Grosser Hafner
3,076 m
Austria
Also known as Großer Hafner, HafnerAlso known as
Großer Hafner · Hafner
- Elevation
- 3,076 m
- Prominence
- 824 m
- Difficulty
- 4/10
- Alpine hike
- Best Season
- Jul–Sep
- Routes
- 2
Routes
2The southern normal route: from the top of the Malta Hochalmstraße at the Kölnbrein dam (about 1,900 m), the Salzgitter Steig leads to the Kattowitzer Hütte (2,320 m), then trail 547 climbs the Ochsenkar to the Marschneid and trail 548 follows the bouldery SW ridge, with one short cabled passage, to the summit. About 1,200 m of ascent.
Elevation Profile
- Distance
- 7.7 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +1,291 m
- −140 m lost on the way up
- High Point
- 3,076 m
- Time Up
- 5h 32m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 4h 01m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
From the car park at the Kölnbrein dam (Kölnbreinsperre) at the end of the Malta Hochalmstraße toll road, follow the Salzgitter Steig (trail 545) almost level through dwarf pine up the valley. After about an hour it reaches the boggy floor of the Krumpenkar (about 2,030 m), then climbs a slope and bouldery ground to a notch in the Marschneid, the lower spur of the Hafner's SW ridge, and runs more gently to the Kattowitzer Hütte (2,320 m). Allow 2¼–3 hours. From the hut, trail 547 heads north into the Ochsenkar over grass and boulders to a junction at about 2,465 m (trail 549 branches right to the Lanischscharte). Keep straight on up scree and a strenuous steep step onto the ridge, then briefly north-east to the Marschneid (about 2,770 m), where trail 541 from the Rotgüldensee comes up from the Wastlkar. Turn right onto trail 548 and climb the SW ridge over large blocks. At about 2,830 m a short cabled passage (A) bypasses a rock head on its north-west side; the line then stays mostly on the crest, with one brief excursion onto the south-east side, to a flatter shoulder with a field of cairns and finally east along the broad summit ridge to the cross. About 2¼–2¾ hours from the hut. Descend the same way. The ridge has short, easy rocky steps that need sure-footedness and a head for heights; they become serious when wet, snowy or iced. Most parties either sleep at the Kattowitzer Hütte or make a long day of it (8–9½ hours return); check the toll road's opening hours (07:00–18:00 in 2026) when planning a day trip.
Start
Kölnbreinsperre1,926 m
- Train to Spittal an der Drau or Gmünd area, Postbus to Malta; the ÖAV lists a Postbus stop at the Kölnbreinsperre, but the summer service and timetable must be checked locally.
- Parking at the trailhead
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kölnbreinsperre → Kattowitzer Hütte | 5.4 | 534 | 140 | 2h 44m |
| 2 | Kattowitzer Hütte → Großer Hafner | 2.3 | 758 | 0 | 2h 49m |
Waypoints
- Parking: Kölnbreinsperre1,926 m
End of the Malta Hochalmstraße toll road
- Feature: Krumpenkar2,034 m
- Hut: Kattowitzer Hütte2,315 m
- Col: Marschneid2,928 m
Approximate position of the trail junction on the ridge
- Summit: Großer Hafner3,076 m
Key Passages
- Steep step from the Ochsenkar onto the ridge
- Marschneid junction
- Short cabled passage on the SW ridge (about 2,830 m)
- Bouldery SW ridge and summit shoulder with cairn field
Equipment
0/7 packedVia ferrata set (harness, lanyard, helmet) — suggested by map data: OpenStreetMap maps part of this line as a via ferrata.
Downloads
Route confidence 70%Overview
The highest point of the Lungau and the easternmost major 3,000 m summit of the Alps, on the Carinthia–Salzburg border in the Ankogel group. A marked but rough mountain path with short cabled sections leads to the top from the Kattowitzer Hütte in the south or the Rotgülden lakes in the north.
The Großer Hafner (3,076 m) rises at the eastern end of the Hohe Tauern, where the Hafner group holds the last 3,000 m peaks of the Alps before the range falls away towards the Katschberg. Seen side-on its summit ridge looks like a sharp axe. It stands at a triple watershed between the Malta and Lieser (both draining to the Drau) and the Mur; the north flank lies in the Salzburg part of Hohe Tauern National Park. The rock is Tauern gneiss, and the once-larger Wastlkar, Lanisch and Rotgülden glaciers together now cover well under half a square kilometre.
There is no glacier travel on the marked routes. The southern approach from the Kölnbrein dam, at the top of the Malta Hochalmstraße toll road, starts at about 1,900 m and passes the Kattowitzer Hütte before climbing the bouldery SW ridge; it involves about 1,200 m of ascent and a single short cable. The northern approach from the Rotgülden valley near Muhr is longer, with about 1,850 m of ascent, and includes a cabled gully with iron rungs to the Wastlkarscharte. Both meet at the Marschneid for the final ridge.
The climb suits experienced mountain walkers who are steady on large blocks and short easy rock steps. Expect long boulder fields, few people on weekdays and wide views over the Kölnbrein reservoir and the Hohe Tauern.
Climbing Notes
Fitness for a 1,200–1,900 m day, sure-footedness on boulders and a head for heights are the main requirements; the routes are T4 with cabled passages of A (south) and B with a UIAA I+ move (north). A helmet is sensible, and those new to cables may want a via ferrata set for the Wastlkarscharte gully. No rope or glacier kit is needed in normal summer conditions, but snowfields linger into July, so microspikes or crampons and an axe are worth carrying early and late in the season.
Typical plans: drive the Malta Hochalmstraße (open 1 May–26 October 2026, 07:00–18:00) to the Kölnbrein dam, walk to the Kattowitzer Hütte, summit the next morning and descend; or a long single day from the dam. From the north, sleep at the Rotgüldenseehütte to split the climb. Avoid the boulder fields and the cabled gully in rain, snow or ice; there is no mobile reception on the upper ridge.
Season
Best Jul–Sep- January: Not advisable
- February: Not advisable
- March: Not advisable
- April: Not advisable
- May: Not advisable
- June: Possible
- July: Best (best window)
- August: Best (best window)
- September: Best (best window)
- October: Possible
- November: Not advisable
- December: Not advisable
- Jan
- Winter; Malta Hochalmstraße closed, huts shut
- Feb
- Winter; avalanche terrain on the approaches
- Mar
- Winter conditions
- Apr
- Winter conditions; toll road still closed
- May
- Toll road opens 1 May; deep snow on the routes; Rotgüldenseehütte opens late May
- Jun
- Extensive snowfields in the cirques; Kattowitzer Hütte not yet open
- Jul
- Kattowitzer Hütte open from early July; snow patches early in the month
- Aug
- Main season; afternoon thunderstorms
- Sep
- Often stable; Kattowitzer Hütte closes at the end of September
- Oct
- Rotgüldenseehütte open to about mid-October (11 October in 2026); early snow and ice on the ridge
- Nov
- Winter conditions
- Dec
- Winter conditions
Access & Permits
- Hut Booking
- Rotgüldenseehütte: online via hut-reservation.org or by phone (+43 664 3262113). Kattowitzer Hütte: by phone (+43 664 914 8021) or e-mail.
- Fees
- Malta Hochalmstraße toll (2026): EUR 25 per car per day, EUR 18.50 per motorcycle; free with the Kärnten Card
- Hut overnight fees, with discounts for alpine club members
- Rules
- The Malta Hochalmstraße is open daily 07:00–18:00 in season; plan day trips around these hours
- The north flank lies in Hohe Tauern National Park (Salzburg); stay on marked paths
- Dogs are not allowed to stay overnight at the Kattowitzer Hütte; at the Rotgüldenseehütte arrange dogs in advance
- Getting There
Malta (Maltatal, Carinthia) for the south; Muhr and St. Michael im Lungau (Salzburg) for the north
Klagenfurt (KLU); Salzburg (SZG)
- South: A10 to Gmünd, then through the Maltatal to Malta and up the Malta Hochalmstraße toll road (14.4 km) to the car park at the Kölnbrein dam
- North: A10 exit St. Michael im Lungau, then up the Murtal to Muhr and the road end at the Arsenhaus in Hintermuhr
- Public transport (north): train to Tamsweg, Postbus to 'Muhr Rotgülden'
- Public transport (south): train to Spittal an der Drau, bus to Malta; a seasonal bus stop exists at the Kölnbreinsperre, check the current timetable
Hazards
- Exposure
- Rockfall
- Weather
Huts & Shelters
2- 1,740 m
RotgüldenseehütteHutStaffed
50 beds · 21 May – 11 October 2026 (weather permitting); no winter room, unheated emergency shelter
- 2,320 m
Kattowitzer HütteHutStaffed
46 beds · Early July to late September; unlocked, unheated winter room with 6 places