Gerhard Pilz/Gerhard Pilz - www.gpic.at

Rotmandlspitze Summit Tour: from Ursprungalm to Eschachalm

difficult closed Summit tours · Schladming

Current Conditions

01/11/2023 - 30/04/2024

Winter Closure Obertal: Eschach road

Winter closure of the road from the Hopfriesen bus turnaround. Blocked until April 30, 2024.

Note: The yellow hiking trail signs are generally only valid in summer. Exceptions are direction boards with the “Winter Walking” icon. Otherwise, winter paths have their own signage.

Tour characteristics

Stamina

Technique

Experience

Landscape

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Tour-Infos

Distance: 13.7 km

Duration: 6:17 h

Ascent: 860 m

Descent: 1259 m

Best time of year

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The tour

A summit tour to the historic mining district in the Schladminger Tauern range with beautiful views to Giglachsee and Duisitzkarsee Lakes. This alpine tour takes you from Ursprungalm to picturesque Giglachseen lakes in the fjord-like Giglachkar cirque, Giglachseehütte and Ignaz-Mattis-Hütte chalets offering refreshments there. You continue on into Vetternkar cirque where you encounter the remains of miners' housing. From there, the alpine trail takes you up to the summit of Rotmandlspitze summit offering great views to Giglachkar and Vetternkar cirques with several lakes. From the summit you then head donwhill via Krukeckscharte ridge and Keinprechthütte chalet to Eschachalm in Obertal valley.

The points of interest are the historic roman route to Giglachseen Lakes, the remains of miner's housing in Vetternkar cirque and Rotmandlspitze summit as well as the many lakes of course. On the way to the valley from Keinprechthütte you also pass through the picturesque alp scenery of Neualm.

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Turn-by-turn directions

From the hiking trail head at Ursprungalm chalet you take trail n° 771 to Preuneggsattel mountain saddle (approx. 1 hour) and the Giglachsee Lakes. From Giglachseehütte chalet you now follow trail n° 702 and pass by Ignaz-Mattis-Hütte chalet. You descend a little to the trail junction 702/776 at Tonnerhütte chaltes.

From here you follow trail n° 702 slightly uphill into Vetternkar cirque until you reach the meinans of miners' houses. From here the trail starts to ascend steeper and leads up to Rotmandlspitze via several switchbacks. The summit is a quite broad ridge and from here you enjoy views into Giglach and Duisitzkar cirques.

Depending on the season there might be some snow fields or rubble stone fields leading to the Krukeckscharte mountain saddle. From there you descend to Keinprechthütte chalet via a steep trail. After some refreshment and snacks at Keinprechhütte you follow trail n° 774 to Neualm and further downhill to Eschachhütt'n Inn at Eschachalm from where you take the bus back to Schladming.

Getting there

We recommend to take the bus from Schladming to Ursprungalm in Preuneggtal valley, because the end point of the tour is in the Obertal Valley from where you can again take the bus back to Schladming. By car, take provincial highway L722 from Schladming to Rohrmoos (for about 6 kms) and then continue right on Hohenbergstraße road to Strickbrücke bridge in Preuneggtal valley. From here continue on the toll road to Ursprungalm.

With the Planai buses from Schladming (Planet-Planai, Lendplatz) or Rohrmoos (Rohrmoos-Zentrum) to Ursprungalm in Preuneggtal valley. From Eschachalm in Obertal valley take the bus back to Rohrmoos and Schladming.

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

Parking

Parking is available at the valley terminal of Planai cable-car in Schladming - buses to Ursprungalm leave from here. Parking is also available at the end of Ursprungalm toll road.

Start

Hiking trail head Ursprungalm

Destination

Hiking trail head Eschachalm, Obertal

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.

Author’s recommendation

From Neualm you can make a detour via Duisitzkarsee Lake, which takes an additional hour.

Tips, hints and links

Tourist information: www.schladming.com

Information about bus schedules: www.planaibus.at

360° drone images

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