On this hike to the Astjoch, the panoramic view is not only waiting for you at the highest point, but already at the start: there is a viewing platform at the Zumis parking lot. That is no reason to skip the hike, though, as varied trails across wide alpine meadows and grassy slopes lead you all the way to the Astjoch. From there, you can enjoy far-reaching views of the main Alpine ridge, the Pustertal Valley and the Dolomites. To help with orientation, the names of the visible mountain groups and peaks are engraved on a stone slab set into the ground. A large part of the route leads through protected natural areas, managed alpine pastures, high moorland and small marshy valley sections. One special feature along the way is the small mountain chapel at the Pianer Kreuz, whose foundation stone was blessed by the then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, Pope Benedict XVI.
ACCESSIBILITY:
Suitable for:
>People with electric wheelchairs/motors
>seniors
>families
>mountain bikes
Trail surface: Non-asphalted forest road with good surface
Arrival: people with disabilities can reach the huts by requesting a driving permit at the Mühlbach forestry station: +39 0472 849 764.
Barrier-free toilets: at Zumis parking lot
Sun/shade: First section through the forest, then sunny
Bars/Restaurants:
>Naturhotel Runa (accessible via a short, steep climb).
>Starkenfeldhütte (loose gravel flooring, one step to the bar area)
The starting point of the hike is the Zumis parking lot. From there, Forest Road No. 4 heads east on a natural surface with a steady ascent. After around two kilometres through open larch and spruce forests, you reach the open alpine meadows near Naturhotel Runa at 1,832 metres.
The hike then continues along Trail No. 2 towards Starkenfeld Hut. Some sections have gradients of more than 16% and pass a small church dedicated to Saint Clare and Saint Bartholomew. The route then reaches the high plateau of the Rodeneck-Lüsen Alpine Pastures, with wide meadows, grazing land and small wooden huts.
Passing a viewpoint and several small mountain lakes, you reach Starkenfeld Hut with its cheese dairy at 1,936 metres after around 5.5 kilometres. After another kilometre, you arrive at the Astmoos Natural Monument, a wet moor covered with dense moss. As the trail becomes considerably steeper and rougher beyond this point, the return follows the same route. The hike ends back at the Zumis parking lot.
