Hochgründeck - Hofer Saddle

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Two main paths to the Hochgründeck mountain (1,827 m) meet at the Hofersattel (1,635 m). One leads here from Bischofshofen via Oberberg, the Hörndl Chapel and the Josef-Bründl; the other begins in Hüttau, runs along the Iglsbach Valley and begins to climb at the Gasthaus Klamm Inn. From there, it goes uphill through the "magic forest" (coniferous trees with long beard lichen on their branches). The two paths to the Hochgründeck mountain and the Heinrich-Kiener Haus meet at the Hofersattel.

The dominant rock in the Hofersattel area is the gray, phyllitic slate dating from the Lower Ordovician to Devonian (400-450 million years ago). These Palaeozoic phyllites tend either toward spontaneous settling or rather to slow mass movements, so-called creep movements.

These are gravitational movements of a few millimeters per year. You can find several submerged masses below the Hofersattel. Creep movements can be located where sickle or saber trees are found. While the slope slowly slides downwards, taking the tree with it and tilting it, the tree struggles to upright again and again.