Ibexes around the western summit of the Gamskögel

At the end of the Triebental, east of the picturesque village of Hohentauern, the imposing peaks of the Gamskögel rise up to 2386 m (7828 ft) into the sky. The peaks are part of the Seckauer Tauern and the main chain of the Alps. Starting from the Bergerhube (1198 m / 3930 ft), the managed hut at the end of the valley, the surrounding mountains can be explored.

The Triebental is a side valley of the Paltental to the south and is easily accessible via the federal road which leads over the Triebener Tauern Pass. Coming from the town of Trieben, the road into the Triebental branches off to the left shortly before reaching the top of the pass in Hohentauern and winds its way along a small stream, individual farms and houses to the basin between the Großer Grießstein (2337 m / 7667 ft), the Gamskögel (2386 m / 7828 ft) and the forepeaks of the Geierhaupt (2417 m / 7929 ft). The road ends at a paid parking lot (5 euros for a day ticket from 2023) directly in front of the Bergerhube. 

From here follow the signs to Gamskögel. After you have left the Bergerhube behind you, hike along the Triebenbach on a moderately ascending forest road through a sparse forest. The vegetation on the forest floor forms an enchanting green carpet and in autumn the sound of the stream is only drowned out by the loud roar of the rutting deer. After 30 minutes the path turns into a narrow path in places which after another 15 minutes leads to a gravel road. Follow the gravel road for about 200 m (656 ft) before the red-white-red marked path leads again to the right into the forest. Now the path becomes a little steeper and after a few minutes leads to the clearing around the Mödringhütte. If the weather conditions are good, you should also have a great view of the Gamskögel from here.

After about 3.4 km (2.1 mi) or around 1 hour you will reach a fork in the road. The R10 hiking trail leads to the right to the Knaudachtörl from where the Große Grießstein can be tackled. To the left, the R11 hiking trail leads further up towards Gamskögel. The path initially leads along a small stream for a few meters before finally winding uphill through the forest. After another half hour you reach the foot of a small rocky outcrop called the “Königin” (Queen). The path leads past the Königin along gullies filled with rubble. The forest has now been replaced by mountain pine terrain and a sea of blueberry bushes. The view of the rugged rock formations on the northern flank of the Gamskögel proves to be particularly impressive.

The path leads steadily upwards over terrain interspersed with scree. The gradient is still rather moderate and finding the way is not difficult thanks to numerous markings and obviously well-trodden paths.

In the morning hours or on days when not many hikers venture up the mountain, it can happen that ibexes cross the path. Watching the animals move so skillfully in this rocky terrain is just as impressive as their huge horns.

After just over 2 hours of walking and 5.4 km, an altitude of almost 2000 meters (6561 ft) is reached. The panorama is beautiful. 

For a short stretch it's almost flat. The ideal place to gain a little strength for the upcoming, noticeably steeper climb over terrain riddled with scree.

The path up to the gap is quite strenuous and takes over an hour. This is the steepest section of the tour. However, the view back is particularly fantastic and makes up for the arduous climb. Once you have reached the gap, you have already reached an altitude of almost 2340 (7677 ft) meters. Now it's not far. To the left the path continues upwards and after a few meters the summit cross is already in sight. Provided the western summit of the Gamskögel (2386 m / 7828 ft) is not covered in clouds, you have a magnificent panoramic view of the Lower Tauern from here.

The three and a half hours given for the climb turned out to be a very good estimate of time. Including breaks, the summit was actually reached after less than 3.5 hours. The descent takes place via the ascent route. Particular caution is advised in the upper section due to the scree. Surefootedness is certainly required here.

After just two hours, the starting point of the tour, the Bergerhube, is reached again. In any case, you shouldn't miss a proper refreshment in the guest garden or the cozy restaurant before you head home.

Tour Facts (Tracked with Bergfex Tours):

Distance: 12.7 km (~ 7.5 mi)
Duration: 05:00 h (without breaks)
Ascent altitude: 1179 m (3868 ft)

Useful links:

1. Tour description incl. GPS data on bergfex.at (German)
2. Tour description incl. GPS data on bergfex.com (English)