Technical difficulty: 3/10
Fitness: 4/10
Objective danger: 1/10
Landscape: 6/10
Busy: 6/10

A round through flowy and runnable trails around Elferspitze in Stubai Valley with many huts to visit along the way.

Starting point: Elferbahn Parking
Ending point: Elferbahn Parking
Length: 18km
Vertical: 1000m
Speed: apart from small sections very runnable trails and forest roads.

Route:

Today, I wanted to write about an easier round, with nice views, comfortable terrain and good food along the way. It all happens near the Elferspitze and the Elferbahn ski slope in Neustift im Stubaital.

Our adventure starts at the cable car parking lot. The initial stretch, about a kilometer or so, takes us along a street, leading us away from Neustift and towards the picturesque Pinnis Valley. This gentle start serves as a warm-up before the real fun begins. Start up the valley on a tranquil forest road until you spot a sign signalling which huts in the valley are open. Here, you'll notice a small trail ascending into the forest, inviting you onto the enchanting Bessinungsweg. This trail offers a nice detour through the woods and, as you near its end, you'll discover a part of the trail that is cut into a steep rock face, which just look plain cool. However, if you prefer a more straightforward route, you can continue straight up the forest road and skip this bit.

The Bessinungsweg eventually reunites with the forest road at Issenangeralm, the first hut along our route. It offers a lovely spot to rest and soak in sun and the surroundings before you continue up the valley. The next stop is Pinnisalm, the second potential pit stop on your trail. Here, turn right onto a trail that meanders gently uphill towards the "Elferbahn Bergstation," the top station of the cable car. This section awards you with breathtaking views down towards Innsbruck, as well as up the Pinnis valley towards Ilmspitze and Kirchdachspitze.

Upon reaching the top, you'll find yourself at the summit of the Elfer cable car, where also the Panoramarrestaurant Elfer awaits, offering a perfect spot to take a breather before you start your descent. The trail up ahead is pure joy. An incredible, flowy trail takes you gently down towards Autenalm for about 2.5 kilometers. The rhythm of this section will have you falling in love with trail running all over again. Soon, you'll reach Autenalm, an old hut with a history dating back to the 1400s. This is your last chance to pause and rest before the final stretch of your run.

The only task left is a steep trail descent back to Neustift and to the parking lot. This is probably the most technical part of the trail but you always have the option to connect to one of the many forest roads crossing the trail, if you prefer longer but more runnable way down.

This route is nothing spectacular or unordinary. It is a good reminder though, of how amazing “just another run” can be in Tirol. :)

Pro tip: take it easy and stop in many of the huts and make a day out of it. Especially if the weather is nice, it is time well spent!

Photos by @bennibru and @the.running.nomad