Sportgastein - Vordere Geislspitze / Vorderer Gesselkopf (via Hagener Hütte)
Starting point: Sportgastein (1570 m)
| Lat/Lon: | 47,06152°N 13,05771°E |
| |
Name of path: via Hagener Hütte
Time of walking: 5 h 15 min
Difficulty: partly demanding marked way
Altitude difference: 1404 m
Altitude difference po putu: 1450 m
Map:
Recommended equipment (summer):
Recommended equipment (winter):
Views: 447
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Access to the starting point:
At Tauern motorway in Austria take an exit for Bischofshofen and follow the road in direction to Zell am See.
After a little more than 20 km from Bischofshofen, take a left turn for Bad Hofgastein and Badgastein. Continue to Sportgastein and park at one of the big parking places (ski resort area).
An alternative option is a motorail connection between Mallnitz and Bad Gastein via 8371 m long Tauern tunnel. You will save 150 km one way with this option (along with tunnel tolls at Tauern highway). Public transport is also an excellent option (a combination of a train and a bus).
Path description:
The trail from Sportgastein first crosses the vast Gasteiner-Tal a.k.a. Nassfeld valley. There is a lot of markings in the valley, since there are also many visitors (most of these are leisure walkers, who turn back at the end of the valley or even sooner). Many huts and mountain pastures await you along the way. The first hut is a Valeriehaus at the beginning of the trail. Nevertheless, just after a couple of minutes of walk there is a Schareck mountain pasture (Schareckalm). Soon after, on the right side of the way, there are Moisesalm and Pottingeralm. A trail to Schereck branches off at this point as well. After 5 to 10 minutes a Nassfeldalm and a hut are reached. After 30 minutes you will reach the end of the valley, where a Veitbaueralm is situated.
After this point the trail gets steeper and ascends along the glacial moraines. In the next two and a half hours of walking uphill you will gain more than 800 meters of altitude and arrive to the Hagener hut (Hagener Hütte, 2446 m).
Continue west, descend a few meters to the signs and a bell, and follow a leisurely trail further west. The trail then reaches a spring that is emerging from the ground all around the area. From this point on, the trail gets steeper. After gaining cca. 150 meters of altitude you will reach the ridge. The trail is really steep the last few meters and so caution is advised. A mountain Westerfrölkekogel (2727m) rises on the right side.
From here continue left following a trail passing under the ridge into the basin, traverse a few giant rocks, and from then ascend again to the beautiful wide part of the ridge. At first traverse the plateau while slowly ascending. Soon after the trail gets steeper again until the ridge gets very narrow. From here on expect no more false summits, because the next peak is Vorderer Geiselkopf. In this final section of the trail expect snow and ice until late July and from September.
The summit can be reached from the east and the west side. The east side is slightly more difficult and add a 5 or 10 minutes of walking distance for the west side. A few meters of steel rope are fixed below the peak, but it is easier to go around it, since there is an easier passing to the top just about 10 meters away. A summit cross and a metal box with a book will await you at the top. Enjoy excellent views to the neighbouring 3000-meter-high mountains, i.e. Hochalmspitze and Ankogel to the east and Schareck and Sonnblick to the west.
Parking place – Hagener Hütte (3 h 15 min); Hagener Hütte – Vorderer Geiselkopf (2h).
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Discussion about the trail Sportgastein - Vordere Geislspitze / Vorderer Gesselkopf (via Hagener Hütte)