Landscape photography on the Inntaler Höhenweg

When you try to do too many things at once, you’ll never excel in any of them. It’s a fact of life you can’t get around. I actually find comfort in it, as it means that I don’t have to excel in all of the things I do. I don’t have to be a exceptionally gifted climber, long distance runner, hiker (can you even be good at something like hiking?), blogger, vlogger, photographer. Instead, I’m fairly mediocre at most. That’s okay because I’m having fun.

That being said, there’s something to say for a job well done. Without wanting to sound too snow flakey: it’s nice to be exceptional every once in a while. Or, in my case, at least make an attempt at being exceptional. With this in mind, last autumn I booked a trip to Austria with landscape photography as my main objective. I figured that if I took the time to dwell on a mountain top for several hours with just my camera and an exceedingly expensive collection of lenses, I’d stand a good chance of taking one or two exceptional photos.

Were the results exceptional? I’ll let you be the judge. All I know is that I’m not suddenly a brand ambassador for the camera company with whose camera I happen to be shooting, nor was I asked to lead photography workshops to some exotic places like the Faroe Islands. Oh well, that’s okay. I had a lot of fun.

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Radar station on a lonely mountain — Sunrise view from Glungezer (2677 meter) Shot with my Fuji XT-2 @ 110mm.

Autumn colours set the mountains alight. The Inn Valley forms a dramatic background many times on the Inntaler Höhenweg. Shot with my Fuji XT-2 @ 55mm.

Selfie looking at the Gefrorene Wand Spitzen — Epic view of the Gefrorene Wand Spitzen. I used a tripod and a timer to get this shot of myself. Does this count as a selfie? Shot with my Fuji XT-2 @55mm.

View back down across the Inn Valley to the Karwendel Range. Ragged clouds and a striking sunrise bring about the texture of the mountains. Shot with my Fuji XT-2 @ 156mm.

View of a lonely ski station along the Inntaler Höhenweg — Looking down at a lonely ski station. The mountains in the far background are well above 3000 meter and lie on the border with Italy. Shot with my Fuji XT-2 @ 35mm.

View from the Kreuzjoch along the Inntaler Höhenweg — View from the Kreuzjoch, in my opinion the best shot from the trip. I spent several hours on this hilltop to capture the sunrise. Shot with my Fuji XT-2 @ 55mm.

View down the Inn Valley from the Kellerjoch — My last evening I was treated to a beautiful sunset. If only I had my camera ready earlier, I might have shot a better composition! Shot with my Fuji XT-2 @ 35mm.

Practical Information

All of the photos were taken along the Inn Valley High Trail (Inntaler Höhenweg), a six day hut tour traversing the mountains lining the Inn- and Tuxer valleys. It’s super easy to reach. You can fly into Innsbruck and from there take the bus up to the cable car station in Igls or Tulfes to start the hike. The route ends in the village of Schwaz and public transport will deliver you back to the airport in about two hours.

The huts are amazing, with great food and a very friendly staff. In summer they might be fully booked but in autumn everything is very quiet. Just make sure to check in advance if the huts are still open and bring plenty cash as huts often don’t take cards.

As far as the hiking goes: it’s pretty straightforward with no major technical challenges. Even so, be prepared to hike uphill for a few hours each day. The second stage of the tour requires a bit of stamina as the terrain at times is fairly rough and there’s some distance to cover.

The scenery itself is ridiculously beautiful, with some of the most spectacular views I’ve ever had in my life. At times, it felt like cheating to have such a an easy hike combined with such views. I strongly recommend this hike for anyone looking for beginner hikers or anyone looking for a generally relaxing week outdoors. Oh, and the autumn season is a great time to do it.