Ascent of the Rossschopf mountain in the Kasberggruppe

Hike around the Grosser Odsee to the Roßschopf

Starting point

Forest car park by the road leading to the Almtalerhaus hut. The parking lot is at the turn-off to the Großer Ödsee lake south of the Roßschopf mountain.
 

Description of the hike

The original goal of this event was the Kasberg mountain. Due to the snow conditions at the top of the climb and the knee health of one brave member of the expedition, we finally chose an alternative destination - Roßschopf mountain.

After arriving under the mountains at night, we set up our tents right next to the road and spent the night without any problems. In the morning, after a hearty breakfast, we took the wide road to the Grosser Odsee lake. It was an inversion so we could only see the lake, but the mountains were hidden behind clouds. We climbed steeply around the lake to the huts. Here we left the wide road and followed a forest path. All the way to the huts is on unmarked paths, so it's good to have a map or a downloaded map on your phone. There is no mobile signal all the way to the hut. Gradually we gained altitude. The trail alternates between trails and wide roads. At an altitude of about 1,200 metres we got above the cloud cover and were offered a stunning view of the rock walls of the Totes Gebirge. Eventually we climbed up the trail to the hut, which was open. We decided to visit it on the way back.

At the hut we joined the marked path and continued on. Soon we reached the mountain cauldron. Here we found that there was still a lot of snow and it was wet and breaking up. We therefore decided to climb the lower mountain Roßschopf than our original destination, the Kasberg. At the same time, we lost our marker in the snow, so we walked rather intuitively. The ascent to the saddle of Mount Roßschopf is the steepest of the whole trek. In addition, the wet snow was breaking up, making the ascent a bit more challenging. After reaching the saddle we reached the top of the mountain without any problems. The views were fantastic, enhanced by the wild cloud cover. After a rest we headed back. We had a beer and soup at the hut. We then descended back down the same route as the climb. The big difference was that we still had beautiful views of the surrounding area. Which we especially appreciated at the Grosser Odsee lake with the rock peaks in the background.
 

Difficulty

A simple alpine trek that is mostly off the beaten track, but still follows forest trails or wide paths. The end of the climb out of the mountain basin is steep, and was made more difficult by a layer of wet snow. Because of the snow, we also didn't know exactly which way the path to the summit led, so we probably took the open terrain. The route is manageable for trained children and dogs.
 

Water availability

The first opportunity to refill water is at the huts above the Großer Ödsee lake. At an altitude of 1,400 m is the Steyrer Hütte. Here there is both water and, of course, a restaurant.
 

Sleeping options

We slept right next to the parking lot in the woods after we arrived at night. Accommodation is offered by the Steyrer Hütte.
 

Mountain peaks

The Roßschopf 1,647 m above sea level offers a great view of the Totes Gebirge. You can also see the Kalkalpen NP, part of the Salzkammergutberge and more.
 

Danger

This is a simpler trip to the mountains. In the forest passage you walk on paths or wide roads. The only more difficult section is the ascent from the mountain basin to the Roßschopf mountain saddle. The ascent is quite steep, made difficult by a layer of snow in spring. The top of the mountain drops to the north side with a perpendicular wall, so watch out especially for children. Otherwise there is no exposed section on the route.
 

Food

We refreshed ourselves on the way back at the Steyrer Hütte. We had some snacks and treats with us.