Ascent to Hochkönig

The first part of the journey is such a warm-up. After you take the mountain road and stop at the Arthurhaus, head east on path 430 through the meadows to the Mitterfeldalm mountain hut, built on a beautiful view of the Tennengebirge mountain range.

Right behind the cottage is a crossroads of hiking trails. We continue along 430. The second route descends significantly into the valley of the river Salzach. The road bypasses the almost perpendicular walls of the massif, then begins to turn west and after a while steeply uphill.

The road climbs in these places with a bushy slope with occasional snow fields (late May). On the left we have a number of rock towers, which we basically went around. The local icon – the Torsäule rock – is also starting to peek out

For the next half hour, you are basically just approaching the Torsäule (2,588 m above sea level), which is basically a half-kilometer high rock tower – a pleasure to look at.

Another hour and a half is slightly weary – still up through limestone plates, grassy-rocky plains and snow fields. Dachstein begins to peer at the horizon

A very photogenic part of the ascent is passing the Torsäule and especially the views above it from the top. At the end of May, it is almost always covered in snow

The view over the Torsäule is really great – on the horizon you can see the entire Dachstein massif and below you in the valley like a snake of the A10 motorway, which every lover of the Austrian mountains has traveled many times

After another half hour you will reach the top parts of the whole massif. For the first time, a view to the north of the slightly lower Steinernen Meer mountains and the Berchtesgaden region opens up. It will take your breath away when you see the very top of Hochkönig with the Matras house on the horizon, so far more

After another half hour, the peak is right in front of you – so there are still a number of terrain irregularities in front of you. Marking with sticks is a really good idea here

The views to the north of the desolate Steinernen Meer limestone plateau are also worth it

Even near the top, you will come across small remnants of a glacier. Looking back you can see your long journey along the top of the massif and the top of the Bratschenkopf

Finally on the mountain! At the very top is the Matrashaus cottage – so accommodation and food. You certainly wouldn't want to go that distance down again in one day

View from the top of the limestone plateau, which we crossed a while ago

After a busy day, a beautiful sunset