The Haller Mauern are a mountain range belonging to the Ennstal Alps. Their main ridge, extending in a convex arc from the Pyhrn Pass in the west to the Großer Maiereck in the east, frames the eponymous town of Hall near Admont. The border between the Austrian federal states of Upper Austria in the north and Styria in the south also runs along part of the main ridge. Most of the peaks of the Haller Mauern are accessible via marked hiking trails or via ferratas. While the main ridge in the south is characterized by rugged and steep cliff faces, cirques and long side ridges dominate the landscape in the north. These side ridges include the one from the Kreuzmauer (2091 m / 6860 ft) to the Langstein (1998 m / 6555 ft) on the Upper Austrian side.
Starting from the parking lot at the Innerrosenau cross-country skiing and biathlon centre, the trail (hiking trail 625) initially continues along a paved path, from which a forest road eventually branches off to the right. Follow this road until a sharp right turn, where you follow the signs and turn right onto a forest path. At this point, you have already covered 1.8 km (1.2 mi).
The rocky forest path initially leads straight up the mountain until it finally crosses the fortress again. The relatively wide path continues straight uphill, becoming increasingly steep. After a total of approximately 2.5 km (1.5 mi), the terrain flattens out somewhat, and you reach a fork in the path in a clearing. To the right, continue following the marked hiking trail, while to the left, a slightly shorter, unmarked alternative also leads to the next stage destination, the Lagalm. A signpost promises to meet a "fesche Sennerin" (a pretty dairymaid). We'll see.
The final climb to the Lagalm is quickly overcome, and after a total of about 1.5 hours, the rustic wooden huts on the Lagalm are reached. From here, you already have a magnificent view of the Windischgarsten Basin and the Sensengebirge Mountains to the north. Behind the huts, the Mannsberg rises into the sky, its summit cross clearly visible. Only the "pretty dairymaid" was nowhere to be seen.Behind the huts, a signpost points the way to the Kreuzmauer. Orientation isn't quite so easy here. It's best to walk to the edge of the forest, where the lightly worn path should be easier to spot. Then follow it in the direction indicated. The path becomes increasingly narrower and initially leads at a moderate incline through a sparse forest with, in places, quite lush ground vegetation to an impressive rock face. Reaching the base of the rock face, the path turns right and leads steeply uphill past the rock face to overcome this steep section.
Now comes the steepest section of the climb. The narrow, partly earthy, partly gravelly path leads steeply and straight up through mountain pine terrain. Caution is advised here, especially in wet conditions. At the top, the path bends left and then continues in a wide curve to the right up to the ridge. Up to this point, the Scheiblingstein to the southwest and the small Pyhrgas to the west were constant companions. Reaching the ridge, magnificent views to the north and east open up.Once again, the character of the trail changes. It leads steadily upwards along the ridge over so-called "Schrofen", rocky terrain interspersed with grass and scree. The view of the Langstein summit remains hidden until the very end. Only a few meters before it, the small, white summit cross appears within reach.
The summit cross apparently doesn't mark the actual summit, which is located a few meters further south. In any case, the space in front of the small summit cross of the Langstein (1998 m / 6555 ft) invites you to linger and properly enjoy the surrounding view.After about 3.5 hours the summit is reached. The view of the Haller Mauern is magnificent. To the southwest, the Scheiblingstein towers into the sky, behind it towers the Großer Pyhrgas, slightly in front of it, and to the north, its smaller brother, the Kleine Pyhrgas. The view to the east is dominated by the Hexenturm, and to the south, the summit cross of the Kreuzmauer (2091 m / 6860 ft) is clearly visible. Also clearly visible is the connecting ridge that connects the Kreuzmauer to the Langstein.
The Langstein summit is usually just a stopover on the way to the Kreuzmauer. A narrow path runs along the connecting ridge, which is not always clearly visible and requires surefootedness and a head for heights. On this day, this was also the actual goal of the tour. From the Langstein, the path leads past a deep ravine and continues along the ridge, usually bypassing smaller ridge towers on the west side.
On both sides of the ridge, the path descends steeply, and the trail is exposed throughout. On this day, however, I decided to turn back halfway. The grassy patches were still very damp and rather slippery this early in the morning, and the Dachstein limestone proved to be very brittle. Here, in particular, handholds and footholds on the rock must be thoroughly checked before being used for further progress along the ridge. Safety always comes first, and so this tour should end early with only one summit climb, the Langstein. On the way back to the Langstein, the view is considerably more impressive than from the north.
On the way back, you naturally turn your back on the Haller Mauern, allowing other views to come into focus. For example, the view of the Windischgartner Basin and the highest peaks of the Totes Gebirge (Großer Priel and Spitzmauer).
The view to the east, towards the morning sun, is no less impressive. The silhouettes of the Gesäuse Mountains (Großer Buchstein, Hochtor, and Admonter Reichenstein) are clearly visible in the background.
As is often the case, the descent may not be as strenuous as the ascent, but it does require more concentration and caution in order not to slip on loose scree or the sometimes wet ground. This is especially true for the descent from the ridge down to the Lagalm, from where you have a good view of the Langstein summit.
From the Lagalm, the ascent trail descends back to the valley, where you'll be back at your car after about 5 hours and 45 minutes (not including breaks). In summary, the ascent on the west side of the Langstein is less exposed to the sun on hot mornings and can therefore be completed in more pleasant temperatures. However, this is offset by the potentially wetter ground, which increases the risk of slipping, which, combined with the brittle rock, especially along the ridge to the Kreuzmauer, is a dangerous combination. But the Langstein summit alone is worth the climb. The alpine character of the ridge and the truly impressive views of the Haller Mauern and the surrounding mountain ranges provide ample reason for this.
Distance: 11,9 km (~ 7.4 mi)
Duration: 05:45 h (without breaks)
Ascent altitude: 1174 m (3859 ft)
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