Hoher Hengst 18.6.2014
A free morning on a bright, but not too warm early summer day is an ideal combination for an extended morning walk.
I start from Rohrbach im Graben at 7:10 a.m., my route leads me through the Rohrbachgraben, a not very deep indentation into the slope beginning behind the last of the houses.
In the Rohrbach dale ("gorge" would be a bit overestimated)
Sunny slope on the right side (viewing back)
Garlic cress (Peltaria alliacea)
Swallow-wort (Vincetoxicum hirundinaria)
Half way to the Ternitzer Hütte I have to cross an Alpine pasture grassland.
No orchids here due to manuring by the cattle, but other flowers: meadow salsify (Tragopogon pratensis) ...
... and Big-flowered foxglove (Large yellow foxglove, Digitalis grandiflora)
View back to the pasture from the oppsite side.
Bastard balm (Melittis melissophyllum) besides the gravel road I´m walking.
Another ALpine pasture near the Ternitzer Hütte ...
... with eh huts of the Bilekalm
Dozens of Globe orchids (Traunsteinera globosa)
Globe orchid (Traunsteinera globosa)
Globe orchid (Traunsteinera globosa)
Lesser Butterfly orchid (Platanthera bifolia)
View back to the Ternitzer Hütte, which is a bit hidden in the forest, and to the Gahns - massive.
Fragrant orchid (Gymnadenia conopsea)
The grassland of the Bilekalm, with the Ternitzer Hütte below.
AT the uppe rend of the pasture there is the Kaltwassersattel, here by chance I meet a train of the Schneebergbahn, not knowing, that the Pietsch family has its praxis-free day and is sitting in the train (looking out of the window on the opposite side not seeing me).
Close to the summit now.
Hunter´s lodge on the Kaltwassersattel.
Behind the hut (in the picture above to the right) huge lots of Mountain Cornflowers (Centaurea montana) ...
... and Wood Cranesbill (Geranium sylvaticum)
Luckily I find the path which is overgrown by stinging nettles, narrow and not waymarked wich circumvents the short escarpment on the left side and then goes up aloing a narrow, wodded ridge up to the summit of Hoher Hengst führt. From the way up a first good view to Schneeberg.
Gahns - massive and Semmering-/Wechsel- area.
From the grassland near the summit the view goes left along the Schneeberg, over the gap of the Krumbach saddle, ...
... to the Rax massive.
To the right now the Fischerhütte is visible with the summit snow cornice still persisting.
Small White orchid (Pseudorchis albida) is growing in the grass between the trees.
Deforestation by gales or cutting down has freed the summit of Hoher Hengsts (1.450 m), so now ther eis a good view to Schneeberg.
Schneeberg - Northern summit with the Fischerhütte ...
... and in maximal zoom.
Alpine grassland vegetation on the summit grassland of Hoher Hengst ...
... as well as vegetation, growing down in the forest, like the Garlic cress (Peltaria alliacea)
Wonderful flowers ...
... and a it higher plants where there has been forest.
Voralpen - Pippau (Crepis alpestris, hopefully my determination is right!!!) is growing here in large areas.
360 degree panoramic picture seen from a bit beneath the summit of Hoher Hengst (1.450 m). Click here or into the picture for a larger version.
Descending down to the "Großer Sattel" In this deforestated area, large patches of Garlic cress (Peltaria alliacea) have established.
Großen Sattel ("Big saddle", 1.287 m). A last veiw to Schneeberg; now it s to skirt down the gravel road to the Hengsthütte and through the Arbestal back to Rohrbach.
Masses of Garlic cress (Peltaria alliacea)
a bit more down, on a grassy hairpin-bend of the road, several exemplars of Pyramidal orchid (Anacamptis pyramidalis).
Once more Garlic cress (Peltaria alliacea) inside the forest.
The Arbes valley is a lovely side valley of the Rohrbach dale.
Woad (Isatis tinctoria) besides the road.
