Estimated net time	4-5 hours
Difficulty	No difficulties. The whole route runs on good paths.
Drinking water	Running water from the stream running on the right hand side of the path through the forest.
GSM coverage	Coverage around trail head and in the summit area (July 2010).
Parking	Room for many cars at trail head.
Start height	780 metres.
Vertical metres	1205 metres for the roundtrip.
Trip distance	8.8 km
GPS-file	X
Map		Google Interactive Map
Route photo	Parking and trail head close to road B145.   Turn left onto path, 500 metres from trail head.

From Salzburg drive road B158 east to Bad Ischl, approximately 50 km. Then drive approximately 11 km south on road B145, through Bad Goisern, and fork left (east), staying on road B145 (don't fork right onto road B166). Drive 4.3 km on road B145 in the direction of Bad Aussee, and park on the large car park on the right hand side of the road. This is approximately 650 metres after you have come out of a sharp left curve. It is also 3.3 km before you get to Gasthaus Köberl at Pötschenhöhe, which is the highest point on road B145 between Bad Goisern and Bad Aussee. Hence, if you drive road B145 from Bad Aussee continue 3.3 km after you have passed the highest point on the road and find the car park on the left hand side of the road.

At the lower end of the car park locate a trail sign for "Sarstein". Follow this forest road 40 metres and turn right onto a smaller forest road (more like a wide path). This smaller forest road is a short-cut. When you get to a forest road junction, approximately 350 metres from trail head, you should ignore the road forking left, and continue straight ahead. After another 200 metres a path forks left from the forest road, and you should follow this path. Stay on this fine path through the forest and all the way up to Sarsteinalm at around 1700 metres. Here you turn right and follow the path all the way to the summit. At the summit there is a large cross a few tens of metres north-east of the summit. There is also a registration book by the cross.

The descent is best done by reversing the ascent route.

19. July 2010

After yesterday's miserable weather I had some concerns also for this Monday, but a peek out the window when I woke up put my mind to rest. Unfortunately the view from my sleeping room window at Hagan Lodge (above Altaussee) faced the wrong direction, and I later found out that there was a fair amount of fog above the mountains towards south. But the fog was on and off, so I decided to hike Hoher Sarstein.

I didn't have any problems finding the trail head I had planned to use, and since the temperature was under 20°C and I was hiking in the forest I decided to push a little. To my surprise I reached Sarsteinalm in 62 minutes, and from here it was just another easy 300 vertical metres to the summit. At the summit I decided to hang around a while to see if I could get some spells of visibility of neighbouring mountains, but the short glimpses I got where not very impressive. Nor was the way I treated my lunch very impressive; I left my sandwiches on the ground while I walked across to the summit cross, but when I got back the local ravens had had a party with bread and salami. So I considered stopping at Sarsteinalm to buy myself something to eat, but knowing that I only had a little over an hour before I was due back at our rented house I passed Sarsteinalm in running mode.
Photos 19.07.2010