Goinger Halt

The Goinger Halt is a twin-peaked mountain in the Kaisergebirge range in the Austrian Alps. Its two summits rise above alpine meadows belonging to the village of Going. The higher southern top, the Vordere Goinger Halt, reaches 2,242 metres, while the northern top, the Hintere Goinger Halt, stands at 2,192 metres. The name ‘Halt’ refers to the high meadows that surround the peaks. The mountain lies east of the Ellmauer Tor, a notable gap in the ridge, with steep rock faces dropping into the Griesner Cirque to the northwest. The Hintere Goinger Halt is one of the most visited peaks in the Wilder Kaiser because it is the easier of the two. A signed climbing path from the Ellmauer Tor leads to its summit cross in about forty minutes, though care is needed on the route. On busy summer days many people gather on its small summit. The Vordere Goinger Halt is far less crowded and offers a quieter experience with a wide panorama. Its route branches off the Hintere climb at a wind gap and follows a rocky, exposed climb graded UIAA II before reaching the summit register after about an hour. The Kaisergebirge’s main ridge runs southwest from the Goinger Halt, ending at the Ackerlspitze. To the west lie the Karlspitzen and the Fleischbank, while the Predigtstuhl stands to the north. The Hintere Goinger Halt can also be reached from the Predigtstuhl wind gap via a popular climbing route graded III. The contrast between the busy Hintere summit and the solitary Vordere top makes both worth the climb.