Mountain Hike Höchstein (2.543 m) - Touren-Impression #1 | © Herbert Raffalt Mountain Hike Höchstein (2.543 m) - Touren-Impression #1 | © Herbert Raffalt

Höchstein (2.543 m)

Open
Mountain tour to one of the most striking peaks in the Schladminger Tauern, with some magical variants available for the hike down.
The summit circuit from Hauser Kaibling over the Seescharte and the Höchstein is one of the most impressive high alpine panorama trails in the region. The starting point at high altitude saves you from long and tiring ascents. The tour starts already above the tree line and offers wonderful views. Especially impressive is the Tauern panorama with Waldhorn, Klafferkessel and Hochgolling from the summit of the Höchstein.

Characteristics

Skill
Fitness
Experience
Scenery

Best season

January
February
March
April
November
December

The tour in numbers

challenging
Level of difficulty
10,9 km
Route
6:00 h
Time
905 hm
Uphill
905 hm
Downhill
2543 m
Highest point
1774 m
Lowest point

Map & downloads

More information

Ennstalbundesstraße (B320) - Haus im Ennstal:

  • valley station Schladminger Tauern cable car (above the catholic church in Haus im Ennstal)
  • valley station Hauser Kaibling cable car (directly next to the main road)

The cable car to the Hauser Kaibling allows us to cut the elevation change in half, as we make our way up to this truly rewarding mountain destination.  If we want to start out easy, we will select the gentle forest path down to the Kaibling Alm.  If, on the other hand, we are anxious to enjoy beautiful views from the very outset, we will hike across Hauser Kaibling summit to the Alm.  Our hike now continues uphill along path No. 780 to the Seescharte (beautiful view of the Moaralmsee below), amid rounded hilltops and fields of enormous boulders to the Kaiblinglochscharte.

The subsequent cirque is a little wilder in character, while the hike up across scree and debris to the next gap is steep, though secured by cable in parts.  Afterwards, we cross the southern slopes to the Kaltenbachschulter, climbing via a natural rocky stairway to the western ridge leading to the summit.  The open setting above Ennstal Valley and the highest peaks of the entire Schladminger Tauern guarantee some truly magnificent views.  The main trail takes us back the way we came, all the way to the cable car.

Variant: Hike down via the eastern shoulder to the Filzscharte, caution is essential!  The trail is secured in parts, but loose rock and down-sloping sheets of rock demand our full attention.  Once at the Filzscharte, there is a trail fork: one trail leads to the Hans Wödl Hütte, whereas our path, No. 781, branches off to the left, taking us on a steep hike down to the idyllic Moaralm See.  From there (on path No. 45), things are a lot more relaxed, as we make our way along the slopes below the Bärfallspitze as far as the Rossfeldsattel, and via the Kaibling Alm along a leisurely forest path back to the mountain terminal.

The summit is rich in views; the ascent is rich in experiences; the descents are varied. A high alpine mountain tour rich in new experiences!
Postbus (L900) - Exit: Haus Ort oder Hauser Kaibling Seilbahn
parking area Schladminger Tauern cable car or Hauser Kaibling cable car

TVB Haus-Aich-Gössenberg - www.haus.at

Safety information
Safety on the mountainside: changes in the weather, sudden fall in temperature, thunder storms, wind, fog and snow fields are all objective dangers and require the correct behaviour whilst underway. The landlords of the huts are all very knowledgeable about the mountains and can give you good tips about the weather and the routes. Insufficient equipment, exaggerated opinion of ones capabilities, frivolousness, poor health condition and a false evaluation of the situation can lead to a critical situation. In thunder storms: summits, crest-sites and safety rope aids are to be avoided.

If something should happen call following emergency numbers:
No. 140 - the number for all Alpine Emergencies in all of Austria
No. 112 - European emergency call GSM emergency-call-service

Gallery

What the weather will be like

Haus im Ennstal (758m)

Morning
sunny
2°C
0%
0 km/h
Noon
very sunny
16°C
5%
10 km/h
Night
very sunny
13°C
5%
5 km/h
Some clouds in the morning, lateron much sunshine and hardly any clouds
Morning
cloudy
5°C
0%
0 km/h
Noon
slightly cloudy
20°C
0%
5 km/h
Night
sunny
16°C
0%
5 km/h
Morning clouds will clear gradually. Then frequent sunny periods.
29.04.2024
sunny
3°C 26°C
30.04.2024
very sunny
5°C 27°C
01.05.2024
weather.icon.04
7°C 24°C
Spiegelsee Reiteralm | © photo-austria / Christine Höflehner

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