Category — Austria

The Grossglockner region is one of the premier areas in Austria for climbing ice faces. Though climate change has significantly reduced some of the once mighty ice faces there are still enough possibilities left for ice climbing. A perfect base camp for aspiring ice face climbers is the Oberwalder hut (2973m), located in the huge bowl formed by the Pasterze glacier.

The Oberwalder hut is situated at the top of a rocky outcrop called “Grosser Burgstall” just on the edge of the firn fields of the Upper Pasterze glacier. It is accessed easily within about two hours from the parking slot near the Kaiser Franz Josefs Höhe. The nearby Pasterze glacier makes the Oberwalder hut also a perfect spot for training crevasse rescue techniques. Huge crevasses are just a short walk (5-10 minutes) away!

There are quite a couple of ice face climbing routes in the vicinity of the Oberwalder hut. Most of them are suited well for the beginners who want to have a first taste of what ice face climbing is about.

The most interesting ice face routes around the Oberwalder hut include:

When we visited this area in June, 2007 we had somewhat bad luck. It was after a really terrible winter with not much snow and quite a warm late spring. Hence, most routes were out of conditions due to lacking nightly freezing temperatures and danger of rock falls. However we enjoyed playing around in the Eiswandbichl (which is relatively safe from objective dangers like rock fall). On a second day we managed to climb the North East face of the Baerenkopf (which happened to be extremely easy and was more of a steep walk than a real ice climb).

Eiswandbichl, near Oberwalder hut (Grossglockner area)

The ascent over the South Ridge (Stuedl Ridge) to the summit of the Grossglockner is perhaps the best climb for intermediate mountaineers with more aspirations. It involves continuous climbing over the rocky ridge over about 700 m vertical. Though parts of the ridge involve only scrambling or easy climbing (UIIA II grade) there are some sections, especially in the upper parts of the ridge, which are graded III and IV. The difficulty using the French Alpine System is AD (assez difficile).

The climb is quite exposed at various places making it especially vulnerable to bad weather. If conditions are icy and the rocks are covered by snow the climb can become quite difficult and dangerous in no time.

At our first attempt to climb the Stuedl ridge we encountered icy and snowy conditions and did not even start the approach (we eventually climbed the normal route as alternative). If you are not used to rock climbing in winter conditions make sure to gather information on the state of the climb (the hut guardian at the Stuedl Hut is the best source for information). There is also detailed information (provided in English as well) with maps and explaining photos to be found at the hut.

The ascent starts at the Stuedl Hut (2802m). Usually people leave between 6 a.m. and 7 a.m. Depending on the conditions, the number of mountaineers doing the climb and your abilities plan for an ascent time between five and seven hours. The descent follows the standard Grossglockner route (see Grossglockner. Standard Route).

The Stuedl Ridge is protected with bolts and on certain sections additional iron poles and even some wired ropes. Some parts may be done on running rope or even without a rope. However, we were more comfortable with roping up and going pitch by pitch in the section after the “breakfast place”, which includes the more difficult sections of the climb.

The Grossglockner is one of the most popular „big“ mountain peaks of the entire Eastern Alps. Since the ascent over the standard route is not particular difficult the Grossglockner attracts not only experienced mountaineers but also quite a lot mountain hikers who do not have much mountaineering aspirations but nevertheless want to put their feet at the top of Austria’s highest peak at least once in their lifetime.

Of course, this results in serious overcrowding of the Grossglockner standard route at particular times (especially at public holidays and at all weekends from end of June until beginning of September). What makes matters worse is that there are certain areas where only a dozen of people may lead to severe traffic jams, particularly so if some people do not know their ropes accordingly or are intimidated by the significant exposure. This holds true especially for the ridge at the top of the Kleinglockner (a secondary peak of the Grossglockner which has to be crossed) and at the Glockner Gap, a narrow, ridgelike col just between the Kleinglockner and the final peak of the Grossglockner (which is about 30 meter higher than the col). Another crux is the Glocknerleitl, a steep (40 degree) firn slope which gets constantly narrower and steeper over time due to climate change (the ice has been melting rapidly in this east-facing slope since about the late 1980ies). Though it is not that steep and difficult the Glocknerleitl should not be underestimated.

The standard route to the Grossglockner starts at the Adlersruhe (3434m) which is also the location of the Erzherzog Johan hut, Austrian highest mountain hut. The Adlersruhe is a relatively huge and flat glacier area just beneath the firn slope leading to the Glocknerleitl and the East ridge of the Grossglockner. The official grade of the standard route is PD + (peu difficile using French alpine grading system). There are different routes leading to the Adlersruhe which are as follows:

Kals-Lucknerhaus-Stuedl Hut-Adlersruhe: This is probably the easiest and most common way to ascent the Adlersruhe today. From Kals, an authentic mountaineering village, it is possible to go by car (or bus) to the end of the “Kalser Glocknerstrasse” near the mountain hotel Lucknerhaus (1950 m). From there a path follows the Koednitz Valley up to the Stuedl hut (2801 m), a modern (newly renovated) mountain refuge (walking time about 2 hours). A good part of the Glockner aspirants decide to stay the night here and continue their ascent on the next morning (though it is perfectly feasible to go to the Erzherzog Johann hut staying the night there). From the Stuedl hut the path follows some barren slopes up to the Koednitz Kees, a glacier beneath the South face of the Grossglockner. Then you have to cross the relatively flat glacier basin (some crevasses) until the slopes get steeper leading to the Adlersruhe. After about 150 m vertical of steeper snowy slopes you have to scramble a few hundreds meter over easy rocky terrain (marked and protected by wire ropes).

Heiligenblut-Salm hut-Hohenwart-Adlersruhe: This is the route from Heiligenblut, a mountaineering village in Carinthia with some famous views to the Grossglockner peak directly from the village center. Starting from the Glocknerhaus (directly at a side-road of the Grossglockner High Alpine Road) the Salm hut can be reached in about two hours over the Stocker gap (marked and easy hiking trail). A second alternative is to start directly in the valley of Heiligenblut and follow the Leitner valley until the Salm hut (this is the classic route followed by the first climbers in 1799/1800). From the Salm hut the route follow a northerly direction to the Hohewart gap and from their over Salmkamp to the Adlersruhe. Again this route requires some scrambling over easy rock.

The once usual route over the Hoffmannskees from the parking slot at the Franz Josefs Höhe is not recommended anymore since the glacier (Hoffmannskees) is increasingly dangerous (slipping on bare ice, crevasses) due to climate change.

The “real” climb to the Grossglockner peak starts at the Adlersruhe. First it is an easy walk over the mellow snow slopes beneath the Glocknerleitl with splendid views especially to the East and South.

Soon the slopes start to get steeper and the narrow Glocknerleitl has to be climbed. In good snow this should not pose any problems but if it is bare ice a cautious approach is advised. The snow/ice is to be followed until a small platform where the rocky ridge to the Kleinglockner begins. First it involves relatively easy scrambling (protected by steel poles) and height is gained quite fast. After a while the ridge narrows down and leads directly to the summit of the Kleinglockner (3783m). Depending on the season it is either a heavily corniced firn ridge or a sharp rocky ridge.

The final climb from the Kleinglockner to the Grossglockner peak is the very crux of the whole ascent. It involves a 15 meter downclimb (protected by a wired rope) into the narrow col, named Glocknerscharte. Usually the col is about 6-7 m long and formed by a sort of snow ridge just halt a meter wide. It is here where the traffic jams are the most severe. Then a short (ca. 20 m vertical), quite fine climb (protected by some bolts, UIIA II/II+) with nice holds leads directly to the summit of the Grossglockner.