Schneeberg November ridge 2.7.2018
My mail to Hans-Jürgen Pietsch, asking if he has time for a mountain walk, was answered that he anyway had intended to walk up Schneeberg along the so called November ridge, with his 7 - year old daughter Christiane. Monday is forecast for near cloudless weather, but still cool after last weak´s bad weather. Optimal weather for a mountain walk. We start from the Schwabenhof above Schneebergdörfel. Hans-Jürgen´s car is parked near the Voka gallery, near an on-demand-stop of the Schneeberg rack railway.
First we walk up through steep forest. On clearings, we find some fragrant orchids (Gymnadenia conopsea).
Lots of big-flowered yellow foxgloves (Digitalis grandiflora) inside the forest.
Taking up some water at a well (picture by Hans Jürgen Pietsch)
Wild angelica (Angelica sylvestris)
Wild angelica (Angelica sylvestris)
Great masterwort (Astrantia major)
Great masterwort (Astrantia major)
Giant bellflower (Campanula latifolia).
Perforate St. John´s wort (Hypericum perforatum)
We are approaching the Krumme Ries, one of the many long screes on Schneeberg. Hans Jürgen and daughter Christiane.
Alpine poppies (Papaver alpinum) are growing in the screes of the Krumme Ries.
View up the Krumme Ries.
A circumscribed place, where the scree seems to be not as mobile as elsewhere, is covered with lots of Alpine poppies (Papaver alpinum).
I´m fascinated by this wonderful place, and pitures have to be produced (this picture by Hans Jürgen Pietsch): ...
Alpine poppies (Papaver alpinum)
Alpine poppies (Papaver alpinum)
Alpine poppies (Papaver alpinum)
Alpine poppies (Papaver alpinum)
Hans Jürgen and Christiane have waited patiently while I took the pictures.
Here in the scree, Christiane has found this stone, interspersed with numerous fossils (this picture by Hans Jürgen Pietsch).
Looking to the Fadensattel. Still most of the ascent to be tackled, ...
... but Puchberg is already down a long bit.
Now starting into the rocky section of the November ridge. Christiane is secured by a short rope.
More screes on the opposite side of the Krumme Ries.
"Look, there´s Puchberg down there ..."
Better hold on the rocks.
Puchberg and Pfennigbach, with Hohe Wand in behind. In the far distance, lake Neusiedel is glistening.
The ridge is rather rocky up here.
In between still flowers, here some Alpine pink (Dianthus alpinus).
Scrambling a bit now ...
... and I get the impression, that Christiane is much more enjoying the day than me. But I have to take care of Lucy - and of myself, of course.
High up in airy altitudes, and the plateau is near.
Done!
A cairn at the cliff-top, and Puchberg is really far down now.
After a few steps we find some Edelweiß (Leontopodium nivale) in the grass.
And some late globe orchids (Traunsteinera globosa) near this ...
... dolina, still containing residual winter snow. In its surrounding, the vegetation is like mid June.
After lunch at the Damböck house, we take the short cut through the alpine dwarf pines - with a view back to the Klosterwappen - ...
... to the train of the Schneebergbahn, which now takes us (this time nearly empty!) back down to Puchberg and to the Voka gallery.