Hochtor, Mountain summit in Gesäuse National Park, Austria

Hochtor is a summit in the Ennstaler Alps reaching 2,369 meters and defines the limestone landscape of Gesäuse National Park. The peak stands out for its pyramid-like shape and dominates the mountain views across the entire region.

Hochtor lies in the Gesäuse National Park, Austria's third-largest national park, which protects the mountain and its surroundings. The documented climbing history of the Ennstaler Alps is tied to the development of the Hesshütte and the Haindlkarhütte, the huts that serve the routes on the mountain's flanks. The easiest ascents, from the south via the Schneeloch and from the Hesshütte via the Josefinensteig, were established as classic routes of the range.

The routes up the Hochtor carry names from the early days of Gesäuse climbing: the Josefinensteig from the Hesshütte, the Peternpfad from the Haindlkarhütte and the Rosskuppengrat. The huts named in these routes, the Hesshütte and the Haindlkarhütte, are the traditional bases for climbers in the valley.

The easiest ascent starts from the Hesshütte via the Josefinensteig, graded UIAA I+, and requires sure-footedness. From the south, the route over the Schneeloch is graded II and calls for a head for heights. A longer option runs from the Haindlkarhütte over the Peternpfad (II) and the Rosskuppengrat (II+).

The Hochtor's northwest face drops 900 metres into the Haindlkar, and the summit rises almost 1,800 metres above the Enns valley. The easiest routes are graded II, from the south via the Schneeloch or from the Hesshütte via the Josefinensteig at I+.