Winter circular trek in the Salzkammergut

Winter ascent of the Regenspitz in the Salzkammergut

Starting point

Hintersee (approx. 20 km southeast of Salzburg), this is a paid parking lot - €4/day.
 

Description of the hike

I leave my car in a spacious paid parking lot behind Hintersee (€4 per day). Marked trails lead from the parking lot in several directions. The Tiefenbach stream flows down into the valley in cascades and waterfalls, and there is an educational trail with a viewing platform around it. At Zwerglalm, the trail splits into two directions—left to Feichtensteinalm and right to Bergalm. I climb the ridge to Feichtensteinalm, from where there is a beautiful view of the valley, Lake Hintersee, and the surrounding mountains.

To the north, you can see two Schafbergs – the nearby Faistenauer Schafberg and, a little further to the northeast, Schafberg am Wolfgangsee – a well-known hill with a cog railway. To the east, there is a long ridge between Holzeck and Königsberger Horn, and directly in the sun, the aforementioned trident – Gennerhorn, Gruberhorn, and Regenspitz. Behind them rise other mountains of the Salzkammergut, Dachstein, Tennengebirge, and Salzburger Kalkalpen in the south. Towards Salzburg, there are Bergköpfl, Schmittenstein, and the Salzburger – Berchtesgadener Hochthron massif. The Alm is closed for the winter, but during the season you can taste homemade cheeses, bacon, and other specialties here.

The trail climbs across meadows to the ridge leading to the summit of Regenspitz. It is marked in black, indicating the highest level of difficulty, but the ridge is wide enough, covered with trees and dwarf pine, and there are no particularly exposed areas. Occasionally, it is necessary to overcome rocky passages, roots, or dwarf pine branches. If you are walking in wet or icy conditions, poles and crampons will definitely come in handy.

The view from the summit of Regenspitz is fantastic. The view into the deep basin between Gruberhorn and Gennerhorn is breathtaking. The snow in the crevasses on the northern walls gives the mountains a striped appearance. After a short rest and enjoying the views, I descend towards Bergalm. The descent is steep, 400 meters in altitude, so it is again advisable to use poles or crampons in the snow. The meadows on the southern slopes are snow-free, Bergalm is closed, but there seems to be a vending machine for drinks, and a few tourists are warming themselves and drinking by the wall of the alpine hut. From Bergalm, you can climb one of the surrounding peaks: Bergköpfl, Sattelköpfl, or Schmittenstein (be careful here, as the descriptions indicate exposed and secured passages).

I continue along the contour line towards Schmittenstein and the Sattel saddle. Here, the view opens up towards the Tennengebirge mountains in the south and Gaißau in the north. Gaißau is a former ski resort, and the original ski slopes are clearly visible on the slopes of Spielberg and Wieserhörndl. Thanks to the high-altitude parking lot at Spielbergalm, it is also a popular area for less experienced hikers. I turn towards Ladenbergalm, which remains completely white in the shadow of the Sattelköpfel mountain. I don't want to leave the sun yet, so I extend my trip to the Grobriedel peak. There are two simple crosses here and a view of the entire route from Regenspitz to Schmittenstein. The way back through the Labenbach Valley is full of waterfalls, water pots, and frozen walls with icicles hanging from them.
 

Difficulty

The village of Hintersee lies at the end of a long valley by the lake of the same name, about 20 km from Salzburg. The mountains around Hintersee reach heights of around 1,500–1,700 m above sea level. The dominant feature is the three-pronged peak of the Regenspitz, Gruberhorn, and Gennerhorn mountains. These are beautiful mountains with great views, and you can climb them from Hintersee (Lämmerbach) or from the other side from Tauglboden. There are pastures and alpine huts with refreshments between the mountains, making this a popular destination for tourists during the season.
 

Water availability

Refreshments available at the alpine pastures, springs at the alpine pastures and along the way.
 

Sleeping options

The Salzkammergut tourist region offers plenty of accommodation in the valley. Accommodation on the alpine pastures is probably available by arrangement.
 

Mountain peaks

Ascent to the peaks of Regenspitz and Grobriedel. Views of Salzkammer, Tennengebirge, Dachtein, Osterhorngruppe, Voralpen.
 

Danger

Part of the ascent to Regenspitz is marked as difficult, but there are no exposed sections, only steeper, rocky steps. It can be slippery when damp or wet.
 

Food

Refreshments available during the season at the alpine pastures, water at the alpine pastures or in troughs along the way.