Date: Fri 26th - Sun 28th September 2008
Suggested by: Sumio Miyagawa
Description:
Dachstein massive consists not only of the impressive peak, Hoher Dachstein 2995m, but also of unbelievably beautiful lakes, exposed rocks of various shapes, changing vegetation and gigantic glaciers. We will walk to explore them while covering the relatively small region. The chosen day is the last day to stay at Adamekhütte this year because it will close for the season on the day we leave.
1st day: We will meet at Gasthof Gosausee. A beautiful lake, Vorderer Gosausee, is just in front of us. If the weather is fine, we can already see Hoher Dachstein and Grosser Gosaugletscher.
Walking along Vorderer Gosausee to Hinterer Gosausee is an easy hike. Soon after Hinterer Gosausee, route 614 becomes steep and we will lose foresight. But the backward view to Gosausee is impressive. We might walk on snow before arriving at Adamekhütte. There, Hoher Dachstein may be seen orange in sunset, while it is already dusk around Adamekhütte. Our hot bodies will be cooled by a cold shower for free of charge.
2nd day: As the walking time is rather short on this day, we may spend some time near Grosser Gosaugletscher before leaving Adamekhütte.
After Adamekhütte, we will back-track on route 614 for half an hour then right to route 650 indicating "To Simonyhütte". The route is rather flat on a map, but actually there are ups and downs on exposed rock floor. Some short but steep ascents lead us to Hosswandscharte where suddenly the north view opens. From here, the route is rather unstable and we will walk across steep slopes.
After walking an hour or so, we reach Hoher Trag, a very flat point where we feel unexpectedly relaxed. From here, the east view opens; in the distance we may see our destination for the day, Simonyhütte. Let's take pictures of us here and there in various directions. This is also the point where we can see Hallstätter Gletscher, the largest glacier on the north-east side of Hoher Dachstein.
We will reach Simonyhütte early afternoon where we can take a warm shower and nap.
3rd day: In contrast to other hikers who leave Simonyhütte early in the morning for the top of Dachstein, we will take a late breakfast. We are lazy. The climax is just in front of us. We will see an ever changing surface color of Dachstein as the sun rises higher.
Shortly after leaving Simonyhütte downward, we will face Hallstätter Gletscher. Strenuous walking (we do not need crampons) upward for around two hours will make us pass by the north-east face of Hoher Dachstein and arrive at Seethalerhütte. There we can see Dachstein Südwand, a 700m-high wall, and far-south to Schladminger Tauern.
We can take lunch at Seethalerhütte or at Seibahn Bergstation half an hour walk from Seethalerhütte. The cable car takes us down 1000m to the Talstation where we can take a bus to Schladming Bahnhof.
Depending on the wishes, skills and body condition of the participants and the weather condition, we will flexibly change our plan during the trip. The second day may be crucial if the weather deteriorates. As there are a lot of pits on the rocky ground, if snow covers the route, the trip may be cancelled or the route completely reconsidered.
Further options could be as follows:
Option 1: If we are good guys and rewarded with good weather, we may try Hoher Gjaidstein 2792m. Why? Because this point is the best point to see the whole Dachstein massive. To do this, the earlier we leave Simonyhütte, the better, because Hoher Dachstein shines under morning sunshine.
Option 2: If we are fed up walking upward, we may descend to Hallstatt. This can be done less than 4 hours from Simonyhütte. We can also stop at Wiesberghaus for a short tea break on the way. However, such a long descent (1500m) impacts and hurts our body, especially the knees, much more than we ascend.
Length of activity, difficulty:
As far as walking the basic route described above, nothing is technically difficult. Anyone without special skill can complete this trip. It is however demanding. You must physically be fit enough to walk 5-6 hours to gain 1500m on the first day, zigzag walk avoiding pits on the second day and 2-3 hour ascent on glacier on the third day.
Meeting time and point: Friday 26 Sep. 11:00 AM at Gasthof Gosausee (Gosau 395; A-4824 Gosau, Tel: 06136 8514, http://www.gasthof-gosausee.at/)
Ending time and point: Sunday 28 Sep. 4:52 PM at Schladming Bhf to Vienna Südbahnhof at 9:02 PM. However, it depends on the activity.
Public Transportation:
Buy a train ticket to Steeg-Gosau. Leave Vienna Westbahnhof at 05:40 (IC 540) or 06:44 (IC 542). Change at Attnang-Puchheim to R or REX train to Steeg-Gosau. Convenient bus connection to Gosausee. Arriving at 10:13 or 10:56, respectively.
Driving Instructions:
As we will end the trip at a different point than the starting point, driving is not convenient or recommended. If we decide to go by car, the following route may be taken to Vorderer Gosausee.
From Vienna, A1 Westautobahn about 200km, take exit #224/REGAU toward Bad Ischl/Gmunden. After Bad Goisern, take B166 (right turn) toward Steeg. You will see Hallstätter See on the left hand side. Stay B166 but carefully check steep right turn to Gosau. In the middle of Gosau, follow the sign to Gosausee (B166 turns right to Salzburg). Continue until the end of the road. Total driving time is around 3.5 hours.
The car may be left at Hallstatt Gosaumühle (bus-changing point by Hallstätter See, just before the right turn to Gosau), where you can take a bus to Gosausee.
Car sharing:
Let's talk. Please contact trip leader to indicate if you are willing to drive and can offer or would need a lift.
Recommended Equipment:
Usual equipment for high alpine hikes including warm clothes, sunglasses, sunblock, waterproofs, plenty of drinking water and snacks. Good sturdy footware.
Comments:
Registration required by 15th September. A participant must be OeAV member or equivalent. Email to outdoor.with.sumio@gmail.com with your name, mobile phone number. I will reply as the confirmation.
A decision whether to go or not will be made on Thursday (25th) evening, and communicated by SMS or e-mail to the participants.
Contact Information for Trip Leader:
Tel: 0676 6872572, Email: outdoor.with.sumio@gmail.com (Tel and email are valid only for this trip)