Mittagsstein and Krumbachstein 7.7.2007
If your E - Mail adress is displayed in the Internet, from time to time you get mails of acceptance. Some weeks ago, one of those mails also contained an invitation to share a walk, which I have readily accepted. So I walked with Herwig Gieszwein, a pensioned high school teacher from Sauerbrunn, over a small, not marked, but clearly visible path from Hirschwang on Rax to Mittagsstein (1.301 m). The walk further proceeded to Friedrich Haller - Haus, Krumbachstein (1.602 m) Bodenwiese and Waldburg - Angerhuette, back to the railway station of Payerbach. In summary about 1.200 m ascent and about 15 km of walk.
The path starts near the disused railway station of Hirschwang and leads steeply up through the forest. First sight through the trees to Stuhleck ...
... and back down to Hirschwang.
Hirschwang, Prein on Rax to the left, in the background Stuhleck (1.782 m).
The cablecar to the Rax plateau is just opposite ...
... of the narrrow Hoellental ("Hells valley"). The Rax massive to the left, and the southern escarpments of Schneebergs to the right.
Rax in the background.
Hirschwang and Prein
A phantastic panorama displays from the summit of Mittagsstein: Payerbach, Prein, Stuhleck, Rax with the cablecar, Hoellental and Schneeberg. Click into the picture for a larger version.
View down from Mittagsstein to the sawmill and paper mill near Hirschwang, some 800 m deeper.
Herwig Gieszwein with his dog Lara.
There is no view to the Hoellental more stunning than that from the summit of Mittagsstein.
Once more Rax with the cablecar, in the depression left from the top station is the lodge named Ottohaus.
Schneeberg, as seen from Mittagsstein.
Zooming in on the summit and the Radar station.
The path now leads over flat forest on a plateau. Many flowers are growing here, for example this rare pink globe orchid (Traunsteinera globosa)
Turk´s cap lily (Lilium martagon)
At times small grassland areas.
Gebirgs - Greiskraut (Senecio alpinus)
Grauer Alpendost (Adenostyles alliariae)
Friedrich Haller - Haus (1.250 m) on "Knofeleben", a plateau getting its name from the ramson growing there in masses ("Knofel" = garlic).
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Fuchs - Greiskraut (Senecio ovatus)
Near the summit of Krumbachstein.
The summit cross of Krumbachstein with the Rax massive ...
... and Schneeberg.
Zooming in to St. Elisabeth´s church.
Good views also to northeast, on the horizon Vienna´s plain with the city (only to be seen on very clear days)
In eastern direction you see Wiener Neustadt and Neusiedler See behind.
Zooming in to Hirschenkogel in southern direction, where ski slalom and giant slalom races of the Ladies world cup series take place every second year shortly after christmas.
Down now over a pasture and through the forest.
Near the path once more orchids: Common spotted orchid (dactylorhiza fuchsii)
Fragrant orchid (Gymnadenia conopsea)
"Giant leaved" foxgloves (Digitalis grandifolia)
On a small grassy place lots of Fuchs - Greiskraut (Senecio ovatus)
We reach Bodenwiese near its northern end. The large grassland, situated on 1.150 m above sea level, is about 2,5 km lon, 500 m widem ibe of the largest mountain pastures in Austria.
View over the grassland in eastern direction.
View to the south. In the small clearance of the forest on the horizon ...
... is situated Waldburg - Angerhuette (to the left behind the trees at the end of the grassland)
Arnika montana is growing here, ...
... and Austrian Gentian (Gentiana austriaca)
A great part of the grassland is a large pasture.View in northern direction..
Between the trees near Waldburg - Angerhuette.
Waldburg - Angerhuette (1.182 m) on the southern end of Bodenwiese.
Here the plateau comes to its end, with sudden steep escarpments of the Gahns massive. A nice view to Sonnwendstein with a short drink.
Zooming in on Sonnwendstein, in the foreground the bridge of the highway S6, one of the longest ferroconcrete bridges all over the world.
On the descent, shortly after the hut, a tiger lily (Lilium bulbiferum)
After a short descent, a very short detour leads to this stunning view named Jubilaeumsaussicht ("jubilee´s view, 992 m), wherre there is a wide view over all of the valley..
Panoramic view from Jubliaeumsaussicht on Schwarza valley with Payerbach, Reichenau and Prein, far left a part of Gloggnitz to be seen, far right the Rax massive. Click into the picture for a larger version.
Rax massive, far left Heukuppe (2.009 m)
Descent through mixed forest.
View back: On one of these rocks ...
... is Jubilaeumsaussicht.
We drive back to Hirschwang from Payerbachs railway station using the second car. As opposed to the morning, Mittagsstein is in the sun now.
