Fölzstein

The Fölzstein is a mountain in the Hochschwab range of the Austrian Alps, standing at 1,946 metres above sea level. It belongs to the Karlalpe, a high karst plateau where limestone dominates the landscape. The mountain shares its grassy plateau with the slightly higher Fölzkogel to the north-west, forming two prominent points on an otherwise level stretch of land. Steep cliffs drop away on three sides, reaching down to the Fölzalm meadows and the Fölzboden basin far below. The summit cross stands on a south-eastern outcrop that rises gently before plunging 350 metres in a near-vertical wall. The Fölzstein is known for its dramatic appearance and its place in mountaineering history. In 1905, the celebrated alpinist Viktor Wolf von Glanvell died in a fall from the southern face. The name ‘Fölz’ may come from an old word meaning ‘channel’, reflecting the deep gully that leads from Thörl towards the narrow Fölzklamm gorge. Over time, the name spread to nearby valleys, pastures and ridges such as Fölzboden and Fölzriegel. The rock here is Dachstein reef limestone, up to 300 metres thick in places, with softer lagoonal layers eroded long ago. A marked trail from Aflenz Kurort climbs past the Schwabenbartl inn to the Fölzalm at 1,484 metres. From there a steep path heads south-west to the Fölzstein while a gentler route via the Windscharte saddle leads to the Fölzkogel. The Voisthaler Hütte to the north offers a challenging route (T4 on the SAC scale) across the Karlalpe to the same saddle. Unmarked climbs also ascend from the Karlgraben valley and the eastern gullies, reaching the Waschenriegel ridge from which the plateau can be gained. The views stretch across the Hochschwab’s rolling highlands and down into the surrounding valleys.