A Random Walk in the European Alps

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.

To give you a first glimpse of the normal route to the summit of the Grossglockner (via Stuedlhut – Koednitzkees – Adlersruhe – Glocknerleitl) I have created an animated mini video using the amazing tool by animoto.com:

Before discussing the various climbing routes to the summit of the Grossglockner a little history seems appropriate since this mountain has had a prominent role in the history of Austrian mountaineering. Indeed the Grossglockner was summited as early as 1800 and thus it was the first of all high mountains of Austrian to be climbed. It was more of a research expedition than a modern mountaineering affair. Carefully planned under the protection of Altgraf Franz Xavier von Salm-Reifferscheid, archbishop of Gurk, a team of priests and natural scientists supported by local farmers and craftsmen researched possible routes for years.

Then in 1799 the quests for the summit started in earnest. The expedition team even built a mountain hut designed to shelter the mountaineers during bad weather (keep in mind that this was in the middle of the new ice age so summer used to by colder and and wetter than today). The whole expedition was really a large-scale operation, almost like the large mountaineering expeditions in the Himalaya in the 1920s and 1930s. Equipped with ladders and ropes the teams secured the most difficult and dangerous parts at the Glocknerleitl and near the Kleinglockner (still one of the most accident-prone areas until today). At August, 25, 1799 the team reached the Kleinglockner (3770m), the secondary summit of the Grossglockner and just some dozen meter lower than the real peak. However, the Glocknerscharte, an extremely narrow firn ridge between the Kleinglockner and the highest peak of the Grossglockner denied any success. About one year later (July, 28, 1800) the summit of the Grossglockner was climbed by a second expedition of some 60 people of which five eventually summited. The honorable archbishop himself did never reach the summit peak of the Grossglockner though he eventually climbed the Kleinglockner in later expeditions (1802 and 1806).

The first climb up the Grossglockner was more of a research expedition than a mountaineering endeavor of its own sake. Measuring the temperatures, the elevation and the air pressure were among the many scientific tests which were conducted during this expedition. Though this expedition was initiated and financed by a leading member of the Roman-Catholic Church it was first and foremost a sign of the enlightenment and its new approach towards understanding the forces of nature. Nevertheless it marks the beginning of the mountaineering age in Austria.