Großer Priel
2,515 m
Austria
Also known as Grosser PrielAlso known as
Grosser Priel
- Elevation
- 2,515 m
- Prominence
- 1,700 m
- Difficulty
- 4/10
- Alpine hike
- Best Season
- Jul–Sep
- Routes
- 2
Routes
2Sources differ: T5 (Alpenverein Linz (alpenvereinaktiv.com))
The standard ascent of the Totes Gebirge's highest peak: 815 m up from the Stodertal to the Prielschutzhaus (1,420 m), then 1,100 m through the Kühkar cirque, up a cabled step (A, with B passages) to the Brotfallscharte and along the west ridge to the 8 m iron summit cross. About 6 hours up; usually split over two days.
Elevation Profile
approximate line- Distance
- 10.2 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +1,955 m
- start → summit
- High Point
- 2,523 m
- Time Up
- 7h 52m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 5h 19m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
From the Schiederweiher car park in the Stodertal (605 m), or the Polsterlucke car park, walk past the Schiederweiher lake and the material ropeway station, then climb steeply past the Klinser waterfall, the 'Gott-sei-Dank-Bankerl' bench and the Märchenwiese to the Prielschutzhaus (1,420 m), about 2½ hours. Most people sleep here. From the hut, follow the path to a signposted junction at about 1,530 m and turn right into the Kühkar, the cirque on the east side of the mountain that holds a permanent firn field. A long traverse across scree leads to the start of the protected section at about 2,200 m; cables and pegs (roughly A, with B passages) climb the steep step to the Brotfallscharte (about 2,325–2,380 m). From the col follow the ridge north-east, joining the path from the Welser Hütte at about 2,460 m, to the summit and its 8 m iron cross. Allow about 3½ hours from the hut. Descend the same way: about 2–2½ hours to the hut and 1½–2 hours to the valley. A day ascent from the valley means 2,000 m of ascent and 21 km; fast parties take 7 hours, most should allow 10 or more. The scree traverse in the Kühkar is awkward with old snow, which lingers into early summer, and the summit ridge can be icy in autumn.
Start
Schiederweiher603 m
- Pyhrnbahn train to Hinterstoder station, then the Tälerbus (line 432) to the Schiederweiher or Polsterstüberl stop.
- Parking at the trailhead
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Schiederweiher → Prielschutzhaus | 6.4 | 852 | 34 | 3h 42m |
| 2 | Prielschutzhaus → Großer Priel | 3.8 | 1,103 | 5 | 4h 10m |
Waypoints
- Parking: Schiederweiher603 m
- Hut: Prielschutzhaus1,421 m
- Col: Brotfallscharte2,319 m
Top of the cabled step; elevations of 2,325–2,380 m are quoted
- Summit: Großer Priel2,515 m
Key Passages
- Scree traverse in the Kühkar
- Cabled step from about 2,200 m to the Brotfallscharte (A, B passages)
- Summit ridge from the Brotfallscharte
Equipment
0/7 packedDownloads
Route confidence 85%Overview
The highest peak of the Totes Gebirge (2,515 m) and one of the most prominent mountains in the Alps, crowned by an 8 m iron cross. A long, partly cabled mountain walk from Hinterstoder via the Prielschutzhaus, or Austria's longest via ferrata.
The Großer Priel rises at the north-eastern corner of the Totes Gebirge, the great karst plateau of Upper Austria and Styria, directly above the Stodertal and the village of Hinterstoder. With about 1,700 m of prominence it is one of the 25 most prominent summits in the Alps, and its summit looks over the northern Alpine foreland to the Bohemian Forest on clear days. The upper mountain is bedded Dachstein limestone; the Kühkar cirque on its east side holds the northernmost permanent firn field in the Alps.
The normal route is a big day rather than a technical one: 1,900–2,000 m of ascent from the valley, split by most people with a night at the Prielschutzhaus. Above the hut it crosses the Kühkar and climbs a cabled step to the Brotfallscharte, then follows the west ridge to the top. Sure-footedness and a head for heights matter more than climbing skill.
For via ferrata climbers, the Großer Priel Klettersteig on the east side, extended in 2019, is about 2.1 km long and 900 m high, and is billed as the longest in Austria. From the west, longer approaches come up from the Almtal via the Welser Hütte and from the Pühringer Hütte via the Fleischbanksattel.
Climbing Notes
Fitness for 1,100 m of ascent from the hut (about 2,000 m from the valley), sure-footedness on scree and comfort on short cabled sections (A/B) are needed. Altitude is not an issue. Typical plan: walk up to the Prielschutzhaus in the afternoon (2½ hours), summit next morning (3½ hours) and descend to the valley the same day. Strong walkers do it in one long day from Hinterstoder.
Only go in stable weather: thunderstorms build quickly over the Totes Gebirge and the summit cross is exposed to lightning. Old snow in the Kühkar can make the scree traverse to the cables awkward into July; in autumn the summit ridge can be icy, and after the first snowfalls microspikes or crampons are advisable. The hut can arrange mountain guides and lends via ferrata kits on request. A hut sleeping bag is mandatory.
History
Poachers and hunters climbed the mountain before tourists; Archduke Johann noted an ascent in 1810. The first documented tourist ascent was on 29 August 1817 by Count Franz Sigmund von Engl zu Wagrain, guided by the hunters Hans, Anton, Engelbert and Ferdinand Riedler; Archduke Ludwig followed in 1819 with a large party. The path over the Brotfallscharte was completed in 1872. The iron summit cross, 8 m high and weighing 2,240 kg, was erected in 1870 at the initiative of Hinterstoder's parish priest Dominik Kastner; a thunderstorm toppled it on 25 June 2008 and a replica was installed on 17 August 2009. The Bert-Rinesch-Klettersteig, named after the mountain guide who helped build it and who died in the Totes Gebirge in 1995, was built in 1994 and extended in 2019.
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; ski-mountaineering terrain for experts only
- Feb
- Winter; avalanche risk in the Kühkar
- Mar
- Hut opens weekends from late March (2026: from 20 March); winter conditions
- Apr
- Spring snow; avalanche risk
- May
- Hut summer season from late May; deep old snow in the Kühkar
- Jun
- Old snow in the Kühkar and below the Brotfallscharte
- Jul
- Main season; afternoon thunderstorms
- Aug
- Main season
- Sep
- Often stable; quieter
- Oct
- Ice possible on the summit ridge; hut open until 1 November in 2026
- Nov
- Early winter; hut closed (winter room)
- Dec
- Winter conditions
Access & Permits
- Hut Booking
- Book the Prielschutzhaus online via alpsonline.org (card payment required) or by phone/email. The 10-place winter room cannot be reserved.
- Fees
- Paid parking at Schiederweiher and Polsterlucke in Hinterstoder (Schiederweiher has had a 6-hour limit at times)
- Luggage transport by material ropeway to the Prielschutzhaus, about EUR 6 per rucksack
- Hut overnight fees with discounts for alpine club members
- Rules
- Hut sleeping bag mandatory at the Prielschutzhaus
- Totes Gebirge is a nature conservation area; stay on marked paths
- Getting There
Hinterstoder
Linz Airport (LNZ); Salzburg Airport (SZG)
- Train: Pyhrnbahn (Linz – Selzthal) to Hinterstoder station, then Tälerbus line 432 to Schiederweiher or Polsterstüberl
- Car: A9 Pyhrnautobahn, exit Hinterstoder, through the village into the Stodertal to the Schiederweiher or Polsterlucke car parks
- Hiking taxi to the Polsterstüberl
Hazards
- Exposure
- Rockfall
- Weather
- Avalanche
Huts & Shelters
1- 1,420 m
PrielschutzhausHutStaffed
2026: spring 20 March – 3 May (Friday to Monday or on request), summer 22 May – 1 November; heated 10-place winter room otherwise