Stage 02 From Glacier to Wine North Route Guttenberghaus - Stoderzinken

At first, the trail leads back to the Feistererscharte, an important mountain pass above the Guttenberghaus. Follow trail no. 618 along the northern slopes of the Sinabell through an impressive and rugged alpine landscape.This seemingly endless expanse of grey limestone is broken only by the green of alpine hollows and mountain pines. To the east, the summits of Stoderzinken and Grimming dominate the horizon on the north side, you can see the endless mountain range of the Totes Gebirge (Dead Mountains).

After about an hour of hiking the sight of the kettle lake Höllgrabensee (also called Silberkarsee) provides a welcome change of scenery from the otherwise barren landscape. In early July, the basin is often carpeted with blooming alpine roses. The trail to the Grafenbergalm continues through a captivating landscape of large rocks, mountain pines, flowering meadows, gorges and small rock walls. When you reach the Grafenbergalm, you will understand why people feel so well in the Dachstein region. The alpine basin, with its lush meadows and the striking Grafenbergsee framed by mountain pines, is truly unique.

Beyond the Grafenbergalm, the landscape changes once again: forests with beautiful views onto the surrounding mountain ranges and alpine hollows filled with colourful wildflowers. The trail twists and turns through the terrain, at times skirting rock faces before disappearing back into the forest. The path offers a varied experience until the end - reflecting the remarkable diversity of Steiermark itself.

Through a clear larch forest,the trail gently climbs through the Brandner Urwald, one of the region's most remarkable ancient forests to the Brünnerhütte (no refreshments offered here). From there, you will walk another 20 min to the Steinerhaus (Tel. +43 3686 30960), a mountain guesthouse offering all the comforts of a relaxing stay, close to Stodezinken’s summit. The summit rewards hikers with magnificent views across the Eastern Alps (Tourist Info Centre Tel. +43 3685 2213122).For refreshments and regional specialities, stop by the Rosemi Alm (Tel. +43 3686 30960) or the Stoderhütte (Tel. +43 3686 2646 – owned by the Steinerhaus), both close to one another.

Alternatively, you can spend the night on the idyllic Viehbergalm in the Rizingerhütte (Tel. +43 3685 22474 or +43 67 9459817), an intermediate stopover of Stage 3. The Rizingerhütte enjoys a spectacular setting and offers regional cuisine as well as a cosy eight-bed dormitory. This alternative for Stage 2 adds approximately 17 km to the route as we take a left from the Brünnerhütte to the Notgasse and the Viehbergalm. In return, Stage 3 to Bad Mitterndorf is reduced by around 13 km.

Detailed information about arriving by ÖBB (Austrian Federal Railways) can be found at www.oebb.at or on the Verbundlinie Steiermark website www.busbahnbim.at

With Verbundlinie’s BusBahnBim route planner app, planning your journey has never been easier: simply enter towns and/or addresses, stop names or points of interest to check all bus, train and tram connections in Austria. The app is available free of charge for smartphones – on Google Play and in the App Store

TVB Schladming-Dachstein, Tel. +43 3687 23310, www.schladming-dachstein.at
Steiermark Tourismus, Tel. +43 316 4003, www.steiermark.com

Kompass WK293 Dachsteingruppe, Schladminger Tauern www.kompass.at

Freytag & Berndt WK281 Dachstein · Ausseer Land · Filzmoos · Ramsau www.freytagberndt.at