Went up the other Slovenian Ultra

10-09-12


Well, that was enough of Austria for a while. First time in Slovenia - last time I was here back in 1971 it was Yugoslavia and I was hitching east, not looking for limestone Alps riddled with caves/pots.
Just over the border from Austria are the Kamnisko-Savinjske alps and the highest point in that range is another Ultra, Grintovec (2558m P1706).

Grintovec cows take it lying down

Cojzova Koca hut

Unfortunately, when it comes to a map of Grintovec it is divided by two maps. I wasn't prepared to pay for both and at the time of looking did not know which way I was going to tackle it to only buy one. So, armed only with a GPS and accounts I had read on the peakbagger website I set off into the unknown.
I drove to the top of a rough track from the Kokra valley to a small car park at Suhadolnik (897m). There was a home-made looking sign saying five hours to Grintovec via the Cojzova Koca hut. If that was true it was going to be a long day.

The headwall

At first the track was an unpaved road not much different from the one I had driven up. It went past a farm with cows and then into the forest. As the track ran out I could see a sign pointing to the right so followed that. It lead me steeply up through the woods to the foot of an almost vertical headwall and then for a while up a dry stream bed. Presumably, in the spring, when the winter snows melt this path is unusable except by those who enjoy gill scrambling in very cold water. After a while, the path followed a long traverse to the left where it met another path coming up from the base of the headwall. I remembered reading about this choice of paths on the website, but hadn't expected it to be so soon.
From there although I suspect it would be marked on the map as a 'steady step' path it was not too difficult to climb, very steeply at times, to the Cojzova Koca hut and a welcome cup of fruit tea. 

C K hut from above

Grintovec view

The track above the hut traversed upwards for a long way round the side of the main summit before rising more steeply over rough ground to a col. From there it was more rough ground on a zigzagging path to the summit.

Alpine Chough (Pyrrhocorax graculus)

Chuffed Alpiniste

Wooden stairs - nowhere near Bedfordshire

As ever with mountains you have to go down them as well as up. And, although it hadn't taken five hours even if you include stop time, there was still a long way back. After the usual chat with the few other baggers I set off back and found myself overtaking people who had left the summit well before I had even reached it. It was not long before I reached the hut and decided to just keep going - if I stopped I feared my legs would stiffen up. Down the steep valley and to the headwall and the alternative way down. This route was a lot more organised - not quite handrails down the side of Malham Cove maybe, but there were wooden steps and walkways that made it a kind of 'via pinetta'
At the foot of the wall was an entrance to a cave which brought back memories of caving when I was much younger, mainly in the Yorkshire Dales, but also in the Mendips and the Pyrenees. However, even if I had had a helmet and carbide lamp with me there was nothing to encourage me to go thrutching and scrabbling through the entrance to this pot.

Mountainous anthill

Just a bit further down the path I came across a large pile of pine needles that was teeming with ants. Without wanting to make a mountain out of an anthill, it looked a lot bigger than the photo implies.

Grintovec - on the right

Thrilled to Zirbitzkogel

09-09-12

Zirbitskogel from Linderhutte

A Sunday, so no matter where I go there are going to be many others. So why not share the day with them on an Ultra. Zirbitzkogel (2396m P1502) in the Seetaler alps, the 43rd most prominent mountain in the Alps has got to be the easiest Ultra so far, for me. Indeed I deliberately added on an extra top and a longer way back to make it worthwhile going out into the brilliant sunshine.

Thrilled to bag another Ultra

Most people left their vehicles in the car park of the Sabathyhutte (1820m). I left mine about 600 metres down the road because I wanted to leave it in the shade - stops my fridge from defrosting, you see. From the hut I took the dashed red line hiking path 316 through the woods to a meadow surrounded Linderhutte. From there it was back into the woods for a while and then on open ground getting steeper and rougher as it passes Winterleiten lake. The last bit was the steepest, but the path was fairly easy going.

No idea, just one of several things on the summit

Zirbitzkogelhutte and bell

On the ridge the path became an unpaved road to the Zirbitz KG hutte which sits at 2376m, twenty metres below the nearby summit. The summit has various constructions including yet another flipping cross and a memorial to the world war 1 and 2 dead. The top and the hutte were very crowded and there were many bottles of beer being drunk.
I could have just gone back down the way I went up and been back at the van well before the fridge had time to defrost. however, I decided to explore the ridge and headed SSE down track 308 to an unnamed saddle at about 2053m and then up to a summit, Fuchskogel (2214m P161).

Fuchskogel

Zirbitzkogel from Fuchskogel

This time the cross was not at the summit, it was on the edge of the escarpment overlooking a corrie containing the Lavant lake and river. I circled back round the corrie to the saddle - and used a path marked on the map but barely visible on the ground to avoid having to go back to the Zirbitz KG summit again. Then I followed track 322 which initially was a wide well used eroded path but inexplicably became another barely obvious path and no-one else around. At first I thought I had gone the wrong way, but the occasional markings on rocks confirmed that I was not astray. When the path crossed a track that would take me back to Linderhutte, I deliberately broke the rules and instead of using a marked trail I used an unpaved road that zigzagged through the woods to take me directly back to my van - and the fridge was still cold enough for the milk not to have curdled.

Zirbitzkogel from the east

Which way is Triglav?

Grosser Pyhrgas

08-09-12

Gr Pyhrgas

At some point on this trip I resolved that at weekends I would try to keep away from the more popular hills. This resolution has failed for two reasons. Firstly, when you are retired every day feels the same, so weekends sort of creep up unexpectedly. Secondly, there does not seem to be any unpopular hills.
I thought if I chose a hill that I have no idea how to pronounce it would not be crowded. However, as this particular hill is not so difficult and is quite near to the A9 (no, not that one - the Austrian one) there were plenty of others there. And, the majority did it the opposite way round to me - so plenty of time to practice saying 'Guten tag', although I am convinced they were all saying 'gesunt'.

Grosser Pyhrgas (2244m P1250) is about six kilometres north west of Gr Buchstein in the Haller Mauern and the 78th most prominent mountain in the Alps.

Despite the numbers of people I was able to find a parking space in the shade quite near to the Bosruck hutte (1043m). From there I followed the crowd for a short while and then turned left up a hiking trail marked Gr Pyhrgas, that everyone else ignored. It rose moderately steeply through woods and meadows, there was a junction where I turned left and then a right turn on to 'steady steps' track 614 which wound its rocky way through dwarf pines and against the flow of other walkers. Not sure this track really needed steady steps myself. It came out on a saddle on a broad ridge and then it was a simple walk to the (inevitable) summit cross and logbook.

View of summit from saddle

Pure gas - with Gr Buchstein in background

Going back I went back to the saddle and then went down the almost people free Hefersteig track 615. Although not overly difficult this one did require 'steady steps' and I quite enjoyed the odd bit of klettersteig on the way. I certainly felt it was the best way to descend the mountain.

On the Hefersteig

Rohrauerhaus and the Hefersteig

Down in the woods I found the Rohrauer hutte (1308m) and indulged in a beer before heading back to the van on an easy path.
Maybe not the most taxing day - but a P1250 is not a bad way to spend a Saturday.

Bosruck

Doctor, every time I move my head I get a ringing noise in my ear

Grosser Buchstein stops here

07-09-12

The rain has gone and the sky is blue. And, just across the road from Hochtor on the other side of the Gesause vally is a Major, Grosser Buchstein (2224 P1363).

Gr Buckstein from Hochtor

Hidden in the trees off the road is a car park for the Jonsbach train station which is across the river Enns, that can be crossed by a wooden bridge. Inexplicably, there is a no cycling sign which prevents using an unpaved road (continuous red line track 608) that gently rises through the forest on its way to an alternative (and more popular)starting point at Gstatterboden. At Rauchboden track 641 turns off uphill towards the Buchsteinhaus hut (1546m). This is a steep, long track that is generally quite easy walking - at the steeper moments it traverses back and forth across the slope. Much of the time the track is in mixed woodland with occasional glimpses of the summits of Gr Buckstein and Hochtor across the valley.

Buchsteinhaus

On a number of occasions, it is impossible to avoid the huts and refuges as the  tracks literally go along the verandah of the huts. Buchsteinhaus is no exception to this, so you have to walk the gauntlet past the people who always look to me that they have already been to the top and back and regard later comers like me as lazy. Still, it is a chance to have a cup of tea and hang my buff on the back of the seat to let the sun dry out the sweat it has accumulated.

Buchstein from near the haus

From the haus the track becomes one for 'steady steps'. The trees become dwarf pines and the path is steep and scree filled.  Nearer the top there are three options - the klettersteig (via ferrata), the climbers route and the 'normal' way - all are steep. Most people go up the klettersteig and down the normal. So, why should I buck the trend on Buchstein? I am not totally convinced that is the best way round - it could actually have been easier in reverse - because there is just less helpful metal on the normal way.

Via ferrata

Buchstein summit cross

The summit ridge is a walk not a scramble, for once. And, there is another of those flipping metal crosses on the top. As ever, I filled in the logbook.

And then found my way down.

 

Buchstein trig point

Buchstein summit

Despite the torrential rain the previous day, the stream bed coming off the hill was absolutely dry. However, on the way up I had seen that at some time the stream had quite damaged an unpaved road used to transport supplies to the haus. I assumed that this had been like that long term. On the summit looking down I could see there was someone in a yellow vehicle way down the mountainside, but didn't really give it any thought. On the way down, at the point where the stream crosses the road it had been fully restored. Then it occurred to me, the previous day's rain had caused the damage and that the restoration is probably a routine that is often repeated.

Just in case anyone thinks this sounds an easy day out - it turned out to be one of the longer daily distances of the trip. All that traversing adds up. When I got back to the little hidden car park, I ignored the no motorhomes sign and had a lovely quiet night by the river Enns.

Buchstein summit view

Hochtor feelgood

05-09-12

Spent last night in a car park specially for campervans in a charming little village, Vordernberg on the eastern side of the Eisenzer Alpen.

Then in the morning headed into the Gesause National Park.

Hochtor's north wall from Gr Buchstein

Today's mission was to tackle an Ultra, Hochtor (2369m P1520) starting from a little car park next to a bridge over the river Enns. There is no gentle introduction to track 660 -  immediately it goes uphill through the trees with plenty of exposed tree roots (which made me think I don't want to be finishing this walk at dusk). Eventually the track reaches a massive steep wall that was as difficult to take in as Vienna's buildings were. It looked impenetrable. However, the map showed a way - marked by a red dotted line. And, thankfully there was little water in the waterfall to contend with.
On a British OS map, tracks are generally and simply referred to as either footpaths, public footpaths or bridleways. On the freytag & berndt maps there are three kinds of tracks. A continuous red line is for 'a path for hiking or strolling, easily passable on foot'; a dashed red line denotes 'path for hiking in the mountains; whereas a dotted red line is 'Alpine steep track for mountain-experienced hikers with steady steps and with a good head for heights, route partial scramble'. If I was going to get to the Hesshutte refuge at 1699m I was going to have to develop some 'steady steps'.
As an ascent route it was OK, there were several stretches of via ferrata, not all of it really needed when ascending in the dry and useful  step ladders up the vertical bits. There was just one point where I wondered how I would I cope with on descent. The path then entered Ebbrsanger, a steep wooded hanging valley and right at the top of the valley is the Hesshutte precariously hanging over the edge.

Ebbersanger valley - with a tiny Hesshutte at the top

Hesshutte from below

Hesshutte from the start of track 664

So that was the walk-in done. The hutte gave a chance for a cup of fruit tea before tackling the main summit of Hochtor which presented another steep and impenetrable looking wall with a need for more 'steady steps' on track 664.

It looks like all the tracks in Austria are marked with a red square and a horizontal white line - similar to the Austrian flag. So, you have to double check you are following the right track - and I think it could be easily confused with a no-entry sign.

Looking down on a tiny Hesshutte

A 'steady steps' section on the Hochtor summit ridge

Track 663 offered a variety of steep tracks through dwarf pines, walking across scree slopes, and quite a bit of mainly easy via ferrata. I allowed myself be fooled by a false summit - should have checked my GPS and realised there was quite way to go along the summit ridge. Not only that, there was some descent and reascent with 'steady steps' and chains too. However, I was quite pleased that I was keeping well within the timings on the signposts - I was confident that I would be able to get back to my van before dark.

The summit is marked by a big metal cross - I was going to discover that is not a rarity on Austrian summits - and,  in a metal box, there was a logbook to complete, with a plug for this blog duly added.

So all I needed to do was reverse the route. If I could get to the hutte before 17.00 I would carry on down to easily beat the dusk at around 19.30. If I was later than that or the weather turned for the worse I would seek refuge.

Looking back across the Hochtor ridge

I passed the hutte just before17.00 and although there were clouds in the sky I decided to carry on, without even stopping for another cup of tea - and certainly not a beer. I made good time down the valley to the top of the giant wall - and started down the via ferrata. And then the weather turned - the lightning and thunder came repetitively and close. The rain was torrential - I had some shelter from the buttresses above me, but I knew that I could not hang around as I certainly did not want to be there in the dark.
I was soon quite wet and using metal via ferrata in a thunderstorm generated in me a range of interesting emotions. Most interesting to me was that 'panic' wasn't one of those emotions. Do I turn back and go to the hutte wet through and no change of clothing or do I carry on. I carried on down the wall, across the now raging waterfall and down into the trees and their roots. Much lower down I realised that if I kept with the stream that had been the waterfall I could get down to a reservoir in the valley below. So I ignored the marked trail as it turned away from the stream, which eventually became culverted and it brought me out on an unpaved road just as the dusk light was low enough to have made those tree roots a problem. The unpaved road took me right back to the start point.
 As for the rain - that continued for the next 24 hours. If I had gone back to the hutte I would have still had to tackle the via ferrata in the wet and if I had waited for the rain to stop before continuing, it would have been a long wait.
But hey, that's another Ultra.

Another view of Hochtor from Gr Buckstein