Hagler

The Hagler is a 1,669-metre peak in the Sengsengebirge range of Upper Austria. It stands as the southern outlier of the higher Hoher Nock, separated by the bowl-like Knödelboden depression. A sharp ridge runs south from the summit while the south-west and south-east sides drop steeply in cliffs and broken rock to the valley floor. Gentle grassy slopes on the northern side connect it to the Hoher Nock. From below the mountain looks like a free-standing summit. Climbers reach the top by unmarked routes from the Koppenalm pasture to the west, by the southern ridge or via the Reitsteig path from the north-east. A metal cross with a summit log sits on the highest point. The outlook takes in the Windischgarstner Basin, the Totes Gebirge plateau and the limestone walls of the Haller Mauern. In 2003 a wildfire scorched the southern flank; scientists from the Kalkalpen National Park now study how the forest regrows on this permanent observation plot. The bare summit offers wide views across the national park’s forested ridges and folded limestone massifs. On clear days the snowy peaks of the Dachstein group appear in the distance. The silence is broken only by wind and the occasional call of a raven. The contrast between the blackened fire scar and the surrounding green slopes is striking. Few hikers make the effort, so the summit often feels like a private observatory over the landscape.