Grimming
2,351 m
Austria
- Elevation
- 2,351 m
- Prominence
- 1,518 m
- Difficulty
- 4/10
- Alpine hike
- Best Season
- Jul–Sep
- Routes
- 1
Routes
1Approximate line — not for navigation
An automated check found that parts of this line could not be matched to mapped trails, so it may stray far from the real route. Use it for planning only, with a map and a guidebook.
Why? 3 check notes
- the line does not follow 'Multereck', the route's namesake (992 m away): mislabelled
- unresolved waypoints: Junction 681 / south-east ridge, Kastenkar
- waypoints not on the route line: Multereck (299 m off the trail)
Sources differ: T5 (Camptocamp (north side from Kulm))
The most popular ascent: from Niederstuttern or Trautenfels in the Enns valley (about 650 m) to the Grimminghütte (966 m), then path 681 through the Kastenkar with steep, partly cabled rock steps and loose scree to the Multereck (2,176 m), and along the broad ridge with two short cabled spots to the summit. About 1,700 m of ascent, roughly 5 hours up; a long, strenuous day.
Elevation Profile
approximate line- Distance
- ≈ 5.0 km
- one way
- Ascent
- ≈ +1,755 m
- −53 m lost on the way up
- High Point
- 2,351 m
- Time Up
- ≈ 6h 35m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- ≈ 4h 19m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
From Niederstuttern on the B320 (small car park and bus stop) follow path 20 briefly along a gravel road and then through forest to the Grimminghütte (966 m), 45–60 minutes; from Schloss Trautenfels the walk to the hut takes about an hour. The hut is the last staffed stop and there is no water above it apart from a spring at a cave low on the route. Above the hut a gravel road leads to the start of path 681, which climbs through forest and out of it to a first cable-protected spot and the cave with the spring, then steepens through dwarf pine to a large, slippery scree field. At a signposted junction at about 1,450 m the unnumbered south-east ridge (II, for experienced climbers only) goes left; path 681 goes right into the Kastenkar. Here are roughly three short climbing steps, two of them cabled and with a high risk of rockfall (a helmet is a must), more loose scree, and a steep hands-on rock section before the stony path reaches the Multereck (2,176 m), the eastern summit. From the Multereck follow the broad, partly grassy ridge west over a hump, down slightly and up again, past two short cabled sections (the second needs a head for heights) to the summit cross, 30–45 minutes from the Multereck. An emergency bivouac box with an emergency phone stands just north of the summit. Descend the same way with great care, as many accidents have happened on the descent; the descent takes almost as long as the ascent.
Start
Niederstuttern648 m
- Bus to 'Trautenfels' or 'Niederstuttern Ort' on the B320 in the Enns valley (Stainach-Irdning station is nearby).
- Parking at the trailhead
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Niederstuttern → Grimming | 5.0 | 1,755 | 53 | 6h 35m |
Waypoints
- Trailhead: Niederstuttern648 m
Small car park and bus stop on the B320; alternatively start at Schloss Trautenfels (free parking)
- Hut: Grimminghütte977 m
- Shoulder: Multereck2,146 m
not on route line
- Summit: Grimming2,351 m
Key Passages
- Large slippery scree field above the dwarf pine
- Cabled rock steps in the Kastenkar (rockfall)
- Steep hands-on rock section below the Multereck
- Two short cabled spots on the ridge to the summit
Equipment
0/7 packedDownloads
Route confidence 70%Overview
An isolated limestone massif (2,351 m) rising about 1,700 m straight out of the Enns valley in Upper Styria, once thought to be Styria's highest mountain. The marked routes are long, steep and partly cabled, with loose scree and rockfall; a helmet is essential.
The Grimming is a free-standing massif about 9 km long between the Enns valley and the Hinterberger valley, counted as part of the Dachstein mountains and separated from the Kemetgebirge to the south-west by the gorge of the Salzabach. It rises steeply in the north-east, where its highest tops stand: the Multereck (2,176 m), the main summit (Hoher Grimming, 2,351 m) and the Schartenspitze (2,328 m), and falls away gently to the south-west. Because of its abrupt rise of 1,700 m above the valley it was long described as 'Mons Styriae altissimus', the highest mountain of Styria. On the south side, at about 1,630 m, a 50 m high rock recess called the Grimmingtor is the subject of many local legends and gave its name to Paula Grogger's 1926 novel.
The popular south route from Trautenfels or Niederstuttern passes the small Grimminghütte near the valley and then climbs through the Kastenkar to the Multereck, with cabled steps, slippery scree and serious rockfall; the north route from Kulm near Bad Mitterndorf is similar in character and passes an emergency bivouac below the summit. A harder south-east ridge (II) branches off the south route.
There is no staffed hut on the mountain above 966 m, no water, and a lot of height to gain: expect a long, strenuous day of 8–10 hours. The reward is a wide summit view that includes the Dachstein.
Climbing Notes
Very good fitness for about 1,700 m of ascent, sure-footedness on loose scree and limestone, and a head for heights on the cabled steps are essential; Styrian tourism calls alpine experience, stamina and sure-footedness absolute preconditions. A helmet is a must, and a via ferrata set is sensible if you are not confident on cabled rock. Gloves help on the long cables.
Start very early: allow about 5 hours up and 4 down. Carry all your water from the valley. The descent is where most accidents happen, on steep, slippery ground; take it slowly. Watch the weather closely: the summit ridge is exposed to storms, and the bivouac box north of the summit (with an emergency phone) is for emergencies only. For the south-east ridge, roping up or hiring a guide is recommended.
History
Who first climbed the Grimming is unknown; it was probably local hunters. In 1822 First Lieutenant Carl Baron Simbschen built a wooden survey signal on the summit and a stone shelter just below it, and climbers explored various routes from the mid-19th century. Heinrich Heß first walked the route from Trautenfels through the Schneegrube in 1888. A 7 m iron 'Kaiserkreuz' was erected on the summit on 8 September 1903 for Emperor Franz Joseph I's jubilee; it stood until 1954, when the Austrian Alpine Club replaced it. A bivouac box has stood north of the summit since 1949. On 31 August 2013 the Bad Mitterndorf brass band played a short concert on the summit for about 500 listeners.
Season
Best Jul–Sep- January: Not advisable
- February: Not advisable
- March: Not advisable
- April: Not advisable
- May: Possible
- June: Good
- July: Best (best window)
- August: Best (best window)
- September: Best (best window)
- October: Good
- November: Not advisable
- December: Not advisable
- Jan
- Winter; north side is a demanding ski tour (AD+) for experts
- Feb
- Winter conditions
- Mar
- Ski touring for experts only
- Apr
- Snow and avalanche risk in the cirques
- May
- Snow in the Kastenkar and on the ridge
- Jun
- Long days; check for remaining snowfields
- Jul
- Main season; hot on the south side, thunderstorms
- Aug
- Main season; start early
- Sep
- Often the best conditions
- Oct
- Short days; possible early snow and ice on the cables
- Nov
- Winter conditions
- Dec
- Winter conditions
Access & Permits
- Getting There
Stainach-Pürgg (Trautenfels); Bad Mitterndorf (north side)
Salzburg (SZG); Graz (GRZ)
- By car: Enns valley road B320; turn off at the traffic lights towards Trautenfels (free parking at Schloss Trautenfels) or park at the small car park in Niederstuttern
- Public transport: bus to 'Trautenfels' or 'Niederstuttern'; for the north route, bus to 'Klachau Grimmingaufstieg' or Kulm near Bad Mitterndorf
- North route from Kulm: the car park fills very early on fine weekends
Hazards
- Rockfall
- Exposure
- Weather
Huts & Shelters
1- 966 m
GrimminghütteHutStaffed