Alpine Club Vienna - Revised Trip Sheet

1-week hike Niedere Tauern, Styria

Suggested by:
Peter Levenitschnig

New Date: Sunday 15 July to Friday 20 July 2007 (optionally to Saturday 21 July)

PLEASE REGISTER (AGAIN) WITH PETER BY PHONE (or by email if you are new)
PLEASE INQUIRE ON FRIDAY BY PHONE, IF THE HIKE WILL TAKE PLACE AND ABOUT THE NEW MEETING POINT
mobile: 06802104624 -- email: levenit@aon.at

Description:
From hut to hut mainly across Schladminger Tauern (part of Niedere Tauern). - If we like, we can do it as a round trip returning to the starting point - or end at Radstädter Tauernpass / Obertauern.
Schladminger Tauern is a mountain range south of the cities Schladming and Radstadt and part of the longer range "Niedere Tauern".
Hikes are on average between 1600m and 2400m, optionally up to a maximum of 2900m.
Duration at least 5 to 6 hours per day, occasionally (or optionally) more than that.
We will stay overnight each day at another hut, we will pass many scenic areas - Klafferkessel e.g. - see a lot of lakes, go to Hochgolling (optionally), the highest mountain of Niedere Tauern (2862m), and have great views to Dachstein at the beginning and end of our trip. If we like - and the weather is fine (or very bad) - we can stretch our trip to Saturday and have a one-day-break in between at one of the huts.
Routes in detail see below.

Length of activity in hours/kilometers, elevation:
Hikes are on average between 1600m and 2400m, optionally up to a maximum of 2.900m.
At least 5 to 6 hours per day, occasionally a bit more.

Grade of difficulty: High alpine tour (H)
No crossing of glaciers, but possibly some stretches of snow. Some easy climbing by the aid of Klettersteig (A-B). Sure-footedness and being absolutely free of dizziness is a must!

Meeting point:
Railway station Aich-Assach. Aich is a little village in Ennstal, Styria, appr. 11 kilometers east of Schladming.
From there we can drive into a valley and should reach Hans-Wödl-Hütte within a much shorter walking time of 2 to 3 hours. Thanks Hedda for the hint!
Meeting time: Sunday 15 July, 1.00 p.m., lunch by then already finished!
Ending point: Aich im Ennstal or Radtstädter Tauernpass/Obertauern (it's our choice).
Ending time: Friday 20 July or Saturday 21 July (optional) in the afternoon.

Car connections:
Wien (centre) - Aich: 270 km, 3-4 hours
Please calculate plenty of driving time. The last 40 kms (Liezen - Aich) is a narrow road with much traffic and speed limits of 70 km/h most of the time.
Wien - Semmering - Bruck - Leoben - Liezen - Aich.
Please state in your registration if you need / offer car sharing.

Equipment needed:
You can find a gear list for the hike "Karnischer Höhenweg" which also suits for this trip:
GEAR LIST (http://www.alpineclubvienna.org/archives/samplegearlist.htm)
In addition to the items mentioned on the list "Groedln" might be useful (if you have one) for snow fields on the way, hiking sticks and a little bag or backpack if we climb Hochgolling from Gollingscharte and back (leaving the big backpack at the Scharte).

Food and drinks:
As a rule we won't pass a hut during the day. So plan to have food in your backpack for at least one meal per day. It's also possible to buy some food on the huts (e.g. bread), at higher prices of course.
Take along drinks (or bottles) at least 1,5 liters, preferably more.

Additional Remarks:
- Membership of Alpenverein required !
- Signing up required. Please do so as soon as possible since group size is limited to about 12 and we will have to make reservation for accomodation at the huts.
Please state your name, email adress, phone (handy) number and if you need or offer car sharing (and how many seats) and send these data to: levenit@aon.at
Please do not send any email to my office address. Since I am retired from July it will be cancelled and no longer valid!
- Attendance at our monthly meeting on 2 July is required, to meet the organizer, discuss personal skills, gear requirements and transportation.

Links:
Schladminger-Tauern-Höhenweg (in German)
Leaflet (PDF file)

Route in detail
(All variants are dependant on snow conditions, physical shape, experience, weather and our liking)

Sunday 15 July
Morning: Wien - Aich (near Schladming, Styria) by car or public transport.
Afternoon: Hike from car park at the end of the valley to Hans-Wödl-Hütte (1528m): 2-3 hours
Route:
Aich (694m) - By car to the end of Seewigtal (1143m) - Bodensee (1157m) - Hans-Wödl-Hütte (1528m)

Monday 16 July
Hans-Wödl-Hütte (1528m) - Preintalerhütte (1657m): 4 hours
Route:
Hans-Wödl-Hütte (1528m) - Neualmscharte (2347m) - Höfersteig - Preintalerhütte (1657m)
Variant:
Hans-Wödl-Hütte (1528m) - Hochwildstelle (2747m) - Preintalerhütte (1657m): 5-6 hours

Tuesday 17 July
Preintalerhütte (1657m) - Klafferkessel (2311m) - Gollinghütte (1641m): 4 or 5 hours
Variant 1: via Greifenbergsattel (2449m): 4 hours
Preintalerhütte (1657m) - Klafferscharte - Klafferkessel (2311m) - Greifenbergsattel (2449m) - Gollinghütte (1641m)
Variant 2: via Greifenberg (2619m): 5 hours
Preintalerhütte (1657m) - Klafferscharte - Klafferkessel (2311m) - Greifenberg (2619m) - Gollinghütte (1641m): 5 hours
Greifenberg is partly Klettersteig, on the Western side very steep downhill. Perhaps dividing of the group.
Choice of variant also depends on if we ascend Hochgolling the next day or not (or part of the group).

Wednesday 18 July
Gollinghütte (1641m) - Landawirseehütte (1985m) (with or withour climbing of Hochgolling)
Route:
Gollinghütte - (1641m) - Gollingscharte (2326m) - Landawirseehütte (1985m): 4 hours
Variant: optionally in addition ascending of Hochgolling (2862m): Gollingscharte - Hochgolling - Gollingscharte: additional 3 hours

Thursday 19 July
Variants:
Going on to the next hut or the next but one
OR: (if on Wednesday the weather was too bad) Ascend of Hochgolling from Landawirseehütte and back (staying there overnight twice).
Route to the next hut:
Landawirseehütte (1985m) - Unterer and Oberer Landawirsee (2047m) - Krautgartscharte (2293m) - Trockenbrotscharte (2237m) - Keinprechthütte (1872m): 3 hours
Route to the next hut but one:
Landawirseehütte (1985m) - Trockenbrotscharte (2237m) - Keinprechthütte (1872m) - Rotmandlspitze (2453m) - Ignaz-Mattis-Hütte (1986m) or Giglachseehütte (1955m) (the huts are in a distance of a quarter of an hour walking time): 5 - 6 hours
Route to Hochgolling and back:
Landawirseehütte (1985m) - Gollingscharte (2326m) - Hochgolling (2862m) - Landawirseehütte: 7 hours

Friday 20 July
Variants shorter or longer, ending point nearer of farther from starting point (Schladming or Obertauern).
Variant 1: Ignaz-Mattis-Hütte - Schladming: 4 - 5 hours
Route:
Ignaz-Mattis-Hütte (1986m) - Brettersee - passing Schiedeck (2339m) - Latterfußsattel (1792m) -Roßfeld (1919m) - Hochwurzen / Hochwurzenhütte (1849m). Great view of Dachstein!
Descend by cable car or on foot, then by foot or by bus to Schladming.
According to weather or our liking end of trip or stay overnight and on Saturday a casual hike.
Variant 2: Ignaz-Mattis-Hütte (1986m) - Obertauern / Radstädter Tauernpass (1738m): 5 - 6 hours
Route:
Ignaz-Mattis-Hütte (1986m) - Akerscharte (2315m) - optionally climbing of Steirische Kalkspitze (2459m), (depending on how difficult this will be) - Oberhüttensattel (1866m) near Oberhüttensee - Oberhütte (1869m) - Seekarscharte (2022m) - Seekarhaus (1797m) - Obertauern / Radstädter Tauernpass (1738m).
Stay overnight at Radstädter Tauernpass or driving home.

Saturday 21 July (optional)
According to ending point of trip:
Either walk in the surrounding of the pass or
Hike in the surrounding of Schladming (e.g. Reiteralm - Schober - Reiteralm): 3 hours
Route Variant Schladming:
Schladming - Reiteralm (1741m) by chair lift or car (toll street) - Untersee - Mittersee - Obersee - Schober (2133m) - Rippetegg (2126m) - Gasselhöhe (2001m) - Reiteralm.
Casual but scenic walk along three lakes and with great views to Dachstein.