New and spectacular

Finish of 21st Mythos Großglockner boasts mighty wooden portal

Following the motto “The Mountain Calls”, more than 1,600 athletes will tackle the “Mythos Großglockner” bike challenge and mountain run that takes place from 9 to 11 July 2021. A unique finishing area awaits those who make it to the finish of the mountain run – Kaiser-Franz-Josefs-Höhe 2,369 m above sea level. A mighty portal made entirely of solid wood – specially manufactured by the HASSLACHER Group’s Stall im Mölltal location.

Heiligenblut – One thing is for sure: Even though their muscles will be burning after having negotiated the 13.06 km long track with its 1,265 m of elevation gain and 521 steps, many participants will grab their phones when they successfully reach the last leg. For good reason: What awaits them at the end is truly spectacular – a more than 5-m-tall and 2.5 m wide portal made from solid cross-laminated timber boards with a oiled and coated larch cover layer reminiscent of the Großglockner and Kleiner Glockner mountains’ silhouette. “The idea of using the renewable resource that is wood to contribute to this traditional event on Austria’s tallest mountain and thus taking our message ‘from wood to wonders.’ out into the world, has fascinated us from the very beginning,” says Christoph Kulterer, owner and CEO of the HASSLACHER Group.

Special structure made of wood and steel
Structural planning and technical execution, combined with a short production time made building the finishing structure designed by young architect Erwin Ronacher more than just a bit challenging. “To account for the demands of building high up in the mountains, the twin-wall and reusable structure made of cross-laminated timber boards has been equipped with additional steel frames and shaped steel tubes on both exterior sides,” says Ing. Lorenz Lerchbaumer, Technical Sales Manager at the HASSLACHER Group.

New ideas for the 21st year
“It makes me proud that our traditional event can once more take place after we had to cancel last year's due to the Covid-19 pandemic,” says organiser Julius Rupitsch who stages the 21st Mythos Großglockner as part of the World Mountain Running Association World Cup. “The new finishing area puts the icing on the cake of the Großglockner Mountain Run as it follows a sustainable philosophy and will catch a lot of attention every time it is being reused. I’m very happy that I was able to convince the HASSLACHER Group to become our partner.”

Pictures: © HASSLACHER Group | Peter Maier