For the first time, with the Hochkönigman Skyrace, Austria saw a skyrace officially sanctioned by the ISF…

Good chance to try out the Suunto9 (versus the Suunto Spartan Ultra and a GPS Track POD) and to prove myself – or lead myself to my limits.

Here, following the theme of Time and Tours, I want to show what this “tour” is like.

Hochkönigman Skyrace GPS Track

As usual, I may not always have been exactly on the planned track; and the officially provided GPS was often some ways off, as well. These things are always to be taken with caution, though:

 

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The first and last parts of the Hochkönigman Skyrace are the same as the Speed Trail tracks. In between, however, one really races towards the sky…

The Track

Over hiking and forest trails, the Skyrace leads up into the high alpine area around the Schönfeldspitze and back down.

Section 1, Maria Alm – Jufenalm – Rohrmoos

This part, the same as on the Speed Trail, leads up Natrun, over to the Jufenalm, past the Primbachkögerl, along the slope below the Baleitenkopf. It mainly goes over forest hiking tracks and some meadows.

Then there are some more, typically quite wet, alpine meadows, meadow and forest trails, down to Rohrmoos.

Section 2, Buchauer Scharte

From Rohrmoos, the Skyrace turns off the Speed Trail into and up the Buchauer Scharte, past the der Kaseregg Chapel and into the gap between Schönfeldspitze and Mandlköpfe.

This, in one go, is the major ascent of the Hochkönigman Skyrace.

Section 3, Around Schönfeldspitze to Riemannhaus

Mainly over snow fields, sometimes across rocks, crossing along slopes and climbing more than descending (or at least, it felt like that), the trail circles around the Schönfeldspitze.

(Some runners actually went over the Schönfeldspitze, this first Hochkönigman Skyrace 2018…)

A rather steep slope leads up to the Wurmkopf, from which the trail goes along the ridge over to Schönegg – with a great view – and down to the Riemannhaus.

Section 4, Downhill!

The trail to the Riemannhaus already turns into a descent, but afterwards, it becomes even more of a steep downhill. The snow is almost immediately gone, rocks and gravel form the underground instead. After a few of those rocky gravel trails, one gets back onto forest tracks and trails, back again onto the route of the Speed Trail, down to Maria Alm.
A short bit through the village, and there’s the finish.