Gamskarkogel 6.7.2008

This Saturday, July 5th, once more I attend a course in Innsbruck. The same evening, I drive to Salzburg to meet my son Peter for a mountain walk the next day. Because Peter has to play with his Violoncello at a tourist dinner, I go for an evening walk through the town and on the fortress Hohensalzburg.

The fortress, built on a high rock formation, can be seen from the old town. The great festival house to the right.

First I walk around the hill with the fortress ...

 ... to finally find the way up.

Gorgeous round view from up here ...

 ... over the city with the cathedral in the foreground and the river Salzach in behind.

Kapuzinerberg to the left, Gaisberg to the right in the background.

An airy free stair case with a view on Salzburg ...

Untersberg ...

 ... and the view to Germany´s Berchtesgaden mountains.

View to the south ...

 ... with the Tennengebirge and the Hagengebirge

Tenngebirge has a charcteristic sharp escarpment to its right from the high plateau, down to the Salzach valley, far right is Hagengebirge.

Berchtesgaden´s mountains ...

 ... and once more zooming in.

A large square inside the fortress.

I walk down to the river Salzach ...

 ... and enjoy the view back to the fortress, now looking in the opposite direction.

6.7.2008: After a short sleeping time we start with the car at 6:30 from Salzburg and start walking at 8 a.m. from near Huettschlag in the Groszarl valley. We could drive a bit up the slope, but now the gate stops us at this small parking ground, at an altitude of about 1.200 m.

View back the Groszarl valley.

Soon the gravel road turns into a short side valley of the Groszarl valley..

A small reservoir supplies the water for a small power plant down in the valley.

Rank grassland.

Meadow Cranesbill (Geranium pratense)

A daedal bench is inviting for a short rest.

Thousands of buttercups near the road.

Where cattle is exceedingly manuring the soil, plants like sorrel, loving lots of nitrogen, are growing in big amounts.

Saxifrage (Saxifraga paniculata) hanging from a big rock.

View back from the Tofernalm

Fragrant Orchid  (Gymnadenia conopsea)

Heath spotted orchid (Dactylorhiza maculata)

We now enter the zone above the forest where Alpine roses ("Almrausch", Rhododendron ferrugineum) are flowrishing in masses.

This group with Kreuzkogel (2.325 m) behind.

Bearded bellflower (Campanula barbata)

At lst reached the saddle called Tofernscharte at an altitude of 2.091 m. Suddenly, the view opens down to the next valley, the Gastein valley with the famous village of Badgastein. Behind t the right is Schareck (3.123 m).

More to the right is Rauriser Sonnblick (3.106 m) and Hocharn (3.254 m, in the mist).

This mountain slope parts the picture nearly in parallel with its diagonale. Given a relation of the two sides of the picture of 3:4 the angle of the slope estimates to the inverse tangens of 0,75 - that equals to nearly 39 degree - steeper than the roof of my house.

View to the south. In front the ridge between Groszarl- and Gastein valley is continuing with Finsterkopf (2.152 m), Throneck (2.214 m) and Kreuzkogel (2.325 m). Behind is Keeskogel (2.886 m), Tischlerspitze (3.002 m) and Ankogel (3.252 m).

Still Alpine roses up here.

The summit is not far now.

Tischlerspitze and Ankogel (with the fog), far right is Gamskarlspitze (2.883m)

A short rest in between, shortly before the summit ...

Lots of flowers on the summit grassland: Alpine forget-me-not

View to the Hochkoenig (up to more than 2.900 m high)

The lodge on the summit.

You can stay here overnight - then you might see this sunrise (in German, but the pictures are stunning).

The lodge inhibiting a complete panoramic view, the usual summit panorama has to be parted, this is the eastern part. Click here or into the picture for a larger version

Western part of the panorama. Click here or into the picture for a larger version.

The Dachstein massive

Faulkogel (2.654 m), Rothorn (2.522 m) and Mosermandl (2.680 m) - these mountains within the central ridge are built of limestone laying upon the crystalline rocks beneath.

View to southeast with Keeskogel, in the mist is Hafner and Hochalmspitze.

The Hochkoenig massive

Tennengebirge, this time from the opposite side with the characteristic escarpment to the Salzach valley to the left side.

Zooming in on Tischlerspitze and Ankogel

Keeskogel (2.886 m)

Clouds are now increasing fast, as thunderstorms are precast for the afternoon. After a good lunch on the table outside the lodge and an enjoyable hour´s summit rest we go for the descent.

Once more forget-me-not..

Clouds are now towering above Ankogel.

Moss campion  (Silene acaulis)

Colourful grassland ...

Its better to walk down now ...

Once more Faulkogel (2.654 m), Rothorn (2.522 m) and Mosermandl (2.680 m)

Mountain avens (Dryas octopetala)

The clouds are increasing in number ...

This seems to be a potentilla - species ...

One last time a view to the south, even more clouds now.

Back to the side valley, a beck flowing down from Gamskarkogel.

Bearded bellflower (Campanula barbata)

Small white orchid (Pseudorchis albida)

Mountain arnica (Arnica montana)

Alpenpetersbart (Geum montanum) - down here there are fruits already.

Back to the reservoir.

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