Snowshoe tobogganing to the Great Winterlake

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A perfect combination - up with the snowshoes and down with the sled in the adventure region Murtal.

In the Murtal adventure region there are two ways to hike uphill on snowshoes, borrow a toboggan and then whiz back to the starting point on a groomed toboggan run. Once in Hohentauern and here in the Seetaler Alps from the parking lot Gasthof Schmelzhütte to the Winterleitenhütte, which is located directly at the lower Winterleiten lake at 1800 m above sea level. The hike to the Winterleitenhütte is rather short, so you can take the opportunity to continue to the Great Winterleiten Lake and get to know the impressive karst landscape below the Kreiskogel (2306 m). This hike is suitable for the whole family. Even if a small piece in the ascent is a bit steeper, especially children enjoy the challenge. In addition, the anticipation of a cozy hut stop and the toboggan ride mobilizes unimagined strength in young and old.

Conclusion: Snowshoe tobogganing - really cool!

Characteristics

Skill

Fitness

Experience

Scenery

Best season

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

The tour in numbers

easy

Level of difficulty

3,2 km

Route

2:00 h

Time

310 hm

Uphill

70 hm

Downhill

1840 m

Highest point

1546 m

Lowest point

Map & downloads

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More information

From Judenburg via Oberweg and Ossach the Seetalstraße leads directly to the Schmelzhütte (16 km, approx. 25 minutes).

From Wolfsberg via the B78 to Obdach and then via St. Wolfgang to the Schmelzhütte (50 km, approx. 50 minutes)

By car to snowshoe hiking - a few things to watch out for!

Good winter tires are an absolute MUST!Ice scraper, snow broom, de-icer for the door locks and a small shovel belong to the basic equipment.Put snow chains and a tow rope in the car, even if you are not good with them yourself. Helping and knowledgeable hikers are always available on the mountain!Clear the car completely of snow and ice, especially sweep off the roof of the car completely.When parking, make sure you leave room for other motorists.Always park so that the rest of the roadway remains clear for cars, logging trucks, and snow removal vehicles.Find out about the snow situation on the access road or parking facilities before setting off. (hut host, webcams)

From the parking lot Gasthof Schmelzhütte (1), 1546 m, we walk a short distance along the asphalt road uphill. Passing the Infopoint of the Austrian Armed Forces, we keep to the right at the next intersection in the direction of Seetal (large green signposts). We continue along the road for a few minutes before we turn left onto the hiking trail after a double garage. You can't miss the entrance, as there is both a yellow sign and a green signpost with the inscription Winterleitenhütte. The path is very well marked and leads slightly uphill through the forest until we pass directly by the sledding and ice rink. Further on we keep slightly to the right, over a bridge, to then start with the steepest section for today's hike. From now on we go uphill in the forest via the "Sterngassl" aisle until we reach the Kleiner Winterleitensee (2), 1780 m, or Winterleitenhütte. We stay on the right side of the lake, pass a beep check point and follow the tracks along trail 08/315. The trail serpentines through the forest, then comes to a free slope area where we keep slightly right uphill. Our next landmark is a small hut (3), 1840 m, with the house number Ossach 47, which is already above the tree line. From here we have a beautiful view of the Großer Winterleitensee, which lies as a large snow-covered area directly in front of us. The way back we arrange depending on visibility and orientation, whereby the connecting slope between the two lakes, also called Karschwelle, is a nice alternative. Then it is only a few meters around the Kleiner Winterleitensee until we finish our hike at the Winterleitenhütte (4), 1782m. As a tip, use a backpack with a lid buckle so that you can secure the snowshoes well when it's time to go back to the starting point by sled.

This hike is also recommended in the moonlight, because you can borrow the sleds in the evening. It is important to check with the innkeeper beforehand about opening hours and sled rental.

There is no public transport connection to the starting point of the tour itself.

General information about public transport in the region: www.verbundlinie.at

There are plenty of parking spaces available at the Schmelzhütte and at the Soldatenkirche.

Winterleitenhütte (Nature Friends House), Tel.: +43 3578 8210, 8750 Judenburg, Ossach 45, www.winterleiten.com. Sledge & snowshoes rental,

Schmelzhütte, Tel: +43 3578 8240 or +43 681 20 488 137, 8750 Judenburg, Ossach 37. Schmelzhütte on Facebook, Schmelzhütte tourism info.