Winter hike around the Ingeringsee

Name: Winter hike around the Ingeringsee
Brand: Steiermark
Rating: 5 (1 reviews)

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Winter has arrived in the Seckauer Tauern and with it a fantastic snowy landscape around the Ingeringsee - a delight for those seeking peace and quiet.

The Seckauer Tauern is one of the quieter mountain regions in Austria, characterized by beautiful tours and few managed huts. Well-known hiking destinations such as Hochreichart, Seckauer Zinken and Geierhaupt - at 2417 m the highest peak - to name but a few, are familiar to many mountain hikers. This mountain range is also characterized by lonely mountain lakes, whereby one lake in particular has stood out for tourism in recent years - the Ingeringsee. This beautiful lake in the municipality of Gaal lies at 1200 meters in a glacial valley that stretches from the village of Ingering II (Gaal) to Kettentörl. Thanks to the snowfall of the last few days, the valley and the lake are dressed in their most beautiful winter attire, with the lake and the pretty Klementikapelle chapel making for a beautiful photo motif. Conclusion: a contemplative hike for the Advent season.

Characteristics

Skill

Fitness

Best season

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

The tour in numbers

easy

Level of difficulty

9,5 km

Route

3:00 h

Time

140 hm

Uphill

140 hm

Downhill

1236 m

Highest point

Map & downloads

Download GPX data

Download KML data

More information

From St. Michael in Upper Styria via the Murtal expressway S36 (toll sticker required) to Knittelfeld-West (25 km, approx. 20 minutes) and on via Sachendorf and Gaal to the parking lot Parking lot 3/Pletzen II - from there the road is closed in winter.

From Judenburg via the Murtal expressway S36 (toll sticker required) to Knittelfeld-West (23 km, approx. 20 minutes) and on via Sachendorf and Gaal to the parking lot Parking lot 3/Pletzen II - from there the road is closed in winter.

Snowshoeing by car - a few things you should be aware of!

Good winter tires are an absolute MUST!
Ice scraper, snow broom, de-icer for the door locks and a small shovel are part of the basic equipment.
Put snow chains and a tow rope in the car, even if you are not good with them yourself. There are always helpful and knowledgeable hikers on the mountain!
Clear all snow and ice from the car, especially the roof.
When parking, make sure that you also leave space for other drivers.
Always park in such a way that the rest of the road remains clear for cars, timber trucks and snow clearing vehicles.
Find out about the snow situation on the access road or parking facilities before setting off. (Hüttenwirt, webcams)

We start at parking lot 3 - from here it is currently closed for the winter - and follow the road into the valley. The route runs along the valley floor without any significant incline, where we cross the Ingeringbach stream and come directly to the last parking lot before the lake. A few more meters straight ahead and we reach the eastern shore of the Ingeringsee. The unmarked circular trail turns left, then we cross a bridge shortly afterwards and follow the forest road, which leads us directly to the Ingeringbach stream. At this point, we see the entrance to the hiking trail on the right (marked red-white-red) and also the bridge over the stream. On the northern shore, we walk more or less directly along the lake to the Klementikapelle chapel and back to the eastern shore. We return to the starting point via the road we already know.

Slight incline on forest roads and paths. Depending on the amount of fresh snow, snowshoes are recommended.

There is no public transport connection to the starting point of the tour itself.

General information about public transport in the region: www.verbundlinie.at

Parkplatz im Ingeringgraben 3 / Pletzen II

Gasthaus Kaiser, 03513 88324 www.gasthauskaiser-gaal.at

Sempre im Gaalerhof, 0664/75143246

Lorettohof, 0664 750 22779 www.lorettohof.com

Freytag & Berndt (2017): Seetaler Alpen, Seckauer Alpen, Judenburg, Knittelfeld. WK 212 Wander-, Rad-, Freizeitkarte; 1:50000 Sarcletti S., Zienitzer E., (3. Auflage 2023): Schneeschuhführer Steiermark – Vom Dachstein bis zum Steirischen Weinland. Bergverlag Rother GmbH, München, S. 176 Für weitere Infos hier klicken.

Schneeweiß C., (2012): Schneeschuhgehen – Praxiswissen vom Profi zu Ausrüstung, Technik und Sicherheit. Bruckmann Verlag GmbH, München, S.192