photos.eisenbach.at travel the world

home | hiking tours | skiing tours | voyages | the best of | links | checklist

Hocharn - Sonnblick

Hocharn-Sonnblick (Salzburg) Approach: A10 Exit Bischofshofen, B311 to Taxenbach, intersection to Rauris. Drive to the end of the road (parking lot, toll road). Altitude difference: Kolm-Saigurn - Hocharn 1600m, Hocharn - Sonnblick 400m, Sonnblick - Herzog-Ernst-Sp. 600m Difficulty: medium-difficult, you have to have some climbing skills (I-II).

Equipment:			Profile:
	- Via ferrata climbing set  - Glacier equipment (rope, crampons, ice axe)*  - Snow goggles  - Helmet - always a good idea, but not necessary  - Tent or sleeping bag, if you want to be more independent of mountain huts.
>>> Complete checklist for outdoor voyages <<<

	Webcam of the Carinthian Power Supply Company Kelag
		View from the Sonnblick Observatory to Großglockner (highest mountain of Austria). In front you can see the 1886 built wind tower of the original observatory. Other webcams at the Sonnblick observatory: Blick zum Wurtenkees (Skigebiet Mölltaler Gletscher) Blick ins Rauriser Tal
	provided by kelag

      
If you like mountain tours in high alpine elevations, this is a tour for you. On the first day you will climb three mountains over 3000m. In the next two days two mountains over 2900m are waiting for you. Our tour started at Kolm Saigurn near the village of Rauris in Salzburg. The first summit was Mt. Hocharn (3254m), we followed the ridge to Goldzechkopf (3042m) and to Hohen Sonnblick (3106m) with the meteorological observatory on the mountain top. On the next day, we went down to the end of the glacier and climbed the other side of the basin, in order to climb Mt. Alteck (2942m). We camped near Fraganter Scharte. On the next day we climbed Herzog-Ernst-Spitze (2933m) and went then trough the ridge to the mountain hut of Niedersachsenhaus. From there it's only a one to two hour walk down to Kolm-Saigurn.

On the first day you should leave very early! The Hocharn is easy to climb, but you have to climb quiet a lot at the ridge to Goldzechkopf and Sonnblick. At the difficult climbing parts you will find a steel rope for your security - so for your security, don't forget your climbing harness! The last part of the trail leads you over a glacier. The glacier is not very steep, but I would recommend a rope, crampons and ice axe.

The trail from Sonnblick to Alteck is marked, but you have to cross again a glacier with many crevasses. If you want, you can make a detour to avoid the glacier (you can climb the ridge at the end of the glacier until you reach the marked trail).
The trail to the summit of Alteck is not very well marked and you have to climb a lot of boulders and loose gravel.

The last part of our trip was the ridge from Herzog Ernst Spitze to Niedersachsenhaus. The ridge has nearly no climbing parts but you must have a quiet good balance on the narrow and steep trail. When you reached Niedersachsenhaus, you have all difficult parts behind you and you can enjoy the fantastic food - I recommend "Hüttengeheimnis" (hut's secret). A great meal for a great appetite.

If you want to visit a typical Austrian alp, you have to go to Durchgangalm. From Durchgangalm it is only an half hour walk down to the parking lot.

All in all, a great tour. At this tour you will see everything from lovely alpine meadows to glaciers and from mystic forests to fantastic rock formations.
     

  BACK TO HIKING TOURS

(c) stefan eisenbach | http://photos.eisenbach.at | stefan [at] eisenbach.at