My friend Dukati and I hadn't seen each other in a long time. Our dogs Che and Bono hadn't either. When I had a few days off at the beginning of February, she was able to arrange her schedule so we could plan a hike together. She lives near St. Pölten, I live in Baden – so our destination should be roughly halfway between us. A chat with my favourite Andrea pointed us towards the Schöpfl.
The Schöpfl it is.
It is the highest peak in the Wienerwald, with an impressive 893 metres of elevation. You can read on Wikipedia that three municipalities (Klausen-Leopoldsdorf, Altenmarkt a.d. Triesting, Brand-Laaben) and two political districts (Baden and St. Pölten Land) meet at its summit. The Schöpfl is also the source of the following rivers:
- Schwechat
- Triesting
- Große Tulln
Which route do we take?
We're going with the tip from my work colleague and plan to climb the Schöpfl from the eastern side. There are also options from Laaben (north) or from Forsthof (Islandpferde Zentrum) to hike up the highest point in the Wienerwald.
Dukati and I both have a few things to take care of in the morning, so we agree to meet at "High Noon" – 12 o'clock sharp – at the Salygraben/Riesenbach junction (just past Klausen-Leopoldsdorf).
After a long snow-free spell, we picked exactly the day when the flakes were tumbling from the sky and Frau Holle couldn't stop shaking her pillows. JACKPOT! But for dog owners the rule is anyway: "There's no such thing as bad weather, only the wrong clothing!" So – no excuses – as long as the roads are passable, we're doing it. And I did promise Che, and I couldn't have argued against those reproachful looks of his…
The trail.
We park just before the Salygraben, pull on our winter hiking boots and put Bono's harness on. Che is happy because he gets to take his little coat off. On hikes I just carry it in my backpack in case we stop for a while. The senior prefers to move about unencumbered! He's actually quite happy to wear his Loop and Bandoggy (or at least that's what I tell myself…).
We walk a short stretch alongside the Riesenbach road before turning right into the Salygraben. A few hundred metres along there's another car park belonging to the "Schöpflgitter" inn. The four of us trudge along a pleasantly wide forest track through the fresh snow. It crunches underfoot and crackles on the lips. We have so much to catch up on that a snowflake keeps finding its way onto our mouths :)
At first the path is fairly flat, but it gains elevation steadily – though still very manageable for families and "senior dogs". Only I am quite out of breath, as my favourite person notices when he calls to ask how we're getting on. "Well, once I finally stop talking and enjoy the forest, I can breathe again!" Said and done, and my pulse slowly settles.
The crossroads.
Beneath the snow-laden trees we reach a small clearing where four paths meet. We have a little look around – I'm curious what the trail markers indicate. A photo of Che in front of the "Marterl" is a must too. Our two boys point us in the direction of the Schöpfl Schutzhaus as if they'd had a GPS programmed into them. It's almost eerie how they know where we want to go…
We follow the right-hand forest path until we reach a meadow from which we can see the Matras Warte. On a clear day the steel viewing platform surely offers a magnificent panorama over the Wienerwald. We made it to the Schöpfl's summit, but gave the lookout tower a miss. We didn't want to put our two furry companions through those metal steps, and with the snow swirling around, there was no view to be had anyway.
On to the Schöpfl Schutzhaus.
In February the Schutzhaus is only open on weekends and public holidays. Since we're out on a Wednesday, the door stays locked. A little warm-up snack inside would have been lovely, but we knew what we were getting ourselves into. We stroll past at a leisurely pace and after a few minutes turn right into the forest.
Fact Box "Schöpfl Schutzhaus"
Facts
- Location: Lower Austria, Wienerwald
- Elevation: 870 m
- Facilities: 30 dormitory beds
- Winter room available
Opening times
- From 6 January the remainder of the month is closed!
- In February: open on weekends only.
- March to December: closed on Mondays
- (If Monday falls on a public holiday, Tuesday becomes the rest day instead)
- In July closed for holidays.
- For exact information please call: 02673-8305
Back to the starting point.
A lovely forest path brings us back to the crossroads with the "Marterl", where we turn sharply left and rejoin the wider forest track. The dogs sniff their way through the white wonderland, collect their little "treats" and we savour our time together.
Back at the car, Bono and Che get a good towel-dry and are settled in safely, and we say our warm goodbyes. I also put Che's fleece coat back on. He is not amused. But I know he'll thank me for it in a few minutes ;)
Facts about the dog hike:
Tour details
- Pace: leisurely
- Stated walking time: approx. 3 hours
- Our actual time: 3:30 hours
- Distance: 10 km
- Ascent: 467 m
- Descent: 217 m
- Highest point: 888 m
- Lowest point: 460 m
Dog facts
- The hike follows forest roads and woodland paths.
- It was wonderfully quiet the whole way.
- No wildlife spotted, but plenty of interesting scents.
All in all, it was a beautiful, not too challenging snow-hiking day with our beloved furry companions!
