The 12 Summits of Lake Achen

Technical difficulty: 9/10 (up to D-class Via Ferrata)
Fitness: 8/10
Objective danger: 7/10
Landscape: 7/10
Busy: 8/10 (especially on the original “5-Gipfel Klettersteig”)

An extension on the popular “5-Gipfel Klettersteig” Via Ferrata that makes up for an awesome day of peak bagging around Lake Achen

Starting point: Rofan Cable Car Parking in Maurach
Ending point: Rofan Cable Car Parking in Maurach
Length: 25km
Vertical: 2500m
Speed: lot of Via Ferrata on the way, account for moving very slowly in most parts.

Route:

Today, I want to introduce you to an exciting running route around Lake Achen. This journey isn't your typical running route - it's a delightful variation on the popular “5-Gipfel Klettersteig” that tags several beautiful summits in the Rofan mountain range and offers a lot of technical sections.

Our adventure commences from the parking lot at the Rofan Cable car in Maurach. Our first step is to hit the trail to lead us to the top station of the cable car. The first few kilometers are a gradual climb that begins through a lush forest. The trail later transitions by the ski slope. It's the perfect warm-up for the adventure that lies ahead.

Reaching the top station is a milestone on this journey. From this point, the real fun starts. The trail now takes a turn to the west, gently guiding us towards our first target – the summit of Haidachstellwand (2192m, #1). The trail leading to this summit is predominantly a gentle uphill, perfect for finding your rhythm. There is a small section of a B-class Via Ferrata towards the top, which becomes slightly more interesting on the descent but still remains within a B/C difficulty level.

After a brief uphill to Gruberscharte, our journey takes a turn. We say goodbye to the original route for a while and go on an interesting 7km detour. If you're not quite feeling up for the detour, worry not. You can continue directly to the next summit of Rosskopf (see more below).

The detour route leads us gently down a serene valley, in the direction of Schermsteinalm. After the alm, a modest trail veers away from the main forest road climbing uphill towards Vorderes Sonnwendjoch (2224m, #2). This part of the journey is rather straightforward, posing no technical difficulties. It's a lovely time to take in the sights and sounds of nature around you. The journey from this summit takes us northwards, onto a gently rolling plateau towards Sagzahn (2228m, #3), the third summit. This part of the journey is relatively easy, traversing the grassy terrain. The descent from Sagzahn involves navigating a manageable A/B-class Via Ferrata for a few hundred meters.

We press onwards on the grassy ridge towards our next destination - Rofanspitze (2259m #4). This summit is one of the most accessible ones along the route and can get busyduring the day. You are able to see the whole valley in front of you from the summit.

From the summit cross of Rofanspitze, we follow a small, grassy trail back towards Rosskopf (2246m, #5). Here awaits our most challenging Via Ferrata (C/D class) of the journey. With considerable exposure, this section is probably the most technical along the way and makes it really hard to pass other people along the way. If it gets too busy or you are not up for the challenge, there is an alternative route. You can circumnavigate the summit by trail and access the summit from the other side through a much easier descent route (B class). It is worth mentioning here that you can bypass all the summits from this point onwards by an easy trail.

We then continue onwards, with our sights set on Seekarlspitze (2261m, #6), our next summit. With another via ferrata leading to its summit, most of this segment is manageable, but the top section can is up to a D-class difficulty. Next, we have two summits remaining from the original route ahead of us. The first one is an easy climb to the summit of Spieljoch (2236m, #7), our seventh stop on this running adventure. This part of the route features a short A-class climbing section. You have two options to get back down from the summit here. You can either opt to descend via the normal trail, taking a bit of a roundabout way, or stay true to the ridge and descent via another via ferrata section (B/C difficulty).

As we near the end of our journey, we face the final bit of climbing to the summit of Hochiss (2299m, #8). This might just be the most exciting climbing section along the route with its airy exposition and beautiful rock. It's the perfect way to culminate the climbing portion of our run.

From here, the trail becomes easier and more rolling We pass the summit of Streichkopf (2243m, #9), before turning on a side ridge to the south. Here, we traverse the summits of Dalfazer Joch (2233m, #10), Dalfazer Roßkopf (2143m, #11), and finally, a small but picturesque summit of Rotspitz (2067m, #12), our twelfth and final summit.

As our adventure nears its end, all that's left is a long downhill back to our starting point. The descent begins on quite technical trails, testing our agility and control as we navigate the terrain. After connecting to the Schutzensteig, the trail becomes a bit more runnable. Eventually, we reconnect with the ski slope and the forest road, familiar sights that signal the end of our journey.

I highly recommend a stop at the Buchauer Alm along the way. This is the perfect place to stop for a well-deserved drink and perhaps even a snack to celebrate your run. After that, just roll down the forest road the last few kilometers back to the parking lot.

Pro tip: start early as the Vie Ferrata sections can get quite busy in high season and it can slow you down a lot.
Pro tip #2: refill water whenever you can, there is not a lot of it along the way.

Photos by @meid.bereit and @the.running.nomad