A leisurely trek to the Windberg in the Schneealpe mountains

Trek in the mountains with Schneealpe with ascent to the Windberg

Starting point

Mountain car park on the southern slopes of the Schneealpe mountains. A toll road leads here from Neuburg an der Mürz. The toll is 8 Euro per car and is payable at the Biobauernhof Michlbauer.
 

Description of the hike

We got to the parking lot late in the evening and spent the night in the car. We were up early in the morning as thunderstorms were reported after lunch and we wanted to avoid those for sure.

From the parking lot we took the wide road that supplies the huts on the plateau. The path climbs pleasantly, perfect to get moving after a morning out. Soon the views of the surrounding mountains began to open up, which was a great change to the climb. After a few switchbacks, the hiking sign left the wide road for a while and we climbed up the trail through the mountain pine. Then we rejoined the path and followed it to the plateau of the Schneealpe mountains. Here we were greeted by herds of horses and cows. We continued on to the Michlbauerhütte.

We left the road at this point and started to climb up Windberg Mountain, following the meadow and the trail. A herd of cows accompanied us again for a while. Eventually we reached the top of the mountain along the trail without any problems. We were alone here so we took a break and enjoyed the views in all directions. We descended from the summit via the more northerly trail. This led us directly to the Michlbauerhütte hut, where we enjoyed a small snack. As the storms were really starting to roll in, we didn't stay long and took the same path we had taken up the mountain in the morning back to the car park.
 

Difficulty

A very simple trek into the beautiful mountain countryside. Thanks to the high parking lot, the total elevation gain is not very high. But of course it's still the Alps, so some meters have to be climbed. The first part is basically on a wide path, which supplies the shepherds and the hut on the mountain plateau. A classic mountain trail leads to the to.
 

Water availability

We didn't come across any springs on the trail, but you can refill your fluids at the Scheealpenhaus and Michlbauerhütte. Even so, it is necessary to have about 1.5 litres of water per person.
 

Sleeping options

We spent the night in the car after our evening arrival. On the route there are huts Michlbauerhütte and Schneealpenhaus.
 

Mountain peaks

The top of the Windberg 1,903 m above sea level offers great views, especially of the eastern part of the Alps, such as Schneeberg, Raxalpe, Ötscher or Dürrenstein.
 

Danger

This is one of the safest treks I have done in the Alps. There is no exposed place. Most of the time you walk on a wide road or mountain trail. Perhaps the only thing to watch out for are herds of cattle. The bulls in particular were very curious and inquisitive. And in the summer you have to watch out for thunderstorms.
 

Food

Both Michlbauerhütte and Schneealpenhaus have pubs on the way. It is definitely good to have your own food.