Through the Hartelsgraben over the Sulzkar to the Heßhütte and to Johnsbach

National Park Crossing Day tour with many special experience points

This tour shows the Gesäuse in many different facets - first the Hartelsgraben, the 1st forest road of Styria, built by Friulian construction workers; then the lovely Sulzkaralm with the only mountain lake of the Gesäuse, the Sulzkarsee. On the horizon here is the Sulzkar dog, a striking boulder on the horizon, shaped like a dog. The Hess hut at the foot of the Hochtor, framed by the rocky backdrop of the Tellersack, offers a cosy stop at the hut host and is also a base for hikers and climbers. Finally, Johnsbachtal is an idyllic high valley with the famous mountaineers' cemetery.

Characteristics

Skill

Fitness

Best season

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

The tour in numbers

challenging

Level of difficulty

16,2 km

Route

8:09 h

Time

1444 hm

Uphill

1078 hm

Downhill

1821 m

Highest point

Map & downloads

Download GPX data

Download KML data

More information

from Hieflau or Admont on the B 146 Gesäusestraße to the Hartelsgraben car park

Starting point is the Hartelsgraben car park on the B146 Gesaeuse road.

Follow the wildly romantic stream through a gorge similar to a ravine, surrounded by small and large waterfalls, for about 1 1/2 hours to the Hartelsgraben hut. The Hartelsgraben is currently being equipped by the Styrian State Forestry with theme boards and a charcoal pile show to tell the story of wood processing in this impassable terrain. Now the path leads in flatter terrain to the lovely Sulzkaralm. During the summer months, the alpine dairyman couple runs the pasture. The romantic Sulzkarsee is the only mountain lake in the Gesäuse. From afar you can now also see the Sulzkar dog enthroned on the horizon, a striking rock which is a point of reference on many Gesaeuse tours. Once you have crossed the Almboden, however, there is a proper mountain classification up to the Sulzkarhund. Here one is rewarded with a wonderful panoramic view. Then it goes downhill to the "Gamsbrunn" and from there on the right hand side over a comfortable path to the "Heßhütte". The "Hesshütte" is open from mid-May to 26 October, offers accommodation in rooms and camps and is one of the traditional Gesäuse mountain huts at 1,699 m above sea level. Afterwards it is a short way back to the Gamsbrunn and then descend via the Stadlalm and the Untere Koderalm to Johnsbach. In Johnsbach 3 inns offer accommodation and catering.

spend one night at the hut and climb Hochzinnödl the next day!

Buslinie 912 Weißenbach/St.Gallen - Liezen (www.busbahnbim.at )

Car park Hartelsgraben

Heßhütte www.hesshuette.at

Gasthof Kölblwirt www.koelblwirt.at

Gasthof Ödsteinblick www.oedsteinblick.at

Gasthof Donnerwirt www.donnerwirt.at

www.gesaeuse.at

Carto.at / Wander-, Rad- & Schitourenkarte „Nationalpark Gesäuse“Gesäuseberge – Haller Mauern – Eisenerzer Alpen West, Nr. 801

M 1: 35.000 http://www.carto.at/gesaeuse/

Kompass/ Wander-, Fahrrad- & Schitourenkarte „Nationalpark Gesäuse“, Nr. 206

M 1 : 25.000 http://www.kompass.de/touren-und-regionen/wanderkarte/dest/100148-alpenregion-nationalpark-gesaeuse/