The tallest peak of Austria and its tour skiing

 

One of the very popular peaks for tour skiing is the Austrian Grossglockner. I’m sure that part of its appeal is also the fact, it’s the highest Austrian peak, but also offers excellent tour skiing.

The history of the sport is long, from the times when people started using first tools to walk on snow. Back in those days it meant survival, today it’s an adrenalin sport, full of pleasure, physical activity and fun. It’s becoming ever more popular and thus there are ever more people coming to snowy mountains to enjoy the long descents down the unspoiled and non-existing slopes. A lot of charm is in testing and increasing one’s skills and insurance. I also like the prise, which – except for the initial purchase of equipment – isn’t high. As in many sports, people again try to do more that they can, thus they are risking their and other people’s lives. Good and reliable equipment is necessary if you want to enjoy the snow, but you also need to know how to use the equipment and what to do when a mountain presents a danger. But you have to know what you’re capable off and how much experience you’ve got. 

 

Tour skiing is a combination of mountaineering and skiing in one. Hence we need two types of equipment – for climbing and skiing. Additional gear depends on the difficulty of the mountain we’re going to conquer. To get everything, you will have to reach deep in the pockets – skiing shoes, skies and binds for tour skiing… Skis are usually a bit shorter and wider than those we’d use in established ski slopes. They should not be taller than the person using them. Today you can get flat skis and those with enhanced outside arch – which are not so good, as they are harder to handle on ice. The binds for tour skiing are vital – they have to be able to allow the heels to lift off skis, so you can walk – important for going uphill. The shoes themselves combine the characteristics of hiking shoes and skiing boots. You have to be able to walk in them, but still be high enough to support the ankle, but still allowing the flexibility of the ankle, so you can walk. This should be blocked upon skiing downhill. Another part is really important to allow you to walk uphill. It’s the “skin” or “dogs,” which are long synthetic strips that you paste to the skies with special glue. On the outside they’ve got fringes (or hare) on the outside, so the skis don’t slip. Sometimes you must even use crusts, which are made of metal and you place them on skis like crampons. They are U shaped and you place them under shoes, to allow for walking on the icy areas. I also suggest you take some other stuff, like the snow probe and shovel, which have saved many lives. 

The mountain visited in every season is not the easiest to conquer, so you do need to be in shape! With its 3798m you get to feel the altitude, which effects your climb as well. I reached the top with my friends in winter and with my tour skies. There are many ways to the top, but most people chose the ones passing either Lucknerhütte or Stüdlhütte. You need to cross the famous glacier Ködnitzkees, but I never felt I was on ice as there was a lot of snow all around us, that covered both the rocks and ice, as well as peaks around us. After the glacier you need to make the steep climb towards the last lodge Erzherzog-Johann-Hütte, which is closed in winter time. Not far from the lodge is a place where you must leave your skies and continue with climbing gear, along with the pickaxe. The way to the top is steep and exposed between the pass from Small and Big Glockner.  There’s a narrow path between them with deep falls on both side, so you need to be careful. There are many iron spikes along the way for safety. In the winter the peak has fewer visitors as in summer. The climb is difficult. There are so many visitors in the summer; you might have to wait for quite a while to cross the last 250 meters. On the very top there’s a cross and an unparalleled view that makes up for all the hardship trying to reach the highest mountain in Austria.

 

The charm of this excellent peal are experienced by adrenalin lovers for over 210 years. That is why Grossglockner is “the place where alpinism began«. The people who know it, believe that Grossglockner with the whole region offers 4 skiing resorts, but is more suited for adrenalin than for standard skiing. Climbing and tours skiing would be considered as part of adrenalin sports. Reaching the top itself, in the winter time, is extreme. Not only is this the tallest peak of Austria, it is also one of the tallest peaks in the Alps itself. The area around it is also the oldest national park in Austria, named Hohe Tauern. It’s a protected area since 1981. And unfortunately such peaks always demand their toll. There are over 300 known fatal accidents since the first climb in 1800. All 300 are collected in a book at the village of Heiligenblut, the village on the other side also features many accidents, which makes it even more dangerous. Although every adrenalin lover knows, what the risks are, there’s a great desire to reach such peaks, thus nobody considers failure an option. 

 

 

Grossglockner is a very important destination that many people – even if they’ll never reach the top – want to see it. There is even the tallest panoramic road in the Alps, as the popular destination, with bikers and cyclists riding it. If you want to spend a few more days in the Alps I suggest you to book yourself in the Hostel Heiligenblut.