Hohe Tauern

Situated in the Hohe Tauern at 2,565m in the middle of the Ankogel ski resort, the Hannoverhaus was reopened in 2013 and has been run by the young hut keepers Elisabeth and Christopher König since the 2016/2017 season. Elisabeth and Christopher always have an open ear and are happy to respond to their guests' wishes. Whether you need a TouringTip or the weather conditions for the next day, the two are always on hand with help and advice.

100 vertical meters of ascent for 1,400 vertical meters of descent! The Knallkar is one of the great delicacies of the Ankogel ski area. Not only is the ratio of ascent to descent unbeatable, the descent is also impressive: huge open slopes stretch a good 1,000 vertical meters down into the Anlauftal valley amidst an impressive rocky backdrop. The absolutely shady northern exposure often guarantees powder.

450 vertical meters ascent for 1,800 vertical meters descent! The Kleine Ankogel is the freeride tour par excellence in the border region between Salzburger Land and Carinthia. It really has it all: a relaxed approach, an exciting short ridge ascent and a never-ending 1,200-metre north-facing slope.

The small Mallnitz/Ankogel ski resort is inconspicuously hidden in the north-westernmost corner of Carinthia. But there is absolutely no reason to hide: with just a few meters of ascent, you can reach enormous descents of almost 1,800 meters in altitude, which should be on every freerider's to-ski list. Overnight stay in a hut in pole position included.

There will be alerts everywhere, with the focus in the south. The core areas are from Ticino to the Adamello/Upper Engadine and in the border triangle of Italy/Austria/Slovenia, although the whole thing is only likely to cause real joy on the glaciers there.

The fourth article in the Anno dazumal series also takes us back to shortly after 1900. In the second part of their article "Snowshoe trips in the Hohe Tauern" from 1913, Hans Skofizh and Franz Tursky talk about "tours" of the Große Wiebachhorn, the Johannisberg, the Breitkopf and the Großvenediger. Again, some of these descents may have been first ascents in this region.

The third article in the Anno dazumal series takes us to the Hohe Tauern at the beginning of the 20th century. Hans Skofizh and Franz Tursky report on tours to the Schareck, Hohe Riffl and Granatspitze in the article "Snowshoeing in the Hohe Tauern" from 1913. These descents were probably some of the first ski descents in the Hohe Tauern.

The Hohe Tauern are the part of the Alps that I have only known from stories and reports so far. But I wanted to change that, so we made the Hohe Tauern the destination of this year's road trip. Equipped with a stove and sleeping bag, we set off in the VW bus to spend a week exploring the north side of the Tauern massif. We got to know many places that are often visited by freeriders and ski tourers, but also quiet, unspoilt areas that are off the beaten track but offer impressively good freeride terrain. One special experience was a ski tour on a rather inconspicuous mountain.

Popular but very rewarding ski tour in the Hohe Tauern National Park, where you are rewarded at the summit with views of the Großglockner and the Großvenediger.