Grünalmkogel

The Grünalmkogel rises as the highest peak in the western Höllengebirge and the district of Vöcklabruck. Its summit stands 1 821 metres above sea level, commanding views across Oberösterreich. The north-west face drops almost 500 metres to the Pfaffengraben valley below. The north-east wall towers more than 1 000 metres above the Langbathseen lakes. Walkers usually reach the top while completing a crossing of the whole Höllengebirge range. Two marked routes lead up the mountain from alpine huts. The path from Hochleckenhaus follows waymark 820 across the high plateau and takes between two and a half and three hours. The route from Rieder Hütte also uses waymark 820 across the same plateau and matches the same walking time. Both ascents avoid technical climbing and stay on broad, well-trodden trails. At the top a broad, grassy summit offers a wide, unbroken panorama. The plateau stretches away in all directions, revealing the peaks of the Salzkammergut and the distant Dachstein. The route across the plateau itself provides gentle walking with only minor ups and downs. On clear days the lakes of the Traunviertel appear like scattered mirrors below. The final climb to the summit cross is short but rewards with the full sweep of the northern Alps.