Hoher Sarstein

1,975 m

Austria

Elevation: 1,975 m
Prominence: 1,072 m
Difficulty: 3/10; Mountain hike
Best Season: Jul–Sep
Routes: 1

Routes

3D Preview

Approximate 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

Pötschenhöhe → Sarsteinalm: closed above ~998 m (OSM access/foot=no on way 342619632)
Pötschenhöhe → Sarsteinalm: corridor (detour; 53 m of gaps, 4.2 km)
unresolved waypoints: Klamml (OSM match off-route)

SACT3Via ferrataAHikeNormal route

The shortest route: from the Pötschen pass (993 m) on the Bad Goisern–Bad Aussee road through forest to a rocky north-facing gorge with short cable-protected steps, then a stony high valley to the private Sarsteinalm hut (1,711 m) and a well-made path to the summit (1,975 m). About 1,000 m of ascent, 3–3½ hours up.

Elevation Profile

approximate line

Distance: ≈ 5.3 km; one way
Ascent: ≈ +1,015 m; start → summit
High Point: 1,975 m
Time Up: ≈ 4h 07m; DIN 33466
Time Down: ≈ 2h 49m; DIN 33466 · same way back

Start at the car park at the Pötschenhöhe (993 m) on the B145. Follow trail 693 roughly east through high forest (flat at first) to a fork, then turn right (south) onto trail 691. After about an hour a short steeper climb leads to the foot of a rocky, cirque-like north gorge known locally as the Klamml. The first step is protected with a cable, followed by several more short secured rock steps (easy climbing, grade I / via ferrata A) that need sure feet. Above the gorge the angle eases and a gravelly path zigzags up into a stony high valley with a grassy saddle at about 1,700 m; a few minutes beyond is the Sarsteinalm (1,711 m), a small private hut that serves food in summer. From the alm, trail 692 climbs left over a rocky flank that turns into grass and reaches the summit in 35–60 minutes. Total about 3–3½ hours. Descend the same way (2½–3 hours), or descend north by the forest path to the Pötschenkehre and Untersee near Bad Goisern. A longer traverse continues south past the Naturfreunde Sarsteinhütte (1,638 m) down to Obertraun on the Hallstätter See, returning by train or boat. In spring, hard old snow lingers in the north gorge well into the season, and the gorge is slippery and prone to stonefall after rain.

Start

Pötschenhöhe999 m

Bus line 952 Bad Goisern – Bad Aussee stops at the Pötschenhöhe (stop 'Pötschen Ort'); check the Salzburg/Upper Austria transport timetables.
Parking at the trailhead

Stages

Day	Stage	km	m ascent	m descent	Time
1	Pötschenhöhe → Hoher Sarstein	5.3	1,015	39	4h 07m

Waypoints

Parking:
Pötschenhöhe999 m
Hut:
Sarsteinalm1,696 m
Summit:
Hoher Sarstein1,975 m

Key Passages

Cable-protected rock steps in the north gorge (Klamml)
Stony high valley and grassy saddle below the Sarsteinalm
Summit path (trail 692) from the Sarsteinalm

Equipment

0/5 packed

Technical

Microspikes or cramponshard old snow in the north gorge in late spring and early summerRecommended

Safety

Helmetstonefall in the gorge, especially with other parties aboveRecommended

Footwear

Mountain boots with good grippolished, often wet rock in the gorgeRequired

Clothing

Waterproof and warm layersRequired

Other

Waterspring by the Sarsteinalm; the hut is only open in summerRecommended

Downloads

Route confidence 75%

Overview

A steep, isolated limestone block (1,975 m) between the Hallstätter See and the Pötschen pass, with a front-row view of the Dachstein across the lake. A half-day mountain walk with short cable-protected steps from the Pötschenhöhe.

The Sarstein rises on the border of Upper Austria and Styria, directly east of the Hallstätter See and opposite Hallstatt and the Dachstein. It is a long ridge running north–south from the Pötschen pass towards Obertraun, steep on all sides, with the Hoher Sarstein (1,975 m) as its highest point. It is usually counted as an outlier of the Dachstein group, cut off from it by the Koppen valley and the Traun.

The reward is the view: the Dachstein plateau and its glaciers to the south, the Totes Gebirge to the north-east and the lake almost 1,500 m below. Sheep graze on the summit pastures in summer. The mountain is quieter than the lift-served summits around Hallstatt.

The shortest route starts from the Pötschenhöhe (993 m) and climbs a rocky north gorge with short cable-protected steps to the Sarsteinalm, a small private hut, and on to the top. Other marked paths come up from the Pötschenkehre near Bad Goisern and from Obertraun past the Naturfreunde Sarsteinhütte, so a full north–south traverse is possible.

Climbing Notes

Suitable for fit, sure-footed walkers: about 1,000 m of ascent and 6 hours or so for the round trip from the Pötschenhöhe. The secured steps in the north gorge are short and easy but need confidence on rock, and are slippery and exposed to stonefall in wet weather. In spring and early summer hard old snow can fill the gorge; check conditions or take the forest route from the Pötschenkehre instead.

The Sarsteinalm is only staffed in summer (roughly July to September), with food and a few places to stay. The traverse to Obertraun (about 8–9 hours, 1,500 m of ascent) is a long but rewarding day, with the train or boat back along the lake. There is no other shelter on the upper mountain; avoid it in thunderstorms.

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; avalanche-prone gorge
Feb: Winter conditions
Mar: Winter conditions
Apr: Snow in the north gorge
May: Hard old snow likely in the north gorge
Jun: Possible snow remnants in the gorge early in the month
Jul: Sarsteinalm staffed; afternoon thunderstorms
Aug: Sarsteinalm staffed
Sep: Often stable weather; alm closes late September
Oct: No hut open; first snow possible
Nov: Winter conditions
Dec: Winter conditions

Access & Permits

Hut Booking

The Sarsteinalm is a small private hut run by the Eggenreiter family; overnight stays are possible in summer by prior arrangement (sarstein.at). The Naturfreunde Sarsteinhütte on the Obertraun side is self-catering and only occasionally supervised.

Getting There

Bad Goisern; Bad Aussee; Obertraun

Salzburg Airport (SZG)

Car on the B145 to the free car park at the Pötschenhöhe pass (993 m) between Bad Goisern and Bad Aussee
Bus 952 Bad Goisern – Bad Aussee stops at the Pötschenhöhe
For the traverse, Obertraun has a railway station on the Salzkammergut line and boat connections on the Hallstätter See

Hazards

Rockfall
Weather
Exposure

Huts & Shelters

SarsteinalmHutStaffed
Staffed early July to late September (Camptocamp: June–September)
Website of Sarsteinalm
1,711 m