Lenkjöchlhütte

The Lenkjöchlhütte (Italian: Rifugio Giogo Lungo) is a high-alpine mountain hut in the Venediger Group of the Alps, located in the Rieserferner-Ahrn Nature Park in South Tyrol, Italy. It sits just above the Lenkjöchl pass between the Röttal and Windtal valleys, west of the Rötspitze peak. The hut is a long stone building and serves as a base for climbing the Rötspitze (3,495 m) and Dreiherrnspitze (3,499 m), as well as for the popular circular hike through Windtal and Röttal. It is open seasonally from July 1 to the end of September. The hut offers food, drinks, and overnight accommodation, and has been run by the Steger family for 50 years. It is owned by the Autonomous Province of Bolzano – South Tyrol and managed under a concession system. The Lenkjöchlhütte is a typical South Tyrolean alpine refuge, combining hospitality with mountaineering infrastructure.

The Lenkjöchlhütte was built by the Sektion Leipzig of the DuOeAV (German and Austrian Alpine Club) following a decision in spring 1885 to construct a shelter in the remote hintere Ahrntal valley. A suitable site was found immediately: free-standing, safe from avalanches and rockfall, with water nearby, a few minutes from the glacier, and with a magnificent view. The building was completed in late summer 1887 and ceremonially inaugurated on 2 September 1887 with a pre-celebration, gun salutes, a banquet, dancing, and speeches. In 1891 the hut was first operated with food and lodging, and as visitor numbers steadily increased, it was completely rebuilt and enlarged in 1898 and 1906/07. After World War I, the hut was expropriated by the Italian state and taken over by the CAI (Club Alpino Italiano) section Bruneck. The hut was primarily intended as a base for climbing the Dreiherrnspitze. The discovery on 2 July 1887 of a route up the Rötspitze (the current ascent from Lenkjöchl was previously unknown) added extra value to the hut from the start. Together with 24 other expropriated mountain huts, the Lenkjöchlhütte passed into the ownership of the Autonomous Province of Bolzano – South Tyrol in 1999; the CAI's concession to manage it expired at the end of 2010. Since 2015, the Province of South Tyrol has been supported in the administration of the hut (leasing to tenants, monitoring of management, renovation measures) by a parity commission in which, alongside the public sector, the AVS (Alpenverein Südtirol) and the CAI are represented. The hut has been run by the Steger family for 50 years, as noted on its official website.

• 2015

  Parity commission established to support hut administration.

• 2010

  CAI concession to manage the hut expires.

• 1999

  Ownership transferred to the Autonomous Province of Bolzano – South Tyrol.

• 1906

  Second major rebuild and enlargement (1906/07).

• 1898

  First major rebuild and enlargement.

• 1891

  Hut first operated with food and lodging.

• 1887

  Hut completed and ceremonially inaugurated on 2 September.

• 1885

  Sektion Leipzig of the DuOeAV decides to build the hut.

High-alpine mountain hut and hiking base in the Rieserferner-Ahrn Nature Park, offering traditional hospitality and access to major peaks.

• Overnight stay

• Alpine meals and drinks

• Hiking advice and information

1. 1Official websitelenkl.com
2. 2Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3German Wikipediade.wikipedia.org