
A truly outstanding 4x4 adventure to Krummholzhutte
Austria, europe
8.4 km
1,837 m
hard
Year-round
# Krummholzhütte: A Serious Alpine Challenge
Nestled in Austria's Liezen district in Styria, the Krummholzhütte mountain refuge sits at a seriously impressive 1,838m (6,026ft) elevation. Located within the scenic Enns Valley in central Austria, this place isn't exactly a casual Sunday drive destination.
The road up to this alpine hut is a proper adventure—we're talking about an unpaved service road that's both steep and narrow. Starting from Haus, you're looking at an 8.4 km (5.2 mi) climb with an average gradient of 13.1%, which gets pretty gnarly with maximum grades hitting 18%. Yeah, your car's gonna work for it.
Fair warning: this route is completely impassable during winter months, so plan accordingly if you're thinking about heading up here. The scenery en route makes it worth the effort though, with stunning valley views and that quintessential high-altitude Austrian mountain atmosphere. Just make sure your vehicle is up for the challenge and your nerves are ready for some serious altitude gain!
Where is it?
A truly outstanding 4x4 adventure to Krummholzhutte is located in Austria (europe). Coordinates: 47.5262, 13.4231
Road Details
- Country
- Austria
- Continent
- europe
- Length
- 8.4 km
- Max Elevation
- 1,837 m
- Difficulty
- hard
- Coordinates
- 47.5262, 13.4231
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