The Intersport Klettersteig on the Großer Donnerkogel in Austria is a popular via ferrata route located on the west side of the Dachstein mountain range, above Gosausee (lake Gosau).
Summary
Grade: C/D – view topo
Vertical: 470m ferrata, 650m total
Time: 20min approach, 3h ferrata, 1h30min descent, 4h50min total
Access / Parking: 47.5337,13.4959 – Google Maps or any Android maps app
Start via ferrata: 47.5302,13.4768 – Mapy.cz or any Android maps app
Download gpx track
Photos
Access
The route can be accessed by car via Gosau. Drive through the Gosau Valley to the end of the road, at the base station of the Gosaukammbahn, where there are several parking lots. By public transportation, take the train to Steeg-Gosau and then take bus line 2570 to Gosausee.
Approach to start
Take the cable car to the upper mountain station. You can also hike up following the Herrenweg trail (620), but add about 1h30min and 600 meters altitude to the ascent in this case. You will reach Gablonzer Hütte and from there follow the trail 611 upwards to Oberen Törleggsattel, then turn left towards the rocks, where the ferrata begins.
The route
The route has a difficulty grade of C/D and covers a total of 650m in altitude, with 470m on the ferrata itself. The approach takes 20 minutes from the upper cable car station, the climb lasts for approximately 3 hours, and the descent takes 1 hour and 30 minutes back to the cable car, making the total time required around 4 hours and 50 minutes.
Descent
The descent from the via ferrata is straightforward and takes approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes. After the cable ends, hike for a few minutes to the summit. From the summit, follow the red markings down, until you turn right on path 628, which you will follow back to the cable car upper station. From there, down by cable car or by foot. Add about 1 hour more if you continue hiking down from this point.
Good to know
Some sections will get muddy after rainy periods, so it’s not recommended to climb when it’s still wet. You’ll have a better experience when climbing the route in dry conditions.
It’s a very popular ferrata and it often gets crowded. For this reason, in high season, starting early morning is better. If you are at the start of the ferrata before the cable car opening hours, it’s even better. You can do this by hiking up early or staying overnight at the Gablonzer Hütte to get an early start. Another option is to actually go in the afternoon. Don’t underestimate the popularity of this route and, if you can, go early or late in the season.
Main bottleneck is the 40-meter long ladder, the main attraction of this route. It’s a bit wobbly and some people prefer to climb it one at the time. It can be bypassed via an easier cable section.
The via ferrata follows an existing climbing route established by Paul Preuß, making it one of the most controversial via ferrata projects in Austria.
Donation box
I’m trying to keep this site ad free, supported by donations only, so if you found the info here useful, please consider donating via Buy Me a Coffee or PayPal. I highly appreciate it, as this encourages me to keep adding new routes.
Video
Weather
Main sources
- bergsteigen.com (German)
- we climbed the route on August 16, 2019