Hike across Mount Hochsengs in the Sengsengebirge Mountains

The Hochsengs Trail in the Sengsengebirge Mountains

Starting point

Forest parking lot near the Teufelskirche natural landmark; free of charge.
 

Description of the hike

The Sengsengebirge is a mountain range in the Upper Austrian Pre-Alps. The highest and most visited peak is the Hoher Nock, at 1,963 m. The rest of the range is somewhat off the beaten path; you won’t encounter many people there. The ridge stretches for about 20 km, and there are no mountain huts along it. You can spend the night at two simple bivouacs near the radio tower below Spering, or below the summit of Hochsengs at the Uwe-Anderle-Biwak. Only the fittest hikers can traverse the entire ridge in a single day; from the valley, the elevation gain is over 2,000 meters, and the terrain is challenging to hike. The only routes leading down from the ridge, aside from those at Spering and Hoher Nock, are unmarked, so you’ll need a good sense of direction (Mapy.cz in offline mode). You can park your car in the spacious forest parking lot near the Teufelskirche natural landmark (take the exit from the highway toward Hinterstoder and St. Pankraz, then follow the narrow paved road to the parking lot).

A wide forest trail leads from the parking lot toward the summit of Spering (1,605 m). The elevation gain to the saddle near the transmitter is 1,000 meters, a hike of about 2–3 hours. From the saddle, there is a beautiful view of the valley through which the A9 highway runs on its way to Graz. On the other side rise the Totes Gebirge mountains, with the pointed Kleiner Priel in the foreground. There is a small cabin near the transmitter, which houses one of the bivouacs. Anyone deciding to climb Spering must first descend a few dozen meters along the wider trail and then climb again along a footpath to the summit. The ridge trail turns southeast. Don’t expect a well-groomed path. The Sengsengebirge Höhenweg is rocky, leading up and down along the ridge, over limestone and mountain pine roots; occasionally you’ll need to scramble over small boulders (nothing exposed). It takes about half an hour to reach Schillereck.

After Schillereck, there is a steep descent. The north face of the mountain is very steep and rugged, but the trail runs safely along the edge. This is followed by an ascent to Hochsengs (1,838 m), mostly through dwarf pine and across small meadows. At the summit of Hochsengs stands a white metal cross that glistens in the sun. From the summit, you can see the rest of the ridge trail all the way to Hoher Nock. The route branches off from Hochsengs at a right angle to the ridge to avoid the large limestone slabs on the south face. There is a short secured section here (nothing difficult), followed by a traverse between rocky outcrops toward the saddle, where the Uwe-Anderle-Biwak is already visible. The bivouac has about 6 sleeping spots and is impeccably tidy. A short distance beyond it, near a rocky window, an unmarked descent trail branches off down to Kogleralm.

If you decide to descend from the ridge, this route is probably the best option. According to descriptions on Austrian websites, it should be well-trodden and marked with cairns. I decided to tackle one more peak—Gamskogel (1,710 m)—and try descending via one of the trails behind it, marked on Mapy.cz. However, I do not recommend this descent. The turnoff is visible, but further on the path disappears into tall grass and rocky scree. The slope is steep and grassy, and it’s slippery. The passage through the dwarf pine forest is marked by small piles of rocks, but you have to look hard to find them. There is a well-trodden path through the forest, but in areas with limited visibility, it branches off and disappears again. From Kogleralm (weather station), it is then possible to return to the parking lot via wide forest roads (about 1.5 hours). Also worth mentioning is the karst formation known as the Teufelskirche, a limestone rock window about twenty meters high.
 

Difficulty

A loop in the northwestern part of the Sengsengebirge Mountains; challenging in terms of elevation gain; the marked trail continues as far as the Uwe Anderle Biwak, then unmarked trails and forest roads lead down into the valley.
 

Water availability

There are no places to eat along the route, but there is a gas station with a restaurant at the highway exit.
 

Sleeping options

Camping on the ridge or in the valley.
 

Mountain peaks

Hikes to the summits of Schillereck (1,748 m above sea level) and Hochsengs (1,838 m above sea level) offer, among other things, views of the Totes Gebirge.
 

Danger

The route is not dangerous; there are no exposed sections. Occasionally, you’ll need to cross small rocky outcrops.  There is a short secured section below Hochsengs. The descent from the valley is steep and challenging in terms of navigation.
 

Food

Bring your own food; there are no mountain huts along the route.
 

Attractions

The name Sengsengebirge is derived from the word “Sense”—meaning “scythe.” The production of scythes has been established in the valley between the Sengsengebirge and the Totes Gebirge since the Middle Ages. Wood was harvested in the mountains to produce charcoal for blacksmith workshops. Today, only a few workshops remain, but the tradition is often commemorated; for example, in Roßleiten, there is an educational trail about scythes that runs from the Fux Austria factory to the source of the Pießling River. Hiking trails to the peaks of the Sengsengebirge were not marked until the early 20th century.