Royal views on the piste tour in the Hochkönig region
The approach: Strap on your skis right next to the car
Mühlbach am Hochkönig was already one of my favourite ski resorts in my skiing days. The main reason for this is the breathtaking view of the Hochkönig massif. So soon in the morning I pack everything into the car and set off for the Scheppal Alm, the starting point for the piste tour. I hadn't heard of this hut before, but it was very easy to find with the help of Google Maps. An ascent ticket, which is required for the tour (apart from Ski amadé ALL-IN Card White, ALL-IN Card Gold or ALL-IN Piste Tour Card users), can be purchased directly at the lift ticket office just before the starting point of the tour. You can drive almost directly to the piste by car and the starting point of the tour is very well signposted. With the help of a large map, the route of the tour is also very easy to follow.
The ascent: My way to a dreamlike blue panorama
The Scheppal Alm - Kings Cab Tour is approx. 6 km long and takes 2.30 hours to climb, so you should definitely plan in some time. The tour starts along a well-maintained forest road through the forest, passing streams and springs again and again. I was alone for almost the entire tour, possibly because I set off early at 08.30 a.m.. After about half of the tour, you reach the ski slope at the valley station of the Kingscab for the first time. The ski tour also leads to the mountain station of this cable car. You walk along the ski piste for a short distance, but are still well shielded from downhill skiers, before the route turns off into the forest again. Up to this point, the trail is rather flat and does not require too much effort.
A little further on, you come to a lift column and the rest of the tour to the summit runs below the gondola. Many curious looks can be seen from the cabins. The very last ascent before the summit is a small challenge. The track is relatively steep at this point and in hard or icy snow conditions, the last ascent can be a bit tough. In this case, I chose the ascent through the unprepared snow next to the ascent track and was able to reach the summit fairly easily. The marvellous panorama over several peaks was worth every effort. Of course, a photo at the summit is a must, and there are several opportunities for this.
The final highlight: downhill run with optional fun factor
The downhill run was the real highlight for me personally. A truly perfect piste under a bright blue sky was waiting for me. The Kingscab is best known for the Kingspark Hochkönig, which was built along the piste. I readily took advantage of the perfect conditions and the (still) deserted parkour and have to say that even with ski touring equipment, a snow park is a lot of fun.
