Aschau to Hahnenkamm via Schwarzkogel and Pengelstein
Kitzbuhel - Austria
Distance 15km Climb 1200m
Friday 15 August 2014
After a good breakfast and making our packed lunches at the Hotel Edelweiss. We caught the bus that left the Kitzbuhel base Hahnenkamm cable car station at 09:44. We started walking at about 10:15 and headed west to the Oberer Grund Ache. Walking south east on the Oberer Grund Ache we had intended to walk up the Spiessnagel, follow link to this walk we had completed the previous year.
Turning west we started up the track towards Spiessnagel. We had not reached the first turn before being met by a lady with two children who were on their way down. They had turned around when they came across an area with forest machinery and a very real risk of injury. In the recent weeks this valley in particular had experienced very severe weather that had caused paths being washed away and trees uprooted.
Taking notice of the warning we returned to the main path. It was time to reconsider where we were going to walk. We had walked from Aschau via Kirchberg to Kitzbuhel the day before so we were looking to do something different. Looking at the time we had, where we were and so we made the decision to head up the Schwarzkogel.
After a quick drink of water we moved further south east along the Oberer Grund Ache to the junction with the footpath for the Schwarzkogel.
At the junction of the footpath there is a little shrine, Klookapelle, height 1163m. The track now heads east and starts climbing. We could see the lady with her two children ahead, followed closely by a group of Italians. The path started over an open area which took us onto a wooded path.
As we climbed we lost the Italians on one of the paths. We passed another lady who was standing on the side of the track, with a little dog and wondered what she was doing. Further up the track the lady with the two children had stopped and they were standing on the side. We could not understand what they were doing, they were up to something but did not want anyone to watch, strange. Anyway we continued up, after a lot of twisting and turning the path eventually reached the open area, just as we passed a shooting platform on the edge of the forest.
The path still headed east twisting and turning, climbing up and up.
We had a short stop for our sandwiches, looking across at the Spiessnagel, and we could hear the forest workers, through the binoculars we could see their trucks. It was very warm and sunny as we sat there, this was not going to last. After our sandwiches we continued climbing. In places the track was narrow and badly churned up due to the cattle that used the track.
We reached a couple of houses at a place called Stadlbergalm 1629m, just as low clouds were forming on the tops. The weather had also became a little cooler.
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| Stadlbergalm 1629m looking towards Schwarzkogel |
In places the mist was thick, visibility was poor, so I had to take care in choosing our route. It also started raining, so it was time to put our water proof jackets on, at times the cloud lifted and the views amazing.
We reached the fence which was a junction. Turning right was towards the Blaue Lacke, left was the way we went up the Schwarzkogel.
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| View north towards Schwarzkogel |
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| View south towards Blaue Lacke |
The cloud lifted just as we arrived at the cross for a short while, although it was still raining.
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| Schwarzkogel 2030m |
A quick note in the book then we set off again. The path coming down was steep and slippery in places and again I supported Anne on the route down. The mist came down and visibility was very poor. The path dropped down to Schwarzkogelscharte 1829m and continued north. There was a slight climb over an open area before there was a steep climb towards a ski lift. The path was very wet and boggy, we passed a couple who were walking the other way. Once passed the ski lift we dropped down to a main path.
The path took us passed Pengelsteinsee, you could hardly see it through the mist.
A few yards further on and we reached Pengelstein 1938m, we were almost on top of it before we could see it. Here we met another group of walkers looking for a cable car that would take them down into the valley. They were heading the wrong way, and a couple of them looked as though they had had enough. Although the Pengelstein was closed, they fortunately found someone with a van who would take them down. We continued on. As we moved down from the Pengelstein the weather changed. It stopped raining and the sun came out, brilliant.
The route from the Penglestein was one we had walked many times before with its many ups and downs.
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| Looking back towards Schwarzkogel |
It had been a good days walking, brilliant. We had covered approx 14km with 1200m of climb.
More to follow
Boz North
Details correct at time of walking.
If you have enjoyed reading my walk or found it useful you may also like to read other walks I have done in Austria or other areas. Please check out the links on the right hand side.
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