Gerhard Pilz/Gerhard Pilz

2-days-tour: In the Miners’ Footsteps

difficult Hiking · Schladming

Tour characteristics

Stamina

Technique

Experience

Landscape

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Tour-Infos

Distance: 23.39 km

Duration: 10:23 h

Ascent: 1870 m

Descent: 2402 m

Best time of year

january

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may

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july

august

september

october

november

december

The tour

This 2-day-hike takes you to the center of the historic mining area in the Schladminger Tauern range. Up to the 19th century miners digged for various ores in the Giglachkar cirque and in the mountains around Keinprechthütte chalet. While the miners had to carry up to 60 kilograms of ore on their back, it's just your backbag for you.

Trail characteristics:

Alpine tour with summit ascent, rubble stone fields, snowfields partially possible. Surefootedness and a head for heights are required. Take great care in case you have to cross snowfields - especially in the mornings when they are still frozen.

Highlights:

Historic Roman route between Ursprungalm and Preuneggsattel mountain saddle
Giglachkar cirque with the 2 Giglachsee Lakes
Vetternkar cirque with the 2 Knappensee Lakes
Peak of the Rotmandlspitze
Trockenbrotscharte mountain saddle
Landawirseen Lakes
Gollingscharte ridge and Hochgolling summit (an extra 3-4 hours walk from Gollingscharte)
Gollingwinkel & Steinriesental valley

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More information

Turn-by-turn directions

Day 1 - to Keinprechthütte chalet via Giglachkar cirque

In the morning, take the first bus from Schladming via Rohrmoos to the starting point at Ursprungalm chalet. From there it is about one hour walk uphill via trail n° 771 to the Preuneggsattel mountain saddle and the Giglachseen Lake. Part of the trail to Giglachkar cirque is a historic Roman trade route.

Once you reach Giglachseehütte chalet you can walk either along the left bank (where Ignaz-Mattis-Hütte chalet is situated) or the right bank of the lakes to the trail junction at the lower end of the lakes. Follow trail n° 702 to the Vetternkar cirque until you reach the ruins of the historic miners' houses. Afterwards the path winds up to the left to the peak of Rotmandlspitze.

Depending on the season there might be some snowfields or rubble stone fields leading you to Krukeckscharte ridge. From there follow the trail downhill via switchbacks to Keinprechthütte chalet, where you stay overnight (we recommend to book accommodation in advance, Tel.: +43 664 43 30 346).

Day 2 - to Untertal valley via Trockenbrotscharte and Gollingscharte ridges

Strengthened by the breakfast you follow the trail n° 702 on the right side through the extensive cirque until you get to a trail junction. Continue left, and hike up to the wind gap of Trockenbrotscharte (2.237 m). From the top you can already see the next chalet - Landawirseehütte - which you will reach after approximately 30 minutes.

From there a wide trail takes you downhill to "Innerer Göriachwinkel", where you turn-off left and the path leads upwards to the wind gap Gollingscharte (2.326 m). You can also reach Gollingscharte on a more direct way from Trockenbrotscharte via trail n° 702A. However, this route often is only possible in late summer and fall when dangerous snowfields are completely gone.

At the Gollingscharte you have the choice to get to the top of the peak Hochgolling (2.863 m, an extra walking time of 3-4 hours). Surefootedness, a head for heights and alpine experience is required for the peak!

From the Gollingscharte the alpine path n° 702/778 no leads you downwards to Gollingwinkel - a mystic but beautiful alpine pasture, resembling a natural amphitheatre. After 15 minutes walk you get to the Gollinghütte chalet from where you walk approximately 1.5 hours to the end point of the hiking tour at Seeleiten car park in Untertal. From there take the Planai bus back to Rohrmoos and Schladming. If you have some time left while waiting on the bus, have a coffee or an ice cream at Almgasthaus Riesachfall.

Getting there

We recommend to take the bus to the starting point "Ursprungalm" because the tour ends at another location in Untertal valley. From Untertal valley take the bus back to Rohrmoos or Schladming. Bus timetable: www.planaibus.at or phone.: +43 3687 22 042

From bus station "Lendplatz" or "Planet Planai" in Schladming with the bus of the Planai-Hochwurzen Bahnen to the starting point "Ursprungalm" in Preuneggtal valley, return journey from "Seeleiten Parkplatz Riesachsee" again by bus to Schladming.

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

Parking

Car park Kraiterparkplatz Schladming or parking garage at Planet Planai. Kraiter car park is approximately 5 -10 walk from the bus station "Lendplatz" from where you take the bus to the starting point "Ursprungalm".

Start

Hiking trail head Ursprungalm, Preuneggtal valley

Destination

Hiking trail head Seeleiten car park, Untertal valley

Security

Surefootedness, a head for heights and alpine experience required!

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

Equipment

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.

For the night please bring a sleeping bag with you, which is required on the huts.

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