Schneeberg 18.2.2015
In the Facebook group "Schneeberg,
mein Traum Berg, díe Gruppe",
Karl Tisch reportet about rather stiff snow on Schneeberg. This is the ideal
day - less workload as usual, smooth weather, and my secretary in the praxis
asked for a late start due to other obligations. Gladly, I agreed!
I break up before sunrise at 6:40 from Schneebergdörfel, up the Mieseltal route
to the Kaltwassersattel, Baumgartner station, the small church and, crossing the
plateau, to the Klosterwappen, which the highest summit is called. However, I
didn´t realize the sun rising, because of dense mist, reaching up to the tunnels
of the Schneeberg railway. So I put the camera into the rucksack. It is better
anyway when the camera bag doesn´t dangle.
Two thirds of the ascent in the mist ...
The mist clears at last ...
Some wafts of mist still drawing into and fro ...
... but now the bright sun is the victor.
The tunnel exit is covered by a wooden roof to keep off the high snow cornices.
Branching off.
First glimpse of the Rax massive. This view will accompany me for the next hours.
The summit station of the cable railway still is in the mist, but the Karl Ludwig House is above, with the Heukuppe to its right behind, the highest point of the Rax (2.007 m).
Hochwechsel (1.743 m) is poking out as a small island today, Krumbachstein (1.602 m) in front has changing conditions from out to wrapped and back.
Free view to the church now.
Arrived on the flat grassland besides the church. Rax above the sea of clouds.
The buildings of the former summit station of the Schneeberg railway.
Cornices
Lunch with a view - panoramic view over the church and the sea of clouds, far right is the Rax massive. Click here or into the picture for a larger display.
Some of the clouds
... come up for a short while ...
... but are dissolved after a few minutes.
A short leg arouind the corner, and there is free view to the Schneeberg summit ridge.
Panoramic picture of the Schneeberg plateau, as seen from the view point near the Damböck house. Click here or into the picture for a larger display.
The Damböck house (1.810 m)
Timber piles give reliable information about the ascent route. Not that I needed this today, but it is extremely helpful in dense mist.
View to the Höllental and the mist.
Klosterwappen approaching ...
A shelter for the cattle that is grazing here in summer. The view to the north isn´t very informative: a closed blanket of couds, somewhere beneath there is the city of Vienna ...
View back to the Damböck house and to the Waxriegel (1.888 m) - a bit higher in the meantime.
Behind this border there is a 45 degree steep escarpment, 1.500 m down to the Höllental.
Where is the Hochwechsel now??
Rax a small bit more out now. ...
To the right of the Rax is the Schneealpe, Veitsch and Hochschwab in behind ...
To the left in the background could be the mountains of the Koralpe, Saualpe and Niedere Tauern.
View from near the summit to the ascent that comes from the Blick Stadlwandgraben and southern Grafensteig.
Clouds banking up before the Ötscher (1.893 m) and towering high up.
Schneealpe, the prominent summit behind could be the Eisenerzer Reichenstein (2.165 m), about 72 km air line.
The distance to the Gesäuse mouintains (up to more than 2,300 m high) is near 100 km air line, and maybe the 170 km distant Dachstein (2.995 m) is seen in the very horizon. Karl Tisch is walking there with his skis at the moment. Hi, Koarl!
Rax.
On the summit near the Relais station and the summit cross.
This bizarre hoarfrost has stayed up there in the shadow.
Rax
Thick hoarfrost.
The summit cross is free of hoarfrost - standing alone in the wind and in the sun.
Now thaw today, it is crisply cold.
The summit cross of the Klosterwappen (2.075 m), Nether Austria´s highest point.
180 degree panoramic view from the Klosterwappen to the West. Click here or into the picture for a larger display.
180 degree panoramablick from to the East. Click here or into the picture for a larger display.
Fischerhütte (2.049 m) beneath the Kaiserstein (2.061 m). I don´t walk over to the northern summit, my time is rather advanced.
Fischerhütte
The cross on the Klosterwappen.
The descent starts, down to the mist.
To mount Big Foots (short skis) on the boots wasn´t that good idea. First, I don´t find good foot hold, and second, the binding of the left ski loosens after a short drive. Doesn´t matter, go on foot, however this will last a bit longer than planned.
Could be a magnificent ski slope ...
Back at the Damböck house
Rax
Krumbachstein
Once more a panoramic picture of the St. Elisabeth church. Far right the Rax. Click here or into the picture for a larger display.
I shall touch the mist soon.
Huge cornices at the railway tunnels does not matter due to the wooden constructions.
Last picture with the Rax, at the border of the mist. Now the camera is replaced into the rucksack.
