09. September 2023

Climbing Ellmauer Halt via Gamsaengersteig

On the second day of my Austria trip in early September I went to climb the Ellmauer Halt (2,344 meters) in the Kaisergebirge (Kaiser Mountains).

I started the hike on a Saturday morning shortly before 6am at the Wochenbrunner Alm and made my way towards the Gruttenhütte, a mountain hut from where the actual mountain trail begins.

After the hut I crossed a large boulder field. Due to the size of the field and some boulders, it’s easy to lose track of the marked trail if you stop paying attention for a moment. Generally, though, it doesn’t matter much as long as you head towards the right direction.

The start of the Gamsänger Steig via ferrata starts with a little bit of scrambling and then goes along the “Gamsänger Grasbänder” wall (see topo here at bergsteigen.com).

The via ferrata is rated as B/C with scrambling sections of up to 1+.

When I did the tour the condition of the fixed cables was good. The only thing I needed to watch out for were quite a few loose rocks/holds on the way.

Not all parts of the trail were secured via fixed lines, though. So be sure that you can walk/climb a few exposed sections without being attached to a steel cable, if you plan on doing this climb yourself.

Towards the end of the via ferrata and near the summit you have the option to go left or right.

The left side leads you up via a ladder with a bit of overhang; the right side goes straight up a wall.

I chose the right side to go up and the ladder on the way down and would also recommend doing it in this order.

Climbing up the wall in this section was one of the most fun parts.

Shortly before the summit I passed a small bivouac hut which could be used in case of bad weather (from what I read it’s not lightning-proof, though).

At the summit itself there were only two other climbers, but after a while it was getting more and more busy. Even more so on the way down, which eventually led to some traffic jams at the narrow parts of the trail. Also, with more people rockfall became more of an issue.

My recommendation is to start early (even earlier on a weekend) and wear a helmet. And don’t forget your headlamp as the first part towards Gruttenhütte goes through a forest which is pitch black until the sun has really come out.

Below are some impressions of the tour: