Wilder Freiger (3418m) - Anstrengende Tagestour auf einen der höchsten Berge in den Stubaier Alpen

It is always something special to be above 3000 meters. To do a tour that is glacier-free and without real climbing, you can do the Wilder Freiger. Here you are surrounded by the whole glacier world. There are two routes, either via the Nürnberger Hut or the Sulzenau Hut, which I chose. I started the tour on 14.08.24, taking public transport to the Grawaalm. Because of the last bus I had to hurry. Unfortunately, the bus skipped the stop I needed, costing me another 40 minutes. First I went to the mighty and beautiful Grawa waterfall. I only stayed a short while on the platform, since you get wet immediately. Then the trail continues up along the waterfall on a well-prepared path. At one point I tried to shortcut, thinking it would bring me back to the normal route. That was a mistake. The shortcut was very steep and exposed at times, even requiring some scrambling. Wanting to get back on track quickly, I pushed harder uphill. I didn’t lose much time, but spent far more energy than needed. Afterwards the landscape opened up, stunning and breathtaking. For this alone the tour would already be worth it. Along the stream with top scenery, the path leads flat to the next big waterfall. Then it zigzags up to the Sulzenau Hut. From here the landscape gets rougher and you enter real mountain terrain. With the first signs of fatigue I pushed on, until suddenly a shimmering mountain lake appeared, its color striking—probably the “Grünausee.” After a short break the path climbed steeply again, rockier and steeper the higher you go. After the last tough part, with growing exhaustion, the terrain became “flatter.” You can already glimpse the peak of the Wilder Freiger, still very far away. With more breaks I kept struggling upward. At one point, the markings led uphill after a flat section instead of forward. I followed, climbing many meters to a “summit” where the way ended unless you continued on dangerous exposed terrain. From there I spotted the correct route below. Drained, I went back down and on over a ridge-like section with some cables where you have to “climb” a bit. Then came a steep snowfield. Being summer, it was very slippery, and I scrambled up on all fours. The final part led over larger rocks, past a ruined stone hut and a small lake, then along the last ridge to the summit. I was completely done, using my last strength to reach the top. From the summit the view was incredible, unlike many I had seen before. It felt amazing to be in this remote glacier world. But time was tight and I couldn’t stay long. Even a few minutes were pure joy. Then I descended the ridge faster, carefully over the slippery snowfield. At the spot where I had gone wrong earlier, I unfortunately made the same mistake again on the way down. From above you can clearly see the right marking—so keep your eyes open and don’t go up. Meanwhile rain started with a light thunderstorm. I sped down and reached the Grünausee again, where the rain eased. From there the trail kept dropping. One steep counter-ascent had to be overcome before returning to the flat, beautiful landscape below. I jogged to make up time. With my last strength I went steadily down the waterfall path without breaks and caught the last bus 15 minutes before it came (just before sunset). In summary, it’s a demanding and very long tour. But for the views and landscapes, it’s one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen. Just watch the video yourself—one picture says more than a thousand words. Truly one of the most rewarding places there. Subscribe to see more 3000ers without glaciers. 00:00 - 01:40 Waterfall trail from Grawaalm 01:41 - 03:20 Ascent to Sulzenau Hut 03:21 - 04:57 Sulzenau Hut to Grünausee 04:58 - 09:38 Grünausee to Wilder Freiger summit 09:39 - 11:11 Wilder Freiger summit 11:12 - 13:55 Wilder Freiger to Grünausee 13:56 - 15:06 Rest of descent