Via Ferratas in Austria: A Swing, Sky Ladder, and boot in the water
During an extended August weekend, we immersed ourselves in the picturesque atmosphere of Austrian Gosau – a town embraced by lush greenery and mountain peaks. We came here targeting three via ferratas, but we squeezed even more out of this trip! We jumped into a crystal-clear lake, where friends impressed everyone with acroyoga on the beach, earning applause from beachgoers. There were thrills too - we got carried away with the pendulum swing madness, climbed the "antenna," and conquered the famous stairway to heaven. Our legs trembled on the rope bridge, and the brutal descent from Donnerkogel really tested us. To top it off, we were served a local culinary surprise - a broth with a sweet twist. Austria at full throttle!
Below are the details of 3 via ferratas:
- Gosau Park (previously known as Schmied via ferrata) – with the exciting King Swing pendulum and an antenna-like ladder,
- Laserer Alpin – a route above the picturesque Vorderer Gosausee lake, where nature literally takes your breath away,
- Donnerkogel Intersport – with the legendary ladder leading straight to the sky!
1. Via Ferrata Gosau Park
Via Ferrata Gosau Park is a complex of via ferratas located in the Gosau region, above Lake Gosaub, in Austria (see location in Google Maps), in the picturesque Dachstein massif. It's a popular via ferrata climbing spot with varying difficulty levels (from A to F).
It was here in Gosau Park where I experienced a pendulum swing on a via ferrata for the first time. Imagine: you're climbing carefully, conquering difficult sections, and suddenly you're standing over an abyss, holding onto a steel cable. Eyes on the horizon, and beneath your feet... nothing but air! When the moment came to trust the equipment, let go of the safety cable, and push off from the rock, my excitement was tinged with a bit of fear – that's when your heart beats to the rhythm of adrenaline. Suspended at height... I flew! The breeze caressed my face, while somewhere in my mind, the thought pulsed: "What if?" Well, that's when you have to trust your equipment and just let go.
2. Via Ferrata Laserer Alpin
Via Ferrata Laserer Alpin (Google Maps) is an interesting, easily accessible, and very scenic route. It's just a few minutes' walk from parking lot #1. It's located by Lake Gosausee. It features interesting exposure and several attractions including a scenic traverse with your foot in the water (because you're that close to the water), shaky moments on the ladder (because it's not attached to the rock and shakes considerably while climbing), and a long rope bridge (probably the longest we've done so far, with beautiful exposure to the lake). Worth noting that it's not too long - estimated at +/- 1h, and the descent from the via ferrata is practically at the same spot as the entrance.
I've mentioned the scenic beauty of this place several times - but there's no other way - see for yourself how it looks. After the strenuous via ferratas, you can enjoy nature's gifts and immerse yourself in the crystal-clear water.
Now, let me return to the culinary surprise I mentioned at the beginning. Imagine – we order broth at a restaurant, expecting the classic version, and then... boom! Instead of pasta, we get something that looks like tagliatelle, but is actually... a sweet pancake! Yes, you read that right. Sounds weird, like a combination that shouldn't work, but yet... there's something to it! I won't say I was convinced right away, but man, it tasted good. A bit strange, but definitely not unpleasant. A total novelty in my menu!
3. Via ferrata Intersport Klettersteig Donnerkogel
The third via ferrata we did during this weekend was the Intersport Klettersteig Donnerkogel with its stairway to heaven (Intersport Klettersteig Donnerkogel - Himmelsleiter - C/D), which I had been dreaming about since my first via ferrata experience. I had read a lot about it online, watched probably every video report available on YouTube and... I didn't expect we'd manage to conquer it this year. I dedicated a separate post to it, where you'll find informational entries about the via ferrata, organizational tips about parking, cable car, tickets, and subjective experiences from completing the Intersport, which I divided into 5 main stages. Check it out: