Via the Hohensee to the Schimpelscharte and Etrachsee in the Krakau region

The road over Sölkpass into Murtal Valley begins in St. Nikolai.  Central Alps Path 02 also begins in St. Nikolai.  After the church, it first takes us on a flat walk alongside the Bräualmbach in the direction of the Hohensee.  A beautiful path on which to warm up, since once we get to the valley head and the waterfall, we encounter our first steep climb through high forest up to the Hohensee.  Aside from several dilapidated huts, there are two others built of marble rock that, though not staffed, are still standing.  The lake itself is like a precious gem, in an alpine hollow surrounded by mountains, a beautiful spot to take a break.

Our path now leads above the lake and down into the furthest corner of the valley head, then winding its way between alders and tall slabs of rock to a craggy section.  We cross this with the help of a ladder, at which point the landscape changes; the forest is left behind, rounded hilltops, ground smooth by glaciers and covered in moss, now dominate the scenery.  Our trail takes us to the stream, the valley becomes incredibly narrow and the stream actually becomes our path. We have to continually switch sides of the stream, clambering over slabs of rock and coming to a small dammed up section teeming with flowers.
A gigantic high cirque opens before us, and the trail leads along a striking ridgeline to the left, the mountainside becoming ever steeper until we finally reach the Schimpelscharte.Deep below lies the green Schimpelsee, before us a low stone wall divides the rounded crest of the Schimpelscharte – at an elev. of 2,273m, this is the highest point of this alpine tour.  Beautiful views to the north and south.

Our hike down is initially steep and we have to contend with a loose rock, hugging the cliffs as we make our way down to the broad cirque of the Grafenalm. Amid the following piles of rock, the first pine trees herald our return to the tree line, and soon we leave the bare terrain behind us.  Mosses, rhododendron and blackberry bushes line our path, and we enter a beautiful pine forest.  The Rudolf Schober Hütte is our first refreshment opportunity.

The final descent to the Etrachsee isn’t far away, leading us through a beautiful area of alpine pastures to the romantic lake with its friendly mountain  inn – their specialty: smoked trout.  This is also the stop for the valley bus, which runs through the Krakau area via Ranten, and from there over Sölkpass to St. Nikolai.