While I had already been in the Alps for a while, my friend Wilco just arrived from The Netherlands. Living at sea level, he needed to get used to the thin air higher up in the Alps. That did not hold us back very much though.
We started rather late, first having a lazy breakfast at our B&B in Soelden and then doing some shopping before driving to Obergurl. We planned to hike up and down Hangerer, with the option of climbing the Via Ferrata near Obergurgl on the way down.
As it happens, there are several options for the first part of the route between Obergurgl and the Schoenwieshuette and we picked one that would bring us close to the Via Ferrata. I figured, if we see it on the way up, we do not have to waste time looking for the start later in the day.
Sure enough, our trail passed right by the start of the route. We looked at it, then walked on. However, we both must have been thinking the same thing, for just a few minutes later Wilco wondered out loud if we perhaps should do the Via Ferrata on the way up. It was a good thing that we did, because in hindsight, had we climbed Hangerer first, we would have been too tired to still be interested in the Via Ferrata.
The climb and the descent back to the trail took us two hours or so. We had a late lunch, then continued to the Schoenwieshuette for a second, very late lunch. By now it was 4 o'clock, but the weather was excellent, so though we knew it would get late, we figured we had plenty of daylight left to continue.
Shortly before 6 o'clock we were enjoying the fine summit views, and just after 7 we were back at the Schoenwieshuette, for a bite to eat to tie us over during the descent to Obergurgl and he drive back to Soelden, where we finally had dinner.
A day well spent!
tphubbard - Mar 29, 2014 4:46 pm Date Climbed: Mar 28, 2014
Ski ascent
Ski ascent and descent from Schonweis hutte - up w ridge then ski down west face, nice powder on steep section at top then variable lower down.
RoyD - Jul 29, 2012 8:55 am Date Climbed: Jul 23, 2012
Südgrat
Climbed as an instructor of a dutch climbing course. Perfect conditions. Descent via the "modified" normal route.
Climbed as an intructor of a dutch climbing course. The way to the south ridge is not always easy to find. The south ridge is a bit loose, so climb carefull. We descended directly to the Langtalereckhütte instead of taking the normal route.
MikeLJ - Jun 21, 2017 12:08 pm Date Climbed: Jul 25, 2011
Cloudy at the topLooked great when we started but got cloudier as we got higher.
rgg - Jul 26, 2014 4:34 pm Date Climbed: Jul 18, 2014
Late ascent on a beautiful dayWhile I had already been in the Alps for a while, my friend Wilco just arrived from The Netherlands. Living at sea level, he needed to get used to the thin air higher up in the Alps. That did not hold us back very much though.
We started rather late, first having a lazy breakfast at our B&B in Soelden and then doing some shopping before driving to Obergurl. We planned to hike up and down Hangerer, with the option of climbing the Via Ferrata near Obergurgl on the way down.
As it happens, there are several options for the first part of the route between Obergurgl and the Schoenwieshuette and we picked one that would bring us close to the Via Ferrata. I figured, if we see it on the way up, we do not have to waste time looking for the start later in the day.
Sure enough, our trail passed right by the start of the route. We looked at it, then walked on. However, we both must have been thinking the same thing, for just a few minutes later Wilco wondered out loud if we perhaps should do the Via Ferrata on the way up. It was a good thing that we did, because in hindsight, had we climbed Hangerer first, we would have been too tired to still be interested in the Via Ferrata.
The climb and the descent back to the trail took us two hours or so. We had a late lunch, then continued to the Schoenwieshuette for a second, very late lunch. By now it was 4 o'clock, but the weather was excellent, so though we knew it would get late, we figured we had plenty of daylight left to continue.
Shortly before 6 o'clock we were enjoying the fine summit views, and just after 7 we were back at the Schoenwieshuette, for a bite to eat to tie us over during the descent to Obergurgl and he drive back to Soelden, where we finally had dinner.
A day well spent!
tphubbard - Mar 29, 2014 4:46 pm Date Climbed: Mar 28, 2014
Ski ascentSki ascent and descent from Schonweis hutte - up w ridge then ski down west face, nice powder on steep section at top then variable lower down.
RoyD - Jul 29, 2012 8:55 am Date Climbed: Jul 23, 2012
SüdgratClimbed as an instructor of a dutch climbing course. Perfect conditions. Descent via the "modified" normal route.
bergnasenbaer - Sep 20, 2008 12:20 pm
Great viewA short walk.
Jurgen - Sep 7, 2008 4:49 pm Date Climbed: Jul 21, 2008
TraverseClimbed as an intructor of a dutch climbing course. The way to the south ridge is not always easy to find. The south ridge is a bit loose, so climb carefull. We descended directly to the Langtalereckhütte instead of taking the normal route.