Backcountry Ski Pillsteinhöhe

Right off the parking lot this trail starts with full immersion in Austria's beautiful country side. At roughly 2,800 ft the first challenge is crossing Weißenbach (creek) on a one person bridge. Across it the first meadow features three old cottages and 400 ft of elevation before disappearing in the woods for the next half mile to Mehlsackalm.

The first third of this tour is north west facing so depending on the starting time it might get a crisp in the shades. Wearing a base layer and a light jacket is enough on a sunny day but just in case a wind breaker or third layer would be prudent.

Most of the accent is completed after 1.8 mi at 4,200 ft from there the trail starts facing south west following along the crest. About 2.5 mi into the trail there is a little cottage that makes for a perfect spot to enjoy the view and a little snack or some tea. Within the next half mile Pillsteinhöhe is reached at an elevation of 4,750 ft.

Descending through wide fields and amazing powder snow is the reward for hiking up. After enjoying the first ten minutes the remainder of the descend follows along a forrest trail. Still very enjoyable especially when shortcutting some of the turns, this is definitely a good tour for a beginner or intermediate backcountry skier.