General description
Starting from the parking lot behind the Timmelsbrücke bridge on the right-hand side of the road, head north into the main valley as far as the Timmelsalm mountain pasture (30). From there, cross the bridge and continue in a north-easterly direction on the left-hand side of the valley until you reach Unterkrumpwasser (an open plateau, traversed by the meandering Passer river). Remain on the left side of the high valley and proceed further northeast. Then follow the steep path up and over the hill, revealing the Schwarzsee lake (30) beyond.
Continue northeast along the western shoreline of the Großer Schwarzsee lake, across the grassland as far as the Schwarzwandscharte ridge, to the start of the glacier (30). Then, follow the narrow but negotiable trail southeast over a rocky ridge up to the Hofmannspitze summit.
The way back from the Hofmannspitze follows the same route in reverse. From the Schwarzwandscharte glacier return to the Schwarzsee lake, and then to the Timmelsbrücke bridge (30), past the Timmelsalm mountain pasture.
Route description
Starting from the parking lot behind the Timmelsbrücke bridge on the right-hand side of the road, head north into the main valley as far as the Timmelsalm mountain pasture (30). From there, cross the bridge and continue in a north-easterly direction on the left-hand side of the valley until you reach Unterkrumpwasser (an open plateau, traversed by the meandering Passer river). Remain on the left side of the high valley and proceed further northeast. Then follow the steep path up and over the hill, revealing the Schwarzsee lake (30) beyond.
Continue northeast along the western shoreline of the Großer Schwarzsee lake, across the grassland as far as the Schwarzwandscharte ridge, to the start of the glacier (30). Then, follow the narrow but negotiable trail southeast over a rocky ridge up to the Hofmannspitze summit.
The way back from the Hofmannspitze follows the same route in reverse. From the Schwarzwandscharte glacier return to the Schwarzsee lake, and then to the Timmelsbrücke bridge (30), past the Timmelsalm mountain pasture.
Source: Passeiertal Valley Hiking Guide – Heinz Widmann http://passeier.org
Description to arrive at destination
Coming from Merano into the Passeier Valley to St. Leonhard, continue in the direction of Moos and via the Timmelsjochstraße to the car park on the right next to the Timmelsbrücke (km 19.7 on the Timmelsjochstraße).
Parking
You can park in the car park to the right of the Timmelsbrücke bridge or directly before the bridge to the left of the road.
Public transport
From mid-June to mid-October, the starting point of the hike can be reached from St. Leonhard by Timmelsbus. For this tour, however, it is advisable to take the car to the starting point, as you should start the tour early in the morning.
Safety instructions
A good level of fitness is a prerequisite for this tour. Otherwise, there are no dangerous or difficult sections on this mountain tour. Only the last section below the Schwarzwandscharte is a bit steep and, depending on the amount of snow in winter, covered with snow until the end of July.
Equipment
Good walking shoes, walking clothes and rain gear are