This high alpine mountain tour in
Ausseerland is a real treat for experienced hikers: sinkholes, rock slabs, alpine flora and the impressive backdrop of the Totes Gebirge make the ascent to the Große Tragl (2,179 m) an unforgettable experience. Always in view: the striking Sturzhahn, whose 200-metre-high west face was first climbed by Heinrich Harrer.
You start at the mountain station of the
4-seater chairlift or at the parking lot on the Tauplitzalm - the
largest lake plateau in Central Europe.
First, the route leads east along a meadow path to the Steirersee lake. In early summer, flowering alpine meadows can be seen here, interspersed with alpine rush, gentian, hellebores and stonecrops.
A detour to the
Steirerseebankerl, a popular vantage point, is well worthwhile. Here you can enjoy a magnificent view of the Sturzhahn and the Steirersee.
The route follows the path above the lake to the Salzsteig trail. At the Almboden, the trail continues to the fork in hiking trails 218 and 276, where it follows trail 276 through extensive mountain pine fields to the Jungbauer cross. The characteristic rock form of the Sturzhahn is always in view.
The tour continues in a northerly direction to
Schwaigbrunn. There, the trail turns in the direction of Traglhals and leads in steep serpentines to the summit of the Großer Tragl at 2,179 meters.
At the Jungbauer cross there is a large sinkhole into which Herbert Jungbauer fell in 1948 - his body was never recovered. Special care is required at this point!
Safety adviceThis tour should only be undertaken in
stable weather conditions. Wet conditions are a particular risk in the karst landscape - the terrain becomes slippery and fog or rain make it difficult to find your way. It is essential to stay on the
marked paths and follow the pole markings.