Trans Salzburg County

The idea for the Trans Salzburg County tour was born in Gastein, the chosen home of professional freerider and filmmaker Sandra Lahnsteiner-Wagner. After numerous ski trips around the globe it was time for her to explore the mountains right outside her front door. She quickly found a partner for the adventure in the mountains at home in her colleague and ski guide Sabine Schipflinger from Hinterglemm. The objective: To ski from the Gastein Valley to the Glemm Valley. With 8,000 meters of altitude and a distance of 100 kilometers, this expedition was to be more than just an athletic adventure, but an inspiring example of the discovery of new horizons and the realization of dreams. And it was certainly not going to be an ordinary ski tour.

The challenge: five days, three athletes – German giant slalom Olympic champion Viktoria Rebensburg joined the team during the preparations – and the connection of two valleys in Salzburg on skis. Last, the three adventurers also realized a personal dream: Climbing Großglockner in winter. After many years of traveling to numerous countries as a skier, something had changed inside me over the last few years. I was no longer interested in the most spectacular big-mountain descents or the deepest powder runs but in experiencing the mountains. Time with friends, adventures in nature, and getting to know the mountains at home better. That's how the idea for the Trans Salzburg County came about: Ski touring from the Gastein Valley to the Glemm Valley.

Sabine was immediately on fire. We already went on reconnaissance tours together in the fall before to test the feasibility of the tour. We agreed that safe, stable snow conditions were essential for our multi-day ski tour through the Hohe Tauern. And those who already know us understand that we love ski touring, but deep in our hearts we are passionate skiers. Therefore we did not choose the fastest route but planned the legs of the tour so that the runs would also be delightful. During the preparations I met Viktoria Rebensburg at a Women's Mountain Talk. She had just finished her alpine skiing career and sought new challenges away from the race slopes.

The idea of the Trans Salzburg County fascinated her immediately, and she joined our team: three women with three different backgrounds but a shared passion for the mountains and winter sports. The team was complete; the adventure was about to begin. Our venture would not simply be a ski tour but a return to the roots of skiing; an opportunity to overcome our boundaries and enjoy nature's beauty. An adventure that would last five days and take us through some of the most breathtaking landscapes in Salzburg County. From Sportgastein we headed west to the Silberpfennig, an impressive peak of 2.600 meters, then to the Rauris Valley and Kolm Saigurn. But that was just the beginning.

The next leg was the Hohe Sonnblick, a ski touring classic at 3.106 meters. Tense avalanche conditions and rough weather challenged our commitment, but we conquered the summit and enjoyed a lonely downhill run to Heiligenblut. The main stretch led us from Heiligenblut towards the Oberwalderhütte. A powerful rise in temperature forced us to reschedule and spend a frosty night in the bivouac at the Kaiser-Franz-Josefs-Höhe. But the next day we witnessed an entirely different extreme: extreme heat while crossing the Hufeisenbruch and the Pasterze. Eventually, we passed through the Stubach Valley into the Salzach Valley, followed by a spectacular hike to the 2.247 meter high Manlitzkogel in the Kitzbühel Alps. But that was not the end of our journey.

To top it off we climbed the Großglockner, the highest mountain in Austria – a first for each one of us. Having Viktoria accompany us on this tour was an absolute blessing. She trusted Sabine and me and showed both courage and determination. The long stages each day were physically exhausting for all of us, but for Viktoria it was also an entirely new kind of world. The hikes together, the views from those mountains bonded us and shaped our friendship. The Trans Salzburg County was a real adventure, but even more so, a journey to new destinations and the realization of a long-held dream. A dream right in my backyard.