Long-Distance Hiking Etappe 02: BergZeitReise Sonnschienalm - Hochschwab - Schiestlhaus - Touren-Impression #1 | © TV Hochsteiermark Long-Distance Hiking Etappe 02: BergZeitReise Sonnschienalm - Hochschwab - Schiestlhaus - Touren-Impression #1 | © TV Hochsteiermark

Etappe 02: BergZeitReise Sonnschienalm - Hochschwab - Schiestlhaus

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Stage 02: "In the Styrian Gamsgebirge" - from the Sonnschienalm over the Hochschwab summit to the Schiestlhaus

At a glance:

Start: Sonnschienalm, Tel.: +43 664 5112474 , www,sonnschienhütte.at

GPS grid N 47° 35' 11,7" E 15° 2' 21,0"

Destination / overnight stop: Schiestlhaus am Hochschwab, Tel: +43 699 108 121 99, www.schiestlhaus.at

GPS grid N 47° 37' 19,5" O 15° 8' 54,2"

 

Stage length: 11.3 kilometers

Total walking time (without breaks): 5 hours

Meters of ascent: 940 meters of ascent

Meters of altitude descent: 300 meters of altitude

Difficulties: technically easy hike across the Hochschwab plateau, in bad weather / fog orientation not easy!

 

Get on - from Wildalpen over the Eisenerzer Höhe to the main trail

The second stage of the Hochsteirische BergZeitReise can also be easily reached from the beautiful Salzatal valley via the north side of the Hochschwab. For this we start in the idyllically situated village of Wildalpen (rafting center, hiking and ski touring area, www.wildalpen.at).

A hike over the Hochschwab - a must for every Styrian! Because the Hochschwab is not called the "Styrian mountains" for nothing. It is characterized by its abundance of water (underground, since it is a karst area, but so abundant that Vienna and Graz are supplied with the delicious high spring water) and by the largest chamois population in the Alpine region.

A panoramic hike of the special class with distant views from the Dachstein glacier to the land of hot springs and spa's.

Characteristics

Skill
Fitness
Experience
Scenery

Best season

January
February
March
April
November
December

The tour in numbers

challenging
Level of difficulty
11,2 km
Route
5:00 h
Time
940 hm
Uphill
300 hm
Downhill
2277 m
Highest point
1420 m
Lowest point

Map & downloads

More information

Alpine stage without access / descent!
This stage is one of the most impressive of the entire BergZeitReise. We start at the Sonnschienalm and hike first in an easterly direction to the Sackwiesensee. This high mountain lake is so warm in summer that hardened hikers also like to take a dip in it!

From the lake, which by the way is a few minutes' walk off the main trail, we continue via the Sackwiesenalm to the Häuslalm, a real Hochschwabin institution. This alp, which is open all year round (with the exception of the hunting season!), is a popular day hiking destination from Gasthof Bodenbauer.

But we turn left uphill to start the ascent towards the Hochschwab summit behind the alpine hut. Through mountain pine alleys and over the so-called Hundsböden, the trail continues upwards to the high plateau (be careful in fog!).

It now becomes somewhat flatter and soon we stand, following the pole markings, in front of the Fleischer bivouac box. By the way, the well-known Hochschwab ascent over the "G'hackte" comes up from the right.

For us, however, it is now only a short climb in an easterly direction (there is usually a small snow field to cross here) and we are standing at the highest peak of the BergZeitReise, at the 2,277m high Hochschwab.

A magnificent panorama awaits us - and in order to be able to name the numerous peaks, there is also an orientation disc in the immediate vicinity of the large summit cross.

From the summit, after an extensive rest, we descend (caution, a short exposed passage) over the small Schwaben to the already visible Schiestlhaus.

This was completely rebuilt as a pilot project for ecological and energy self-sufficient refuge construction at the end of the 1990s in place of the old refuge built in 1884.

We have reached our overnight destination.

Water is one of the many treasures of Hochschwab. This was already appreciated in the late monarchy. Under Emperor Franz Joseph I, the II. Wiener Hochquellenwasserleitung was built - a masterpiece of engineering. Up to 10,000 workers were involved in its construction. Since its opening in 1910, fresh spring water has been flowing to Vienna via the approximately 180-kilometer-long water pipeline, supplying the city of millions. Incidentally, it takes about 36 hours for the water to reach the federal capital from the spring waters of the northern Hochschwab massif.

Decades later, the search for water resources that could be used in the future and were suitable as drinking water also reached the Hochschwab mountain range from the south. After preliminary work beginning in the early 1970s, drinking water was finally transported to Graz in 1993.

The alpine pasture economy, which is very pronounced here in the western Hochschwab region, must function in harmony with the use of drinking water. The prerequisite for this is, on the one hand, a regulated grazing operation and, on the other hand, a secure supply and disposal of drinking water, waste water and waste to the huts. Often alpine pasture sites have existed for many centuries. In the time of the industrialization it came to a strong decrease of the Almwirtschaft . The reason for the abandonment of many alpine pastures was the strong migration of workers from agriculture to industry. Other major changes occurred after the Second World War. The economic functions of the alp shifted to the permanent settlement area and certain labor-intensive tasks were - due to the lack of alp personnel - now carried out from the valley or not at all. Today, targeted alpine pasture promotion measures counteract the dramatic decline of this economic form.

The BusBahnBim app from Verbundlinie makes it easier than ever to get timetable information:

All connections by bus, train and streetcar in Austria can be queried by entering placesand/or addresses, stops or important points. The app is available as a free app for smartphones (Android, iOS) - on Google Play and in the App Store.

Alpine stage without access / descent!
www.bergzeitreise.at

From glacier to wine

The Styria Tours app, available for free on Google Play and in the App Store (Android, iOS), offers detailed first-hand information: short facts (length, duration, difficulty, ascent and descent in altitude meters, ratings), map, route descriptions, altimeter, compass, summit finder, navigation along the tour. In addition, you can create your personal favorites list of favorite tours and points, save tours and destinations offline, play on social media channels and more.

With the BusBahnBim app from Verbundlinie, timetable information has never been easier: all bus, train and streetcar connections in Austria can be queried by entering locations and/or addresses, stops or important points. The app is available as a free app for smartphones (Android, iOS) - on Google Play and in the App Store.

Gallery

What the weather will be like

Tragöß-Sankt Katharein (650m)

Morning
slightly cloudy
3°C
5%
0 km/h
Noon
slightly cloudy
16°C
0%
10 km/h
Night
slightly cloudy
14°C
0%
10 km/h
Dry and partly sunny throughout the day, with cloudy periods from time to time.
Morning
slightly cloudy
8°C
0%
5 km/h
Noon
sunny
20°C
0%
10 km/h
Night
sunny
16°C
0%
5 km/h
Dry and partly sunny throughout the day, with cloudy periods from time to time.
31.03.2024
slightly cloudy
7°C 19°C
01.04.2024
cloudy
6°C 18°C
02.04.2024
sunny
3°C 14°C

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