Scheffauer run

Peak: Scheffauer (2111m)
Area: Wilder Kaiser, Austria
Although we had gorged ourselves on rock yesterday, I was conscious that the high peaks beckoned and was keen to add to the list of Wilder Kaiser summits I had climbed in 2011. A beautiful morning, and after strudel and coffee in Soll we drove up to Barnstatt above Scheffau where I set out for the village's signature peak: Sheffauer itself, which dominates the western fringes of the range. A rather fearsome 1300m vertical interval lay in wait, along with a walking time of four hours to reach the summit, six hours for the round trip. Vic went for a coffee and I gave myself a target of two hours to reach the summit and back. Good running up tracks led to a clearing, then hairpins up to the wonderfully positioned Steiner Hochalm. Above, the path steepens to reach dense forest which eventually gives way to open screes below the headwall that marks the end of the main Wilder Kaiser ridge. A vague path ran diagonally up through the screes and made for quick progress as it was largely runnable. Once beyond the screes, the route becomes more tortuous, weaving up little rocky sections to eventually engage in another long traverse, diagonally leftwards this time, directly below the limestone headwall. It was all really enjoyable, as wisps of mist drifted across the face of the Sonneck to the east. A chained section took wet slabs below a large overhang until more scrambling led straight up to the pronounced col on the main Wilder Kaiser ridge line. The mist cleared at the exact point that I reached the col, providing an absolutely spectacular backdrop and wonderful views. A short run along grass then rocks led to the cross on the summit of the Scheffauer - in 71 minutes from the car, which I was quite pleased with. It was immediately clear that I had chosen my objective wisely, as it essentially marks the western extremity of the range: beyond, the ridge just descends down to the stunning turquoise lake of the Hintersteiner See and the lower Bavarian Alps across the German border beyond. To the east, a stunning sight as the Hackenkopfe emerged from the mist, which boiled up from the south: the ridge to it looked superb and relatively easy, but I had to get back so pelted back down for a two hour round trip. This area has a totally different ambience and outlook than the peaks I climbed more centrally in 2011.