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Page Type:
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Mountain/Rock |
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Lat/Lon:
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47.41539°N / 12.49174°E |
Activities:
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Hiking, Skiing |
Season:
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Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter |
Elevation:
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6749 ft / 2057 m |
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Overview
Located northeast of the Aurach valley south of Kitzbühel, the eponymous town of the whole area, the summit of Gebra offers a good view down on this village of luxury. That means: the rich ad beautiful people who have their high class condos in this town are far below you… Gebra summit as seen from Bischof |  Gebra summit and route from Hochwildalm |
Gebra is a summit with many denominations: Großgebra, Großer Gebra, Gebra, Ranggen, Gebraranggen or Gebraranken. Most times its Gebra or Großer Gebra. Why I don´t know. From what this name derives? Again I don´t know.
Gebra is a year round outing, an easy hike in summer and autumn, an equally easy ski tour or snow shoe hike in winter and spring. The more difficult and unusual traverse of the summit is in parts without trail and requires some scrambling as there are some rock faces around the summit zone. Biking and hiking is possible, too as you can bike up the forest roads to Hochwildalm, a nice private mountain hut which offers food and lodging. Alternatively you can use the forest roads on the southwestern side of the mountain to Gaisberg and then finish the ascent on foot.
 Rhododendron ferrugineum, the "alpine rose" below Gebra; in june and july vast slope areas are in full blossom with these rhododendron brushes |  Probably Eriophorum gracile on a highmoor below Gebra |
Very strong hikers can try the Aurach valley loop, a very long and epic traverse of the summits surrounding the valley:
Rauber, Saalkogel, Staffkogel, Sonnspitze, Mesnerhöhe, Bischof and ending or starting at Gebra.
Located between Gaisberg to the northwest and Bischof and Weißkopfkogel to the southeast, Großer Gebra is not the highest point of the Aurach valley peaks: that crown belongs to Bischof. Nevertheless Gebra offers good views over Kitzbüheler Alpen and is worth a walk: good ski slopes in winter, beautiful meadows with interesting plants in summer and a cool Weissbier out of the water trough in front of Hochwildalm will make the day!
Getting There
The best trailhead in summer or winter is the hikers parking area at the switchback of the road from Oberaurach to Aurach Wildpark. It´s easy enough to find as it is the only switchback of this road.You reach the trailhead from Kitzbühel on the road number 161 to Pass Thurn. At Aurach turn on Auracher Straße at the signpost “Wildpark Aurach” and follow this road to Oberaurach and the trailhead.
 A pond below Gebra summit with Sonnspitze (left) and Staffkogel (right) in the background |  Ascent to Hochwildalm with Bischof high above |
Kitzbühel can be reached by car
The nearest railway station to the trailhead is Kitzbühel.
Busses number 4010 or 950X go to Aurach. However there is no bus service to Wildpark Aurach and the trailhead.
Routes Overview
Overview of Routes to GebraThere are two main routes to the summit which can be combined to a nice traverse hike. The winter routes are nearly the same.
For both routes start at the parking area near the Wildpark Aurach.
Southwest / North route
Follow the forest road into Aurach valley for a short while. Take the first forest road branching off to the left and follow this route up to an unnamed Alm hut. From there a trail goes up to another forest road, turn right and pass by Gebraalm until you reach the end of that second forest road. Take the trail up to Gebrajoch, turn right there and follow the trail up to the trail junction at the southwest ridge of Gebra summit. Turn left and ascend shortly to the summit.
 Gebra summit |  Ascent Hochwildalm to Gebra |
South route
Follow the forest road into Aurach valley. This forest road makes 4 switchbacks, you can cut them on the old foot trail, regaining the road further up. After a water power station turn left onto a road branching off the valley road. Immediately after that turn left again onto the old foot trail leading you up to Wildalm Niederleger, where you can buy mountain cheese throughout the summer. You reach this Alm on the forest road, too (mtb).
Above the Alm the old foot trail branches off the road to the right, ascend on that trail to Hochwildalm mountain hut. Again you can use the forest road, too.
At Hochwildalm (very nice place for a break) follow the signposts to Gebra straight up the meadows on a trail until you reach a trail junction at about 1700 m. Turn left and follow the trail to the southwest ridge of Gebra where the southwest/north route comes up. Folow the ridge trail to the summit.
The south route is the common ski route to Gebra.
 Ascent from the north |  Gebra summit ridge with normal route |
Ridge crest traverse
Use the south route up to the trail junction at 1700 m. Go straight on until you reach the ridge between Gebra and Bischof at Bischofsjoch. Turn left there and ascend quickly the summit of Weißkopfkogel on a marked trail.
From there on the route is without trail: descend shortly and ascend to a secondary summit of Gebra, bypassing rockfaces mostly on the left / south side of the ridge. Ascend then steeply the last 150 m of altitude difference to Gebra summit; some rock scramble, UIAA grade I, and a secure step on very steep grad slopes are required. Steeper rockfaces should be again bypassed on their left / south side.
 Gebra summit and the ridge to neighbouring Weißkopfkogel |  The east ridge to Weißkopfkogel, Bischof, Mesnerhöhe and Sonnspitze in the background |
Traverse possibilities
Southwest/north route up, south route down
Ridge crest route up, south or southwest/north route down
Southwest/north route up, ridge crest route and the traverse to Bischof and Sonnspitze down.
Traverse Gebra – Hoher Mahdstein – Wildseeloder to Wildseeloderhaus
Traverse from Kelchalm / Bochumer Hütte to Hochwildalm and to Gebra
Red Tape & Accommodation
No red tape as far as I know.Up to now (2017) no parking fees at the trailhead.
 He is the boss of Hochwildalm ... |  Gebra as seen from Sonnspitze, Wilder Kaiser in the Background |
All kind of accommodation can be found at
Kitzbühel, the rich and beautiful ...
Aurach
Jochberg
Mountain huts
Hochwildalm
Wildseeloderhaus
Gear & Mountain Condition
Gebra is an all - season mountain.In the hiking season you need full hiking gear and good shoes. The summit routes are easy hikes on mostly marked mountain trails and - near the valleys - forest roads.
The ridge crest traverse however is not so easy, it does need some rock scramble and a secure step on steep gras slopes.
The ski routes are easy routes for beginners. Full ski and avalanche gear is required.
Check the Tirol avalanche bulletin here.
 Crepis aurea (the golden Pippau) is common on the meadows above Hochwildalm |  Arnica montana grows in abundance below Gebra |
Current Weather:
Maps & Guide Books
MapsAlpenvereinskarte 1 : 50.000; Kitzbüheler Alpen Ost, number 34/2, Deutscher Alpenverein, 2010; - topo map with trails; the same, number 34/2S, with ski routes.
Österreichische Karte 1 : 50.000 - UTM (ÖK50), map number 3214, Kitzbühel
 A perfect Hieracium blossom |  Alpine thym (Thymus praecox subsp. polytrichus) gives the cheese of the region a special flavour ... |
Guide Books
Available only antiquarian but an indispensable mountain guide book:
Georg Bleier / Kurt Kettner: Alpenvereinsführer Kitzbüheler Alpen, Bergverlag Rudolf Rother, München, 1984
Horst Höfler, Kurt Kettner: Kitzbüheler Alpen. Mit Skirouten. Führer für Täler, Hütten und Berge, Bergverlag Rudolf Rother, München, 1976
R. Weiss: Skitouren Kitzbüheler Alpen mit angrenzendem Salzburger Anteil am Nationalpark Hohe Tauern, Gebietsführer, Steiger Verlag Innsbruck, 2000 (there is an antiquarian edition from 1985 with only Kitzbüheler Alpen, too)