Blaueishütte via Schärtenalm

This is the 10.5 km (6.5-mile) out-and-back from Parkplatz Seeklause at Hintersee to Blaueishütte, climbing through forest to Schärtenalm and then into the rocky Blaueiskar. You gain about 861 m on the way up and should allow around five hours for the return, including a break at the hut. It’s a proper mountain day: the lower climb is long and mostly wooded, but the finish puts you beneath the Blaueis glacier and the high limestone walls around Hochkalter.

Start at the southwest end of Seeklause car park and follow the AV 482 signs for Blaueishütte. After a short stretch on a broad forest road, the route turns onto the Blaueis road and then leaves it for the narrower path. Much of this lower section climbs steadily through the trees above Hintersee. A red rock wall is an easy landmark; farther up, another path joins from Pfeiffenmacherbrücke. Stay with the Blaueishütte signs for this version of the hike.

The climb gets noticeably steeper in tight bends as you reach the clearing below Schärtenalm, around 1,360 m. From the alm, the trail briefly eases around a rock corner to Blaueisbankl, then crosses a bridge beside a rock face and passes the material-ropeway station. Take the steep left-hand path into Blaueiskar. It zigzags beneath the walls of Steinberg and Schärtenspitze to the hut at about 1,680 m.

The lower road is broad but can feel repetitive; the last section is narrower, steeper and more engaging. The climb takes roughly 2½ to 3 hours, and the downhill return is still a real descent, not a quick stroll. The route is marked medium locally, but the total distance and sustained 861 m ascent make it a hard day for many hikers. Plan time to rest at the top rather than trying to rush the return.

Schärtenalm sits about halfway and is a good place to pause for its homemade cakes and views toward Hintersee and the Ramsau valley. Blaueishütte serves meals and house-baked cakes at the endpoint. Check both huts’ operating dates before counting on a meal; their opening schedules change with the season.

Blaueis is known as the northernmost glacier in the Alps, and it has been retreating as the climate warms. The hut terrace looks into the cirque beneath the glacier and Hochkalter; a short walk beyond the hut reaches the glacier forefield and large boulders, but that extra wander is not included in this route. The hut also has a story of its own: an avalanche destroyed its predecessor, about 100 m higher, on New Year’s Eve 1955; the present hut was built in 1962.

Use Parkplatz Seeklause at Hintersee’s southwest end (Hinterseer Straße 104). Follow the marked AV 482 route via Schärtenalm; the parking fee and capacity can change, so check the local signs. Dogs may come but must stay on leash in the national park and away from grazing animals. Turn around at Blaueishütte for this hike: AV 482 continues beyond it over Hochkalter and down Ofental, a separate alpine crossing.