Via ferrata, ferrata, klettersteig or a nice Czech secured route. Many names, the same unforgettable mountain experience. If you haven't tried one of these climbing parades yet, now is the right time to go on an active holiday. And where else but to the cradle of this sport. to Austria?! Check out our list of the best ferratas in our southern neighbour, pack your gear and hit the rocks.
Why ferrata? According to Vojtěch Dvořák, editor of Outdoor World and mountain guide,"It's simple. Climbing belayed routes gives us all the feeling that we are climbers and yet we don't have to know all those climbing techniques. And have all that climbing gear too. Keeping the basic safety rules in mind, climbing belayed routes is a "completely" safe activity that brings us the joy of movement and an activity that is a step up from hiking. So climbing belayed routes is recommended by 10 out of 10 mountain guides and all the editors of Outdoor World."
But now sit back, we're going to review the best ferrata in Austria
The BEST taste of the sport (also the only ferrata with a chamois statue!) - Kali Kinder Klettersteig
Photo: Tourismusverband Ramsau Dachstein
Located just 5 hours by car from Prague, in the beautiful Obertauern mountains, the Kali Kinder Klettersteig is perfect for beginners, intermediate climbers and families with children. In fact, anyone can do this via ferrata. There are two routes to the chamois statue at the top, one B-grade (for children and beginners) and the other with difficulty C/D for more advanced climbers.
Difficulty - B or C/D
Access - 5 minutes from the car park to the ferrata
Length - 220 metres
Elevation - 100 metres
Climbing time - 40 minutes
Descent time- 25 minutes
The most beautiful scenery and a great swim - Drachenwand Klettersteig
You'll find this via ferrata 5 hours drive from Prague just a short distance from the popular Mondsee, the famous lake of the Austrian Salzkammergut, which will blow you away with its crystal clear water. Don't forget to take a dip here after you've completed the ferrata, it's worth it! The ferrata is moderately difficult and can be done by any athlete, as long as they remember the right equipment and climbing technique. And the views are definitely worth it...
Photo: Pohora.cz
The Dragon Wall is known for its breakability, so definitely don't forget your helmet, even though there is a lot of traffic on this ferrata and you don't want anyone throwing rocks at your head.
Difficulty - B/C
Access - 20-30 minutes from the car park to the ferrata
Length - 220 metres
Elevation - 400 metres
Climbing time - 2-3 hours
Descent time- 1,5 hours
Want to see more? Here you go
The BEST ferrata triple- Kaiser - Franz - Joseph Klettersteig
From afar, the kilometer high rock wall will catch your eye, then throughout the marked route you will enjoy spectacular views, a double rope bridge at the end and the unusual bonus of the Rosslochhöhlen Klettersteig (D/E) leading through the cave. If you haven't had enough, head out the next day to complete the triple climb on the nearby Kaiserschild Klettersteig (D/E), where you'll enjoy not only the challenging climbing but also the 40m rope bridge. A nice diversion for long climbing sections.
Photo: Zagurami.eu
Difficulty - D (D/E)
Access - 20 minutes from the car park to the ferrata
Length - 1000 metres
Elevation - 860 metres
Climbing time - 4 hours
Descent time- 2 hours
The starting point for this ferrata is Lake Leopoldsteinersee, just outside the town of Eisenerz, about 5 hours drive from Prague. The whole ferrata and the descent takes about 6 hours and almost all of it is in direct sunlight, so it's a good idea to start as early in the morning as possible so you don't get completely sunburnt and enjoy it. Right at the beginning there is a mega difficult part, followed by a part of vertical passages before which there is a possibility of an emergency descent if you don't feel up to it.
The most rugged rocks - the Gebirgsvereins-Klettersteig sports ferrata
Photo: gps-tour.info
Not far from Vienna, you'll find the breathtaking Hohe Wand Nature Park, full of almost perpendicular jagged rocks, beautiful white limestone formations and magical views. You can explore all this natural beauty on the Gebirgsvereins-Klettersteig sports ferry.
Difficulty - C/D-D
Access - 20 minutes from the car park to the ferrata
Length - 320 metres
Elevation - 200 metres
Climbing time - 1 hour
Descent time- 1 hour
THE airiest - Hans von Haidsteig Klettersteig
Photo: viaferraty.cz
In just under four hours from Prague you can reach this awesome ferrata at the very edge of the Alps in the Rax mountain range, which is considered the most beautiful in the Raxalpe region. In 2013 it was re-surveyed after a long 100 years, which is perhaps why it is so popular nowadays. But it is not surprising. Along the way you will enjoy amazing views, great climbing and especially the wind in your hair on the typical chicken ladders of this ferrata.
Difficulty - C/D
Access - 80 minutes from the car park to the ferrata
Length - 950 metres
Elevation - 420 metres
Climbing time - 2 hours
Descent time- 2 hours
The most spectacular views (and the best photos on the instac) - Kristall at Lake Weisssee
The Kristall Ferrata is simply the most kitschy, you'll be stopping every 10-20 metres or so to take photos. Everything.
Photo:Nasvah.eu
Not far from the border with Italy (about 6.5 hours from Prague) you'll find this ferrata gem of Austria. Via ferrata Kristall in the High Tatras was long considered the most difficult in the country, but recently other younger ones have taken that top spot. This secure route is part of the Weisssee Gletscherwelt. Already in the cable car on the way to the boarding point you won't be able to keep up with taking pictures of all the panoramas- turquoise water, snow-covered hills, plus green forests... just a fairy tale.
If you're doing shifts in the evenings, this will be something for you and your hard work will finally pay off. This ferrata is more about hand strength than anything else. On the other hand, you don't have to be afraid of heights here, as it's often just a few metres above the water.
Difficulty - E
Access - 2,5h from the car, about 20min from the Rudolfshütte
The path to the ferrata is sometimes long, as there is a cow or three walking in the opposite direction and it is hard to avoid them on the path :-)
Elevation - 160 meters (but at an altitude of about 2-2500 m)
Climbing time - 1,5 - 2,5h
Descent time- 2h to the car, about 30min to the hut
The most beautiful caving insert - Mein Land - Dein Land
Photo: ferratclimbing.eu
Immediately after boarding this ferrata (which can be found about 6,5 hours away from Prague) you will be captivated by the passage through a really narrow rock passage. Sometimes your heart rate will speed up when you have to step over the gorge to the opposite rock. The rope bridge will test your stomach's endurance and the horizontal traverse in the beautiful fence will test your climbing technique. Do you know what a "bat" is? You can try it on a small suspension bridge over a good depth.
Difficulty - C
Access - 40 minutes to the ferrata
Length - 280 metres
Elevation - 200 metres
Climbing time - 30 minutes
Descent time- 30 minutes
The most difficult in the world - Bürgeralm -Panorama - Klettersteig
The Bürgeralm is a popular ski area, that in itself might tell you that this ferrata is only for real connoisseurs, at least its eFk Arena variant. This via ferrata is located near a large forest on a massive rock block and if you're up for it, it's worth it!
It's quite difficult to take landscape photos and selfies during this ferrata, but we have a video, hey
Difficulty - F
Approach - 15 minutes to get on the ferrata
Length - 549 metres
Elevation - 477 metres
Climbing time - 2.5 hours
Descent time- 10 minutes
The most extreme and the most popular at the same time - via ferrata Johann to Seethalerhütte on Dachsteinwarte
Photo: viaferraty.cz
Less than 6 hours away from Prague is this ferrata gem. This secured route boasts the label "the most popular in Austria" and "the most beautiful in the Alps", but it is also extremely challenging and definitely not for sissies. Suffice it to say that it starts with the Eck overhang and continues with the really sharp Dec ridge, the route is belayed by 700 metres of rope and about 250 crampons on the perpendicular south face and descends down the glacier to the top station of the cable car. The views from here are unforgettable.
Difficulty - D/E
Access - 120 minutes to the ferrata
Length - 1050 metres
Elevation - 700 metres
Climbing time - 2-4 hours
Descent time- 30 minutes
The most James Bond-like ferrata "Mobo 107"
Remember the huge concrete dam from Bond's Golden Eye? Thanks to the Zell am See- Kaprun area you will quickly remember.
Photo: austria.info
This ferrata is from a slightly different barrel, as it is a 107-metre high perpendicularly rising dam. The Mobo 107 is the world's highest secured dam path. It will amaze you not only with its size, but especially with the amount of concrete and water at such a high altitude (around 2000 m above sea level).
Why Mobo 107? Because the dam is called MOserBOden and is 107 metres long.
Where will you go on your active holiday?
Are you dizzy and don't know where to start? Ok, let's slow down a bit, we have a whole range of ferratas in the Czech Republic too. It's not Austria, it's not the high mountains, but it's definitely worth it!
