I would say a very challenging but great tour. We were lucky to be picked up at the end by car but it is also doable without a car (or with a car at the starting point, by publics Ostirol is rather difficult/long lasting to reach unfortunately). You will get a 3000m peak, cross at a 5 valleys or more and end up very close the Südtirol and the very last end of the Austrian Defereggental.
Overview: Virgen- Wetterkreuzhütte- Zupalseehütte- Lasörlinghütte-Lasörling-Reichenberger Hütte-Rottenmann Törl- Jagdhausalmen- Obere Seebachalm
Lasörlinghütte (quite unsual hexagonal shaped), pointy peak to the right is the name-giving Lasörling.
Access car
Getting to Osttirol is not the easist, by car through the Felbertauerntunnel the best option though. In Virgen there is a big parking lot where all the hikes to the different huts start. From St. Jakob/Defereggental you can take a bus via Huben back to Virgen to your car.
Access public transportation
Train service is unfortunately really not working well with Osttirol, trains to either Innsbruck or Mittersill or Mallnitz and then you continue with bus, just check the link above. Starting point for us was in Virgen, buses are as reliable as train so you will definitly make it to your final destination! Virgen Kirche should be the closest point.
From the Jadghausalmen you need to go down to the parking lot and follow the toll street (or hitchhike ;) ) down till the bus stop Katzleitenbrücke, with this you have ~twice per day a connection to Lienz from where you have buses and trains bringing you back again.
Hiking
Day 1: from Virgen in around 3h to Wetterkreuzhütte, as an alternative there is also a taxi service bringing you up to that hut, one way costs 12 euros, in 2019 the Wetterkreuzhütte had no tennant and no foods or drinks were served there. Then you will continue to the Zupalseehütte, it´s rather flat and very nicely done therefore for families or old people it is also already worth taking this path in combination with the taxi. The path divides and you can either walk along the hill for around 1,5h and 300 vertical metres or take the path via Legerle (~2h) which will add another 150 vertical metres. The Zupalseehütte is nicely located next to a lake, it is private run and you can also sleep there. We had amazing Käsespätzle and maybe even more important great views to Grossvenediger AND Grossglockner, the hut people were also nice to explain probably for the 100th time a season which mountain is where. From there another 2h and you will have the well deserved last hut of the day, the Lasörlinghütte, also private owned and interesting architecture as it is not a square but in the shape of a hexagon. Great food, milk from the local Alm made it a nice evening.
Zupalseehütte, next to the Zupalsee, from the terrace proper views to Venediger and Glockner, accomponied by great food!
Might look long but it is flat in the end.
Last metres till reaching the Lasörlinghütte.
Day 2: If you want you can already descent again and will come out in Virgen and can just walk back to the parking lot following the river or just staying up high and continue to other huts and mountains:
the hut is named after Lasörling so it is be the most obvious choice going there. It is 3098m high and gives the name to the whole mountain range seperating Virgental from Defereggental. Following the well marked path from the hut and then it will seperate: one going directly via the Prägarter Törl to the Reichenberger Hütte with skipping the peak, or you go up and down, reaching the peak should take around 3h. During last metres to the peak you will need your hands and it is estimated up to climbing difficulty II. Views to Glockner, Venediger and the end of the Virgental give a nice reward, as long as the weather is not too foggy.
More common it is then to descend again and take the other cross road to the Reichenberger Hütte. But you can also follow the Lasörlingridge and the sign to the Lasnitzenhütte down to the next valley. Some parts along the ridge and smoothend with iron ropes but especially when descending and after seeing the a nice telling you, take care of rock fall especially not loosening rocks yourself if you see people walking underneath you. You follow the valley pretty far down and then you will ascent again to the next, the Kleinbachtal. I am not sure if I have ever seen that many marmots, bright green grass land and many many small rills. One of the nicest spots I have been so far, very peaceful and especially not a single person around as it is a bit off any major hiking paths. From there you have a last ascent up the the Rote Lenke, takes some time and after a long hiking day it might get already bit annoying but soon you will be at the final hut. From the ridge it is already possible seeing the hut and the way down goes smooth and fast. The whole area which is cultivated by the Alpenvereinssektion Reichenberg had well maintained paths and it was a pleasure walking there. The night will be at the Reichenberger Hütte.
On the second day you will cross many many valleys but especially the Kleinbachtal, last one before crossing to Reichenbergerhütte, is one of the most beautiful, quiet, with many many small streams and hardly people and no infrastructure. Met more marmots than humans. In the back the Venedigermassiv.
Day 3: either descending straight to St. Jakob or to Hinterbichl to be in the valley of your car again (either takes 4h) or choose some more adventurous: via the Rottenmanntörl (red man sattle) in direct of the Jagdhausalmen and being at one of the most remote spots in Austria. As a alternative for staying in the Virgental you can also go to Clarahütte and from their descending to Ströden. Very calm and the peaks which you see in front of you form the Austrian-Italian border, the hut was praised by the people we met on the way!
We decided to use the opportunity we had as we could been picked up by a car and chose to finish in the Defereggental: the path is marked as an alpine route, therefore it is not always perfectly marked (in theory) and maybe worse secured.
In the back the Jadghausalmen get visible. The roads lead to Südtirol, most Almen here are owned by farmers from Südtirol, one of the oldest in Austria, first time mentioned in 1212.
Sleeping
In huts.
Huts
Reichenberger Hütte: nicely located next to a lake and many peaks to do around. As mentioned above super well maintained paths but the tennant/chef lost a bit motivation for cooking. Half board with 2x in a row pasta is not that exciting. Kaiserschmarrn portion was okay, had bigger ones but it was nice that we could also get it without raisins.
Advantages
Super nice diverse hike. Starting via lakes, having a 3000m peak with Lasörling, before crossing to Reichenberger Hütte one of the most beautiful and remote valley we have been to, the crossing to Jagdhausalmen challenging and exciting. Often you will be alone and have the mountains all for yourself.