Circular hike to the Hochblaser mountain in the Hochschwab

A challenging hike with high elevation on the Hochblaser

Starting point

We start the hike from the free parking lot right by the Leopoldsteiner See lake, which is located under the Hochblaser mountain.

There is also a small bistro in the car park where you can have a coffee in the morning from 9.00 am (open only in the summer season) before the climb, as we did, or something bigger in the afternoon (they have the classic Wiener schnitzel mit pommes etc). Since it is a circular trek we end up at this parking lot again.
 

Description of the hike

From the parking lot, we start on the left edge of the lake following the red marker No. 822. We cross a wooden bridge and keep following the red marker away from the lake and into the rock massif. At first we follow the asphalt road, which soon turns into a gravel climb. After a while, we reach a fork where a path on the right leads to the ascent to the Franz-Joseph-Klettersteig ferrata of difficulty D.

We take the narrow path to the left, which leads through a traverse in the rock massif. The trail is very steep in places, sometimes steel ropes are used to make walking more secure. This is especially useful for less experienced hikers. More experienced mountaineers with a sure step in the mountain terrain will not even need them. The trail offers beautiful views of the Leopoldsteiner See lake and the Hochschwab mountain range in the background.

The steepness of the initial passage, actually up to the top of the Hochblaser, is reflected in the fact that we cover 1,134 vertical metres in about 4.5 km. The trail ends after about an hour of walking, when it turns into a forest path, still steeply ascending. Beyond the forest part we come to a plateau where there is less vegetation, more space and especially the climb is gentler.

Only a little below the top of Hochblaser 1 771 m above sea level is a smaller rock section where you have to overcome larger boulders without climbing. From the summit, continue on red marker 820, which descends steeply from the summit. Here there are two rock sections where you have to help yourself with your hands, moderate climbing I.UIAA, but only 2-3 meters each time.

After this rocky part the route leads through slash and low growing forest. We come to a clearing where there is an Alm with a well where we refill our drinking water. From here, a steep descent through deciduous forest begins until we reach the asphalt road that leads to the settlement of Seeau. From here it is only a flat walk on the asphalt road to the Leopoldsteiner See, where we have a well-deserved beer in the bistro on the eastern side of the lake and cool our feet in the lake.

From the lake, we then walk along the north side of the lake back to the car park. The south side is on asphalt, which we don't want to do anymore, so we choose the forest path in the northern part of the lake.
 

Difficulty

The route has different types of difficulty. Right from the start, just after the Leopoldsteiner See, there is a steep ascent up the Rossloch mountain massif at 1,649 m above sea level. There are steep sections, often secured with a steel rope for holding on.

More experienced Alpine mountaineers won't even use this, but for less experienced hikers these belay elements are useful. This is not climbing without belaying. This only occurs on the descent from the Hochblaser, where there are several smaller sections where hands must be used to descend, UIAA difficulty max. I.

The rest of the route is easy, leading through slash-and-burn forest and mountain trails, without any problem areas. The hike is suitable for hikers with experience with movement in the mountain environment. It is definitely not a route for someone who is in the Alps for the first time.
 

Water availability

During the hike, you can get water below the top of the Hochblaser in a well with a picnic table at Almu. In the summer we had 2 liters of water per person and still had to refill water in this well. Mainly because the trailhead is pretty steep and takes a lot of strength in the summer, so it takes a lot of drinking :).
 

Mountain peaks

On the route we will climb only one peak, Hochblaser 1 771 m above sea level. Theoretically, you can still climb Rossloch 1 649 m above sea level, but it is more of a plateau than a peak. From the Hochblaser there are great views in all directions. To the east to the Hochschwab and to the south to the Eisener Alps.
 

Danger

Due to the steeper sections at the beginning and then during the setup just after the peak, it is definitely not advisable to go on this hike in wet or even rainy conditions. The steep sections are not really suitable for beginners in mountain terrain. An experienced hiker with the confidence to move in mountain terrain will have no problem.