Hochtor Schneeloch Josefinensteig

From the parking facilities at Kölbl, it takes just over half an hour to reach the junction of the Schneeloch path. From there, we took about 3.5 hours to reach the Hochtor.

From the junction, the well-marked path first leads through forest and dwarf pines into the cirque below the rock walls. To the left of the Schneeloch, the path leads exposed with climbing sections onto the ridge of the Hochtor. In the upper section, about 50 meters before the summit, the terrain was only partially covered with scree. After a roughly one-hour summit rest, we descended the partially roped Josefinensteig, stopped at the Heßhütte, and then hiked back to Jonsbach to drive home again. In my opinion, this form of the Hochtor crossing is ideal because the descent is easier to manage with the ropes.

I rate this route as difficult, as we also completed a round trip of 2.5 hours each way. Departure from Wiener Neustadt at 5:30 a.m., return at 8:15 p.m.