Wildkarspitze is a peak in the Ötztal and Stubai Alps, best known for hosting the Hochstubaihütte - Austria's third-highest mountain hut - right on its 3173 m summit. It's the kind of place that rewards a serious hike with a genuinely high-alpine experience, minus the need for glacier climbing to actually reach the top.

The panorama here is remarkable, stretching across both the Ötztal and Stubai ranges, with glaciers and rocky ridgelines framing the horizon. In summer, the terrain around the hut is rugged and stony with patches of snow lingering into the warmer months; in winter, it becomes a full alpine environment suited only to well-prepared mountaineers.

How to reach the summit

• From Sölden via Kleblealm, Laubkarsee, and Laubkarsattel - about 6 hours, moderate difficulty, roughly 1750 m of ascent (in summer, a hiking bus to Klebealm can shorten the approach)
• From Fiegls Gasthaus via Seekarsee, Unterstandshütte, and the Himmelsleiter (steep, partly exposed) - about 5 hours (in summer, a hiking bus to Gasthof Fliegl can shorten the approach)

Practical information

• The Hochstubaihütte sits right at the summit, with 40 beds, showers, and a separate winter room (6 beds) available outside staffed season
• Routes to Amberger Hütte, Dresdner Hütte, and Hildesheimer Hütte require glacier equipment and mountaineering experience
• The hut is supplied by helicopter, and two webcams with a weather station provide live condition updates

The Hochstubaihütte was built between 1930 and 1933 by the Dresden section of the German Alpine Club, and its history includes being repurchased in the 1970s despite the political divisions of the Cold War era.