Three-peak hike
Austria – day 5 – three-peak hike to Gasselhöhe (2001 m), Rippetegg (2126 m) and Schober (2133 m).
From all the hiking and walking we did in the Schladming area, this hike to three peaks was and remains my absolute favourite. The combination of breathtaking vistas and just the right amount of physical challenge made the day truly special. Let me take you through the journey.
After getting off the Reiteralm cable car, our first destination was the Gasselhöhe peak. You can reach it either by climbing a shorter but steeper track with rewarding backward views or by following a slightly longer though gentler path.
When you finally reach the ridge, the Gasselhöhe peak awaits and welcomes you.
From there, you follow a comfortable path along the ridge, making your way towards the Rippetegg peak. If the weather is favourable, you can simply lose yourself in the magnificence of the height, the expansive space and the majestic mountains surrounding you in every direction.
In one section, a metal staircase was placed to make it easer to tackle particularly challenging terain, that was surprising…
By the Rippetegg peak, you have two options: either turn left to follow the path downward or climb to the summit with the cross. Well, hardly a choice if you ask me – leaving the top unvisited when you are so enticingly close does not sound acceptable at all.
From the summit, the path descends and loops back and you can either continue onward to reach the lake Spiegelsee or you can make a worthwhile detour to conquer the third two-thousand-metre mountain – Schober.
Despite the similar altitudes – 2126 and 2133 metres, travelling between these peaks isn’t the straightforward journey it might appear. You must first descend considerably before ascending again. In the photos below, the pointed peak visible above the water’s surface is actually Rippetegg as seen from the path up to Schober.
I was particularly captivated by the stones along the route, with their fascinating tints, shades and intricate structures…
The Schober peak proved to be the most challenging ascent of the day, and we noticed not that many other hikers attempting it. The path becomes quite steep and rocky and at the top you need to carefully navigate between the boulders. While the trail marking significantly helps to guide your way, you need a touch of imagination to determine your next step. At one particularly exposed section, you must skirt around boulders quite near the edge, which is a spot where some securing chains would have been reassuring.
From Schober, you must retrace your steps down the same path to the crossroad beneath Rippetegg. From there, you can turn toward the Spiegelsee.
Spiegelsee is very popular and can become quite crowded. Its name – “mirror lake” – refers to the phenomenon when, if conditions are perfect, the magnificent Dachstein mountains are reflected in the lake’s calm surface. As you can see from the photo below, the water was anything but calm during our visit…
If you are still not tired enough, before returning to the cable car you can make a detour to Untersee (“lower lake”). While this option sounded appealing in the hiking description and we did enjoy it, it required descending yet another steep stony slope before climbing back up through the forest to the station. With three peaks already in our legs, this final challenge felt somewhat overwhelming.
Eventually you return to Reiteralmsee and the cable car, filled with vivid impresions and emotions. We were pleased with our chosen direction – beginning at Gasselhöhe and completing the circuit via Spiegelsee. However, many hikers opted to visit Spiegelsee first before continuing to Rippetegg – both routes surely have their merit.
PS Interestingly, it wasn’t until reviewing my photos later that I realized how different the summit crosses were, with one being substantially smaller than the other two…
