Mountain Attack 2026 in Saalbach-Hinterglemm
Austria’s largest and toughest ski mountaineering race
The Mountain Attack 2026 in Saalbach-Hinterglemm will go down as one of the toughest editions in the race’s history. Icy, steep, relentless – the conditions on the course offered no room for compromise. What awaited the more than 700 athletes from over 20 nations was a true test of equipment, strength, and willpower. It was precisely in these circumstances that those built for extremes stood out.
Right on schedule at 4:00 p.m., the starting gun fired in Saalbach’s village square, marking the beginning of the legendary Schattberg Race (4 km / 1,000 m vertical gain). Cheered on by spectators, the athletes sprinted through the village before heading straight into the first steep section. The ski slope resembled an icy wall — glassy and unforgiving, with gradients exceeding 70 percent in places. Every misstep was punished immediately.
Amid this battle against the mountain, Tina Fischl (WSV Otterskirchen / Mountain-Attaq Team Sport Zöls) took control from the very start. Highly focused, technically flawless, and displaying remarkable determination, she quickly distanced herself from the competition. While many athletes slipped on the bare ice and lost valuable seconds, Fischl remained composed, steady, and uncompromising on her line.
After the first long steep section, the ski mountaineers were briefly able to catch their breath near the mid-station, where the gradient eased slightly — before the climb inevitably grew steeper again.
The second section demanded everything from the athletes. The track was churned up, the surface offered little grip, and the slope was once again merciless. Every step burned in the legs, every breath became a struggle in the freezing temperatures. Yet on this day, Tina Fischl seemed unstoppable. With perfectly adjusted climbing aids, tremendous strength, and mental resilience, she steadily extended her lead — meter by meter, step by step.
On the final vertical meters below the summit station, it was clear that victory would not be taken from her. Driven by sheer determination, Fischl pushed toward the summit and crowned her outstanding performance with another commanding win. It was already her third victory in the Mountain Attack’s Schattberg Race — achieved in impressive fashion.
Clocking an excellent time of 54:58 minutes and finishing three minutes ahead of runner-up Theresa Kober (Austria), Fischl reached the summit of the Schattberg at 2,097 meters above sea level as the undisputed winner. A gap that, under such extreme conditions, feels like an eternity and powerfully underscores her dominance. Third place went to Katharina Fischer (Austria).
In a post-race interview, the personal trainer from Fürstenstein emphasized the significance of her success: “Mountain Attack is one of the biggest and toughest races in ski mountaineering. The fact that my body can handle such extreme strain, that I’m healthy, and that I can celebrate my third victory here on the Schattberg — even though I can’t train on climbs like these at home — is something very special to me.”
For the tour and marathon athletes of Team Zöls, the real challenge was only just beginning at the summit. Moving at a more energy-conserving pace than Fischl’s sprint effort, Hans Jörg Wagmann, Matthias Burgstaller, Daniel Schmidbauer, Michael Wagmann, Georg Kusser, Andreas Gastinger, and Rubert Koch reached the Schattberg East Summit within a tight time window between 1:07 and 1:20.
Hans Jörg Wagmann, Daniel Schmidbauer, and Matthias Burgstaller successfully completed the marathon course featuring six summits and 3,000 meters of vertical gain. Overall, the entire team can be very satisfied with its performance.
In the end, the successful finishers raised a glass to their achievements and rounded off the eventful weekend with sunny alpine and ski touring days in the World Championship ski resort of Hinterglemm.
Mountain-Attaq Team Results
Marathon – Matthias Burgstaller 4:15 hrs.
Marathon – Hans Jörg Wagmann 4:57 hrs.
Marathon – Daniel Schmidbauer 4:35 hrs.
Tour – Georg Kusser 2:56 hrs.
Tour – Michael Wagmann 3:42 hrs.
Tour – Rupert Koch 3:09 hrs.
Andreas Gastinger – DNF
Read the full race coverage by Sp4ort here:
For more information and photos from the event, visit: https://www.mountain-attack.at/de/
Photo documentation: © Alex Fischl, © Wild + Team Fotoagentur GmbH