Ski tour Gölbner 2.943m

Our starting point is in Villgraten’s Winkeltal. Access is to the right of Außervillgraten into the 11 km lateral valley (road sign). At Reiterstubn, at the end of an asphalt road, we make the most of the cleared trail and proceed for around 1.8 km into the valley up to a not much used parking area. This is the first main parking area in Winkeltal and it is right here that our tour begins. Following the yellow signposts to the Straßalm, we keep to the forest trail, which in an ideal situation may be shortened via the sparsely signposted summer trail. The destination for this stage is the traditional Straßalm lodge (1987 m), to where the recently set-up path also leads. The track now swings down beneath the lodge, past the forest ridge which heads up above the lodge (south-east), where we aim for the summer path between the gnarled larch trees. At around 2060 m this proceeds in a crossing which climbs through the light tree stock at the base of the Gölbner. We ascend here in substantial hairpin bends, before we reach the steep flanks of the mighty Gölbner. Up these briefly, before we leave the steep slope at around 2600 m in a crossing which climbs to the east to a wind gap on the north ridge of the Gölbner (risk of avalanche). Via the ridge which follows and which is often windswept, we proceed, depending on the snow conditions, partly carrying our skis up to the highest point. Descend along the ascent track.

Additional ski tour tips can be obtained in the ski tour guides by Thomas Mariacher. These are available here: http://www.grafikzloebl.at/verlag/buecher/