Walking in Gastein in Summer - to the Reedsee and Graukogel

A circular wander around the Graukogel via Reedsee
Around the Graukogel
Today I ticked off another of my ‘must do’ walks in Gastein, around the Graukogel Mountain via Reedsee and the Pafnerscharte. The walking route starts near the Gruner Baum Hotel and then goes up the back of the Graukogel to Reedsee. After Reedsee it continues up to a shoulder below the summit and then down past Pafnersee and along the flank to a Mountain Restaurant. From there it's a ride down in  a chairlift to the car park.

The alarm was set as I needed to be outside the apartment at 7am for my ride to the Graukogel with Hans. Just made it! Two Austrians joined us from the Hotel over the road.  Two Russians followed in their BMW, nothing sinister in that, Hans’s Jeep was full. Hans was concerned that the Russian Lady wasn’t fit enough for what lay ahead but she was determined to come.

In the Kotschachtal
We parked at the Graukogel lift and were joined by a German Couple for the taxi ride to Gruner Baum and the start of the trail (1070m). We set off along the Kotschachtal. I have seen the yellow sign pointing up to Reedsee, and the wooden bridge we would have to cross, countless times on my cycle rides up to Prossau.  Today, after about 40 mins on foot we crossed that bridge and headed upstream. The morning mist was still hanging in the valley as we started out on our, fairly hard, 3 hr. climb up through the trees towards Reedsee (1830m). It was pretty slow going, not least, because our Russian Lady was definitely finding it tough.  
Time for a rest when we reached the Lake (reedsee). Bit of a cool breeze coming off the water but it’s a lovely scenic spot and well worth the climb. Beside the Lake there's a  hut where you can stay overnight. Need to book and get the key before you head up there though. You also need carry your own provisions. Later on we saw a group of students struggling up from the other side of the mountain, weighed down by their rations. A tentative toe in the Lake was soon withdrawn as its pretty cold, in fact its frozen over until May. It is home to some fish though.  Apparently, they have big heads and short bodies. Does that mean they are very intelligent? Russian joke! 
Reedsee at 1830m
After our brief and chilly stop we pushed on towards the Pafnerscharte (2329m.) The Russian Lady was getting even slower and the German Lady was starting to look pale and tired. She was stopping every few steps to inhale more air.  By the way, this German couple amazed me with the volume of their food rations. They were tucking into great slabs of cheese and sausages. 
I had to make do with a banana and a couple of bread rolls, bit of a rushed departure this morning! 
Hans heading up and across the stream
Unusually for this part of the world, there are no Alms on the way so you have to carry your food or go hungry. No Alms also means no cows to meet on the way. Despite the hardships the scenery was stunning and there was a real feeling of going up a mountain all the way from a valley stream lined with trees right the way up to the barren area at the top.
Climbing into the wind
Looking back down towards Reedsee
On the way down - the Pafnersee
All told, we had been walking for 6 hrs 30 mins. by the time we reached the Pafnerscharte and we were now in very rugged country. Everything looked broken, no trees, just cracked rocks.  The desolation was accentuated by a strong, cold wind so we did not hang around very long. We still had another two hours walk to the chairlift. Anyway, we were soon out of the wind, the path improved as we descended and the trees started to grow tall again. After 8hrs 30min on our feet we arrived at the hut for a well earned beer and a strudel. The Russian Lady had a well deserved zirben schnapps and a ciggy! Hans was relieved and we were all glad that the lift was still open for the ride back down to the Car Park. 
Back in the trees - not long to wait for strudel
Great walk with stunning scenery - mobile phones don't work for much of the route so its sensible to go with a group and best to take some food! Also best to do the walk in the direction we took as there are some big steps between Graukogel and Reedsee that might be tricky if you are descending.
Location: Reedsee, Nationalpark Hohe Tauern, 5640, Austria

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