Hochalmspitze traverse

Approach Gießener Hut
From the parking lot on marked path #533 (the hut access is shortened to trail several times) to the Gießener Hut, 2203 m. 1.5 hours.

Ascent Detmolder Ridge
From the hut northwards towards Hochalmspitze and Lassacher Winkelscharte to a fork at 2355 m. Now keep left on a hillside traverse along the Schwarzburger path to a fork at 2662 m and take the right branch up to the Lassacher Winkelscharte, 2862 m. 1.5 hours.

Continue on trail #535 northeast along the lower edge of a block face (firn in early summer) to the Upper Winkelscharte, 3150 m. Cross the Winklspitz, 3221 m, on rock (from here continuous fixed ropes in the rock passages), then continue on firn to a ridge section. Afterwards, on firn, a flank traverse and finally steeper up to the ridge (occasionally bare ice in the transition). Now follow the protections (which depending on snow conditions may be unusable, so fixed rope recommended) increasingly steeply to the Hochalmspitze (summit cross, 3360 m). 1.5 hours.

Descent Steinerne Mandln
From the summit cross eastwards a short, quite exposed rock descent to the firn of the Hochalmkees and along its right edge to a ridge section with easy scrambling (note red markings!). Then continue on firn to the Steinernen Mandln. 1 hour.
There on the south side very steep down into the smooth wall zone (protections, tiered rock bands) and down to the firn/ice of the Trippkees. The transition to the firn/ice can sometimes be unpleasant and tricky, fixed rope advisable. Afterwards descend southwards over a rock hump, 2813 m, then keeping left into a glacier basin, 2652 m, small lake. Continue on trail #536 (Rudolstädter path) to a signpost, 2355 m and keeping left back to the hut. 2 hours.