Key facts:
- Routing: Welser Hütte (1726m, 8.15) - Fleischbanksattel (2126m, 10.00) - Großer Priel Gipfelgrat (2472m, 10.50, Abbruch) - Fleischbanksattel (12.00-12.30) - Rotkogelsattel (2000m, 16.00) - Elmzageln (17.00) - Pühringer Hütte (17.30)
- Distance: 11,6km
- Height metres: ca. 930 hm
- Net Walking time: 8 hours (estimated)
- Animals: Chamois (4), Snail
Zweiter Tag der geführten Alpenvereinstour durch das Tote Gebirge. Mit Abstecher zum Großen Priel (abweichend zum Tourenprogramm). Aus Rücksicht auf den australischen Mitwanderer verfasse ich den Bericht wieder auf Englisch. Eigennamen übersetze ich nicht.
Day two of our three-day hike. The distance and elevation gain weren't particularly demanding on paper, but the terrain told a different story. We moved across a classic karst plateau - a constant up and down over uneven ground, riddled with cracks, deep dolines, and lingering snowfields. Shade was scarce, and the wind remained calm for most of the day. In such a harsh and exposed environment, reaching the next stop safely requires solid preparation and some experience - especially with no spring or well along the way to refill water supplies.
I slept well this night although it has been my first night at an alpine hut for several years. The open window and the pleasent breeze of cold air contributed to a deep night sleep. The Welser Hütte offered a small and a large breakfast buffet. I chose the small one as my stomach cannot tolerate fatty cheese and sausage so early in the morning. Jam and a strong coffee were sufficient for me. We were positively surprised by the good coffee and a companion who lived in Germany for some time filled the others in on the term "Blümchenkaffee" - the opposite of a strong coffee when it's so watery that you can literally see the porcelain decoration at the bottom of the cup.
Bild 1: Upper Hetzau valley, Traunstein in the center far back.
Bild 2: A few minutes after leaving the Welser Hütte, we encountered the first of several short fixed cable sections (central part).
Here it was a tilted crack to climb the next terrace. Background: Sauzahn to the left, Schermberg, then Almtaler Köpfl with the Tassilo via ferrata.
Bild 3: Looking back to the Welser Hütte, with Kreuz (2174m) behind.
Bild 4: Gentle part of the trail for a few minutes before the next terrace.
Bild 5: So-called "Teicheln", small water ponds originating from melting snowfields.
This time, all ponds have already dried out. The trail continued crossing the big rocks and then under the great rock wall on the left side to the reddish rocks.
Bild 6: Next scarp with stirrups and cabled sections.
Bild 7: We entered the big shadow and this was important because of ...
Bild 8: .... a large sloped snowfield reaching to the next terrace.
Only one participant brought (light) climbing iron along with as the guide said we wouldn't need them for this tour, probably referring to the hutkeeper's statement. However, the snowfield was completely shadowed and rather hard and icy. I tried it with my hiking sticks but couldn't stand safely, let alone think about walking on it. The guys in the foreground were smart and attached spikes to their shoes. I avoided this tricky part by evading into the block terrain to the right. It turned out that I reached the end of the snowfield much faster than climbing up the snowfield itself.
Bild 9: Looking at my companions..
North-facing crossings in the Totes Gebirge may still be covered with old snowfields as late as the end of June. I would encourage hiking guides to always take spikes along this time of the year.
Bild 10: Next terrace ahead.
Two chamois eyed from the top of the "Fleischbänke" wall towards the climbing mountaineers.
Bild 11: Close-up view of the crucial part of this ascent:
A short ladder, then a big step to reach a foothold (I would classify it as B) and crossing the exposed wall without secured cables. I could imagine this section is rather challenging under wet or icy conditions. I made life unnecessarily difficult for myself by trying to take too big a step to reach the next foothold, when a shorter step with less effort would have been enough.
Bild 12: Snowfield from the top.
Bild 13: A more sloped snowfield, with a guy struggling to cross it.
One of our more experienced hiking companions didn't want to deal with the snowfield at all and instead chose to bypass it by going off-trail over easy rocky terrain. It saved both concentration and energy. The others continued over the snowfield, considering it as training. I followed my companion since our journey would be still long enough and I didn't want to waste my resources too early.
Bild 14: Snowfield from above.
Not really dangerous in terms of falling down but slipping could still lead to unnecessary injuries.
Bild 15: Next terrace where the normal route to the Schermberg diverged.
The hutkeeper had initially proposed this route to climb the Schermberg instead of Großer Priel and then proceed over the normal route to the Pühringer Hütte. We would have had about 300hm extra.
Bild 16: Moos-Leimkraut (Silene acaulis).
Bild 17: Another snowfield but with soft snow (more grip).
It could be bypassed close to the rocks.
Bild 18: Then we finally reached the so-called Fleischbanksattel (2124m) where a stunning panorama of the karst plateau awaited us.
The dominant rock pillar to the left is the Temlberg (2331m) and the Dachstein mountain (2995m) to the right.
Bild 19: Close-up of Dachstein, with retreating Hallstätter Gletscher (right) and Schladminger Gletscher (left).
The trapeziform mountain in the foreground with grass on it is the Elm (2128m), the nearest mountain to the Pühringer Hütte. So we needed to pass the foot of the Elm to reach our destination, and I think this underlines the extent of the karst plateau we had to cross this day.
Bild 20: Western Dachstein mountains and Hohe Tauern surfacing in the background.
From the left to the right: Hosskogel (2366m) behind Elm, then Großer Bärenkopf (3396m), Hohe Hosswand (2247m) and the white peak is the Großes Wiesbachhorn (3564m,115km) behind. Famous Bischofsmütze (2458m), with Schneespitze (3317m) behind.
We had a short break (too short for me) until we started heading towards the Großer Priel without our backpack. We just took a bottle of water, some snacks or a stick with us.
Bild 21: The chamois are used to the people here, didn't move even when we passed nearby.
Bild 22: Most of the climb to Großer Priel happened in easy terrain.
However I wasn't used to this altitude and struggled to keep up with the leading group. I gave it up later and tried to continue at my own pace.
Bild 23: Schermberg (2396m), thirdhighest peak of Totes Gebirge.
Bild 24: Karst plateau landscape.
Bild 25: Aborting here.
The leading group had already reached the middle of the exposed ridge. I was struggling with the altitude - shortness of breath set in, and I felt my surefootedness beginning to fade. I've crossed even more exposed ridges before, like the Rauer Kamm (Ötscher) and the Großer Wildkamm (Veitsch), but back then, the altitude didn't affect me the same way.
The Großer Priel (2,515 m) wasn't originally part of the tour plan. Still, by reaching an altitude of around 2,472 m (give or take a metre), I personally made it to the highest point I've ever reached in the Totes Gebirge. Of course, I would have loved to touch the big red summit cross. But at the same time, I was able to rely on my experience and gut feeling to know when to turn back. So I tried to enjoy the view from where I stopped.
Bild 26: Hetzau valley below, Kasberg to the right, Traunstein in the center, Höllengebirge to the left.
Shallow haze layer over the plains of Upper Austria (Zentralraum), indicating stable conditions.
Bild 27: Schermberg (2396m), the easiest route comes from the left (SW flank).
Bild 28: Karst plateau.
Bild 29: Großer Priel (2515m), Großer Pyhrgas (2244m, Haller Mauern) to the right, Hochtor (2369m) and Großer Ödstein (2335m, both Gesäuse) far behind to the right and Warscheneck (2388m, Totes Gebirge).
Bild 30: Kühkar where a marked trail leads up to the Priel, across Brotfallscharte, Ostrawitz (1823m) vis-à-vis.
Hinterstoder to the left in the valley. Warscheneck-Mölbingkamm behind and Rottenmanner Tauern in the background.
Bild 31: Schermberg, with Schönberg (2090m) behind.
Far behind on the horizont: left - Hochkönig (2941m) and central: Watzmann (2713m), Berchtesgadener Alpen.
Bild 32: Brotfall (2360m) to the left, Spitzmauer (2446m), Weitgrubenkopf (2259m), Großer Hochkasten (2389m) behind.
The easiest route to the Priel coming from Prielschutzhaus (1420m) is through the Klinserschlucht, the gap between Brotfall and Spitzmauer.
Bild 33: White symbol: Rotkogelsattel (2000m), our stop-over to the Pühringer Hütte.
Austrian people tend to say "es ist ein breiter Weg" (''breit'' means long way to go).
Bild 34: Gämskresse (Hornungia alpina)
I descended to the Fleischbanksattel in my own pace and waited together with the Australian hiker until the rest of the group caught up (a few minutes later). We made our lunch break here in the shadow of a big rock. Afterwards we continued on the "Welser Höhenweg" trail, crossing the Karst plateau for hours.
Bild 35: Soft snowfields to cross.
Bild 36: Man-made trails with constructed paths to the rock desert.
Bild 37: Temlberg (2331m) and Feuertalberg (2376m).
Bild 38: Ankogelgruppe (Hohe Tauern)!
The trapeziform mountain with snow is the Ankogel (3246m,94km), with the Kleinelendkees facing us. To the right: Sinabell (2349m) and Eselstein (2556m) in the Dachstein mountains.
Bild 39: The not so dead mountains: A living snail (Felsenschnecke).
Bild 40: Steps carved in the rock along the trail.
The mountain trail "Ausseer Weg" exists for about a century now but the exact track changed the past decades.
Bild 41: Alpen-Löwenzahn (Taraxacum cf sect alpina)
Bild 42: Rotgschirr southern summit (2261m) with cross, the northern summit is 9 metres higher (but very exposed to reach).
Bild 43: Temlberg (2331m), NW-Couloir - a marked trail leads to the summit in tight switchbacks.
The hutkeeper told us the Temlberg is a rather lonely summit compared with Priel or Schermberg.
Bild 44: Alpen-Leinkraut (Linaria alpina), my favourite flower in the limestone Alps!
Bild 45: Paragliders on top of the Spitzmauer (2446m), secondhighest mountain of Totes Gebirge.
Bild 46: Moos-Leimkraut, with Temlberg behind.
Bild 47: Kalk-Enzian (Gentiana clusii)
Bild 48: Frühlingsenzian (Gentiana verna)
Bild 49: Großer Koppenkarstein (2863m), Dachstein area, Elm to the far right.
Bild 50: Rotgschirr ahead, with banded limestone slabs stretching across the northeastern flank.
Bild 51: Our guide. The Rotkogelsattel lies just above his head (Elm behind the gap).
Unfortunately we could not look directly into the Hetzaugraben, an interesting narrow rift between the Rotgschirr-Hochplattenkogel ridge and Pfaffenschneid-Schermberg ridge.
Bild 52: Frühlingsenzian and Alpen-Hahnenfuß (Ranunculus alpestris)
Bild 53: So-called Ochsenweiden -a wide cirque (Kar) between Rotgschirr and Feuertalberg.
Just a few hundred height metres below, mountain pines existed in this altitude.
Bild 54: Niedere Tauern (Schladminger Tauern)
To the left: Hochwildstelle (2747m). Hochgolling (2862m) center far behind, Kammspitz (2139m) in the middle part, Lawinenstein (1965m, Totes Gebirge) in the foreground. To the right of Hochgolling: Höchstein (2543m) and Elendberg (2672m). Far right (pronounced summit): Blutspitze (2626m)
Bild 55: A chamois just walked along the marked trail only ten metres in front of us.
Bild 56: Wald-Storchschnabel (Geranium sylvaticum)
Bild 57: Looking back: Pfaffenschneid, Großer Priel, Brotfall, Temlberg.
Bild 58: Echter Wundklee (Anthyllis vulneraria ssp. alpicola) and Alpen-Vergissmeinnicht (Myosotis alpestris)
Bild 59: I spotted a young chamois scrambling over the karst rocks.
The trail seemd endless and narrowed once again.
Bild 60: Old snowfields layed in between, some bordered by sizable crevices and cavities benaeth (Spalten und Hohlräume).
So one had to stay extra focused to avoid slipping.
Bild 61: Bizarr rock formations.
Bild 62: Last time I looked back the way we came.
Bild 63: After a 3,5 hours hike I eventually reached the Rotkogelsattel (2000m).
The trail then drops steeply down over pine-covered karst terrain.
Bild 64: Zwerg-Alpenrose (Rhodothamnus chamaecistus)
Bild 65: Extended karst plateau ahead, with Hochkogel (2091m) in the center, Zwölferkogel (2099m) and Elferkogel (2038m) far right.
Further to the left: Salzofen (2070m). The sloped ridge with pines to the left is the lower part of the Elm summit. The Pühringer Hütte lies between this ridge and the Karst plateau below Hochkogel. So still some distance to overcome. I wondered how much time I would need to reach the hut.
Bild 66: Before the great descent (where I did not made any pictures as I had to stay focused).
Elm (2128m) in the center, Hetzkogel (1966m) to the left. Elmflecken (the green hollow at the foot of Elm ridge and Hetzkogel) vis-à-vis.
Bild 67: Hochwildstelle, Hochgolling in the back, Kammstein and Stoderzinken ahead.
Bild 68: Impressive landscape east of the so-called Hochbrett (between Hochkogel and Elferkogel).
A marked trail leads across the lowest part (Röllsattel, 1755m) and Sepp-Huber-Steig to Almsee - a much more challenging climb compared with the climb we had from Hetzau to Welser Hütte.
Bild 69: Southern edge of Rotgschirr.
Bild 70: Alpen-Glockenblume (Campanula alpina)
Bild 71: Röllsattel, with Traunstein (1691m) in the center far behind.
Bild 72: The path was built with distinct corridors through the karst landscape.
Bild 73: No comment.
The trail descended about 300 meters in total, across moderately challenging terrain with limestone slabs and dwarf pine roots that required big steps. Meanwhile, the afternoon sun was beating down on the western slope, and I was slowly running out of water. I took only small sips and picked up my pace, hoping to get the descent over with quickly.
Bild 74: Elmzageln (small lake) and Rotgschirr to the right.
According to the original program, after the long Karst plateau traverse, we would have climbed again 400hm to the Rotgschirr summit before descending finally to the Pühringer Hütte. I wondered if this was feasible at all. It's probably better to stay overnight at Pühringer Hütte and go to Rotgschirr and/or Elm the next day.
Bild 75: Rotgschirr. The summit is on the left side of the ridge.
Bild 76: The remaining trail to the hut was fortunately easier to go, with little ups and downs.
Salzofen to the right. If I had more time and wasn't such hungry, I would have stopped for some photos as soon as I saw a women kneeling on the ground and taking a photo of Alpen-Soldanelle (Soldanella alpina). This type of alpine plants typically appears shortly after the snow has melted.
Bild 77: Then I spotted the Pühringer Hütte, with beautiful Elm lake behind.
It's a trough lake without runoff, probably draining into Hinterer Lahngang lake further downstream. Unlike this time of the season, the lake was not covered with snow but warm enough to have a bath. The word Elm originates from the ancient term elm for Bergulme (Ulmus glabra). The Pühringer Hütte is considerably smaller (80 beds) than Welser Hütte (127 beds).
I arrived at the hut very thirsty and immediately downed two raspberry sodas. After that, we sorted out our sleeping arrangements - this time in a 20-person dormitory-style mattress room, though not all spots were taken. I reserved a spot near the window, so there was only one potentially snoring neighbor beside me.
Bild 78: The sunset happenend earlier than the day before at Welser Hütte.
It became considerable colder and almost everyone went inside.
Bild 79: Sunset over Rotgschirr.
Bild 80: Alpenglow.
The Pühringer Hütte has been well organized. The Graupen (Barley) Soup was excellent, as well as Spaghetti with lentils bolognese, and the chocolate cake as dessert.
I took a quick look into the guest room, which was soon filled with people and became uncomfortably loud for myself So I grabbed my beer and stepped outside, where it was wonderfully quiet, with nothing but birdsong in the air.
The hut keeper came out for a brief moment as well, seemingly to enjoy a bit of peace himself. I would have liked to chat with him, but I didn't want to disturb his break and let him drift off into the distance in silence.
I went to bed early - the long day had taken its toll. This time, I didn't even notice when the others came back; I only woke around one in the morning because the air in the dorm had grown so stuffy that I developed a headache. For some inexplicable reason, the window had been closed, so I opened it slightly again. The snoring eased almost immediately, and I was able to fall back asleep.