Skiing to Radeck Alm

Approach

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Ankogel offers an excellent combination for tour skiing. It is good to be with two cars. You start in Mallnitz, leaving one car there and drive with the other one to the lower station of Ankogel cable-car (some 3km). There you take the cable-car to 2631 m, ascend the Kleiner Ankogel (3097 m) by the normal west route, leave skis there and possibly ascend the main summit (up and down less than an hour), ski down on the north-west side to Radeck Alm (1573m) and further down the Anlauftal to Boeckstein (1200 m) and return in Mallnitz with a train.

Route Description

The ascent to Kleiner Ankogel and the main summit is also described in the normal west approach of Ankogel. From the upper station of cable-car follow the marked path towards the east. It descends a little till it reaches the Goslarer Weg (path), No. 502, coming down from the nearby Hannover Haus.

Proceed towards the east to distinctive rocks of Grauleitenwand, after which our ascent leaves the Goslarer Weg (it proceeds horizontally) and goes up till the snow rests (small glacier) of Lassacher Kees. We cross it up towards the right and then continue on foot by not difficult rocks on the summit of Kleiner Ankogel, 3096 m.

Before skiing down, from Kleiner Ankogel you can ascend also the summit of Ankogel, 3252 m. The ascent is not difficult in normal conditions and takes jou another 30 minutes. But that's not a part of our ski tour any more.

From Kleiner Ankogel a steep couloir leads down towards the north-west. Just the upper part of it can be tricky in bad conditions (ice or avalanches). The passage is about 40 degrees steep, in deep or fresh snow exposed to avalanches, but is not exposed for sliding down over rocks. Just 100 meters below the main ridge all difficulties are over and a long slope, ideal for skiing is awaiting us. In endless turns it goes down more than 1300 meters. From Obere Radeck Alm (Upper), 1701 m down to Untere Radeck Alm (Lower), 1573 m you can still ski comfortably, and from the mountain hut to Boeckstein (1200 m) it depends on conditions. Usually the forrest road is till May still covered with snow. Alltogether from Kleiner Ankogel to the train station in Boeckstein you can enjoy skiing more than 1800 m of altitude difference.

Essential Gear

Depends on conditions. Ice-axe, if the Ankogel ridge is icy also crampons and good tour skis, of course.