01 Northern Alpine Trail, E26 (alpine): Matras Haus - Riemannhaus

Get up early! On the one hand to enjoy the sunrise at Hochkönig (picture), but then immediately start: a difficult, long day without any stops on the way awaits!

From the Matras Haus it goes along the south wall drops into the area of the Lammkopf and the Devil's Holes, here you have to cross a flat glacier remnant. The steeper, western part of the Übergossene Alm is now interrupted by a rock tongue. It is better not to follow the marking here, but to veer off on this rock tongue without touching the glacier to the Herzogsteig. On this we descend exposed (wire ropes) to the Niedere Torscharte (2,246 m) (high voltage line offers orientation aid, bailout opportunity to Hinterthal).

From here upward again to the so-called Hohe Torscharte. Immediately afterwards a ridge is crossed, soon after we reach another ridge, which leads us on some very narrow path and in places extremely exposed (not secured!) to the Brandhorn (2,610 m). From here northwest down to the Wildalmkirchl-Bivouac box (2,457 m, 8 sleeping spaces, open, not always water). From here we move on the plateau of the Steinernes Meer, which leads us in constant up and down to the gentle Hochbrunnsulzenscharte (2,358 m), from where we can already guess our day's goal. The plateau is dominated by the mighty Schönfeldspitze (2,653 m). Continuing over the plateau we slowly feel the exhausting path in our bones, but still need 1-2 hours to the Riemannhaus (2,177 m).