Hiking Tour: “AlProbstEberl Part 1: From Gsoll up to the Sonnschienalm”

Stage 1 of the AlProbstEberl® long distance trail from Gsoll / Gsollkehre up to the Sonnschienalm via the Frauenmauer

The AlProbstEberl® long distance trail traverses three iconic mountain plateaus in Eastern Austria:

The Hochschwab plateau,
The Hohe Veitsch plateau, and
The Rax plateau.

The trail normally takes 5 days, whereas both the starting point as well as the end point are easily reachable using public transportation. The trail starts at the Gsoll / Gsollkehre and first ascends towards the Hochschwab, bypassing the impressive Frauenmauer passthrough-cave, the iconic Brandstein and Ebenstein. The trail then continues traversing the Hochschwab plateau before descending down to Seewiesen. The next part then heads towards and up the Hohe Veitsch and then traverse its plateau heading towards Altenberg an der Rax. The final part is then ascending up to the Rax plateau and traverses the entire plateau.

This tour is the first stage of the AlProbstEberl and starts at the bus stop Gsollkehre Abzw. Gsollhütte. The tour first follows trail 833 eastwards towards Gsollhütte. At the Gsollhütte, the tour then turns left and follows trail 834 northwards to the Frauenmauerhöhle Westeingang. The tour then either traverses through this passthrough cave (guided tour!!!) or bypasses the Frauenmauer via the easy Bärenloch via ferrata. Both alternatives meet again at Bärenlochsattel. From here, the tour then follows the trail 832 northwards to the Pfaffingalm.
Here, a recommended detour up to the summit of Brandstein (+1,5 hours) is strongly recommended! The tour heads eastwards towards the Androthalm and then follows the trail 801 eastwards to the Sonnschienalm which is the recommended stop for the first night.

This tour is best reachable via public transportation, first take a train to Leoben Hauptbahnhof and then via the bus line 820 heading towards Eisenerz. This bus will stop at Gsollkehre which is the start point of this stage.

Tour Description

00:00	Start at the parking / bus station Gsollkehre Abzw. Gsollhütte (GPS: 47.550144, 14.936041) and follow the marked hiking trail (forest road) 833 eastwards towards Gsollalm (see signposts).
00:45	At the Gsollhütte, turn left and follow the trail northwards towards Frauenmauerhöhle Westeingang.
01:05	In case of having a booked guided tour through the cave, turn right and follow the trail towards the western entrance of the cave. Take the tour through the cave and continue at the eastern end of the cave by turning left and following the trail northwards up to Bärenlochsattel. Details regarding this recommended tour option are found here.
01:05	In case of bypassing the cave, continue following the trail by keeping straight. The trail will now become steeper and an easy via ferrata. Ascent the via ferrata using its iron ladder and follow the trail northwards up to Bärenlochsattel.
01:50	At the Bärenlochsattel, head northwards following the trail 832 towards Pfaffingalm (see signposts).
02:25	Bypass the Beim Kreuz and continue following the trail towards Pfaffingalm.
02:40	Well deserved break () at Pfaffingalm.
03:40	A recommended detour is to continue following the trail straight ahead and then ascend up to the visible and very iconic Brandstein summit. This detour will require +1,5 hours but rewards with a stunning view! The following describes the normal way without the detour up to Brandstein: Turn right and follow the marked trail eastwards heading to Androthalm.
04:25	Well deserved break () at the cozy Androthalm.
05:20	Continue following the trail 801 eastwards heading towards Sonnschienalm.
06:25	At the crossing, keep straight and continue following the trail eastwards.
06:35	Keep straight and follow gravel road heading towards the already visible Sonnschienhütte.
06:40	Check in at Sonnschienhütte (end of first stage) and enjoy the rest of the day ( ).

At a glance

Level	moderate
Technique
Shape / Fitness
Experience
Scenery
Best time in the year
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

General Tour Data

Area:		Hochschwabgruppe, Styria, Austria
Distance:		16km
Ascent:		981m (2h 50min)
Descent:		377m (1h 20min)
Highest Pt:		1649m
Lowest Pt:		933m
Duration:		4h 45min (without breaks) 6h 40min (with breaks)
Stop/Rest:		Gsollalm (1201m) Pfaffingalm (1577m) Androthalm (1553m) Sonnschienhütte (1523m)
Equipment:		Hiking shoes Backpack with standard hiking equipment Comfortable hiking shoes (with good grip) Snacks and water In case of passing the cave: 2x headlamps Sun & Weather protection Camera Overnight equipment for the hut: – light sleeping bag for huts – cash – shoes for the hut – toiletries