Schladminger Tauern Excessive Path | The Climbing Life

The Schladming Tauern mountains are a subrange of the Austrian Central Alps. Crisscrossed by a community of rugged footpaths, the ambulatory spotlight of the world is its namesake excessive path (Höhenweg) which options sweeping glacial valleys, knife-edge ridgelines, lake-dotted plateaus, and eye-popping summit panoramas. The Schlaminger Tauern Höhenweg was the second of 4 excessive trails I did in Austria in the course of the fall of 2019, the others being the Wormser Höhenweg, Stubai Höhenweg (see Journey Report, Information & Gear Listing), and the Berliner Höhenweg (see Journey Report & Information/Gear Listing). 

Giglach Lakes (1,922m)

At a Look

Distance:  42.7 km (26.5 mi) (together with 5 phases)

Common Period:  4-5 days

• Notice: A match and skilled hiker carrying a light-weight load can comfortably do the path over two or three days. Most hikers undertake a hut-to-hut itinerary and take 5 days to finish the journey.

Problem Degree:  Average to difficult

Excessive Level: Greifenberg – 2,618 m (7,933 ft)

Complete Elevation Achieve: 3,935 m (12,910 ft)

Begin:  Hochwurzenhütte

End:  Seewigtal Carpark

Closest City/Base: Schladming. Located within the coronary heart of Austria, this touristy mountain hub is conveniently positioned on worldwide practice traces.

Assets:

• Route Data: 1. Outdooractive – consists of GPX Observe, fundamental trekking notes, different routes, elevation profile, and logistical particulars; 2. Moonhoneytravel.com features a detailed route description, together with helpful beta on hut costs, meals, and journey prices.
• Basic Data:  schladming.com (regional tourism web site),  planaibus.at (native bus occasions)

Overview map of the Schladminger Tauern Excessive Path.

Path Notes & Photographs

Situated in a beautiful basin ringed by a powerful assortment of jagged rocky peaks, Giglach Lakes is the place most Schladminger Tauern hikers spend the primary night time of their journey. The basin boasts two full-service mountain huts; Giglachseen and Ignaz-Mattis, the latter of which could be seen overlooking the lake within the middle of the picture under. Each huts have been closed once I got here by way of in mid-October.

From the northeastern tip of Giglach lakes, the path climbed for two.5 km (1.6 mi) to the cairn-laden summit of Rotmandlspitze (2,453 m/8,048 ft).

From the excessive level, I descended eastwards for a couple of kilometer by way of recent snow, earlier than arriving on the signposted saddle of Kruckeckscharte (2,274 m/7,461 ft).

From Kruckeckscharte, it was an additional 2 km to achieve Keinprechhutte (1,875 m/6,152 ft). Situated in a shocking glacial cirque, the principle constructing had been boarded up since late September, nevertheless, the winter room stays open all yr spherical (Notice: Within the picture under, the winter room is positioned within the annex on the left of the hut).

I used to be privileged to have this peaceable alpine amphitheater all to myself. After doing a little exploring, I turned in for the night time, bunking down within the cozy winter room. Going by the variety of blankets readily available, and the truth that it solely sleeps three or 4 max, it might seem that Keinprechhutte can get slightly nippy in the course of the colder months (Notice: It was a comparatively delicate -4°C/25°F throughout my keep).

For the gearheads, that’s a Montbell Plasma 1000 Alpine Down Parka and a Katabatic Alsek 22 quilt within the images.

The subsequent day I used to be as soon as once more handled to clear blue skies. After climbing up and over Trockenbrotscharte Ridge (2,237 m/7,339 ft), I dropped all the way down to the country Landawirseehütte (1,985 m/6,512 ft), the place I ended for breakfast on the entrance patio.

Quickly after leaving Landawirseehütte, the going turned slightly harder and so much snowier. The ultimate ascent to Gollingscharte ridge (2,326 m/7,631 ft) was icier than a mother-in-law’s kiss, and I used to be more than pleased to have packed the Salewa spikes (much like Kathoola Microspikes), which I’d bought a few weeks earlier than at an out of doors retailer in Innsbruck.

After Gollingscharte, the path dropped round 700 m (2,297 ft) in elevation, switchbacking down an extended scree slope, passing a small waterfall, earlier than finally bottoming out on the idyllic alpine meadows of Gollingwinkel.

A brief stroll north of the meadows is the enchanting Gollinghütte (1,651 m/5,417 ft), the place most hikers select to in a single day. Nonetheless, feeling good and desirous to profit from the nice climate (inclement circumstances have been on the playing cards for the next day), I made a decision to proceed on for a couple of extra hours. From Gollinghutte, I started climbing once more in earnest, and after one other 4 km (2.5 mi), reached the summit of Greifenberg (2,618 m/8,589 ft), the best level on the Schladming Tauern Excessive Path.

From the summit cross of Greifenberg, the path descended steeply alongside a jagged ridgeline, quickly dropping into a shocking lake-dotted plateau generally known as Klafferkessel. This bewitching relic of the final Ice Age was the scenic spotlight of the path and I felt lucky to expertise it in such lovely climate.

After winding by way of the Klafferkessel’s snow-ringed assortment of tarns and lakes, the path dropped precipitously right into a deep and slim valley earlier than reaching Preintalerhütte (1,656 m/5,433 ft). I spent my second and last night time of the hike within the hut’s tiny winter room, which was positioned within the attic of an adjoining storage barn, accessible by way of a brief ladder climb.

The ultimate 11 km (6.8 mi) of the Schladminger Tauern Excessive Path was hiked in dense fog and heavy rain. I wasn’t too bummed, as I knew that inclement circumstances have been on the playing cards, and I’d been blessed with excellent climate yesterday and a half. From Preintalerhütte, the path climbed up and over Neualmscharte (2,347m/7,700 ft), earlier than skirting the western shores of pretty Obersee and Hüttensee lakes. After slightly beneath 4 hours I reached Seewigtal Automobile park, from the place I used to be lucky to obtain a trip again to my resort within the village of Schladming.

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