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Summer holidays on Upper Austria's beautiful summit: Dachstein Krippenstein

The winter at Dachstein Krippenstein is a true paradise for all who love the backcountry ski touring adventure. In today's blog post, we take you along on three varied tours – from the marked Heilbronner Runde, to the classic ascent to Wiesberghaus, and finally to the challenging Rumpler Runde.

As a special highlight, we also want to recommend the popular early tourers ride – held every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at 7:30 am (cable car ascent only) until the end of the winter season – where the early morning magic of Dachstein Krippenstein is palpable right from the start. The perfect beginning for all early birds.

Early tourers ride

Below, we present three varied tours that let you experience the region's winter magic up close. For all ski tours, safety first!

It's ski touring timeTurn on your skins

Tip 1: Heilbronner Runde

The marked ski tour
The Heilbronner Runde takes you from the Dachstein Krippenstein mountain station, past the Dachstein-Hai and the Heilbronner-Kreuz, to the Gjaid station. With a length of approximately 4500 m, a hiking time of about 3 to 3.5 hours, and an elevation difference of 171 m, this tour is a must for all ski touring enthusiasts.

Tip: This tour can also be done as a snowshoe tour – ideal when the snow cover is a bit thinner.

WARNING: Ski touring in alpine terrain means the route is not tracked or secured/monitored! And off piste, always "Safety First"!

Ski touring

Tip 2: Wiesberghaus

The ski tour to a cozy mountain hut
Want to head to the Wiesberghaus (1884 m) – or even further to the Simonyhütte? Then it's best to take the wide Skidoo track via the Oberfeld/Kaserne – the perfect route for your tour!

This tour starts at the Dachstein Krippenstein mountain station (2,100 m) and follows the wide Skidoo track via the Oberfeld/Kaserne directly to the Wiesberghaus (1,872 m). For those who want to continue the hike further, a detour to the Simonyhütte is also possible.

Notes:

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    Use the route via the Oberfeld (track).

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    Snowshoe hikes are highly recommended at the moment – they allow you to easily tackle areas with thinner snow cover.

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    Due to the constant ups and downs resulting from the current conditions (thinner snow cover), please allow extra time for your tour planning.

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    Descent is via the 9 km long valley descent at Dachstein Krippenstein (descent to Hallstatt is currently not possible).

Ski touring

Tip 3: Rumpler Runde

Adventurous circular tour in Alpine Terrain
The Rumpler Runde is a long and varied tour that takes you through impressive panoramas at Dachstein.

The route starts at the Gjaid station of the Dachstein Krippenstein cable cars (1,788 m) and leads via the Oberfeld to Rumpler (2,022 m), then on to Moderstein (2,197 m) and Mitterstein (2,269 m).

Afterwards, highlights such as Hunerkogel (2,700 m) and the Dachsteinwarte (2,720 m) follow, before the route continues over the Hallstätter Glacier to Simonyhütte (2,203 m) and to Gjaidalm (1,805 m).

Notes:

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    Plan the Rumpler Runde as a pure alpine experience with the appropriate equipment and expertise.

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    Challenge Rumpler: Constant ascents and descents require extra time and good physical conditioning.

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    Suitable for experienced tourers only!

Ski touring

Take the early birds rideThe mountain is calling

Tour planning & safety off piste

Tour Planning & Safety in Alpine Terrain
For all sporting activities in unsecured and unmonitored terrain/off piste, careful tour planning is essential. This means:

  • Avalanche Report (LLB) Mandatory: Check the current avalanche report before every tour and incorporate it into your planning.

  • Complete Avalanche Safety Equipment: Carrying the full avalanche safety equipment – including a shovel and probe – is mandatory.

  • Personal Responsibility & Realistic Self-Assessment: Whether you're a winter hiker, snowshoer, or ski tourer, everyone is responsible for their own safety. Careful planning, appropriate equipment, and an honest self-assessment are indispensable.

Personal responsibility, careful tour planning & equipment, as well as a good self-assessment, contribute significantly to your own safety!

Good to know: