Hochstadl
1,919 m
Austria
Also known as Kräuterin, Hochstadl (Kräuterin)Also known as
Kräuterin · Hochstadl (Kräuterin)
- Elevation
- 1,919 m
- Prominence
- 1,072 m
- Difficulty
- 2/10
- Hike
- Best Season
- Jul–Sep
- Routes
- 1
Routes
1Sources differ: medium (mittelschwer), sure-footedness required (Steiermark Tourismus)
A long but easy hike of about 1,180 m from the Fangbrücke car park in Dürradmer: forest roads and paths along the Nappenbach to the Kräuterinhütte (1,394 m), then high pastures below the Fadenkamp to a saddle and a short, steeper rocky finish to the highest point of the Kräuterin. About 19 km and 6½ hours return.
Elevation Profile
- Distance
- 9.9 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +1,144 m
- start → summit
- High Point
- 1,919 m
- Time Up
- 5h 07m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 3h 41m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
Driving is allowed only as far as the Fangbrücke car park in Dürradmer, reached by a side road that leaves the B24 Gußwerk–Wildalpen road about 11 km beyond Greith. Follow red waymarks (path 289) up the long Kräuterin forest road to a barrier and about 1 km beyond it, then take a path branching left through the forest and across the stream. Closer to the hut the path increasingly leaves the road and runs beside the Nappenbach; the Kräuterinhütte (1,394 m), a staffed summer alm hut, is about an hour from the turn-off. Above the hut the path climbs through forest to the high pastures, with the Fadenkamp on the right, and reaches a saddle with the Hochstadl ahead. At about 1,600 m a branch to the right leads up the final, steeper section, the only part of the route that is more than a walk, partly over rock and with patchy waymarks. The summit cross is not on the highest point, which lies a few metres higher, a little further on. Allow about 2 hours from the hut. Descend the same way. A longer alternative descends from about 1,640 m on path 286 via the Plotschboden to Rotmoos on the Hochschwab road. There is no other refreshment on the route, and it is quiet: you may meet nobody on a weekday. In winter the same line from Dürradmer is a popular, long ski tour.
Start
Parkplatz Fangbrücke811 m
- Bus 198 (Verbundlinie Steiermark) runs Monday to Friday from Mariazell to Greith; the Dürradmer turn-off is about 11 km further along the B24 and the car park a further 10 minutes' drive, so in practice a car or taxi is needed
- Parking at the trailhead
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Parkplatz Fangbrücke → Hochstadl | 9.9 | 1,144 | 38 | 5h 07m |
Waypoints
- Parking: Parkplatz Fangbrücke811 m
End of public road; elevation is that given for Dürradmer by Naturfreunde Hainfeld
- Hut: Kräuterinhütte1,392 m
- Feature: Fadenkamp1,789 m
Passed on the right; not climbed (not on route line)
- Summit: Hochstadl1,919 m
Key Passages
- Forest road along the Nappenbach to the Kräuterinhütte
- High pastures below the Fadenkamp
- Steeper rocky final section above about 1,600 m
Equipment
0/5 packedDownloads
Route confidence 70%Overview
The 1,919 m high point of the Kräuterin, a lonely karst plateau between the Hochschwab and the Ötscher in northern Styria. A long, easy hike over forest roads and cow pastures, with a short rocky finish and a wide view from the Hochschwab to the Dachstein.
The Hochstadl is the highest summit of the Kräuterin, a karst massif of about 120 km² north of the Salza valley between Wildalpen and Weichselboden, in the Mariazell district of Styria. It is usually counted among the Ybbstal Alps, and with about 1,070 m of prominence it is the highest point of the Northern Lower Austria Alps grouping. The massif lies between the Hochschwab to the south and the Dürrenstein and Hochkar to the north, and from the top the view takes in the Hochschwab, Eisenerz Alps, Gesäuse, Haller Mauern, Totes Gebirge, Hochkar, Dürrenstein and Ötscher.
It is a mountain of forest roads and summer pastures rather than rock. The normal route from Dürradmer is long, about 19 km and 1,180 m of ascent for the round trip, but technically easy until a short, steeper rocky section just below the summit. The summit cross stands a few metres below the true high point.
The appeal is quiet: there is one staffed alm hut on the route and walkers report meeting almost nobody on weekdays. In winter the same approach is a popular, long ski tour.
Climbing Notes
Fitness for a 6–7 hour day with about 1,200 m of ascent is the main requirement; the only technical point is the short, steeper rocky finish, where sure-footedness matters. Waymarks on the summit section are patchy, so carry a map or GPS track. There is no water or food on the route outside the Kräuterinhütte's opening hours (mid-June to mid-September, closed Thursdays), and the hut has no winter room.
Most people drive to the Fangbrücke car park in Dürradmer, where private vehicle access ends. A good alternative is the traverse descending path 286 to Rotmoos, which needs a second car or a walk back along the road. In winter the Kräuterin is a long ski tour from Dürradmer; assess avalanche conditions on the open upper slopes and expect forest-road skiing on the approach.
Season
Best Jul–Sep- January: Possible
- February: Possible
- March: Possible
- April: Not advisable
- May: Possible
- June: Good
- July: Best (best window)
- August: Best (best window)
- September: Best (best window)
- October: Good
- November: Possible
- December: Possible
- Jan
- Ski tour from Dürradmer; hut closed, no winter room
- Feb
- Ski touring; check the avalanche bulletin
- Mar
- Ski touring
- Apr
- Snowmelt; poor conditions for both skiing and walking
- May
- Snow patches possible on the upper pastures
- Jun
- Hut opens mid-June
- Jul
- Hut open (closed Thursdays); cattle on the pastures; afternoon thunderstorms
- Aug
- Hut open (closed Thursdays)
- Sep
- Hut closes mid-September
- Oct
- No refreshments; short days
- Nov
- Early snow possible
- Dec
- Ski touring once snow cover is sufficient
Access & Permits
- Hut Booking
- The Kräuterinhütte is an alm hut serving refreshments; contact the host on +43 676 96 96 496 for opening days.
- Rules
- Public vehicle access only as far as the Fangbrücke car park in Dürradmer; the forest roads beyond are closed to traffic
- Getting There
Mariazell
Graz (GRZ); Vienna (VIE)
- By car: B20 from Mariazell to Gußwerk, then the B24 towards Wildalpen to Greith; about 11 km further turn right to Dürradmer and drive about 10 minutes to the Fangbrücke car park
- Bus 198 runs Monday to Friday from Mariazell to Greith (Verbundlinie Steiermark); there is no public transport to Dürradmer
- Rotmoos, the start of the alternative route, has a bus stop on the Hochschwab road
Hazards
- Weather
- Avalanche
Huts & Shelters
1- 1,394 m
KräuterinhütteHutStaffed
Mid-June to mid-September, closed Thursdays