Climb to the highest mountain of the Randgebirge - Hochlantsch

Trek to Hochlantsch from Teichalm

Starting point

Parking in the Teichalm ski and hiking resort. Parking is free of charge.
 

Description of the hike

After arriving at the car park in the evening, we spent the night romantically next to the car in the open air. Although it was pretty cold at night, we made it through with flying colors. So in the morning we had a light breakfast by the car and headed into the mountains in beautiful spring weather.

From the resort of Teichalm there is a marked trail leading to the Hochlantsch mountain. At first we climbed up the mountain meadow, but then the ascent leads through the forest. The climb is not too steep. Soon we found ourselves on meadows again and views opened up for the first time, especially of the surroundings of the Teichalm resort. Just below the ridge, we left the marked path and climbed up the Zachenkreuz 1,601 m above sea level.

From there we continued along the edge on a narrow trail towards the Hochlantsch mountain. This section of the climb was really beautiful. Below the summit we rejoined the hiking trail. We followed it up to the very top of Mount Hochlantsch. It is quite rocky and has a beautiful view of the surrounding mountains. After enough rest and enjoying the views, we started our descent.

This goes along a rocky edge for a while. Then began a rather steep descent through the forest. There were a lot of rocks and boulders in places and it was quite slippery, although it wasn't wet. Eventually we descended to the Steirischer Jokl hut. However, there was a possibility to refresh ourselves in the self-service bar - water, Radler, beer. From the hut we continued our descent, which was not very difficult. Soon we reached the beautiful valley of the Mixnitzbach stream. Along it a wide path leads back to the resort of Teichalm.
 

Difficulty

A very simple trek by Alpine standards. Paradoxically, the ascent is easier than the descent. The ascent is gradual. On the contrary, the descent is very steep in places, but all the time you follow marked trails. In the upper passage on the descent the trail is more rocky. The elevation gain is not great, so even children or dogs can manage the trail.
 

Water availability

During the ascent we did not encounter any spring, during the descent there is a possibility of refreshment at the Steirischer Jokl hut. It was still closed during our visit, but there was a self-service bar. Otherwise, of course, we had our own liquids of 1.5 litres per person.
 

Sleeping options

Overnight stay is possible in the resort Teichalm. We chose a romantic sleeping under the open sky.
 

Mountain peaks

The route leads over the peaks Zachenkreuz 1 601 m above sea level and Hochlantsch 1 720 m above sea level. To the west you can see the Low Tatras, in good visibility also the High Tatras.
 

Danger

The route is safe, it is good to be careful when descending from the Hochlantsch. It is partly on rocky terrain and the stones and rock are quite slippery. In addition, the descent is steeper in places. Otherwise, the route is without problems.
 

Food

During our trek, the Steirischer Jokl hut was still closed (opens 1.5.), so we had our own food.
 

Attractions

Mount Hochlantsch is a very popular destination as there are three different ascent routes to its summit. We took the classic route from the Teichalm resort. There is also a climbing route from the west to the summit, which is diversified in the lower part by the attractive rock gorge Bärenschützklamm. It is a kind of analogue of Janosik's holes in the Slovak Malá Fatra. This route is open from 1.5. Another option is to climb to the top by a secured route - ferrata (klettersteig). This route leads to the summit from the north and is very popular among the mountain people.