Hohe Tauern · AustriaWiener Höhenweg
High trail of the lonely Schober Group
About Wiener Höhenweg
The Wiener Höhenweg crosses the Schober Group, the loneliest corner of Hohe Tauern National Park, from the Iselsberg near Lienz to the Glocknerhaus on the Grossglockner High Alpine Road. Built between 1928 and 1933, it links seven huts over 44 kilometres with just over 4,300 metres of climbing, across a chain of passes above 2,500 metres.
This is genuinely high-alpine walking. Turquoise mountain lakes, the rock labyrinth below the Himmelwand and the Hornscharte at 2,958 metres, the highest and broadest point, where steel cables secure the steepest sections. Early in the season snow can lie on the passes; the huts brief you on conditions. The alternative over the Klammerscharte needs glacier kit and is for experienced mountaineers only. You need to be sure-footed, free of vertigo and used to unmarked ground secured with cables.
Every day ends at a hut, so you carry everything and book ahead. The huts open from about June to the end of September and fill fast in summer; book weeks in advance.
Practical. The last day is the longest, with the Glorer Hütte and Salmhütte on the way. You start at the Iselsberg by bus from Lienz station and finish at the Glocknerhaus, where a hiker bus runs to Heiligenblut in season. July to mid-September is the core window; even in August expect nights near freezing at 2,500 metres. Book huts through the Alpine Club sections, and carry cash for the huts that are not fully digital.
Stages Wiener Höhenweg
The Wiener Höhenweg is split here into 6 stages of 5 to 10 km, 45 km in total, from Iselsberg to Glocknerhaus. The stages below are a sample itinerary: in the planner you put together your own days and choose where you sleep.
Iselsberg - Winklerner Hütte
The bus drops you at the Iselsberg pass at 1,209 metres. A forest path leads past the Lugger Alm and climbs gently along a gravel road, with views back over the Drau valley towards Lienz. By early afternoon you reach the Winklerner Hütte at 1,905 metres, the traditional warm-up stage of the route, where the terraces look straight into the Schober Group.
Winklerner Hütte - Wangenitzseehütte
From the Roaner Alm the path climbs the flank of the Strasskopf into high country. The traverse below the Himmelwand is the day's exposed highlight; from there the route climbs steeply to the Obere Seescharte at 2,603 metres. Down the other side lie the Wangenitzsee and Kreuzsee, two turquoise lakes, and the highest hut of the route at 2,508 metres.
Wangenitzseehütte - Adolf-Nossberger-Hütte
A short but rocky day. From the hut the trail climbs to the Kreuzseeschartl at 2,810 metres and runs exposed along the flank of the Hoher Perschitzkopf into the Perschitzkar. Over scree and short cable-secured ramps you reach the Niedere Gradenscharte at 2,796 metres, then descend over polished granite slabs to the hut on the shore of the Großer Gradensee.
Adolf-Nossberger-Hütte - Elberfelder Hütte
The key section. Steep and partly cable-secured, the trail climbs from the Gradental to the Hornscharte at 2,958 metres, the highest point of the whole route, where the Schober Group spreads out on all sides. The descent on the north side demands full concentration over blocks and scree; after that the trail eases down to the Elberfelder Hütte at 2,346 metres.
Elberfelder Hütte - Glorer Hütte
Past the Tramer See and a mighty rock glacier the trail arcs up to the Kesselkeessattel at 2,912 metres, where the Gernot-Röhr bivouac box stands. The 3,119-metre Böses Weibl makes a worthwhile extra summit here. Descend north to the Peischlachtörl and follow the reroute over the Kastenegg, in place since the path below was closed by rockfall, to the Glorer Hütte at 2,642 metres.
Glorer Hütte - Glocknerhaus
The last stage leaves the Schober Group for the Glockner Group. Over the Glatzschneid you reach the Salmhütte, then a long traverse with the Grossglockner in full view leads to the Stockerscharte, which opens the view over the Pasterze, the largest glacier of the Eastern Alps. Down past the Margaritzenstausee and up the last stretch to the Glocknerhaus, the hiker's finish.
FAQ
Below you'll find answers to some frequently asked questions.
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