Hocharn
3,254 m
Austria
Also known as ХохарнAlso known as
Хохарн
- Elevation
- 3,254 m
- Prominence
- 678 m
- Difficulty
- 4/10
- Alpine hike
- Best Season
- Jul–Aug
- Routes
- 1
AdvisoryReported 28 Sep 2026 · until 12 Dec 2026
From 28 September to 12 December 2026 SVV bus line 640 runs only to Bucheben Hinterbichl; Kolm Saigurn and the Lenzanger car park are not served.
tauernhoehenwege.org
Routes
1Sources differ: T3 (tauernhoehenwege.org (Erfurter Weg and summit ridge in good conditions)) · T5 (tauernhoehenwege.org (optional marked steep step on the ridge, one move of II; easily bypassed))
The summer normal route up the highest peak of the Goldberg group: from Kolm Saigurn at the head of the Rauris valley (1,598 m), the Erfurter Weg (123) climbs a short cabled step, long grass and boulder slopes and the snowfields and ice remnants of the Hocharnkees to the northern Goldzechscharte (about 2,880 m), then an easy ridge leads north to the summit. About 1,700 m of ascent in one long day.
Elevation Profile
approximate line- Distance
- 9.7 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +1,842 m
- −138 m lost on the way up
- High Point
- 3,254 m
- Time Up
- 7h 37m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 5h 21m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
From the Lenzanger car park at the end of the toll road (1,549 m) walk 20–35 minutes to the Naturfreundehaus Kolm-Saigurn (1,598 m). Just north of the house turn west, cross a suspension bridge over the Tauernklamm and follow the Lacheggbach upstream past the waterfall to the junction with the Erfurter Weg (trail 123, about 1,750 m). Keep left (west). The Erfurter Weg climbs a steep step near the start that is slightly exposed and protected with cables (A), then grassy slopes and long boulder fields with occasional use of the hands (UIAA I). Higher up it crosses small firn fields and the remnants of the Hocharnkees, including a short stretch of debris-covered dead ice and a bergschrund that is awkward but has a fixed cable. There are no junctions until the signposted northern Goldzechscharte (about 2,880 m) on the main ridge, where the Klagenfurter Jubiläumsweg (102) comes in. Turn right (north) along the ridge: mostly easy walking with a few short scrambly sections, plus one marked steep step (T5, one move of II) that is easily bypassed on the right in normal conditions. About 1 hour from the col to the summit. Descend the same way; snowfields east of the ridge can sometimes be used for a quicker descent. Allow 5–5½ hours up and about 4 hours down. There is no hut above Kolm Saigurn, the slopes face south and east and get hot, and fresh snow makes the boulder fields and ridge much harder. Crampons should be carried in any case.
Start
Parkplatz Lenzanger1,550 m
- Train to Zell am See or Taxenbach-Rauris, SVV bus 640 to Kolm-Saigurn (summer timetable 13 June – 27 September 2026 only; otherwise the bus terminates at Bucheben Hinterbichl).
- Parking at the trailhead
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Parkplatz Lenzanger → Hocharn | 9.7 | 1,842 | 138 | 7h 37m |
Waypoints
- Parking: Parkplatz Lenzanger1,550 m
End of the Kolm-Saigurn toll road; summer bus stop
- Hut: Naturfreundehaus Kolm-Saigurn1,601 m
- Col: Nördliche Goldzechscharte2,824 m
- Summit: Hocharn3,254 m
Key Passages
- Cabled steep step on the Erfurter Weg (A)
- Long boulder fields (UIAA I)
- Dead ice and bergschrund with fixed cable below the Goldzechscharte
- Summit ridge north of the northern Goldzechscharte
Equipment
0/7 packedDownloads
Route confidence 70%Overview
The highest peak of the Goldberg group in the Hohe Tauern, on the Salzburg–Carinthia border north-west of the Hoher Sonnblick. A long, quiet summer climb from Kolm Saigurn: about 1,700 m of boulder fields, snowfields and an easy ridge, with no hut above the valley.
The Hocharn (3,254 m) is the high point of the Goldberg group, the old gold-mining district between the Rauris valley and Heiligenblut. It stands on the main Alpine ridge about 3 km north-west of the better-known Hoher Sonnblick with its observatory, and is built of mica schist, granite gneiss and amphibolite. The small Hocharnkees on its east side and the Trimmelkees to the north have shrunk to remnants. With a dominance of almost 14 km it is a superb viewpoint over the Glockner and Ankogel groups.
The summer normal route from Kolm Saigurn at the head of the Rauris valley is technically modest but long: the Erfurter Weg climbs a cabled step and then endless boulder slopes and snowfields to the northern Goldzechscharte, from where an easy ridge leads to the top. From the south, an unmarked route from the Alter Pocher inn in the Fleiß valley near Heiligenblut reaches the same col in about four hours. Combined with the Hoher Sonnblick, it makes a two-day glacier traverse.
Because there is no hut on the way and no lift, the Hocharn sees far fewer people than the Sonnblick. It suits fit, sure-footed mountain walkers with some experience of snow; it is also a popular spring ski tour from Kolm Saigurn.
Climbing Notes
Fitness for 1,700 m of ascent and a 9–10 hour day is the main requirement. The terrain is T3–T4: a short cabled step, long boulder fields with occasional hand moves (I), snowfields, a little dead ice and a bergschrund with a fixed cable, then an easy ridge. Carry crampons in any case and an axe early in the season; a rope and harness are not normally needed on the Erfurter Weg. The Sonnblick traverse via the Goldzechkopf (II) and the glacier to the Zittelhaus needs full glacier equipment.
Stay the night before at the Naturfreundehaus Kolm-Saigurn (1,598 m) or drive the toll road to the Lenzanger car park early. The route faces south and east, so it is hot on summer afternoons; streams in the lower half are the only water. Avoid it after fresh snow. The summer bus to Kolm Saigurn runs only from mid-June to late September.
History
Miners and hunters reached the summit during the gold-mining era, starting from the Goldzechscharte. The first recorded ascent was made in 1827 by Dits and Joanelli during the cadastral survey. The name is uncertain: old maps give Hochnarr, Hochnarrspitz, Hochhorn and Hoher Aar, and the official Austrian map uses Hocharn and Hochnarr.
Season
Best Jul–Aug- January: Not advisable
- February: Not advisable
- March: Possible
- April: Possible
- May: Possible
- June: Possible
- July: Best (best window)
- August: Best (best window)
- September: Good
- October: Possible
- November: Not advisable
- December: Not advisable
- Jan
- Winter; toll road closed to private traffic; ski-mountaineering only
- Feb
- Ski-touring terrain; avalanche risk
- Mar
- Ski tours from Kolm Saigurn for experienced parties
- Apr
- Spring ski-touring season
- May
- Late ski tours; summer route still under snow
- Jun
- Extensive snowfields on the Erfurter Weg; summer bus from mid-June
- Jul
- Best summer conditions; hot on the south-east slopes; thunderstorms
- Aug
- Best summer conditions
- Sep
- Often stable; harder snow and ice early in the day; bus until late September
- Oct
- Early snow likely; no bus to Kolm Saigurn; Naturfreundehaus open to 31 October
- Nov
- Winter conditions
- Dec
- Winter conditions
Access & Permits
- Hut Booking
- Naturfreundehaus Kolm-Saigurn (Sonnblickbasis): enquiry via sonnblickbasis.at or by phone (+43 6544 8103).
- Fees
- Kolm-Saigurn toll road (Bodenhaus–Lenzanger): EUR 10 per vehicle; combined toll and parking season card EUR 41
- Bus surcharge Lenzanger–Kolm-Saigurn: EUR 3.40 per person on top of the toll (2025)
- Rules
- The road beyond the Lenzanger car park to the Naturfreundehaus is closed to private cars except registered guests
- The toll road is closed to private traffic in winter
- The Rauris valley head lies in Hohe Tauern National Park; stay on marked paths
- Getting There
Rauris (Salzburg)
Salzburg (SZG)
- Train to Taxenbach-Rauris or Zell am See, SVV bus 640 via Rauris to Kolm-Saigurn (summer timetable 13 June – 27 September 2026); outside this period the bus ends at Bucheben Hinterbichl
- By car: through the Rauris valley to the Bodenhaus toll station, then the toll road to the Lenzanger car park (1,549 m), 20–35 minutes on foot from Kolm Saigurn
- From the south: Großglockner road area to the Fleiß valley and the Alter Pocher inn (1,807 m) for the unmarked route via the Zirmsee
Hazards
- Rockfall
- Weather
- Remoteness
- Crevasses
Huts & Shelters
1- 1,598 m
Naturfreundehaus Kolm-SaigurnHutStaffed
51 beds · Open daily 26 December – 31 October (closed for a few days in spring and autumn); no winter room