Großglockner from Ködnitztal (17.07.2016)

Note that this track has been created a posteriori, i.e., from memory, not automatically recorded.

Trip Summary

We started from Lucknerhaus, where a nice guy drove us up to Lucknerhuette (in order to give us an easy start into this hike)! From Lucknerhuette, we did a relaxed walk up to the Fanatscharte (and Stuedlhuette, there). On Stuedlhuette, we met our guide (from the Kalser Bergfuehrer) and discussed the weather (it really did not look promising, both in terms of rain/snow and also wind). After some thinking, we decided to still make an attempt, at least up to Adlersruhe (and Erzherzog-Johann-Huette, there). We started (into the freezing rain) and followed the "Normalweg", which leads around Schere, first, before then ascending on the upper-left side of Koednitzkees, before crossing over (to the east), leaving the glacier there, and continuing as a moderately easy climibing stretch up to Adlersruhe. At Erzherzog-Johann-Huette, we did some new thinking (still about the weather, mostly!). It really did not seem to improve much---the view was basically close to zero, constantly there was freezing rain / snow falling, and most others had turned around already, or simply given up for this day, staying at the hut, instead. After a short while, we decided to still try it. We left the hut and four others were following us in our steps (they had tried before, gave up, returned to the hut, and wanted to give it a nother try). When we approached the Leitl, which leads up to Kleinglockner really steeply, a company of two came down right in front of us. Only meters away, the one of them fell---he fell into the rope and the other guy managed to stop his fall, this way---what a shocking experience, really! Our guide helped the one who had fallen back up to the track and they continued towards Erzherzog-Johann-Huette, then. Just a few minutes after that, another company of four passed by us on their way down---these were the last persons we saw, before getting back to Erzherzog-Johann-Huette later. Even though the weather was bad all the time, we still made it up to the top and back---quite an experience! From Erzherzog-Johann-Huette we then made it back to Stuedlhuette along the same path that we had taken up, before. We left our guide, then, on Stuedlhuette (he should lead others on the day after from there) and continued down into Koednitztal, reading Lucknerhaus shortly after. All in all, this really was a special hiking and climbing experience. Even though we did not have any views from the top, we still appreciated the hike---mostly, because it was so much different from usualy hiking. Clearly, we had brought a lot of respect for Grossglockner already to start with, but then, after the hike, our respect for this major mountain became by no means smaller at all---definitely, it is wise to plan carefully, when attempting Grossglockner, and especially also make sure that precautions are in place to avoid any dramatic accident.

Photos

Selected photos are available as Google+ photo album.

Useful Resources

Petter Bjørstad has a useful page about Grossglockner.
Web page PeakBagger.com has a page about Grossglockner.
Web page Hikr.org has a page about Grossglockner with trip reports, etc..
Web page Bergsteigen.com describes a similar hike up Grossglockner.
Web page Glocknerspur.at describes a similar tour up to Grossglockner, as well.
Also web page Osttirol.com has a page about Grossglockner.