“At this point, only a helicopter or mountain rescue could get us down,” Chris muttered as we made our way up to the Heukuppe. The kids, snugly bundled in the hiking carrier and wrap, seemed to sense that this wasn’t the time for wild adventures. They just kept sleeping. And honestly, that was for the best.
We had planned a cozy family hike to the Heukuppe, the highest point of the Rax range. And well—cozy is a matter of perspective.
The Reisstalersteig quickly took us into alpine terrain. Chris murmured, “Hmm, I remember this differently…”—possibly because he’d filed away the short via ferrata under easy, back in his child-free, Carinthian hiking days. Technically, it’s not particularly difficult, but it does require sure-footedness, especially at the start, with a steep section and later, two ladders.
We were well-prepared for the weather—an oversized rain jacket for L2 and Z, a rain cover for the child carrier, warm layers—but the thickening fog and gusty wind still made things uncomfortable.
Leno, not yet three years old at the time (June 2023), climbed more than 300 vertical meters on his own—with great pride and determined little steps. It took us about 2 hours and 40 minutes to reach the Heukuppe with both kids.
We took a longer rest at the Karl-Ludwig-Haus—though not inside, since the hut was closed at the time. We sat in the winter room, ate our packed snacks, breastfed the littlest one, and recharged for the descent.
→ Update 2025: The Karl-Ludwig-Haus is now open again!
The way down via the Schlangenweg to the Waxriegelhaus was much more pleasant—solid footing, wind-sheltered, and the rain finally began to let up. That part took about 2 hours, then another 30 minutes back to the Preiner Gscheid.
⸻
Our route:
Preiner Gscheid – Reisstalersteig – Heukuppe – Karl-Ludwig-Haus – Schlangenweg – Waxriegelhaus – Preiner Gscheid
→ approx. 10 km and 960 m of elevation gain/loss
⸻
The summary:
💨 Wind, 🌧️ Rain, 🌫️ Fog
🥾 a demanding trail
👣 a not-quite-three-year-old who earned his elevation gain with grit
The sense of comfort wasn’t in the views, but in the challenges we tackled together and the quiet breathing of the kids.
A family hike that was windy, foggy, and rainy – and all the more memorable because of it.
