Hinterstoder - Großer Priel (Bert Rinesch Klettersteig)

Access to starting point:
Over the border crossing Šentilj we continue on the highway past the settlement Gradec / Graz and follow the signs for Salzburg and then Linz. The road runs also through two payable tunnel (8€ and 4.5€ - August 2013). When we come from second tunnel (little after settlements Liezen), we continue past the settlement Spital am Pyhrn, and then we leave the highway at exit for settlement Hinterstoder. We continue driving through the settlement Hinterstoder and then approximately 2 km on the end of the settlement, we turn right slightly downwards on a narrow road which runs towards the parking lot. At the crossroad, there are also yellow signposts with signs for mountain hut Prielschutzhaus. We park on larger payable parking lot (1 dan: 3€, 2 days: 5€ - August 2013).
From Gorenjska side: 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 past the settlement Schladming and Liezen. At the settlement Liezen we go on the highway towards the settlement Linz. We leave the highway at exit for settlement Hinterstoder. Further, we follow the description above.

Path description:
From the parking lot, we go on a gentle macadam road towards the east. The road through the forest quickly brings us to a crossroad at the farm Klinser. We continue on the main road slightly right following the signs »Prielschutzhaus«, and a little more sharply right leads the path towards the settlement Hinterstoder and lake Schiederweiher.
From the crossroad path leads by pastures and then crosses a bridge over the river Steyr. After the bridge, the road turns left and for some time runs by the mentioned river. The road then leads us past the inn Polsterstüberl and it brings us to a crossroad where from the right side joins the road past the lake Schiederweiher.
At the crossroad, we continue left on still gentle road and we follow the signs for mountain hut Prielschutzhaus. Further road runs through the forest at the crossings we all the time follow the signs for Prielschutzhaus. Later road brings us to a crossing where signposts point us to the right on a footpath, and ahead leads the road towards cargo cableway.
The path here runs through high bushes and then soon starts ascending. At first, we are ascending on the eastern slopes and occasionally a view opens up towards the starting point and on the nearby lower peaks. Such a path then brings us to the waterfall Klinserfall, which is situated by the path. At waterfall path turns a little to the right on little steeper slopes. The path here isn't especially demanding, in spite of that on some spots we also get help from a steel cable. After that, the path soon turns left and leads us below the rocky cliff (Grosser Ofen) and brings us on less vegetated slope from which a nice view opens up towards the summit Spitzmauer.
A little higher, the path turns to the right and brings us into the forest on slopes below the cargo cableway. Further, the path then runs all the time near the cargo cableway all the way to the mountain hut Prielschutzhaus where a beautiful view opens up also towards the summit Großer Priel.
At the mountain hut, we continue towards the northwest and we ascend over a grassy slope above the mountain hut. The path towards the climbing garden (Klettergarten) then branches off to the right, and we continue slightly left following the signs »Großer Priel«.
A little less steep path then crosses slopes covered with dwarf pines and it brings us to a crossing. Left leads the path 201 towards the summit Spitzmauer and mountain hut Pühringerhütte, and we continue right towards the summit Großer Priel. Next follows a short ascent, which brings us to another crossing. This time left leads a normal easier path on Großer Priel, and we go right on the path towards the secured climbing path Bert Rinesch Klettersteig.
From the crossing, we are at first ascending by dwarf pines, and then we come on rocky slopes. Follows an ascent on the scree, which brings us to the entry of a climbing part of the path.
After a short initial crossing, the path vertically ascends with the help of stemples (difficulty C). After an initial steep part path becomes for some time less steep and over a notch brings us on the eastern side of the ridge. Here the path descends on a little overhung ladder (C). Next follows traversing on smooth plates on which we later also slightly ascend and then descend (B/C and C). The path further starts very steeply ascending, at first with the help of stemples (D), after that also with the help of slightly overhung ladder (C/D). Later, the path becomes slightly less demanding and at first crosses a slope to the right and then few times ascends by the steel cable (B/C). Next follows again short crossing, and then the path again becomes demanding. The path here ascends with the help of some ladders, some of them are also overhung (difficulty to D). Next follows few ascents by the steel cable and we soon come to the inscription box.
Further, the slope becomes slightly less steep and the path is for some time ascending on a rocky slope by the steel cable. On some spots, we still a little steeper ascend with the help of few stemples and then we soon come on the ridge from which a nice view opens up also towards the west. Further, the path runs all the time on a ridge all the way to the top. The ascent on the ridge is a little less demanding, but the path is still secured with a steel cable. From the top on which stands large red cross a nice view opens up on all sides. We descend on an easier path over notch Brotfallscharte.

On the way: Prielschutzhaus (1420m)