Ascent to the main alpine ridge
The hike from Weißsee (2,253 m above sea level) to the Kalser Tauern saddle (2,515 m above sea level) on route 711 is a popular short walk or part of the transition south towards Kals am Großglockner. The saddle itself is located on the main alpine ridge and from there you can continue either on a marked trail to Medelzkopf (2,762 m above sea level) or to the Tauernkogel (2,683 m above sea level). The hike itself is not very challenging and leads you through the beautiful landscape around Lake Weißsee
At Lake Weißsee
If you start this tour from the cable car or next to the huge chalet Berghotel Rudolfshütte, a short descent directly to the lake awaits you first. On warm summer days, even daredevils go swimming here. It is here about half a kilometer with a descent of less than 70 meters
Road along the lake
Initially, we follow a comfortable path around the lake, before our path disconnects and begins to climb up into the saddle
View back to Schafbühel
The path begins to climb and when looking back you can see a small but very nice lookout hill Schafbühel and a little below its top and the mountain hotel Rudolfshütte. The Hocheiser rock pyramid (3,206 m above sea level) can also be seen in the distance.
View of the Tauerkogel
Our path turns from the lake into a small valley. You can already see the big cross in the saddle of Kalser Tauern. The dominant feature of this view, however, is the nicely pointed Tauerkogel mountain
Amazing views of the Weißsee
The views of the Weißsee are simply breathtaking
Ascent through the valley
The saddle is slowly approaching and the flowers and grass disappear and the path leads through the stone fields. On the surrounding rocks you can see the work of a glacier, which disappeared not long ago
Snow slide traverse
Probably the only difficulty of the otherwise simple ascent is the traverse of the snow slide (mid-summer), where hiking poles will certainly come in handy for greater certainty.
Saddle Kalser Tauern
After an hour of climbing from the Rudolfshütte, we are in a saddle on the main ridge of the Alps. There is a sitting area and a really distinctive cross. It is also the border point between Salzburg and East Tyrol. For centuries, it was an important business link
Views around the saddle
Of course, there is a signpost in the saddle, which will tell you how much you have left to walk to the next „destination“. You can descend from here to Kals or if you have to return the same route, it is ideal to extend the trip with an ascent to Medelzkopf, whose peak still seems quite high above you, even if it is only 250 meters above sea level.
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Article: A trip around Lake Weißsee
Lake Weißsee is definitely one of the most beautiful places in the Hohe Tauern. In its vicinity you can make a number of… continue reading