4-Seasons Hiking Path

Characteristics

Skill

Fitness

The tour in numbers

Level of difficulty easy

Route 7,9 km

Time 2:45 h

Uphill 55 hm

Downhill 775 hm

Highest point 1852 m

Spring, summer, autumn or winter – whatever the season, always an unforgettable nature experience for the whole family!

Nice hike for the whole family from the summit of Hochwurzen to the valley terminal of Gipfelbahn Hochwurzen cable car. From hotel Winterer there is also a variant fully suitable for prams back to the valley terminal. The trail is mostly a wide hiking path, through beautiful high forest. Only parts - via Kleine Hochwurzen, and from Hotel Winterer to the valley terminal of the cable-car - are smaller hiking trails not suitable for prams. However, there is alternative routes that are possible with buggies.

Best season

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

More information

From Schladming take provincial highway L722 (Rohrmoosstraße road) to Rohrmoos and at the roundabout continue straight ahead until you reach the valley terminal of Gipfelbahn Hochwurzen cable car.
Parking is available at the valley terminal of Gipfelbahn Hochwurzen cable car.

From Hochwurzen summit, we make our way to the Hochwurzenalm, which lies just a little below. The path leads through fairytale alpine high forest – if we are lucky, we might catch sight of one of the animals that live here! In a series of broad switchbacks, our path meanders downhill on the Preunegg valley side of the Hochwurzen, until we meet up with trail No. 771, which leads to the Neudegg- and Ursprungalm. We follow this path ro the right towards the mouth of the valley, until we reach the Hochwurzen road. After about 200 meters, we will come to Gasthof Winterer. If we want, we can continue our hike – the path is marked all the way back to the valley terminal of the Gipfelbahn Hochwurzen cable car (trail n° 60) or along the Rohrmoosstraße road (suitable for prams).

Changes in weather patterns, quick falls in temperature, thunderstorms, wind, fog and snow are some of the dangers that can be encountered on a hiking tour. Hosts of alpine huts and mountain refuges have a lot of experience in the mountains and can give good advice about weather and the trails. Poor equipment, overestimation of one's own capabilities, carelessness, poor personal constitution and/or wrong judgement can lead to critical situations. In case of thunderstorms: avoid summits, ridges and steel ropes.

GPS data and orienteering

Available GPS data - just like hiking maps - is only a guidance for orientation and can never depict a trail exactly with all its details. Especially at dangerous spots it is essential to judge on site how to proceed.

In an emergency please call:

140 - for Alpine emergencies (all over Austria)
112 - European GSM emergency number

A well-packed backpack is helpful and especially when touring Alpine terrain a tuque, gloves, a windproof jacket and pants are standard equipment. Good, waterproof shoes, sun glasses, sun cream and sufficient beverages are essential too. Torch light, a map of the area, knie and a small first-aid kit should also be in the backpack.

You can hike up the 4-Seasons Path all the way to the mountain terminal, or simply ride the gondola up there, and stroll to the starting point of the hike from there.

With the Planai buses from Schladming (Planet-Planai, Lendplatz) or Rohrmoos (Rohrmoos-Zentrum) to the valley terminal of Gipfelbahn Hochwurzen cable car.

Buses of Planai-Hochwurzen-Bahnen: www.planaibus.at

Tourist information: www.schladming.com

Information about bus schedules: www.planaibus.at

Information about cable-car hours: www.planai.at

Hiking map Schladming, 1:25.000, available at the tourist office Schladming.
Hiking map Schladming-Dachstein, 1:50.000, available at the tourist office Schladming.