Climb to the Eisenerzer Reichenstein from the Präbichl saddle

Autumn trek to the magnificent lookout mountain Eisnerzer Reichenstein

Starting point

Large parking lot at the train station in the Präbichl saddle. Parking is free of charge. It is probably also possible to park in the parking lot at the Präbichlerhof hut just above the station, but there are signs everywhere saying that it is a private parking lot.
 

Description of the hike

Early in the morning we set off from the station car park along a path which soon led us to the Präbichlerhof restaurant. The first tourists were already starting from there. So we started climbing up the mountains following the trail. First on meadows, but soon we entered a sparse forest. We continued to climb slowly and soon the first rays of the sun began to warm us. After leaving the forest, we first saw our destination, the Eisenerzer Reichenstein. The trail continues to the Rösselhals saddle. Here, for the first time, views towards the town of Eisenerz and Mount Erzberg were offered.

After the ridge we continued to the Eisenerzer Reichenstein mountain, the trail is beautifully cut into the mountainside and climbs gently. For the next climb we decided to take a slightly more challenging route, so a steel ladder and a steel rope awaited us. However, this is an uneventful section, there are no air passages. After ascending this passage, we rejoined the trail and ascended in serpentines to just below the top of the mountain. It is then only a short distance to the summit itself in rocky terrain.

The views duly rewarded us for the climb and we spent quite a lot of time on the summit. After a rest we descended to the Reichensteinhütte. Here we indulged in a light snack in a friendly atmosphere. After this short stop we started our descent back. This time we skipped the passage with the ladder and rope and went around it on the classic trail. We then descended to the Präbichl saddle without any problems on the same path we had used to climb to the summit.
 

Difficulty

This is probably the busiest route leading to the Eisenerzer Reichenstein. This is thanks to the high Präbichl saddle. Even so, the total elevation gain is about 1,000 metres, so good fitness is useful. The route follows mountain paths and trails. There is only one more exposed spot, but it can be avoided by following the classic trail. The trail is suitable for more trained children as well as dogs.
 

Water availability

On the trail we only found water at the beginning at the Präbichlerhof restaurant. There was no spring or stream further along the route. Fluids can be replenished at the mountain hut Reichensteinhütte, which is just below the summit. We had about 1.5 litres of liquid per person.
 

Sleeping options

There are several accommodation options in the Präbichl road saddle. This is also possible at the Reichensteinhütte.
 

Mountain peaks

From the top of the Eisenerzer Reichenstein 2,165 m above sea level, you can enjoy great views of the surrounding mountain ranges - the Hochschwab, the Seckauer Tauern, the Rottenmann Tauern and the Enntal Alps. The Dachstein and others were also visible.
 

Danger

All the time you walk on classic mountain trails or footpaths. The only exposed section on the trail - the steel rope and ladder can be easily avoided on the normal trail, which we did during the descent. Perhaps it's just a good idea to watch out for snakes, again we encountered one at the bottom of the trail in the brush.
 

Food

We had our own food supplies, but the cooking at Reichensteinhütte is excellent and the staff is very friendly.