Intro to Snowshoeing

📍 Innsbruck, Austria

🏡 Meissnerhaus      

        📅 14. - 17. January 2027

🥾 Moderate            

Price per person

€ 795

What to expect

• Snowshoeing for beginners: No previous experience needed!
• Avalanche safety basics: Learn essential avalanche awareness and rescue skills
• Two guided snowshoe tours: Put your new skills into practice
• Optional yoga sessions: Enjoy relaxing yoga sessions sprinkled throughout the programme.
• Cosy mountain hut atmosphere: Enjoy a peaceful winter escape surrounded by stunning Alpine scenery.

Accommodation

At the traditional Meißnerhaus mountain hut, we stay in shared rooms reserved exclusively for our group, creating a cosy and familiar atmosphere. The hut offers modern shared bathrooms with showers, a welcoming common room and a spacious sun terrace. Each day includes a breakfast buffet and a hearty multi-course vegetarian or vegan dinner. Packed lunches can be prepared from the breakfast buffet, and Austrian specialities are available from the hut’s menu throughout the day. Dietary restrictions can be accommodated where possible, but options are limited, so please let us know your needs in advance. What makes Meißnerhaus truly special is its warm, down-to-earth team. Led by Sven, who has run the hut for many years, they create a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere that makes you feel at home from the moment you arrive.

Travel

Start: Munich main station on Thursday at 7 am. 
End: Munich main station on Sunday by 4 pm the latest.

Most guests travel together from Munich, but you’re also welcome to meet us directly at Innsbruck Main Station. If you live nearby, you can simply join us on the morning of departure. If you’re travelling from further away, Munich and Innsburck are both well-connected travel hubs. If you’re unsure which option works best for you, feel free to get in touch!

Programme

Thursday – Arrival at the hut 
6 km, ↑700 m, 3 hrs 
We meet at Munich or Innsbruck main station and continue by bus to the small village of Mühltal, where our ascent to Meißner Haus begins. The trail follows a path gently uphill through a peaceful river valley until the hut comes into view on a wide green meadow. In the afternoon, I guide an optional yoga class in the hut's own cosy yoga room.

Friday – Avalanche Awareness & Snowshoeing
approx. 3 km, ↑↓ 200 m, 2 hrs
After breakfast, we start with an introduction to the basics of avalanche awareness. We look at the essential safety equipment – avalanche transceiver, probe and shovel – and learn how to use it correctly. We then put this into practice by working through a realistic avalanche scenario together, practising avalanche search and companion rescue step by step – from what to do in an emergency to locating and digging out a buried person. After lunch, we head out for an easy snowshoe tour, giving us plenty of opportunity to get comfortable with snowshoeing technique, moving through winter terrain and putting what we have learned into practice. 

Saturday – Winter Adventure
approx. 6 km, ↑↓ 400 m, 6 hrs 
In the morning, we briefly refresh the key points of avalanche awareness and the use of our safety equipment. We then set off on our full-day snowshoe tour. There are plenty of beautiful routes around Meissnerhaus, with a variety of possible summits . We will decide on the most suitable route on the day, based on the current weather and snow conditions. 

Sunday – Descent & Return to Munich
6 km, ↓ 700 m, 2 hrs
We start the day at a relaxed pace and enjoy our last breakfast. Afterwards, we hike down again the wide forest road to Mühltal and take public transport back to Munich. 

Please note that our hiking days and routes may differ from the programme described, depending on weather and snow conditions, trail conditions and the fitness and ability of the group. If there isn’t enough snow for snowshoeing, the beautiful surroundings offer fantastic winter hiking instead, so we can still make the most of our days in the mountains. 

Physical requirements

No previous snowshoeing experience is required for this weekend. Snowshoeing is easy to learn, and guidance on basic technique and use of the equipment is at the core of this weekend. However, you need a good general level of fitness and stamina.

You should be comfortable:

• walking for several hours at a steady pace;
• hiking on uneven and moderately steep terrain;
• tackling sustained uphill and downhill sections;
• walking off-piste through snow, which may at times be deep or soft;
• carrying your weekend backpack to the hut and a small daypack every day;
• being outdoors for several hours in cold and potentially changeable winter conditions.

Please keep in mind that you're in the best position to decide whether this trip is the right fit for you. Multi-day hikes in the Alps can sometimes feel more challenging than expected, especially if you're new to Alpine hiking. If you haven't hiked with me before, or you're unsure about your fitness level or equipment, I'd be more than happy to have a chat with you beforehand and help you decide whether this adventure is a good match for you.

Service included

• Guided by a qualified UIMLA & VDBS International Mountain Leader
• Basic Avalanche Awareness & Rescue Training
• 3x hut nights in shared rooms with shared fashing facilities including half-board
• Information package about the trip including a packing list 

Extra costs on tour

• Snowshoe and Avalanche Equipment (rentable in Munich, e.g. DAV - Alpine Club)
  • DAV-Members, approx. € 65 in total
  • Non-Members, approx. 125 € in total
• Public transport to the start and from the end of the trek (Deutschlandticket valid)
• Lunch, snacks and beverages during the trip

Snowshoe and Avalanche Equipment
If you’re not yet familiar with snowshoe and avalanche equipment, or don’t have your own, I’m happy to help you arrange a rental through the German Alpine Club (DAV) in Munich. Equipment rental is also available to non-members.

Payment Information

A deposit of €150 is required within seven days of booking, with the remaining balance due 30 days before the start date. Payment in instalments is possible; please contact me directly at info(at)shantitreks.com. Please note that the cancellation policy applies as outlined in the T&Cs.