A team of 7 Cadets and 2 Adult Volunteers departed to the Tirol region of Austria on 8 August with an aim of reaching the highest point in Austria. After a long journey by minibus and trailer through 5 countries with an over-night transit layover, we finally reached the Panorama campsite at Zell-am-See on 9 August.

With a day to recover from the long journey we set up camp and explored the beautiful areas in and around the town. The following day we set out on the first of 3 acclimatisation trekking routes which would take us up to the Gleiwtzer hut at 2174m on a very warm 12kms of mountain trail. With excellent facilities on the campsite, we returned to the delights of hot showers and evening meal.

Day 2 took us over a mountain feature named ‘Drei Bruder’ or 3 brothers. Again, a very warm day over a challenging rugged trail to 2266m. En route, we encountered injuries with 2 cadets having picked up knee problems along the way. The feature traverses 3 distinct peaks on very steep ground and in parts on very sharp ridges; the views from the summits however are outstanding and worth the long approach trek.

On the final day of acclimatisation, instead of opting for the planned route, it was decided to have a lighter day by ascending a cable-car near Kaprun to just over 3000m and using the altitude gained to acclimatise for 4 hours or so. This decision came about due to 1 cadet having problems and 2 others with minor injuries. This proved a valuable option, both in terms of resting and took us 300m higher than had been previously planned.

Our expedition aim was to climb Grossglockner by the normal route, a classic alpine ridge of grade PD to the highest mountain in Austria at 3798m. On 15 August we drove around to Kals where our approach route would begin. Back in UK, it was arranged to use 3 UIAGM mountain guides through the company Bergfuhrer Kals to take us on the final stage, over the Kodnitzkees glacier and up to the summit. We met with the guides late in the afternoon at the Studlhutte at 2800m. They supplied the technical equipment required which included ropes, harness, crampons and helmet. We then moved in 3 separate teams, each led by a guide, traversing the glacier and climbing a ridge for a further 3 hours up to the Erzherzog-Johann Hut at 3454m. This is a well facilitated hut providing around 100 bed spaces and good quality meals; perched high on a narrow ridge on the mountain’s south eastern flank, it has some incredible mountain, glaciers and valley views.

After a reasonable night’s rest and breakfast, we set off for the final frosty climb under clear skies at around 0530hrs. The summit climb from the hut takes you up a steep snow field and on to a steep and very exposed narrow ridge for the final breathtaking 300m. This proved a little too much for one cadet who was somewhat phased by the exposure and couldn’t continue the final 60mrs to the summit. Unfortunately, 2 other cadets in his team didn’t make the top either owing to the guide turning the team round at that point for the descent. With 3 cadets and 2 adults finally on the summit, we made our descent back to the hut for an hour’s recovery period, then further decent to Studlhutte and finally to the PUP back in the valley.

The following day, took us off to our R&R destination which was 2hrs away across the border into Germany to Berchtesgaden where we visited Kehlsteinhaus, or the Eagle’s Nest. The building is perched high on a ridge above Berchtesgaden with commanding views over the local mountains across to Salzburg. This was an interesting visit, though the site is somewhat commercialised.

Finally, on 17 August it was time to depart Zell-am-See for the long return journey to Bruggen for an overnight transit and on to the Eurotunnel terminal at Calais before arriving back in Cheltenham on the Sunday afternoon.

Overall the exped was a great success with 5 out of 9 team members reaching the summit of Grossglockner in what proved to be a challenging introduction to Alpine Mountaineering.

Many thanks are extended to the Ulysses Trust for providing much needed financial assistance to enable the exped to proceed.