Schladminger Tauern High Trail | The Hiking 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 realm 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 Trip Report, Guide & Gear List), and the Berliner Höhenweg (see Trip Report & Guide/Gear List). 

Giglach Lakes (1,922m)

At a Glance

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

Average Duration:  4-5 days

• Note: 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.

Difficulty Level:  Moderate to difficult

High Point: Greifenberg – 2,618 m (7,933 ft)

Total Elevation Gain: 3,935 m (12,910 ft)

Start:  Hochwurzenhütte

Finish:  Seewigtal Carpark

Closest Town/Base: Schladming. Situated within the coronary heart of Austria, this touristy mountain hub is conveniently situated on worldwide practice strains.

Resources:

• Route Information: 1. Outdooractive – consists of GPX Track, 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.
• General Information:  schladming.com (regional tourism web site),  planaibus.at (native bus instances)

Overview map of the Schladminger Tauern High Trail.

Trail Notes & Images

Located in a stunning basin ringed by a formidable assortment of jagged rocky peaks, Giglach Lakes is the place most Schladminger Tauern hikers spend the primary evening 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 heart of the picture under. Both 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 few kilometer by way of contemporary snow, earlier than arriving on the signposted saddle of Kruckeckscharte (2,274 m/7,461 ft).

From Kruckeckscharte, it was an extra 2 km to achieve Keinprechhutte (1,875 m/6,152 ft). Located in a shocking glacial cirque, the primary constructing had been boarded up since late September, nonetheless, the winter room stays open all yr spherical (Note: In the picture under, the winter room is situated 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 evening, bunking down within the cozy winter room. Going by the variety of blankets available, and the truth that it solely sleeps three or 4 max, it might seem that Keinprechhutte can get just a little nippy in the course of the colder months (Note: It was a comparatively gentle -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 pictures.

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 right down to the country Landawirseehütte (1,985 m/6,512 ft), the place I finished for breakfast on the entrance patio.

Soon after leaving Landawirseehütte, the going grew to become just a little harder and rather a lot snowier. The last ascent to Gollingscharte ridge (2,326 m/7,631 ft) was icier than a mother-in-law’s kiss, and I used to be very happy 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. However, feeling good and eager to take advantage of the fantastic 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 very best level on the Schladming Tauern High Trail.

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 stunning 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 evening of the hike within the hut’s tiny winter room, which was situated within the attic of an adjoining storage barn, accessible through a brief ladder climb.

The last 11 km (6.8 mi) of the Schladminger Tauern High Trail 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 preferrred climate the day prior to this 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 just a little beneath 4 hours I reached Seewigtal Car park, from the place I used to be lucky to obtain a journey again to my resort within the village of Schladming.

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