by Graham Jameson
The most spectacular scenery in not always restricted to the highest mountains, as anyone familiar with the West Highlands knows. The peaks of the Schladminger Tauern are all well below 3000 metres, but some of the scenery there bears comparison with anything in the non-glaciated ranges of the Alps. This group also offer an excellent network of huts and plenty of summits which are quite easy to reach, but still highly satisfying. With all the Alps to choose from, I have been there six times (with various companions) since 1990. Having by now got to see most of the range in good weather (not always at the first attempt!), I would commend the following route to Newsletter readers; it is essentially the route I followed on my third visit in 1995. It is described here from north to south, but could equally well be done in reverse. It starts at Haus station, east of Schladming, altitude 700m. Before setting out, get hold of a copy of the Tälerbus timetable. This is a network of minibus services that penetrate well beyond the regular bus routes. Beware, however, that most of them do not run at weekends. Most of the group is covered by the Freytag-Berndt map WK201.
Day 1: Haus to the Hans-Wödl Hütte (1528m)
This hut is in the Seewigtal, which has three beautiful lakes at different levels. There is a road as far as the first lake, the Bodensee, which is a popular tourist spot. There is no regular bus service, so you can walk the 7 km, pay for a taxi (not very expensive if several people share) or try hitching. If you drive your own car there, you will have to get back to it at the end!
The hut is near the second lake (appropriately called the Hüttensee), 370m above the Bodensee, up what looks like a vertical wall graced by a splendid waterfall. However, the path finds an easy route up, and this short ascent is very popular. You will probably have a chance to see if you can keep up with small children.
This hut, as well as the next two, belong to the Alpine Gesellschaft Preintaler, not the Alpenverein, so you should get the Austrian hut stamp before going.
Day 2: Over Höchstein (2543m) to the Preintaler Hütte (1657m)
Because of the relatively low elevation of these huts, you really feel that you have climbed a mountain when you reach the surrounding summits. Weather permitting, today's walk gives excellent views all day, starting with a beautiful view of the Hochwildstelle (tomorrow's goal) closing off the Seewigtal. Having reached the Filzscharte, take the lowest (and most visible) variant of the path to the Kaltenbachschulter, where you leave your rucksack for an enjoyable mild scramble up the SE ridge of the Höchstein (about 200m). You could traverse the mountain over the NE ridge, but this is much more strenuous. You could also have gone more directly to the Preintaler Hütte over the Neualmscharte, but you would then miss out on the Höchstein and duplicate some of tomorrow's walk.
The Preintaler Hütte is spacious, comfortable and very well run. In season, it also has an excellent supply of blueberries just across the stream! We will spend three nights here.
Day 3: Traverse of the Hochwildstelle (2747m)
We have now gone half way round this splendid mountain, and it's time to climb it. We go up the SE ridge and down the ``normal" route on the west side. The Alpenverein guidebook assesses the SE ridge as grade II in places, and the normal route as grade I. My wife and I couldn't see much difference: both are mild scrambles. After a steep descent of the summit pyramid (which looks very impressive from a little further on), the normal route takes you along the long, level ridge of the Kleinwildstelle, straight towards yesterday's Höchstein. The view down to the three lakes of the Seewigtal is one of the really unforgettable ones of the Schladminger Tauern.
Day 4: Kieseck (2681m) and Waldhorn (2702m)
This is another natural circuit from the Preintaler Hütte. Most of it was in full view from yesterday's walk. It starts with a climb up past two lakes to the Rettingscharte, where you have to traverse behind a jagged tower before gaining the ridge by a short, but steep, scramble. You then have an exhilarating ridge walk over both summits. The ridge is narrow in places, but easy except for a vertical notch not far below the summit of the Waldhorn. This is the top of a cleft that goes right down the mountain. It is deemed by the AV guidebook to be grade I, but in my view it is harder than any of yesterday's grade II. The key is a neat traversing move on clean rock near the bottom of the notch. This is not a maintained route, so there is no red paint to show the best place! When doing the circuit once in the opposite direction, I found it not too hard to cross the cleft a bit lower down.
A steep but easy descent takes you down to the Waldhorntörl. The path then takes you past another lake and down an abrupt rocky step on the way back to the Preintaler Hütte. Make the best of your last chance to pick blueberries.
Day 5: Over the Greifenberg (2618m) to the Gollinghütte (1641m)
The route starts by climbing up to the Klafferkessel. This is a rocky plateau covered with small tarns, eloquently praised in the local guidebooks. The scenery is actually very Scottish! A brief excursion from the path (150m, grade I) will take you to the top of the Greifenstein, an abrupt rocky lump which looks dramatic from around the Preintaler Hütte. But there is nothing optional about the Greifenberg: the path takes you right over the summit. Your reward is a really superb view of its higher neighbours. The great bulk of the Hochgolling looks magnificent, leaving no shadow of doubt that it is the monarch of the group. The rugged shape of the Waldhorn is seen to perfection.
You now have a fairly steep descent of nearly 1000m to the Gollinghütte. Like the Preintaler Hütte, it is beautifully situated near a stream. No blueberries, but it has its own private climbing ground in the form of a huge boulder.
Day 6: Hochgolling (2862m) and on to the Landawierseehütte (1985m)
This is a day of superlatives. To start with, the valley above the Gollinghütte terminates in one of the really grand spectacles of the Schladminger Tauern, the Gollingwinkel. A level grassy alm is encircled by a huge amphitheatre of rocky cliffs. From here you have a stiff climb to the Gollingscharte, a story-book V-shaped pass where you leave your rucksack while climbing the remaining 540m of the Hochgolling. Half way up, there is a choice between two routes. For the more adventurous one, fork left to complete the climb on the NW ridge. This is again classified grade II in a few places, including a short near-vertical wall, but there are always plenty of holds. Needless to say, there is a huge panorama from the top. Descend by the other route for variety. (One gully crossed by this route may still be filled with hard snow early in the season, in which case an ice-axe would be very desirable.)
The west side of the Gollingscharte is a permanent snow slope. I have always found it manageable without an ice-axe, but again one might be advisable early in the season. You then again have the choice between two routes. This time there is no contest! The left fork takes you right down to the valley, with an ensuing re-ascent on a dull track. The right fork follows a delightful traverse on a grassy terrace, still high up on the rocky mountainside. One short section looks most improbable, but is in fact perfectly easy. On to another beautifully situated hut.
Day 7: Two small peaks and down to Hintergöriach (1250m)
Pietrach (2396m) is a ridge overlooking the Landawierseehütte, simply asking to be traversed from end to end. Go to the Trockenbrotscharte and do so from north to south, with grand views across to Hochgolling. After dropping off the ridge, continue to Scharnock (2498m) and return to the hut past the lakes that give it its name. This is a comfortable morning's walk.
Now go down the Göriachtal to the village of Hintergöriach. It's a delightful valley, but the last 7 km are on a road, and you may decide to use the Tälerbus service from the end of the road at the ``Hüttendorf". This is at the spot marked on the maps as Vordere Göriach Alm. In this case, the conveyance is an electric buggy (ecologically sound, but not very fast!) and it is advisable to give notification of your intention to use it; you can do this from the hut.
Also, book a place to stay in the village before leaving the hut. In 1995, we had a delightful and inexpensive stay with a relative of one of the helpers in the hut, so pleasant that we have been back several times since (address on request). What luxury to spread out your belongings in a room of your own! Our hostess was more than willing to produce breakfast in time for an early start.
This end of the Göriachtal is lush and beautiful in a softer way. Having crossed the main Alpine watershed, we are now in the district called Lungau. I don't think it's fanciful to say that it has a noticeably more southern flavour.
Day 8: Kasereck (2740m)
Kasereck is a splendid pointed peak which we have passed on the way down the valley. The starting point is 4 km back up the valley, and you may think it worthwhile to use the Tälerbus again.
This ascent probably gave me more sense of achievement than any other mentioned here. It's a 1400m climb direct from the valley, on a much less frequented route. There is a path as far as the Piendlsee, but thereafter just occasional red spots. The last hour is a continuous scramble up a steep rocky gully, never difficult, but unrelenting. It should be mentioned that the route crosses no drinkable streams from bottom to top.
In contrast to peaks that are reached from huts, the Gipfelbuch records very largely ascents by locals, averaging barely one a day. From here, you have yet another fine view of the Hochgolling, now appearing as a slender pyramid.
Back to Hintergöriach to celebrate. Transport out is by Tälerbus to Mariapfarr or Tamsweg (Mondays to Fridays only!), then by regular bus, e.g. to Radstadt.
Alternative day 7: to the Keinprechthütte
From the Landawierseehütte, climb Scharnock and traverse Pietrach from south to north, then complete the short walk to the Keinprechthütte.
Alternative day 8: to the Ignaz Mattis Hütte
On the way, only a short detour is needed to reach the top of Sauberg (2520m) and the neighbouring Vetternspitze (2524m). This day could be combined with the previous one, perhaps leaving out Scharnock.
Alternative day 9: to Radstädter Tauern
Short ascents from either side of the Akarscharte give you two more summits: Steirische Kalkspitze (2459m) and Lungauer Kalkspitze (2471m). At Radstädter Tauern, you can stay at another hut, Seekarhaus, or depart by bus.
If you can arrange transport into the Liegnitztal, a more adventurous variant is to climb Hocheck (2638m) from the west and return to Hintergöriach over Lesshöhe. Faint markings point you towards Hocheck from the valley, but you have to find your own way higher up. The ridge south from Hocheck looks spectacular from across the valley, but in fact only the first part is a mild scramble.
(2) The Grazer Hütte, in the south-east corner of the group. From Hintergöriach, you can reach it in a day's walk or by using the minibus via Tamsweg. It's a small, friendly hut which doesn't receive many visitors because of the distance from other huts. From it you can climb Preber (2740m) and Roteck (2742m), the remaining 2700+ peaks in the group. Preber is a grassy walk, the easiest of all the higher summits in the group, while Roteck involves a bit of scrambling.
(3) The Breitlahnhütte, in the Kleinsölktal, on the east side of the group, at the unusually low level of 1070m. There is a road to the hut, and you can reach it by Tälerbus from Gröbming or Stein. You can also get there in a long day's walk from the Grazer Hütte. From it, you have a choice of three routes to the Preintaler Hütte: (a) the Trattenscharte; (b) the Rettingscharte, possibly with an ascent of Kieseck (see ``day 4"); (c) the Kaiserscharte, possibly climbing Deichselspitze (2684m), the highest peak in the group not yet mentioned.
(4) The Rudolf Schober Hütte, further east again. This hut can be reached, with determination, from the Breitlahnhütte, or easily from the valley, via the beautiful Etrachsee. It has three summits within easy range. Bauleiteck (2424m) and Rupprechtseck (2591m) are quite straightforward. We completed a nice circuit including Rupprechtseck by descending to the north from the Gunsterscharte: steep, but possible. The route to Sussleiteck (2507m) is curiously circuitous: after crossing the Schimpelscharte to approach the mountain from the north, one crosses the ridge again near the top and descends steeply on the south side before finally getting there.
(5) The high-level route from Preintaler Hütte to Schladminger
Hütte. A splendid walk, high up on the slope on the north side
of the Untertal. With a slight extra effort, you can include Höchstein.
Though technically a hut, the Schladminger Hütte is a massive modern
building with every convenience, which caters mainly for skiers in winter
and day visitors in summer. Hotel comfort at hut prices!