Round trip from Matrei

Page Type Page Type: Route
Location Lat/Lon: 47.03800°N / 12.59300°E
Additional Information Route Type: Hike and easy scramble
Additional Information Time Required: A long day
Additional Information Difficulty: UIAA I
Sign the Climber's Log

Overview

This is a recommendation for a daytrip from Matrei with the normal route of Kendlspitze. It is a long trip but IMHO one of the best daytrips a normal climber can do in the area.

Referring to the guidelines of this fact sheet
• General data
- Start altitude: 2140 m (after using cablecar)
- Summit altitude: 3088 m
- Type: marked hiking trails, some talus and easy scrambling,
- Protection: most exposed sections fixed with iron cables
• Effort: ca. 1100m ascent, 2300m descent
• Power: 2-3 - UIAA I
• Psyche: 2-3 - exposed scramble
• Orientation: 1-2 - easy in good weather and with no snow
• total time: app. 9 h

Getting there

To Matrei in Osttirol, see main page

Route Description



Try to take the first cablecar from Matrei to Goldried that starts at 9 o'clock.
The day starts with the major tourist walk on the almost even panorama trail to Kals-Matreier Toerl house.
There is the official beginning of the Sudetendeutsche Hoehenweg trail. This trail follows the grassy ridge and crosses the banks of Pfarrerbichl (2387 m) and Kalser Hoehe (2434 m). At a signpost you have to decide:

a) the original route of the trail leaves the ridge to the left loosing app. 200 m height to go around a sharp rocky sideridge called "Drillingschneid", and climbs behind that again to gain the Hohes Tor pass (2477 m)

b) not shorter but nicer is to follow the ridge further crossing - with some ups and downs - Niwanolkopf (2539 m), Weisser Knopf and Blauer Knopf to gain the summit cross at Blauspitze (2575 m). Some parts are an easy via ferrata. This is shortly to reach from the cablecars from Kals so on fine days there is a lot of "traffic" there.

North of Blauspitze you have to descend 150 m to get on Aussig-Teplitzer Weg trail that leads in short time from the other side to Hohes Tor pass

The Sudetendeutsche Hoehenweg trail now continues on the western flank of the grassy ridge, As long as there is no winter snow left on the route it remains easy. Otherwise the steep slopes that the route cuts become very dangerous.

You now enter the Duerrenfeld, a very remote high valley between Kendlspitze and Bretterwandspitze. The route crosses the plain and climbs on the other side to gain Duerrenfeldscharte notch (2823 m). Shortly before this pass the route to Kendlpitze (named "Saazer Weg") is shown on a signpost. There you meet the normal route from Sudetendeutsche hut. Do a long traverse beneath the ridge until you reach the talus field that leads to the little notch north of the summit. Very rotten rocks makes every step an exhausting one. The last meters to the notch are UIAA I. On the other side the route traverses a tower on top of a snow field then climbs the ridge again that becomes more easy the nearer you approach the summit cross. There are some fixed cables that help.

Don't try a short cut directly from Duerrenfeld plain. There is too much loose scree and this is only worthy for a short descent.


We go back the same route to Duerrenfeld notch. Fixed cables again help down a few steep meters. The trail passes the branch from where you can climb Gradoetzspitze in addition. That would require another 300 m ascent. But eventually time is short and a rest in the near Sudetendeutsche Huette hut is more attractive.

Of course it is recommendable to stay here and climb Muntanitz the next day.

If you are doing the daytrip then a long descent is still waiting. 650 m elevation loss on a good trail is necessary to gain the bottom of the Steiner Alm. The houses of Steiner Alm pasture (1909 m) are another possible coffee stop.

Now you have to decide again:

a) the direct route to the valley follows the line of the Steiner Bach creek. It looks steep on the map but the path has very convenient zig-zags. It ends at Felbertauern main road where an ugly new road to the houses of Stein is just being built (in 2004). There is a bus stop or with a little luck you can hitch-hike to Matrei

b) From Steiner Alm it is only 50 m ascent to the nice meadows of the "Edelweisswiesen" (despite the name we did not see any Edelweiss = stella alpina flower). The nice path crosses some pasture huts and descends to the upmost farms where there is a parking. Perhaps other hikers can take you down with their car, otherwise you have to descend a further 550 m to Matrei, either on the asphalt road or down to the Bretterwandbach creek.

Essential Gear

normal hiking gear; good shoes, ski poles for the long descent, sufficient drinking water

Miscellaneous Info

If you have information about this route that doesn't pertain to any of the other sections, please add it here.


Parents 

Parents

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