Türlwandhütte - Hoher Dachstein (via Hunerscharte)

Access to starting point:
Through the Karawanks Tunnel, we drive to Austria, and then we continue driving on Tauern highway. Further, we drive through the tunnel Katschberg and later also Tauern tunnel, and the highway towards Salzburg we follow only to exit for Radstadt, Schladming. We continue on the road to the settlement Schladming where we then continue left on an ascending road following the signs Ramsau. In the settlement Ramsau, we continue a good 2 km on the mentioned road, and then we turn right on a payable road, where signs for cable car point us to. We follow this road all the way to a large parking lot in front of the bottom station of the cable car.

Path description:
From the parking lot, we continue past the bottom cableway station following the signs Südwandhütte. The path at first leads on the right side of the cableway through a thin larch forest, later turns to the left and crosses slopes towards the west. Soon the path towards the climbing garden (Klettergarten) branches off to the right. We still cross the slopes towards the west and from the left joins the path from a lower starting point. From the crossing then follows approximately 10 minutes of walking on a scenic slope to the mountain hut Südwandhütte.
At the mountain hut, we continue right following the signs Hunerscharte and we ascend on a short grassy ridge above the mountain hut. The path then brings us on the south mostly grassy slopes below the summit Scheiblingstein. Slopes in a gentle ascent, we cross towards the east and the path brings us into a valley below the cable car. Here the path turns left and starts ascending through the valley upwards. At the ascent through the valley, we have a nice view towards the peaks Türlspitz, and soon opens up also a view towards the summit Hunerkogl on which runs a cable car. The path further runs on the right side of the valley and starts ascending a little steeper. Higher, the path turns slightly to the left and it ascends on the scree, which brings us to a more demanding part of the path.
The path is at first ascending by the steel cable, and then becomes also slightly steeper and we also get help from some iron spikes and stemples. We are still ascending by the steel cable and we soon come below the wall of Hunerkogel where extremely demanding climbing path Skywalk Klettersteig branches off to the left.
Our path here turns to the right and starts ascending steeply by the steel cable with the help of numerous iron spikes and stemples (difficulty B). After that, the path for a short time becomes slightly less steep (difficulty A/B), and then follows again the ascent through a steep groove with the help of iron spikes towards the notch Hunerscharte (B).
On the notch where a view opens up towards the north, we continue left following the signs Bergstation Hunerkogel. At first, we are ascending by the ridge towards the west, and then the path turns to the right towards the glacier. Here the climbing path on Hunerkogl branches off to the left (difficulty C/D), and we continue on the path which starts slightly descending on a glacier. While walking on a glacier we stick to the settled path, because on the glacier there are also cracks. After a short descent, the path brings us to a crossing, where we continue left and we start ascending towards the saddle Gjaidsteinsattel.
On the saddle, we continue right, and to the left there is only a short ascent to the top of Hunerkogel where there is the upper station of the cable car. On the other side of the saddle is another crossing, where the path branches off to the right on Gjaidstein and forward towards the mountain hut Simony Hütte.
We still continue on a settled path on a glacier, which starts slightly descending. Further, the path turns to the left and again starts ascending in the direction towards the west. The path runs below the slopes of the peak Hohes Dirndl and offers very nice views on peaks above the glacier. Higher when the settled path turns left towards the mountain hut to which there is only a short ascent, we continue straight and we leave the settled path.
Here we then go slightly left towards the eastern ridge of the peak Hoher Dachstein. At the ascent on a glacier, we will also cross a crevasse, which is marked with a warning sign. On this part, the glacier is relatively gentle and we soon come below the rocky slopes of the eastern ridge where we leave the glacier.
To the beginning of the secured path, we first have to climb from a glacier approximately 20 meters on a quite steep unsecured slope. On this part belaying with a rope is recommended. Initial steep part otherwise we can avoid if for a short time, we continue on a glacier and then we continue sharply left and we ascend through a narrow gully to the secured path. In this part, the glacier is slightly steeper and we cross another smaller crevasse.
When we come to a secured path, we are still quite steeply ascending by the east ridge (difficulty to B). After that, the path becomes slightly less steep and runs on the right side of the ridge. Later, the path from the ridge turns to the right and after a crossing on the ledge joins the path which runs over a glacier.
At the crossing, we continue left and we again start ascending a little steeper (B). Further, the path few times steeply ascends with the help of iron spikes and stemples, and then we soon reach the peak.

On the way: Dachstein Südwand Hütte (1910m), Hunerscharte (2602m), Gjaidsteinsattel (2640m)