Tyrol

SUMMARY:
Features: easy, wide path with a gentle incline, passing through valley terrain and forest. Unusual hazards are generally secured or clearly marked and signposted.
Target group: Walkers without alpine experience
Requirements: Sports shoes, weather-appropriate clothing suitable

DETAILED DESCRIPTION:
Hiking trails are easy, generally accessible, usually intended for pedestrians during the snowfree period, with paved, fully marked and well-constructed footpaths in the permanent settlement area and the adjoining forest. They are sufficiently wide and have only slight inclines/declines. As a rule, they are not exposed, do not pose a risk of falling and are relatively safe even in bad weather. Sections of the trail where there is a risk of falling are made secure using suitable measures (e.g. stable railings). In exceptional cases, atypical danger spots are possible (e.g. falling rocks), which are usually signposted or secured. Hiking trails can be used without hikers having special knowledge of the alpine area or relevant skills. Trainers and weather-appropriate clothing are sufficient equipment.
Explanation: Hiking trails in the permanent settlement area and the immediately adjacent forest can also be used by walkers without any special equipment, knowledge, experience or fitness level. The decisive factor is that there is practically no danger of getting lost, hikers can quickly reach fixed support points, and these trails can generally be walked/hiked without any risk of danger. However, there are still certain dangers in the valley that cannot be ruled out. Even in the permanent settlement area and the immediately adjacent forest, there are a few footpaths that should be used with caution. Hiking trails are signposted by the yellow signposts without any colour dot.

Mountain trails are marked footpaths intended for use by mountain hikers or mountaineers during the snow-free period, and run outside the permanent settlement area, primarily above the tree line in alpine terrain, but not over glaciers. They can be slippery and may pose a risk of falling, especially in bad weather, place particular demands on mountain fitness and experience, and require good surefootedness and stamina. The minimum equipment required is sturdy hiking boots and functional mountain clothing, as well as orientation and emergency equipment, including a first aid kit, mobile phone and bivouac sack.
Moderately difficult and difficult mountain trails differ particularly in terms of the requirement for hikers to have a good head for heights and the length of the exposed or secured sections:

SUMMARY:
Features: moderately difficult, often narrow and steep, exposed in places (risk of falling), short secured hiking sections or short sections where hands should be used to maintain balance, which are marked and signposted
Target group: surefooted, experienced mountain hikers
Requirements: good physical condition, mountain experience to recognize and assess alpine dangers on mountain trails, mountain equipment, good weather conditions

DETAILED DESCRIPTION:
Moderately difficult (“red”) mountain trails are predominantly narrow and often steep, and may be exposed in places. They may include short hiking sections that are secured with wire ropes or unsecured sections, for which hikers may need to use their hands for balance. These trails should only be tackled by surefooted, experienced mountain hikers with stamina, appropriate mountain equipment and experience of the alpine area in good weather conditions.

Features: difficult, mostly narrow and steep, very exposed (risk of falling), longer secured sections or climbing sections, which are marked and signposted 
Target group: experienced mountaineers who have a good head for heights and are surefooted
Requirements: very good physical condition, mountain experience to recognize and assess alpine dangers on mountain trails, mountain equipment, sometimes alpine safety equipment, good weather conditions

DETAILED DESCRIPTION:
Difficult (“black”) mountain trails are narrow, often steep and very exposed. There are frequent sections that are secured with wire ropes or simple unsecured climbing sections where hikers will need to use their hands for balance. It is sometimes necessary to secure inexperienced climbers or children with a rope. These trails should only be tackled by surefooted mountaineers who have a good head for heights, are in good physical condition and have experience of mountaineering using appropriate mountain equipment in good weather conditions.
Explanation: Mountain trails leading into the mountains always require alpine experience and surefootedness. These trails are exposed to a greater or lesser extent, so hikers will also need a good head for heights appropriate for tackling the relevant sections. Even if trails are secured with ropes to protect hikers against the risk of falling, they will still need a good head for heights. There is also a considerable risk of slipping and falling on steep, wet and grassy slopes and on snow fields in early summer.
In late autumn and in winters with little snow, mountain hikers must also take into account that the ground may be icy, which is a typical alpine hazard. To tackle mountain trails, hikers need to be in good physical condition and have a basic level of alpine equipment. Difficult mountain trails sometimes even require alpine safety equipment to guide and secure children and inexperienced hikers. In the mountains, you must be prepared for sudden changes in the weather, which can bring rain, snow, cold, wind, fog and the risk of lightning. All these factors must be taken into account in good time during a mountain hike, as it is not always possible to retreat from danger zones on the mountain.
Moderately difficult mountain trails are signposted by the yellow signposts with a red dot, and difficult mountain trails have a black dot.

SUMMARY:
Features: pathless or only marked by footsteps or climbing traces; open, unsecured alpine hiking and climbing terrain; glaciers; usually neither constructed, marked nor signposted Target group: experienced mountaineers who have a good head for heights, are surefooted and are familiar with high alpine environments 
Requirements: very good physical condition, mountain experience to recognize, assess and avoid alpine dangers, climbing and glacier equipment, safety and orientation equipment, good weather conditions

DETAILED DESCRIPTION:
Alpine routes lead into open alpine or high alpine terrain and are not mountain trails as previously described. Alpine routes have often “grown” over years or decades of use. Although they can be visible as footprints due to the terrain having been frequently walked, they are occasionally pathless. Alpine routes generally have no path number, no path manager and are neither created nor maintained. On alpine routes, you should therefore not expect to be able to use any markings or signposts as orientation aids. They may include exposed, slippery, fall-prone and unsecured hiking and climbing sections and lead over steep, rocky terrain, scree, steep snowfields, firn fields or glaciers. Their technical difficulty level may exceed that of difficult mountain trails. Alpine routes require absolute surefootedness and a good head for heights, fitness, good orientation skills, safe terrain and hazard assessment, extensive high alpine mountain or climbing experience and familiarity with the necessary alpine, orientation and emergency equipment (e.g. rope, ice axe, crampons, compass, GPS, etc.), as well the ability to assess weather conditions.
Explanation: Alpine routes run through areas where there is no need for a mountain trail or where the necessary safety standard for a mountain trail cannot be achieved. Structural measures are extremely rare on alpine routes. The duty of care does not apply here, as everyone who hikes or climbs an alpine route does so at their own risk. As soon as the natural conditions on alpine routes are interfered with (e.g. by marking, artificial structures, footpath construction, etc.), liability issues arise. Alpine clubs and tourism boards that remove old safety equipment and replace it with modern equipment must therefore ensure that the new equipment is state of the art in terms of its design and installation. In reports on alpine routes, we recommend pointing out that – as is the case with alpine climbing routes – no safety equipment included on the route is maintained.
Alpine routes are signposted by the yellow signposts with the “Alpine Route!” triangle symbol.

Source / Further information

Amt der Tiroler Landesregierung, Abteilung Sport (Hrsg.) (2018): Wander- und Bergwegkonzept des Landes Tirol. Tiroler Bergwege-Gütesiegel. - Innsbruck. online: https://www.tirol.gv.at/fileadmin/themen/sport/berg-und-ski/downloads_berg_und_ski/2022/TirolerBergwegekonzept2022.pdf .

The Office of the Tyrolean Provincial Government, Department of Sports, is responsible for compiling and publishing the document. The content was developed by specialist authors and editors of the Department of Sports. The concept forms the basis for the uniform classification of hiking and mountain trails as well as for the Tyrolean Mountain Trail Quality Seal.