Großglockner, König der Hochalpen (360° - GEO Reportage)

Majestically rising in the heart of the Hohe Tauern mountain range is the Großglockner. At 3,798 meters, it is Austria's highest peak and forms the border between the federal states of Carinthia to the east and Tyrol to the west. Halfway up the Großglockner lies the Glorerhütte, a mountain refuge and guesthouse for climbers. After an eight-month winter break, the Riepler family opens the hut for the season in June. A 360° GEO report accompanies the young Rieplers and their guests throughout the year – from the quaint mountain village of Kals to the summit of the Großglockner, and from the June bonfire to the mountain Christmas celebration. GEO Reportage A film by Gernot Stadler © 2011, licensed by MedienKontor / ARTE Season 12 - Episode 12 Subscribe to wocomoTRAVEL: https://goo.gl/tIk2Qc Follow us on Facebook:   / wocomo   Press release: It's early June. Toni Riepler begins his two-hour hike to the Glorerhütte, situated at an altitude of 2,600 meters. For the past five years, he and his wife Gitti have managed the old mountain refuge, which was originally built in 1887 by mountaineers halfway to the summit of the Großglockner. The only connection between the hut and the valley is the cable car; the road ends at the cable car's valley station. Therefore, Toni and Gitti have to transport all their summer supplies by cable car sled. Every season, the Glorerhütte is a stopover for mountaineers on their way to their dream mountain: the nearly 4,000-meter-high Großglockner. The mountain hut had barely reopened at the beginning of June when the first group of climbers announced their arrival. Toni and his colleague Johann Rogl, who runs an alpine farm as his main occupation, would be leading the small group up the 3,798-meter-high Grossglockner. More than 200 years after its first ascent, the Grossglockner continues to exert an unbroken fascination on mountaineers from all over the world. However, many have lost their lives on the climb, and so Toni and Johann's mountain tours are characterized by caution and respect. The mountain also shapes life around the village of Kals. The people here live intensely in harmony with the seasons, the short summer, and the early onset of winter. Their lives are closely intertwined with rituals, traditions, and festivals. When a thick blanket of snow covers the small mountain village at the beginning of December, it's time for the wild Krampus figures – those shaggy characters who herald the arrival of St. Nicholas and signal that Christmas is just around the corner. Another summer has arrived for Toni and his family at the Glorerhütte.