The cool 3 skitours
One ski tour, one summit. That was previously our aim in winter. This time our aim is to conquer the “Cool Three” by packing all three summits into one ski tour. Were we successful? You will find out later.
The Schuster-, Staff-, and Spieleckkogel, we have ticked them all off our touring list in the last years. One tour we are missing is the well-known Talschlussrunde. At the end of the Glemmtal, there are a couple of summits which should not be overlooked. For this time we decide on an easy-going round of the Talschluss. From the Lindlingalm we start the ascent up to the Tristkogel, over the gentle slopes at the end of the valley towards the Mittagskogel and onto the Schusterkogel.
Note: Our group consists of experienced skitourers and are familiar with skiing in the backcountry. Before we start a tour, we of course check the avalanche management report. Full avalanche-safety equipment is in our backbag and in case of doubt we cancle the skitour. So right away: If you do not have sufficient knowledge, don't go without an experienced guide!
End of the valley marathon tour in the „Home of lässig“
From our GPS data, we see that the tour will take us to an altitude of over 1,000 metres and a distance of 15 kilometres. Therefore we must allow a whole day for this tour. We start hiking up at a comfortable pace, along the forest trail to the Osmannalm. Our destination, the summit of the Tristkogel, is majestically set in landscape hovering above our heads. Today the snow conditions are ideal and the avalanche risk is low. This is a good time to raise the fact that those wishing to tackle the round should be aware exactly of what they are doing. We move into Alpine terrain along with the dangers that lurk within.
Pure nature in the Glemmtal
After we cross a small creek, we arrive at the rustic Mittersaalalm. The hut is not manned, but we, however, make a short stop to enjoy the views over to the Schusterkogel, goal number three for today. We head off in the direction of the Saaljoch. If we were to continue to the west it would not take long to reach a fourth summit, that of the Staffkogel, but we remain level-headed and turn in the direction of the Saaljoch. From here we are rewarded with fantastic views outwards and over the Glemmtal. We are able to look all the way up the Schattberg, whilst at the same time enjoying the tranquillity at the end of the valley and the feeling of living for the here and now. The Hohen Tauern Mountains are shining in the distance and as the visibility is so clear that we are able to see the Großglockner, Austria’s highest mountain.
Summit number 1 - check
From the Saaljoch there are still some 200 metres until we reach the summit of the Tristkogel. The ascent becomes steep and we are working up a sweat. Done, we stand before the summit cross of our first mountain, from where we can see our next goal. The Mittagskogel lies at the end of a plateau at the head of the Talschluss in the Glemm Valley. Before we continue onto our second goal we make a speedy ascent to the Toralm. The snow leaves nothing to be desired and is still quite powdery, but not too deep, ideal for our wide touring skis. After a short ascent, it is time to for us to continue upwards and onwards over a slightly rugged terrain in the direction of the Mittagskogel. The last few metres to the summit are again steeper but can be mastered by experienced ski tourers without too much difficulty. From the summit we are rewarded by an epic view of the entire Hohen Tauern Alpine ridge, including the Großvenendiger, Großglockner and the visibility is such that the “Big Ones” look close enough to touch.
The best comes last
So „our big one“ is waiting for us. The Schusterkogel, standing at 2,207 metres high is one of the highest summits in the Glemmtal. The great thing is that we have already reached about 2,000 metres and therefore only have approximately 200 more metres to climb before we reach the summit. We comfortably cross over the Schusterscharte and tackle our last obstacle. Once over an open ridge, we finally arrive at the Schusterkogel and are delighted to have personally conquered the “Cool 3” and are looking forward to our last ascent of the day. We take advantage of the perfect snow conditions and take the northern ascent directly to the Lindlingalm. An ascent of nearly 1,000 metres in perfect champagne powder, indescribable! Welcome to the Home of lässig.
