Markings & signposts - Where to go?

Markings, signposts, time of travel information. But which path is the right one for my ability? You can find out all about this exciting topic in the following article.

SIGNPOSTING & MARKINGS - WHICH ROUTE DO I TAKE?

A well-signposted, marked and well-maintained network of trails is a great help when hiking. Even those without high alpine experience can explore the mountains as long as they stay on the marked trails. With the hiking and mountain trail concept of the province of Tyrol, a pioneering concept for Austria was developed in 2000, which is now available to the Austrian Alpine Association and the federal provinces as a basis for the development of local and regional hiking concepts. The walking routes are categorised according to the demands placed on the hiker and the technical difficulty of the route. Hiking trails are generally located in permanent settlements and then in the forest. Mountain trails require alpine experience, good equipment and more extensive preparation. They are mainly located above the tree line.

HIKING AND MOUNTAIN TRAIL CONCEPT - PROVINCE OF TYROL

SIGNAGE AND SIGNPOSTING

The walking routes are signposted and marked using signposts (some with location boards) and intermediate markings. The yellow, arrow-shaped signposts with black lettering indicate the destination, the walking time, the trail numbers, the trail owner and, if necessary, provide useful additional information by means of pictograms (refreshment stops, via ferrata, viewpoint, etc.). Moderately difficult mountain trails are also marked with a red dot, difficult mountain trails with a black dot. In some federal states, such as Salzburg, easy mountain trails are marked with a blue dot on the signposts.

ATTENTION: In Switzerland, a blue dot indicates Alpine trails, which often lead over glaciers, snowfields or high Alpine terrain.

At intermediate and end points, the white location board describes the location more precisely. The walking route markings are usually painted red-white-red (possibly with a route number). In Austria, however, the colours of the ground markings do not indicate the difficulty of the hike.

Hiking trail (easy)

• Marking: Tyrol: no colour, Vbg/ Switzerland: YELLOW, other Austrian federal states: often BLUE
• Technical difficulty: easy - generally accessible - wide course and low inclines/declines
• Requirements: no mountain experience or mountain equipment necessary

Mountain hiking (medium-difficult)

• Marking: RED
• Technical difficulty: medium-difficult - mainly narrow and often steep - short secured walking and climbing passages possible
• Requirements: experienced mountain hikers, good physical condition - sure-footedness - minimum mountain equipment

Mountain hiking (difficult)

• Marking: BLACK
• Technical difficulty: narrow, steep, exposed (risk of falling) - longer secured walking and climbing passages 
• Requirements: good alpine experience - good physical condition - sure-footedness and a head for heights - suitable mountain equipment

Alpine hiking

• Marking: ‘Alpine ROUTE’ symbol - ATTENTION: often marked BLUE in Switzerland
• Technical difficulty: pathless or foot and climbing tracks - open, unsecured walking and climbing terrain - often glaciers/snow and ice fields - rarely marked or signposted
• Requirements: high alpine and extensive mountain experience - sure-footedness, a head for heights and orientation skills 

MAINTENANCE OF THE PATHS

The trails are usually maintained by Alpine associations or tourism organisations. If a trail maintainer records, categorises, displays, signs and maintains their entire network of hiking and mountain trails according to certain guidelines, they can be awarded the ‘Tyrolean Mountain Trail Seal of Quality’ for a period of five years in Tyrol, for example. All hiking trails with this seal of approval guarantee a high standard of quality for the walking routes, their signposting and marking.

INDICATION OF TRAVELLING TIMES

Travelling times are often very helpful when out and about. On the one hand, you can better estimate your own pace and therefore the duration of the remaining distance and, on the other hand, you can also better weigh up whether a route can still be completed before a thunderstorm or approaching darkness. But how reliable are the signposting times and are they suitable for everyone? The signposting of mountain hiking trails is often calculated on the basis of DIN 33466 and used by the Alpine associations: approx. 300 metres per hour for the ascent, approx. 4 kilometres horizontally per hour and approx. 500 metres per hour for the descent. For more demanding routes such as via ferratas, alpine climbs and high-altitude tours, the difficulty and therefore a longer walking time is included in the route time calculation. Longer walking times are also given for more commercial trails that are designed for a wide audience (themed trails, circular trails, child-friendly hikes, etc.).

ATTENTION: These times are only a guide and do not take into account, for example, difficult conditions in bad weather (e.g. fog, wetness, heat), the nature of the path, any breaks, etc.

TRAIL MANUAL OF THE ALPINE CLUBS

Example: Scheffauer (2,111m, Kaiser Mountains) from Lake Hintersteiner See

There are 1200 metres of ascent and a distance of 8 km (ascent). With 1,200 metres of ascent, it takes about 4 hours to walk, the 8 km horizontal distance adds up to another 2 hours. The smaller value (2 hours) is halved and added to the larger value. So 4 hours + 1 hour = 5 hours ascent time. A good 2 hours must be allowed for the descent. This results in a total walking time of 7 hours. For leisure hikers or hikers with children or in a larger group, it is important to plan additional walking and break times.

Guide for relaxed walking times: 300 m/h on the ascent, 3 km/h horizontally. You can plan a third less time for the descent (400m/h). Ascent = longer time + (shorter time : 2)

Author: Österreichisches Kuratorium für Alpine Sicherheit
 

Find out more:

You can find more information at alpinesicherheit.at.