Hoher Hengst 4.12.2013
Today´s the last of a few sunny days. So, I decide to realize a long planned idea to climb the Hoher Hengst (1.452 m) - a "satellite" of Schneebergs. It is well known but only rarely visited - along its southern slopes the first half of the track of the Schneeberg rack railway is leading up.
Start at 7:30 - First sun on Hohe Wand ...
... and Schneeberg - as seen from the pilgrimage church of Höflein.
Behind Puchberg the grassland is hoarfrosted ...
... and carries rests of recent snow. The wooded ridge far left is Hoher Hengst. It nearly looks higher than Schneeberg from this point of view, but it is much more in front - and 600 m lower in altitude.
I start at the last houses of Schneebergdörfl (the name means "little hamlet at/near Schneeberg).
From there, a well constructed forest gravel road leads up the slope till near the summit of Hoher Hengst.
View down to the Schneebergdörfl
Only from time to time, Schneeberg can be seen between the trees.
Here you can appreciate he reason for the name "Schneebergdörfl", situated close to the foothills of the mountain..
Further up, there is much more snow.
Elisabeth´ church can be seen clearly from here, as well as the Schneeberg hotel.
In this unusual perspective you see the summit ridge to the right in the background, with the Kaiserstein and the Fischerhütte.
In the background to the left you see the reason for the thorough snow cleaning of the road - an occupied hunter´s lodge ... nobody seems to care about the bloody innards of yesterday´s kill laying around in the snow near the hut ... hunters are crazy people, indeed!
Now the ridge is close, and already now there is a stunning panoramic view. Click here or into the picture for a larger display
Now you already get a good view over the Krumbach saddle to the Rax massive.
I take on the snow shoes I´ve carried up in my rucksack and stump through the deep and wind drifted snow up the smooth summit ridge of Hoher Hengst.
Now I get a good view down to the Vienna´s plain, Hohe Wand and Rosaliengebirge.
Rosaliengebirge and Bucklige Welt - on the horizon there could be the Geschriebenstein, Burgendland´s highest mountain.
Heavy wind drift ...
Summit cornice of Hoher Hengst
Hohe Wand, with the Fischau mountains in behind.
270 degree panoramic view from the summit of Hoher Hengst (1.452 m). Rather close to the far left is Schneeberg, then the Gutenstein Alps with the Unterberg, in the middle is Dürre Wand and Hohe Wand, to the right the Rosalia mountains and the Bucklige Welt. Click here or into the picture for a larger display.
Wind drift ...
... Here with the view to Hohe Wand and Wiener Neustadt in the dust.
Southern Vienna´s plain and Rosalia mountains.
In the foreground, behind the snow banners, the pilgrimage church of Höflein, where I took my first pictures this morning.
View over Kaltwassersattel and Krumbachsattel ...
... to the Rax ...
... and in the opposite direction. On this southern slope, a bit more down, ...
+
... the track of the rack railway leads up, now deeply snow covered.
The only two walkers I met today. View to the Gahns - massive.
Kaltwassersattel, an indentation in the ridge between Hoher Hengst and Schneeberg. Here, my steep and short descent begins, leading me through the steep valley called Mieseltal ...
... on partly ice covered paths ...
... back to the Schneebergdörfl.
On this short winter day, the big scree called Breite Ries ...
is already in the shade.
You are now invited to meditate some of the pictures shown above with a gospel I performed together with my vocal ensemble "Vokal8" on the first of December in Winzendorf´s church:
