Mölltaler Polinik
2,784 m
Austria
Also known as PolinikAlso known as
Polinik
- Elevation
- 2,784 m
- Prominence
- 1,579 m
- Difficulty
- 4/10
- Alpine hike
- Best Season
- Jul–Sep
- Routes
- 1
AdvisoryReported 7 Oct 2026
The Alpine Club hut page lists the Polinikhütte winter room as unavailable because of renovation works, and the emergency shelter as currently unavailable; no dates given. The hut is closed in winter, so there is no shelter outside the staffed season.
alpenverein.at
Routes
1Sources differ: T3+ (JWD-Bergtouren; hikr.org report 2010 (T3+, K2-)) · II (tourenfex.at (difficulties never exceed II); Outdooractive (climbing to II near the summit))
The only frequented route up the highest peak of the Kreuzeck group: a rough forest road from Obervellach to a barrier car park, a forest path to the Polinikhütte (1,873 m), then trail 326 through the scree cirque of the upper Mörnigtal and a steep, cable-protected gully to an exposed summit ridge. About 1,450 m of ascent and 4½ hours up from the car park.
Elevation Profile
approximate line- Distance
- 4.9 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +1,459 m
- start → summit
- High Point
- 2,784 m
- Time Up
- 5h 32m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 3h 38m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
From Obervellach in the Mölltal cross the Möll and follow signs for the Polinikhütte up a long, poor gravel forest road on the shady side of the valley to the barrier car park (Schrankenparkplatz); a car with good ground clearance helps. Walk on along the road for about 1.3 km, then take path 328, which cuts the bends through forest and crosses the road several times, to the Polinikhütte (1,873 m) in about 1½ hours. Walkers without a car can climb from Obervellach (700 m) in about 3 hours; mountain bikes are allowed to the hut. From the hut walk about 100 m back down the access road to the signpost and follow path 326 above the treeline, past ruined alp buildings, to the Polinik/Ebeneck junction (about 2,120 m). Keep left, traverse a shoulder below the Mörnigköpfe, drop briefly past a large rock spur and climb through the scree of the upper Mörnigtal. From the back of the cirque a steep gully leads up north of the summit; it is partly exposed and protected with steel cables and some metal steps. It reaches the ridge a little north-west of the summit; a narrow, slightly exposed path along the ridge, a notch with drops on both sides and a final steep rock step with cables lead to the top, about 2½–3 hours from the hut. Descend the same way (about 4 hours to the car park); the Ebeneck (2,131 m) can be added on the way down by path 329. The cabled gully is prone to stonefall from parties above, and with snow or ice its difficulty rises sharply. The summit sees few visitors even on fine weekends.
Start
Schrankenparkplatz Polinikhütte1,358 m
- Train to Obervellach–Mallnitz station or bus to Obervellach; from the village it is about 3 hours on foot to the Polinikhütte.
- Parking at the trailhead
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Schrankenparkplatz Polinikhütte → Mölltaler Polinik | 4.9 | 1,459 | 33 | 5h 32m |
Waypoints
- Parking: Schrankenparkplatz Polinikhütte1,358 m
Barrier car park at the end of the public forest road from Obervellach
- Hut: Polinikhütte1,876 m
- Feature: Abzweigung Polinik/Ebeneck2,124 m
Junction near ruined alp buildings; keep left for the Polinik (path 326)
- Summit: Mölltaler Polinik2,784 m
Key Passages
- Polinik/Ebeneck junction (about 2,120 m)
- Scree cirque of the upper Mörnigtal
- Cable-protected summit gully
- Narrow notch and final cabled rock step on the summit ridge
Equipment
0/7 packedDownloads
Route confidence 78%Overview
The highest peak of the Kreuzeck group (2,784 m) and one of the Alps' ultra-prominent summits, rising 2,000 m above Obervellach in the Mölltal. A long day via the Polinikhütte, finishing with a steep cable-protected gully and a short exposed ridge.
The Mölltaler Polinik rises south of Obervellach and Flattach between the Möll and Drau valleys, at the northern end of the Kreuzeck group, a quiet range of crystalline rock between the Hohe Tauern and the Gailtal Alps. With a prominence of nearly 1,600 m it is one of the most prominent summits of the Eastern Alps, yet it sees few visitors compared with the Tauern peaks across the valley.
The normal route is a long mountain walk with a sting at the end. Forest paths lead to the Alpine Club's Polinikhütte, a small family-friendly hut with a view across to the Hohe Tauern; above it, a marked path climbs through the stony cirque of the Mörnigtal, and a steep gully protected with steel cables gains the summit ridge. The top gives a wide panorama including the Großglockner, the Ankogel–Hochalmspitze group and, to the south-east, the Millstätter See.
The mountain is named 'Mölltaler' to distinguish it from the lower Polinik (2,331 m) in the Carnic Alps above the Gailtal.
Climbing Notes
Expect about 1,450 m of ascent and 8–9 hours for the round trip from the barrier car park, or a day more relaxed with a night at the Polinikhütte. The route is T4 (some sources T3+): mostly a marked mountain path, but the summit gully and ridge are steep, exposed and cable-protected, with easy rock up to about UIAA II. Sure-footedness, a head for heights and some scrambling experience are required; a helmet is sensible because of stonefall in the gully.
The access road from Obervellach is a long, poor gravel forest road; a car with good ground clearance helps, and mountain bikes are allowed to the hut. With old snow or ice in the gully (often into early July, and again after autumn snowfall) the route becomes considerably more serious. Start early to be off the ridge before afternoon thunderstorms. The lower Ebeneck (2,131 m) above the hut is an easy alternative for families or bad weather.
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; hut closed, no winter room
- Feb
- Winter
- Mar
- Winter; avalanche terrain in the Mörnigtal
- Apr
- Spring snow
- May
- Snow in the cirque and gully
- Jun
- Hut opens early June; old snow often lingers in the summit gully
- Jul
- Best season; afternoon thunderstorms
- Aug
- Best season
- Sep
- Often stable weather and quiet
- Oct
- Hut staffed to the end of October in 2026; snow and ice make the gully dangerous
- Nov
- Winter conditions
- Dec
- Winter
Access & Permits
- Hut Booking
- Polinikhütte: book by phone with the hut (+43 664 2331079) or by email via the Alpine Club Mölltal section page.
- Fees
- Hut overnight fees, with discounts for Alpine Club members
- Rules
- The forest road beyond the barrier car park is closed to private cars; mountain bikes and e-bikes are allowed to the hut
- Getting There
Obervellach
Klagenfurt Airport (KLU)
- Train to Obervellach–Mallnitz (Tauern railway) or bus to Obervellach; then about 3 hours on foot to the Polinikhütte
- Car: A10 Tauern motorway, exit Lendorf, then the B106 up the Mölltal to Obervellach; cross the Möll and follow signs to the Polinikhütte on a poor gravel forest road to the barrier car park
Hazards
- Exposure
- Rockfall
- Weather
Huts & Shelters
1- 1,873 m
PolinikhütteHutStaffed
35 beds · Early June to end of October (2026); closed in winter, no winter room during renovation