Großer Höllkogel

The Große Höllkogel stands 1 862 metres above Ebensee am Traunsee and Bad Ischl, crowning the Höllengebirge range. Its broad summit gives wide views over the Salzkammergut, the Totes Gebirge, the Dachstein chain and as far as the Berchtesgaden Alps. A metal cross and a visitors’ book mark the top, while the nearby Rieder Hütte offers food and rest. Ski mountaineers also use the gentle northern slopes in winter.

Two marked routes lead up. Path 820 runs from the Feuerkogel cable-car via the Rieder Hütte and then follows Path 833 to the summit ridge. Paths 830, 831 and 833 start in the Langwies district of Ebensee and cross the Vordere Spitzalm before joining the final climb. The Kleine Höllkogel, 1 788 metres high, lies just north of its taller neighbour.

From the summit cross the eye travels across the Salzkammergut lakes to the limestone walls of the Totes Gebirge. In clear weather the Hoher Dachstein and the peaks of Berchtesgaden appear on the southern horizon. The Rieder Hütte at 1 450 metres provides a warm welcome after the ascent, while the gentle alpine meadows of the Spitzalm offer quiet places to rest before the final climb.