Chasing the perfect trail (cont'd VI)

While it has not been easy to make time for a full week of trail running, Lucas and I decided that in 2026 we would at least find one full day for a proper mountain adventure. Großglockner was always on our list because of its spectacular views and simply because, at 3,798m, it is the highest mountain in Austria. I spent a few days in the Alps working remotely before heading to Kals am Großglockner, where we started our day tour to Großglockner on a Saturday in July.

Please, don’t try to do this without proper training, planning, equipment, etc. but feel free to ask me any question about the trip.

The route and the journey

We decided to take the normal route via Lucknerhütte, the Mürztalersteig (Via Ferrata), Erzherzog-Johann-Hütte and then up to the peak of Großglockner. Instead of driving to the starting point at the parking lot at Lucknerhaus (1,948m), we decided to start directly from our hotel in Kals am Großglockner. This meant about 8 additional kilometers and around 800m of additional elevation - and, of course, more fun.

*Strava stats of the trip with the route in the background (only moving time, without breaks)*

After a short breakfast at 5:00am, we started our trip at 5:45am from Kals am Großglockner. While having breakfast, we already saw a training group of Kenyans out for their casual morning jog. A good reminder that our definition of “casual” might be slightly different.

From Kals, the first few kilometers were mostly uphill through the forest and then into the sunrise until Greibühel (2,247m). From there, we went downhill again towards the start of the official route at the parking lot at Lucknerhaus (1,948m). A beautiful start to the tour.

From the parking lot at Lucknerhaus (1,948m), we paced the first uphill section quite fast towards Lucknerhütte (2,241m). Instead of going left towards Stüdlhütte (the normal route), we stayed on the right side and continued towards Ködnitzkees. We took the Via Ferrata towards Erzherzog-Johann-Hütte instead of going up through the glacier. To our surprise, we didn't meet anyone going up the via Ferrata, even though it was a busy day.

While going up the Via Ferrata, we also saw a helicopter flying around the peak of Großglockner a few times. Luckily, nothing serious had happened that day as far as we knew.

Via Ferrata towards Erzherzog-Johann-Hütte

We reached Erzherzog-Johann-Hütte (3,454m) quite fast and took a short break to eat and hydrate since it was a hot day wit up to 30*C. From there, we continued our way up through the second part of the glacier and via Glocknerleitl towards the peak of Großglockner. There was a lot of water running down the glacier due to the warm temperatures. And since it was a busy day, we had to wait a bit here and there for others at some of the smaller climbing sections.

*Gipfelkreuz Großglocker (and the only two guys in short trousers there)*

After a short break at the peak, we went down the same way towards Erzherzog-Johann-Hütte. Sometimes climbing down is more difficult than climbing up, especially when there are quite a few other people. I could also feel the sun and the heat a bit, especially since we had gone up pretty fast. Luckily, an alcohol-free wheat beer was waiting for us at Erzherzog-Johann-Hütte. Nothing better than taking a break with this breathtaking view.

From Erzherzog-Johann-Hütte, we took a different way down than how we went up. We first crossed the glacier towards Stüdlhütte (2,801m). Again, a lot of water was flowing down because of the high temperatures which didn’t make the downhill easier. From Stüdlhütte, we did not go back down to Lucknerhütte but instead continued on the other side towards Teischnitzbach. A beautiful valley with a fast-flowing river that was only a downhill for us.

Teischnitzbach with the mountains in the back

We paced some of the last remaining kilometers downhill, sometimes at a 5:00min/km pace. My legs were hurting and I could really feel the heat, the sun and the altitude after the whole day. However, my downhill skills are still pretty good. Something you don't unlearn … similar to riding a bike.

The last 2-3 flat kilometers really hurt, though. Lucas was in good shape, so I tried to keep up, and we eventually finished our trip at the same spring where it had started. I look much better in the picture than I felt at that point.

Thanks again, Lucas, for always making time for these memorable trips. Here's to the next one.