HOHE TAUERN PANORAMA TRAIL | STAGE 14: Grubereck | Embach – Rauris Hiking tours
Tour description
Back into the mountains and two exhilarating summits
From Embach to the National Park townof Rauris, the trail now takes you backup high into the Alps: This 15-kilometre stage gives you two summits to master: the Katzenkopf (2,061 metres) and the Grubereck (2,167 metres). From here you have a magnificent view of the Goldberg group with Hocharn (3,254 metres), Schareck (3,123 metres) and Hoher Sonnblick (3,106 metres), where Europe‘s highest weather observatory, which is staffed all year round, is located. If weather conditionsdo not permit this stage, then we recommend this alternative route.
Details & elevation profile
Starting point
In front of the tourist information office in Embach
Finishing point
In front of the tourist information office in Rauris
Route type
Hiking tours
Route description:
The stage over the Grubereck to Rauris starts at the tourist information office in Embach and is the same as the previous stage until you get to the small pilgrimage church of Maria Elend. From here you walk from the start on the road a few metres to the west and turn left in front of a holiday apartment onto a field path (signpost "Maria Elend" no. 2/1), which takes you uphill through houses and fields to a small asphalt road. Soon you will reach a crossroads. Both paths takes you to the Kapelleralm, the intermediate destination, but you take the right-hand field path (no. 1/22) because it is much more attractive. The path takes you through an idyllic meadow landscape to the Maria Elend pilgrimage chapel.
Here you leave the path of the previous stage. Now you hike along the cart path, which starts below the chapel, and walk uphill in the direction of Kapelleralm (trail no. 1). After quite a while the path narrows and turns into a hiking trail, taking you uphill, sometimes quite steeply, through forest until you reach a forest road. Here you follow the forest road uphill for a few minutes until you get to a sharp left turn; this path takes you to the Kapelleralm in a few minutes (please note: if you choose the bad weather version of the route via the Wastlalm, continue straight along the forest road).
After taking a rest at the Kapelleralm (the only place to stop off for refreshments on this stage), you continue along the hiking trail in the direction of "Kahrscharte - Anthaupten" (no. 2) across alpine meadows and short forest sections uphill until you reach an alpine path after about 25 minutes. Then you follow the alpine path uphill until a hiking trail branches off straight ahead at a point where the alpine path takes you downhill to the Penninghofkaralm (trail no. 2 "Karscharte"), which is visible from afar. This path takes you to the Karscharte, first through forest and later over alpine pastures.
Trail no. 10 to the right in the direction of "Bernkopf/Grubereck" takes you up to the Katzenkopf (2,061 metres), which is quite steep at times, and then you continue over a stunning ridge down to the saddle between Katzenkopf and the Grubereck, which is again visible from afar. You do not hike to the summit directly over the very steep northern flank, but rather make a left loop in the direction of Bernkogel. At a fork in the path between Grubereck and Bernkogel, you leave the path towards Bernkogel and turn right twice in quick succession towards Grubereck (path no. 3). You now reach the proud summit of the Grubereck (2,167 metres) in about 15 minutes via a ridge, which is quite steep at times. The views from the summit over the Rauristal valley and especially the village of Rauris deep below are simply breathtaking!
Now you hike down a long, steep descent with utterly delightful views of valley and village along the way. As beautiful as the summit is in good weather, do not risk it if thunderstorms are coming. If you see dark clouds rolling in, you are better off going back down; there is not only the danger of lightning, the narrow path through steep meadows is very slippery and unpleasant when wet. You take a rest – however long you need – and then continue downhill over the ridge to the west in the direction of Rauris over narrow meadow paths (path no. 3). The ridge soon becomes flatter and widens to become a ridge – just before an alpine hut you leave the ridge and walk down to the left via small paths through meadow slopes that are very steep at the beginning, always in the direction of Rauris (be careful in wet weather!). You now pass a goods cableway and soon you see a bigger lodge with road access. Please note -Make sure you do not miss the spot where you climb over a fence on the right. Not long afterwards you reach the lodge. The road begins to the left of the lodge – but you leave it again immediately and branch off to the right onto a meadow path, which you follow over steeper meadows in the direction of Rauris to the top farmer of the scattered settlement of Hinterschriefling.
Here you take a sharp right on a small asphalt road and turn left again before the next farm onto a hiking trail towards Rauris (trail no. 22). You continue downhill through woods and across meadows, continue straight ahead at a fork in the road after crossing a stream and reach a small asphalt road. After a right-hand bend in the asphalt road, another meadow path branches off sharply to the left and takes you to Rauris.
Now you pass the Sonnblickbad, cross a bridge and turn right in front of a red house into Gaisbachstraße. After a short while you turn left past the church and reach the main road in the centre of Rauris. The end of this stage at the tourist information office in Rauris is 100 metres to the right, immediately to the left of the road.
Tips
Recommended equipment
- Day backpack, capacity: 20 litres, with waist belt and rain cover
- Hiking boots - minimum category B
- Weather-adapted and hard-wearing clothing in multiple layers. The Hohe Tauern Panorama Trail is mostly at altitudes between 1,300m and 2,450m - this should be taken into account when choosing your hiking equipment (especially your clothing).
- Height-adjustable trekking poles
- Sun and rain protection
- Make sure take enough to eat and sufficiently large water bottles with you, as there are not refreshment stops and fountains on all stages (e.g. on stages 5 and 7).
- First aid kit
- Pocket knife
- Mobile phone
- Tour description or hiking map
Best time of year
How to get there
Coming from the south: A10 Tauern Autobahn
Coming from the west: A12 Inntalautobahn to Wörgl (then on federal roads)
47.29019, 13.00205
The Lend train station is located directly on a main line of the Austrian Federal Railways. The 631 regional bus goes from the train station to the center of Embach.
Public parking lot in the Embacher Sporthotel area
Further information & links
Ferienregion Nationalpark Hohe Tauern Gerlosstraße 18 5730 Mittersill, AustriaPhone +43 6562 40939 E-Mail: hohetauerntrail@nationalpark.at
Booking center & info hotline Trail Angels GmbH 9821 Obervellach 15, Austria Phone +43 4782 93093 E-Mail: info@bookyourtrail.com
The official brochure and map material of the Hohe Tauern National Park Holiday Region provides everything you need for your long-distance hike on around 100 pages: detailed information on all 17 stages, dining options, highlights, elevation profiles, maps, and much more.