3399m is the highest mountain within the Silvretta and whilst highly recommended at one time is now rarely climbed due to the steep unstable nature of the summit rocks.
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Last updated: 20 February 2010