The Schladming Tauern mountains are a subrange of the Austrian Central Alps. Crisscrossed by way of a community of rugged footpaths, the ambulatory spotlight of the world is its namesake prime path (Höhenweg) which options sweeping glacial valleys, knife-edge ridgelines, lake-dotted plateaus, and eye-popping summit panoramas. The Schlaminger Tauern Höhenweg used to be the second one of 4 prime trails I did in Austria right through the autumn of 2019, the others being the Wormser Höhenweg, Stubai Höhenweg (see Go back and forth Document, Information & Tools Listing), and the Berliner Höhenweg (see Go back and forth Document & Information/Tools Listing).
Giglach Lakes (1,922m)
At a Look
Distance: 42.7 km (26.5 mi) (together with 5 phases)
Reasonable Period: 4-5 days
- Notice: A have compatibility and skilled hiker sporting a gentle load can conveniently do the path over two or 3 days. Maximum hikers undertake a hut-to-hut itinerary and take 5 days to finish the adventure.
Problem Degree: Reasonable to difficult
Top Level: Greifenberg – 2,618 m (7,933 toes)
Overall Elevation Achieve: 3,935 m (12,910 toes)
Get started: Hochwurzenhütte
End: Seewigtal Carpark
Closest The town/Base: Schladming. Located within the middle of Austria, this touristy mountain hub is very easily positioned on world educate strains.
Sources:
- Course Knowledge: 1. Outdooractive – contains GPX Observe, fundamental trekking notes, other ways, elevation profile, and logistical main points; 2. Moonhoneytravel.com features a detailed course description, at the side of helpful beta on hut costs, meals, and shuttle prices.
- Normal Knowledge: schladming.com (regional tourism site), planaibus.at (native bus instances)
Assessment map of the Schladminger Tauern Top Path.
Path Notes & Pictures
Positioned in a good looking basin ringed by way of an outstanding number of jagged rocky peaks, Giglach Lakes is the place maximum Schladminger Tauern hikers spend the primary night time in their adventure. The basin boasts two full-service mountain huts; Giglachseen and Ignaz-Mattis, the latter of which will also be observed overlooking the lake within the heart of the picture beneath. Each huts had been closed after I got here via 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 toes).
From the prime level, I descended eastwards for approximately a kilometer via recent snow, sooner than arriving on the signposted saddle of Kruckeckscharte (2,274 m/7,461 toes).
From Kruckeckscharte, it used to be an extra 2 km to succeed in Keinprechhutte (1,875 m/6,152 toes). Positioned in a shocking glacial cirque, the principle development have been boarded up since overdue September, then again, the iciness room stays open all yr spherical (Notice: Within the picture beneath, the iciness room is positioned within the annex at the left of the hut).
I used to be privileged to have this non violent alpine amphitheater all to myself. After performing some exploring, I grew to become in for the night time, bunking down within the comfortable iciness room. Going by way of the collection of blankets readily available, and the truth that it handiest sleeps 3 or 4 max, it will seem that Keinprechhutte can get a bit of nippy right through the chillier months (Notice: It used to be a somewhat delicate -4°C/25°F right through my keep).
For the gearheads, that’s a Montbell Plasma 1000 Alpine Down Parka and a Katabatic Alsek 22 duvet within the footage.
The following day I used to be as soon as once more handled to transparent blue skies. After mountain climbing up and over Trockenbrotscharte Ridge (2,237 m/7,339 toes), I dropped right down to the country Landawirseehütte (1,985 m/6,512 toes), the place I finished for breakfast at the entrance patio.
Quickly after leaving Landawirseehütte, the going become a bit of more difficult and so much snowier. The general ascent to Gollingscharte ridge (2,326 m/7,631 toes) used to be icier than a better half’s mother’s kiss, and I used to be very happy to have packed the Salewa spikes (very similar to Kathoola Microspikes), which I’d bought a few weeks sooner than at an out of doors retailer in Innsbruck.
After Gollingscharte, the path dropped round 700 m (2,297 toes) in elevation, switchbacking down an extended scree slope, passing a small waterfall, sooner than ultimately bottoming out on the idyllic alpine meadows of Gollingwinkel.
A brief stroll north of the meadows is the mesmerizing Gollinghütte (1,651 m/5,417 toes), the place maximum hikers make a choice to in a single day. Alternatively, feeling just right and short of to profit from the effective climate (inclement prerequisites had been at the playing cards for the next day), I determined to proceed on for a couple of extra hours. From Gollinghutte, I started mountain climbing once more in earnest, and after any other 4 km (2.5 mi), reached the summit of Greifenberg (2,618 m/8,589 toes), the absolute best level at the Schladming Tauern Top Path.
From the summit go of Greifenberg, the path descended steeply alongside a jagged ridgeline, quickly losing into a shocking lake-dotted plateau referred to as Klafferkessel. This bewitching relic of the closing Ice Age used to be the scenic spotlight of the path and I felt lucky to enjoy it in such gorgeous climate.
After winding in the course of the Klafferkessel’s snow-ringed number of tarns and lakes, the path dropped precipitously right into a deep and slender valley sooner than attaining Preintalerhütte (1,656 m/5,433 toes). I spent my 2d and ultimate night time of the hike within the hut’s tiny iciness room, which used to be positioned within the attic of an adjacent garage barn, out there by means of a brief ladder climb.
The general 11 km (6.8 mi) of the Schladminger Tauern Top Path used to be hiked in dense fog and heavy rain. I wasn’t too bummed, as I knew that inclement prerequisites had been at the playing cards, and I’d been blessed with very best climate the day prior to this and a part. From Preintalerhütte, the path climbed up and over Neualmscharte (2,347m/7,700 toes), sooner than skirting the western shores of gorgeous Obersee and Hüttensee lakes. After a bit of underneath 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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