Circular hike to Zeller Staritzen and Zinken in the northern part of the Hochschwab

Hike to the Zinken Lookout Mountain in the Hochschwab Mountains

Starting point

The village of Wegscheid, about 10 km south of Mariazell. You can park either in the village (at the trailhead for the Spielmäuer via ferrata) or in a small forest parking lot near the Wegscheid Rammertal bus stop.
 

Description of the hike

I park my car in a small forest parking lot behind the village of Wegscheid Rammertal. The road splits here at the gate, and I head north toward the Pretal Pass. The winter ascent is easier along the wider forest road, Türntalstrasse; snowmobiles travel this way to check on the Kuhalm mountain hut. The well-trodden tracks make the climb and navigation in the snow-covered terrain easier. Alternatively, you can continue all the way to the Pretal Pass and then take a shorter, steep 400-meter climb to the plateau.

The Liachtkegerlsteig is a narrow trail, occasionally overgrown with young beech saplings. There are no standard AV trail markers here, just colorful dots or arrows spray-painted on the trees. After about an hour’s climb, I reach the alpine pasture below Schneekogel. Above the tree line, the views open up. Behind me is the Hohe Veitsch, and in front of me lies the long panorama of the Hochschwab, stretching from Staritzen to the Grosser Hochschwab. The two-thousand-meter peaks are still completely white in March, and the snow-covered plains glisten in the sun. The triangular peak of the Hohe Weichsel stands out, and further west lies the Ringkamp. The March snow is hard and frozen solid; it doesn’t give way.

I continue across the plains on snowshoes through the undulating landscape toward the Kuhalm alpine pasture. The tracks left by a snowmobile, which end at the wooden huts of the Kuhalm, help me find my way. Stakes arranged in a circle enclose small ponds—summer watering holes for livestock. From Kuhalm, the trail leads toward the Halterhütte. At the turnoff into the valley toward the Kastenriegel crossroads, there is a picture of a saint with livestock, likely Saint Leonard, the patron saint of herds and domestic animals.

Above the Halterhütte stands the Zinken peak (1,619 m), which offers a panoramic view. Snow overhangs are visible directly above the hut, but you can bypass them by heading right around the forest and patches of dwarf pine. It’s just a few dozen meters to the rounded summit with the cross. The views so far expand to include the western part of the Hochschwab—the flat Ebenstein, Griesstein, and Riegerin. Across the Salza Valley lies the Kräuterin ridge with the highest peak, Hochstadl; to the north, Dürrenstein and Ötscher; and the mountains with ski slopes are Gemeindealpe and Mariazeller Bürgeralpe. Far in the distance to the west is the Gesäuse, and in the opposite direction to the east, Veitsch, Raxalpe, and Schneeberg.

After a well-deserved break, I head back toward the Halterhütte, beyond which a trail branches off into the valley. It takes a bit of searching in the snow, but the offline maps come in handy. From the clearing at about 1,200 m, it’s then an easy walk along a forest path to the Kastenriegel junction with a hunting lodge. The return to the parking lot takes about an hour along a wide path between the Dippelwand and Türnach cliffs. A wonderful, relaxing hike through the alpine meadows.
 

Difficulty

Zeller Staritzen is a plateau in the northeastern part of the Hochschwab Mountains. At an elevation of 1,500 meters, wide pastures open up among the forests, offering magnificent views of the northern slopes of the Hochschwab’s main ridge. In summer, it’s a relaxing hike through meadows among grazing cattle; in winter, it’s a safe snowshoe trail with no avalanche danger.
 

Water availability

Water at the alpine pastures, a stream on the way back.
 

Sleeping options

There is plenty of accommodation available in the area around Mariazell—Austria’s most famous pilgrimage site.
 

Mountain peaks

Hike up Mount Zinken (1,619 m above sea level), with views of the Hochschwab, the Ybstal Alps, and more.
 

Danger

A safe route through pastures and alpine meadows. In snowy conditions, watch out for snowdrifts above the Halterhütte; elsewhere, the terrain is open or forested, and there is no risk of avalanches.
 

Food

Takeout meals during the off-season.