Stage 10 From Glacier to Wine North Route Gesäuse Mödlingerhütte - Heßhütte

From the Mödlinger Hütte (Tel. +43 680 2057139) in the midst of the Gesäuse mountains, the trail first leads us steadily downhill in switchbacks via the Huberalm to the mountaineering village of Johnsbach (Tourist Information Tel. +43 3613 2116010). The Gesäuse, often referred to as the university of climbing, actually offers long and difficult climbing routes in mostly the best rock. Especially the south side with the center Johnsbach offers excellent rock routes. So it is not surprising that the small village has become a homey center for climbers and ski tourers.

Via the Schattseitenweg along the Johnsbach we reach the Kölblwirt (Tel. +43 3611 216), one of the most popular hiking and ski touring hosts in the Gesäuse. From here, another ascent into the Gesäuse mountains awaits us. In the face of the Hochtor group, we hike impressed by the panorama and the southern walls of the Großer Ödstein and the Hochtor past the Wolfbauern waterfall and over the Untere and Obere Koderalm to a junction at the Gamsbrunn, a spring on the western slope of the Zinödl. Today it is diverted and supplies the Heßhütte as well as the Stadelalm with the best drinking water. Here we keep to the left and after a few hundred meters we reach the Heßhütte (Tel. +43 664 4308060), our today's stage destination on the hiking route "From Glacier to Wine". The Ennseck, on which the Heßhütte stands, used to be called the Hochtor, which means "a high crossing". For centuries, cattle were driven to the high alpine pastures over this mountain pass. The Hochtor, at 2,369 m the highest peak in the Gesäuse, got its name from this passage. Before its ascent, the striking mountain massif was called Hochtorfelsen. A lot of mountain history, into which we dive even deeper on the next stage to Radmer, because here the copper mine with the smallest tunnel railroad in Austria awaits us. Alternatively, there is also an alpine variant to take to Radmer, whereby the descent into the idyllically situated village over high boulders is challenging.

Accessible by train and bus.

Detailed information about arriving by ÖBB (Austrian Federal Railways) can be found at www.oebb.at or on the Verbundlinie Steiermark website www.busbahnbim.at

With Verbundlinie’s BusBahnBim route planner app, planning your journey has never been easier: simply enter towns and/or addresses, stop names or points of interest to check all bus, train and tram connections in Austria. The app is available free of charge for smartphones – on Google Play and in the App Store

Steiermark Tourismus

Tel. +43 316 4003

info@steiermark.com

www.steiermark.com/en

If you would like to hire a  tour operator, simply book with Steiermark Touristik, the official travel agency of Steiermark Tourismus:

Tel. +43 316 4003 450, 

www.steiermark-touristik.com

The Steiermark Touren app, available free of charge on Google Play and the App Store  (Android, iOS), offers detailed first-hand information: brief facts (length, duration, difficulty, ascent and descent/elevation gain, ratings), map, route descriptions, altimeter, compass, peak finder, navigation along the tour. You can also create your own personal lists of favourite tours and sites, store tours and destinations offline, use social media channels, and much more.

Gratis Pocket Card Wanderroute "Vom Gletscher zum Wein" finden Sie auf www.steiermark.com

Freizeitkarte Alpenregion Nationalpark Gesäuse, 1:50.000 www.gesaeuse.at

Kompass WK69 Gesäuse, Ennstaler Alpen, Pyhrnpass, Eisenerz www.kompass.at

Freytag & Berndt WK62 Gesäuse · Ennstaler Alpen · Schoberpass www.freytagberndt.at

Rother Wanderführer "Vom Gletscher zum Wein": auf 160 Seiten mit 80 Farbabbildungen 60 Höhenprofile, 60 Wanderkärtchen im Maßstab 1:75.000, zwei Übersichtskarten, GPS-Tracks zum Download, Format 11,5 x 16,5 cm, kartoniert mit Polytex-Laminierung, ISBN 978-3-7633-4550-2, www.rother.de