Hiking weekend in the Gesäuse, 2009
Report
Once again we were drawn to the Gesäuse National Park for a weekend. Via Admont and Gstatterboden we reached the Kummerbrücke car park, the starting point of the Wasserfallweg (Waterfall Trail). From there you follow the marked path through the mountain forest until you finally reach the waterfall that gives the trail its name. Immediately before the waterfall you cross the stream and the path continues steeply upward – a real lung-buster. After the so-called Kanzel (pulpit), the actual iron route begins (200 m of elevation), with steel cables, various ladders and iron rungs. The trail is rated difficulty B. You should, however, be very sure-footed, and in wet conditions an inexperienced person is advised to use a via ferrata set.
After leaving the ironwork behind, you hike through a high valley basin to the Hesshütte – our overnight stop. There we recovered from the three-and-a-half-hour ascent over a relaxed Weißbier and then tackled the three-hour panoramic trail over the 2,191 m Zinödl. The next morning we descended via the Koderalm to Johnsbach, where we took a taxi back to the car at Gstatterboden.
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