Climb up the highest point of Austria: “The Gloßglockner”
The tour starts at the parking of Lucknerhaus, Kals am Großglockner (toll road!, GPS: 47.021643, 12.688863) with an easy hike up to the Stüdlhütte (via the Lucknerhütte). Most of the guided tours start there, so after meeting the mountain guide, the tour leads up to the highest hut in Austria: The Erzherzog-Johann-Hütte (3454m). But first a glacier must be crossed which leads into a via ferrata (Cat. C) that ends at the hut.
After a break (sleepover), the tour continues very early in the morning the next day via the infamous Eisleitl (steep ice field), some serious climbing passages up to the Kleinglockner (3770m). After descending towards the very exposed Glocknerschartl, the final ascent is done towards the highest point of Austria: The Großglockner (3798m).
The tour then leads back on the same way.
Tour Description
| 00:00 | Start at the parking lot Lucknerhaus / Kals am Großglockner and follow the trail up towards the Stüdlhütte. |
| 00:40 | Pass by the Lucknerhütte and follow the trail towards Stüdlhütte. |
| 02:00 | Break at the Stüdlhütte. While waiting for your mountain guide, enjoy a strengthen meal (). |
| 03:00 | Follow the trail slightly to the right up to the Erzherzog-Johann-Hütte. |
| 03:35 | Cross the glacier Ködnitzkees. Make sure you’re secured with a rope and beware of the crevasses (also make sure you have enough distance to the rock face due to rock slides). |
| 04:30 | Climb up the via ferrata (Cat. C) which leads towards the Erzherzog-Johann-Hütte. |
| 05:15 | Well-deserved break and sleepover at the Erzherzog-Johann-Hütte. Enjoy the impressive surrounding view, the view towards the summit (best enjoyed having a ) and afterwards a good meal included in the half-board (). End of the first day (). |
| Day 2 00:00 |
After a strengthen breakfast, put on your crampon and continue the tour towards the summit via the ice field (Eisleitl). Please note that this steep ice field can become very dangerous and many serious accidents are happen here during descending! |
| 00:30 | At the end of Eisleitl, climb up using the fixed ropes and follow the ridge up to Kleinglockner. |
| 01:00 | Enjoy the view at Kleinglockner and continue on the trail towards Großglockner. |
| 01:10 | Pass the crux (Glocknerschartl) which must be descended first and then ascended on the opposite side. |
| 01:15 | Enjoy the view at the highest point of Austria: The Großglockner! |
| 01:25* | Descend via the same route towards Erzherzog-Johann-Hütte. |
| 02:30 | Break and celebrate the summit at the Erzherzog-Johann-Hütte (best celebrated with a refreshing and very well deserved !). |
| 03:00 | Follow the via ferrata downwards, pass the glacier and hike towards the Stüdlhütte. |
| 04:30 | Well deserved break at the Stüdlhütte. Recap the tour with your mountain guide (best done having a ). |
| 05:00 | Follow the trail downwards to the parking. You might want to consider having lunch at the Lucknerhütte (). |
| 06:30 | Arrival at the parking. End of the tour. |
*: Due to an upcoming weather change, we had to return fairly quickly!
At a glance
| Level | moderate-difficult alpine |
| – UIAA Level (Climbing) | II- |
| – Via Ferrata Category | C |
| Technique | |
| Shape / Fitness | |
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| Scenery | |
| Best time in the year | |
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Jan
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General Tour Data
| Area: | Glocknergruppe / Hohe Tauern, Osttirol, Austria | |
| Distance: | 18km | |
| Ascent: | 1863m (5h 00min) | |
| Descent: | 1864m (3h 30min) | |
| Highest Pt: | 3798m | |
| Lowest Pt: | 1927m | |
| Duration: | 8h 30min (without breaks) 10h 00min (with breaks) |
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| Stop/Rest: | Lucknerhaus (1920m) Lucknerhütte (2241m) Stüdlhütte (2802m) Erzherzog-Johann-Hütte (3454m) |
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| Equipment: | Backpack with standard hiking equipment Alpine tour equipment (Windstopper, Waterproof) Alpine shoes & Crampons Ice axe Helmet Waist-belt Rope & Carabiner Gloves Rain coat Sleeping bag (for the hut) Sleeping clothes (for the hut) Snacks and enough water Sun & Weather protection Sunglasses Camera |
| Whole tour: | ||
| Download GPX | ||
| O | Tour at outdooractive.com | |
| Part 1 (Lucknerhaus – Stüdlhütte) |
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| Download GPX | ||
| O | Tour at outdooractive.com | |
| Part 2 (Stüdlhütte – Erzherzog-Johann-Hütte) |
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| Download GPX | ||
| O | Tour at outdooractive.com | |
| Part 3 (Erzherzog-Johann-Hütte – Summit – Return) |
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| Download GPX | ||
| O | Tour at outdooractive.com | |
Tour Diary
| Tour Date: | 2018-09-12 09:00 | ||
| Weather: | Sunny (perfect conditions) | ||
| Participants: | Stefan, Hannes | ||
| Activity: | Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 | ||
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