The Summit Log by German Adventurer

After the strenuous start the day before, with about 1,400 meters of elevation gain, we ’re expecting a real rest day today—well, as much of a “rest” as you can get on the Hoch Tirol Plus. After a flat, leisurely stroll to the end of the valley, our beloved crampons soon come into use again. Now roped together, we reach a fascinating icefall on the glacier. We navigate through the gleaming blue-and-white chunks of ice, which tower to our left and right, using kick turns. At the base of theGroßer Geigersummit formation (3,360 m), we swap our skis for crampons and trudge step by step up a snow gully until the terrain levels off and the summit cross comes into view. While icy winds had been battering us below, here we’re delighted by the absolute calm and savor the flawless view during a long rest at the summit.

From the Großer Geiger to the Türmljoch, we now face a traverse that, depending on snow conditions, will require more or less uphill climbing. We treat ourselves to a few more meters of descent on a thin layer of powder snow, so that putting our skins on for the first time feels a little more worthwhile. As we climb, we head toward the Großer Happ, and at some point I find myself wondering why we can’t just start the next descent already. Toni heads toward a large boulder and turns around with a grin: “A very promising formation for minerals.” We take our skins off again, and Toni examines the rock. “So, did you find anything?”“Not enough to split three ways, ” he replies with a laugh. After a short descent and some traversing, we have to—unexpectedly for me—put our skins back on. By now, the sun is beating down on our west-facing slope, and all the gear changes are exhausting and a bit grueling. I tell the others what’s just dawned on me: “There’s apparently no rest day on the Hoch Tirol Plus.” By the time we finally reach the Türmljoch—a notch next to a precarious-looking rock tower—even this day, which was supposed to be the shortest so far, has already become relatively exhausting. We descend through a steep gully to the Johannishütte. It’s worth mentioning here that, although the snow conditions aren’t always ideal, such steep descents at the end of a long day can only be tackled when avalanche conditions are relatively safe. With a daily avalanche warning level of 1, we can do this without hesitation.

At the Johannishütte, a cozy, warm dining room and an excellent dinner await us. The hut owner tells us that interest in the Hoch Tirol wasn’t particularly high for quite some time, but over the past five years, the route seems to have regained significant popularity. We assure her that we’ll try to continue contributing to this trend with our photos and reports.

View Stage 2 on the interactive map of Osttirol!

Today we’re heading for the “World’s Old Majesty,” as Kürsinger, the first to climb it, called the Großvenediger (3,666 m). To get there, we first have to navigate some rather arduous terrain with many ridges and rocks until the Defreggerhaus comes into view above us—it’s not open for business in the winter. On the sunny side of the hut, we take shelter for a few minutes from the icy gusts of wind that are accompanying us today. As we continue our ascent toward the glacier, we experience the lowest temperatures of the trip so far. On the ridge, the snow has been blown away so much that we have to carry our skis a few meters across the slope and then down onto the glacier. Fortunately, the wind is a bit weaker here. Roped up, we climb past the Rainerkees at the foot of the striking Rainerhorn. Beneath a steep glacier step that shields us from the wind, we treat ourselves to another snack before heading up to the Rainertörl . Up here, extreme winds have wreaked havoc. We find a rugged, crusty landscape with wind-sculpted ridges, some as big as a table. While ascending on skis, we have to somehow weave our way through or climb over them; this terrain would be unsuitable for skiing down. “Hopefully our descent route is better!” I call out to the others ahead. We head toward the summit ridge, and the beautiful glaciated peak comes into view. The large summit cross now towers only a few centimeters above the mound of snow piled up by the wind. We cover the last few meters along a sharp firn ridge and revel in this magnificent summit. Standing here all by ourselves is no given on the Großvenediger. Right at the summit, the cold wind is unbearable for long, but a few meters below the firn ridge, it’s very pleasant. So we enjoy the view there for a while and talk shop about the names of the countless peaks we can see.

The start of the descent isn’t much fun. On the way down to the Kleinvenediger, you have to worry that your kneecaps will pop out as you carve through the rock-hard snow, or that you’ll lose your skis. But then it quickly gets better, and we carve wide turns on a thin layer of powder. The crevasse zones you have to watch out for here can be easily skirted. The descent is a blast —covering a total of no less than 2,200 meters in vertical drop. Below the Neue Prager Hütte, we traverse past the Alte Prager Hütte, from where we can look down into the Gschlösstal. With the snow still in decent condition, we ski down to the valley floor. Here, a new phase of ski touring begins, as the remaining five km to the end of the stage require a lot of skating. Although the terrain is actually slightly downhill, it’s still quite strenuous. The small wooden huts and barns in Innergschlöss and Außergschlöss are very idyllic and, against the backdrop of the Großvenediger and its surrounding peaks, create a picturesque scene. From Außergschlöss on, the slope becomes steep enough again for a normal descent along the forest trail. On the last few meters before the finish, we pass a couple of people. “That was Sigi Hatzer, the founder of Hoch Tirol, ” Toni tells us. What a coincidence—I wonder what he’d think if we suggested a few new routes here? When we arrive at the Matreier Tauernhaus, we’re absolutely starving. But we’re initially told that there’s nothing left to eat until dinner, since it’s actually their day off. Luckily, the woman at the front desk agrees to cook something for us after all: “Would you like one or two cheese dumplings in your soup?”“How about three?” asks Ueli.

View Stage 3 on the interactive map of Osttirol!

We have quite a bit planned for today. Depending on snow conditions, we’ll either start right at the Matreier Tauernhaus or arrange transportation to the south portal of the Felbertauern Tunnel. From there, at sunrise, we’ll follow the twists and turns of a forest trail into a narrow, shady valley. We’ll put on our crampons again for a steep section. We make our way up in tight switchbacks through the mercilessly hard-packed snow—a grueling stretch that brings beads of sweat to my forehead despite the morning chill; without crampons, we’d be completely out of our depth here once again. Afterward, however, we reach more pleasant terrain and are treated to increasingly better views of the Großvenediger massif behind us. Soon, in the morning sun, we’re carving our trail through the untouched powder snow and can make out the Amertaler Höhe above us. Upon reaching the saddle between the Sillingkopf and the Amertaler Höhe, we turn left. Many skiers simply head straight down the other side of the saddle here, but we want to keep the option of another route open. A quarter of an hour later, we’re standing at the summit of the Amertaler Höhe, which drops off abruptly into a vertical rock face on the northeast side. We refuel and enjoy the view of yesterday’s long descent route.

Meanwhile, Toni is already scouting out the rest of the route—it should work. With our skis on our backs, we traverse past a striking rock tower and then descend 10 meters over easy but exposed mixed terrain until we reach the snowfield below. We strap on our skis and head down the steep slope—a brilliant alternative descent. The snow is still fantastic, and so we let out a few cheers here and there on our way down to the frozen Schandlasee.

After that, we’ll have to muster our remaining strength once more for a long climb up to the Granatscharte. Fortunately, we’re now hiking through gentle ski-touring terrain where we can make steady progress—it’s not as arduous as the steep, icy sections we faced earlier that morning. Ahead of us, the Granatspitze (3,084 m) looms high, seemingly insurmountable. At the windy Granatscharte, we treat ourselves to a short break behind a large boulder before traversing to the east ridge of the Granatspitze on the other side of the saddle. With crampons on, we tackle the beautiful boulder climb rated Grade II. It’s fun to give our legs a little break and pull ourselves up the solid rock using our arms. Soon we’re high-fiving each other at the exposed rocky summit, all of us delighted to have conquered the 2,000 meters of elevation gain on this grueling stage.

The descent toward the Rudolfshütte also proves to be a delight. For the last few meters up to the hut, you can either put your skins back on or ask if you can use the small T-bar lift. We even make it in time to sit in the sun on the hut’s terrace and toast with a beer. Unlike the other huts in Hoch Tirol, the Rudolfshütte is more of a hotel than a traditional mountain hut. But we don’t mind that today, because a sauna session and an all-you-can-eat buffet for dinner definitely help our tired muscles recover.

View Stage 4 on the interactive map of Osttirol!

Today marks our biggest and most adventurous deviation from the standard route, which finally justifies the “+” in our Hoch Tirol plus. Our mountain guide Toni came up with the idea for this variation and has really gotten us hooked with his enthusiasm over the last few days. Since this route can only be done under good conditions—and those conditions are currently in place—we’ve decided to seize this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, even though it’ll be quite a challenge.

We start by ascending the ski run and traverse left across a steep slope below the ski lift’s mountain station. In the first rays of sunlight, we ski down to the Ödenwinkelkees. Ahead of us, seemingly insurmountable, rugged rock faces rise up all around us in a 180-degree arc. As we continue to carve our way into this shady “refrigerator,” my eyes keep wandering to the steep slopes in search of a possible route, but it’s not entirely clear to me how we’re supposed to get up there. We veer sharply to the right to avoid the first glacier crevasse with its deep-blue ice and traverse flatly to the left across it. In a series of hairpin turns, we work our way higher and higher and actually make more progress on skis than I would have expected from below. For the last hundred or so meters of elevation gain, it becomes too rocky to ascend on skis, so we scramble toward the snow cornice above us with our skis on our backs and crampons on. By now, we can already make out the Romariswandköpfe in the distance, which are still our destination for today. We made it—we’re able to wade through the snow cornice without any trouble and are greeted by a fresh breeze at the Obere Ödenwinkelscharte (3,228 m). Now, roped together, we ski across the flat glacier around the Johannisberg , losing as little elevation as possible. Without making a single turn, we reach the glacier below the Romariswandköpfe. With our skins on, we ascend a ramp beneath a glacial crevasse and then pass several large, clearly visible crevasses on our way up to the Schneewinkelscharte. We strap our skis back onto our backpacks and, equipped with crampons, set off on foot along the ridge. Ahead of us, the first tower already rises sharply into the sky. To the south, we now have fantastic views of Osttirol once again . After some beautiful climbing, we reach the last large boulder of the first summit. We scale it via a crack on the left side with a few powerful moves. Only from here do we see that a considerable climbing section still lies ahead of us. We descend toward the next saddle over porous rock slabs with occasional anchor points. Climbing up the ridge toward the next summit, we soon reach the crux. With a few challenging moves, we have to ascend a steep step—the difficulty is probably Grade IV. After that, the climb to the highest point is easier but still exciting. Finally, we reach the main summit of the Romariswandköpfe and look back in awe at the ridge we’ve just conquered.

It’s nice that, on the other side, just a few meters below the summit we’ve just laboriously climbed, we can strap on our skis. Keeping the loss of elevation to a minimum, we stay to the left and ski past the flank of the Teufelskamp to make it across a small saddle visible from afar with almost no uphill climb. On the Teischnitzkees, we continue skiing over large, treacherous wind-blown ridges until we’re almost directly below the Großglockner. In better snow, we make our first turns of the day along the tail end of the Stüdl Ridge and the Luisen Ridge, already imagining our meal at the Stüdlhütte. Due to the thin snow cover, we still have to avoid a few rocky sections, but then the hut finally comes into view. On the terrace, we hug each other: “Now all that’s missing is the Großglockner!” That’s a phrase you’d usually only hear at the end of the Hoch Tirol Plus, since the ascent to Austria’s highest point—a 1,000-meter climb— is the “easiest” stage. Toni is greeted right away by Lydia, the co-manager of the hut, with a warm hug: “Hello, neighbor,” she says, because Toni, as the owner of the Adlersruhe, is of course well-known to everyone here and visits often. In front of the hut, we watch the sunset while enjoying a warm bowl of soup, then head into the Stube for a cozy evening at the hut.

View Stage 5 on the interactive map of Osttirol!

At 4:45 a.m., the alarm goes off—one last time getting up early. In the dim light, we leave the hut and traverse over to the Ködnitzkees. It’s the first time we’ve had a few more fellow hikers on the Hoch Tirol trail, but even today there are no more than a dozen of us. Behind us, the first peaks of Osttirol glow; ahead of us, the summit of the Großglockner stands out in the morning sun. Here, too, there’s unusually little snow for early March. “This is what it sometimes looks like here in early June,” Toni remarks. The Ködnitzkees steepens, and our crampons get their final use. With crampons on, we tackle the easy via ferrata. With my backpack weighed down by my skis, I really feel here that the last five days of demanding high-altitude ski tours haven’t left my legs unscathed. When we reach the Adlersruhe, the sun shines on our faces and a fabulous panorama stretching from Carinthia through Osttirol to the Salzburg region unfolds before us. We’ve been on the move through the Hohe Tauern for six days and arrive at Toni’s hut on the final day for the grand finale —it feels like a perfect ending. While we stand on the sun terrace, captivated by the view, Toni comes out of the hut in high spirits carrying a tray with Obstler and a few shot glasses—one of the perks of having the Adlersruhe hut owner along for the ride. So, shortly after 8 a.m., we raise a toast to Hoch Tirol plus, even though one last major challenge still lies ahead of us.

Maybe it’s the wonderful mountain view, maybe it’s the schnapps, but the strength and motivation for the final 330 meters of elevation gain are now fully back. We continue on to the so-called “Bahnhof,” where we leave our skis. With crampons on, we climb up the Glocknerleitl. Then, with all of Austria at our feet, we trudge cautiously through the well-trodden snow to the right up the slope. The narrow ridge over to the Kleinglockner is a fantastic section—there’s a drop of hundreds of meters on both sides, and you balance along it as if on a knife’s edge. It’s a good ten meters down into the Upper Glockner Saddle before we reach the crux. A few meters of steep rock face (II), which, however, can be easily mastered thanks to good footholds and handholds as well as opportunities for belaying. On the final steps to the Großglockner summit cross, a flood of emotions washes over me—we’ve reached the highlight of the Hoch Tirol plus! What a feeling to be standing here at Austria’s highest point after these amazing days with Ueli and Toni—and all on my own! We share a group hug, and I want to capture mental images of this moment and soak in the view. We’ve worked hard to get here, so it’s all the more wonderful that everything went so smoothly.

Focused, we set off on the descent again and reach the ski depot without any problems. Unlike on the ascent, we briefly hike a few meters down into the steep snowfield above the Ködnitzkees . There, with good firn conditions, the slope drops steeply at first. After some hard snow on the flat glacier , beautiful firn turns await us further down amid what are now spring-like temperatures. We’re able to ski down without any trouble all the way to the parking lot at the Lucknerhaus. We congratulate each other on this success and , to wrap things up, have a photo taken of us —the first photo of the tour in which I’m also visible. A massive ski traverse comes to an end, and it couldn’t have gone much better. While we wait for our lunch at the Lucknerhaus, we use a flyer with a map of the Hoch Tirol to adjust our route— cheers to the Hoch Tirol Plus.

View Stage 6 on the interactive map of Osttirol!