Schneeberg and the Weichtal gorge 17.7.2011
Herwig Gießwein has promised to a collegue to guide him through the Stadelwandgraben and told him, that there are pictures in the internet. So, Martin Frast, also living in Winzendorf, has visited my site and sent me an E-mail of compliment and some nice words. A week later, I met Herwig at a concert of Vokal 8 and he told me about, so I suggested to participate in the walk. Both agreed, so we started at 6 a.m. in Winzendorf and met Herwig at 6:30 in Gloggnitz getroffen to have an early start at 6:52 from the Weichtalhaus.
The first hour is walking steeply up through a narrow side valley of the Hoellental (more like a gill). Breathtaking, however, the first view ...
... with the Stadelwand (Stadel -wall, more appropriately translated with "barn wall, for unknown reason) to our left (now looking back down).
We have ascented through steep forest and now find ourselves above the wall, on a small grassland with a hunter´s hut. on a rock on top of the Stadelwand, at an altitude of about 1.300 m Seehöhe. A bit more than half of the 1.550 m - ascent is done now.
From the "summit" of he Stadelwand you get a stunning panoramic view over the Hoellental ("Hell´s valley) and the Rax massive. Click here or into the picture for a larger version.
Still the summit is far ...
Eberrauten - Greiskraut (Senecio abrotanifolius)
Großer Strahlensame ("Alpine Leimkraut", Heliosperma alpestre)
A very old tree, which was hit by a flash many years ago and cut into pieces, but still alive and growing.
Blue Monkshood (Aconitum napellus)
Kleb - Kratzdistel (Cirsium erisithales)
European Peacock (Inachis io)
Alpine Erigeron (Erigeron Alpinus)
Eastern Alpine Pink (Dianthus alpinus)
The Rax massive. The Ottohaus (Alpine hut) can be seen on the ridge to the left.
Clusius - Cinquefoil (Potentilla clusiana)
We are walking up through screes, to the left are high escarpments.
We can see the summit at least.
Spring Gentian (Gentiana verna) in large amounts up here.
Frog Orchid (Coeloglossum viride).
Alpine Thrift (Armeria alpina)
This plant is a fern: the Common Moonwort (Botrychium lunaria)
Different variants of Black Vanilla orchid (Nigritella nigra).
Eastern Alpine Pink (Dianthus alpinus)
Alpine Bistort (Polyganum viviparum)
White Mountain Saxifrage (Saxifraga paniculata)
Panoramic picture from Klosterwappen, the summit of Schneeberg (2.076 m). Click here or into the picture for a larger version.
Now heading for the Fischerhuette, for a rest and a good warm meal.
Unbelievable flower meadow on the way down.
Quirlblättriges Laeusekraut (Pedicularis verticillata)
Eigentliches Wimper - Sandkraut (Arenaria ciliata)
Spring Gentian (Gentiana verna)
The view in Western direction till Oetscher 1.893 m, in the far distance right of centre of the horizon)
Alpine French Honeysuckle (Hedysarum hedysaroides)
Moschus - Steinbrech (Saxifraga moschata) in Wurzengraben (Wurzen - gill)
This chamoise is not really disturbed by us - it is rather used to harmless walkers without guns.
Walking down the Wurzengraben.
Down at the Ochsenboden. Here, the high plateau of Kuhschneeberg is joing the Schneeberg massive..
False Helleborine(Veratrum album)
A good rest at Kienthaler hut. Herwig and Martin insist on doing the short, but very exposed ferrata on Turmstein, whereas I am sitting in front of the hut and watching them.
Now the route goes down through the Weichtal gorge, one of the most beautiful gorges in the whole area.
The upper part of the gorge is still narrow, but the rock walls are not that high.
Where is the path? - BENEATH the red marking this time!
A short sunny passage
Esxcarpment with a ladder - easy climbing then.
Now a very easy path
Sveral easy ferrata passages, secured with chains.
Left hand side a huge rock wall with excavations - the gorge has been up there one day.
Another escarpment downwards ...
... with a longer ladder
In the downmostr parts of the gorge, the rock walls are rather high, so each time I had to stitch several pictures together to get these views.
Back, after 11 hours, to the Weichtal house, which in fact is kind of an inn, we had drinks and some dinner.