The glacier and mountaineering course at the foot of the Großvenediger is intended for all beginners who want to start their mountaineering career. During the 3 days of training, you will learn many of the basics for safely climbing glaciers. Of course, the topic of crevasse rescue must not be neglected here! On the day of the tour we try to climb the 5th highest mountain in Austria - the Großvenediger - provided the weather is good and the group constellation allows it. The aim of the course is to prepare all participants to later be able to carry out their own easy glacier tours.
The course is therefore suitable for everyone who comes from the area of "mountain hiking", has already done medium-difficulty and difficult mountain hikes here - maybe even done an easy via ferrata - and now wants to take the next step in the direction of glaciers and high-altitude tours. You should therefore be sure-footed and be able to move in alpine terrain.
Process:
1 day:
After arrival, the group meets at the Hopffeldboden car park. The car park is at the beginning of the Obersulzbach valley in the Hohe Tauern National Park. During the course we are here in the core zone of the national park and can enjoy the diverse flora and fauna. After a welcome from our mountain guide and a material check, we load our luggage into the hut taxi of the Kürsingerhütte, which takes us to the material cable car of the hut in about 30 minutes. On the way there we always drive along the beautiful Obersulzbach and after several steep steps we get deeper and deeper into the wide Obersulzbachtal formed by glaciers. We pass the beautiful Poschalm and Foissenalm, the Aschamalm and Postalm to the Oberen Keesboden at the foot of which the material cable car is located. Here we can pack our heavy luggage into the cable car and tackle the further ascent to the Kürsingerhütte with light luggage.
There is the option of either climbing up to the hut on the not-so-difficult normal route in about 1.5 hours or walking along the glacier path to the start of the Kürsingersteig - a via ferrata of difficulty B - and then via this in about 2.5 hours beautifully to the hut to get. Which way we go decides the weather, the mountain guide and the motivation of the group :-)
We reach the hut around noon and spend the rest of the afternoon after the organizational points with training in the vicinity of the hut. The focus here is on material science, knot science, roping up on the glacier, rope handling and Prusik technology. After dinner, the next day is planned and the leisurely part begins.
2 day:
After breakfast we pack up our seven things and make our way to the glacier, the Obersulzbachferner. If we let our eyes wander to the right, we see the two magnificent mountains Großvenediger (3657m) and Großer Geiger (3360m) towering up. The former will be the goal on one of the two following days, provided that the weather, the conditions and the group constellation permit. But before you can do that, you need to learn a few basic techniques for safely climbing glaciers. After a good hour's ascent, we stand on the edge of the impressive glacier at an altitude of approx. 2700m. At the top of the list is walking safely with crampons and ice axes. This is the basis for all further practice. Here we learn both the vertical jag technique - also known as the Eckenstein technique - and the frontal jag technique. When this is in place, we turn to the topic of "anchoring on the glacier" or "fixed points in the ice and firn". This can be done either with ice screws or the so-called "dead man's". We approach the first crevasses and lay the first foundations for the essential important topic of crevasse rescue. When heads are full and thirst for knowledge quenched, it's back to the hut and we spend the evening deepening the Prusik technique that we will need the following day.
3rd day
Today is another day of training on the topic of crevasse rescue. Arriving at the glacier, we look for a suitable crevasse and set up the anchors including safety devices. Then it's off into the crevasse! In order for each participant to be able to react correctly in an emergency, he/she must know how a rope partner falls into a crevasse. So today we practice holding falls and of course we have to learn the other techniques to be able to rescue our rope partner from the crevasse again. This is where the loose roll method comes into play. The aim of the day is for every participant to master this procedure. When this is achieved, the subject of self-rescue is addressed.
In the evening, the tour planning for the next day is on the agenda.
4th day
Today we want to climb the 5th highest mountain in Austria - the Großvenediger. We learned the knowledge for this on the two previous days. Now only the conditions, the weather and your own physical condition have to be right. Then, in the late morning, the group will stand at the silver summit cross of the mountain and really take a breather when the sometimes quite narrow and exposed summit ridge has been overcome on the way back. Exhilarated, we almost float back to the hut.
After a piece of cake we say goodbye to the landlord and start the descent into the valley. When we arrive at the parking lot, we part again, but surely one or the other glacier rope team has found each other for the future! (depending on the weather, the Großvenediger can also be climbed on the 3rd day).
Practical Basics:
•Node Knowledge
•Prusik technique
•Walking with rope and pickaxe
•Vertical spike technique
•Frontal points technique
• Fixed points in firn and ice on the glacier
•Keeping falls
• Crevasse rescue
•possibly. self rescue
Accommodation:
The Kürsinger Hütte at 2,558 meters is one of the highest mountain huts in the Salzburg section of the Alpine Club and can accommodate 150 guests. In addition to the ascent to the Großvenediger at 3,657 meters, the hut is an ideal starting point for various other tours as well as an ideal base for ski crossings in spring via the variant of the Hochtirol ski route via Großer Geiger, Geigerscharte.
•Indoor climbing facility
•Hut Taxi
•Showers
•Luggage transport
•Seminar room
•Credit & debit card payments possible
No network or WLAN is possible in the Obersulzbachtal or at the Kürsinger Hütte!
Information about the course:
•Duration: 4 days
•Meeting point: Hopffelboden hikers' car park
• Base/hut: Kürsinger Hütte
•Minimum number of participants: 5 participants
•Additional costs: ◦Mountain railways: -
◦ Overnight stay/meals: own drinks at the hut
◦Train rides: -
◦Other entrance fees: Parking fees at the parking lot (Caution! Only payable with coins!)
•Services included: ◦4 days of training by state-certified mountain and ski guides
◦3x overnight stays with half board in a camp or multi-bed room
◦daily packed lunch and tea
◦Use of the material cable car
◦Bus transfer through Obersulzbachtal
•Rental equipment included: crampons, ice axe, helmet, harness
•Requirements for the participants: ◦Condition: Condition for tours of 6-8 hours and up to 1250m altitude
◦Technique: sure-footedness, head for heights, safe walking and alpine climbing
◦Other: -
•Recommended equipment: ◦Each participant will receive an equipment checklist in advance
◦For a fee, mountaineering boots suitable for use with crampons can be hired from us. We ask for a separate reservation stating your shoe size to info(at)alpinschule-garmisch.de
•Country: Austria
