Gebirgsvereins via ferrata, also known as Gebirgsvereinssteig, is a route located in Hohe Wand Nature Park, just a short trip from Vienna.
Summary
Grade: D – view topo
Vertical: 200m ferrata, 350m total
Time: 30min approach, 1h30min ferrata, 1h descent, 3h total
Access / Parking: 47.8059,16.0045 – Google Maps or any Android maps app
Start via ferrata: 47.8093,16.0199 – Mapy.cz or any Android maps app
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Map and photos
Access
By car, take the A2 highway toward Wiener Neustadt, then continue to Grünbach am Schneeberg. Follow the narrow road to the Seiser Toni Inn, located in the southwestern part of the Hohe Wand nature park.
The upper parking areas are free to use, while the spots closer to Seiser Toni have a parking meter. The two parking areas are about 300 meters apart.
By train, you can travel as far as Grünbach am Schneeberg and continue on foot to the Seiser Toni Inn.
Approach to start
From Seiser Toni, follow the asphalt road heading east. Several paths branch off to the left, offering access to the base of the rock walls. We recommend the route highlighted on the map, which takes about 30 minutes to reach the start of the via ferrata cable.
Just before arriving at the route start, you’ll also notice a sign pointing to the nearby Wildenauersteig via ferrata.
The route
Steep and exposed wall sections, airy traverses, a bridge and a steel ladder are the key components of this via ferrata. The hardest segment, slightly overhanging, is close to the end. Natural holds are present throughout the route, making the climb on this via ferrata a real joy.
On the information board at the start, this route is rated C/D only.
Descent
Once the cable ends, you have these options for your return:
- West to Wilhelm Eichert-Hütte: From there, you can descend via the yellow-marked Wagnersteig path to the base of the wall and return to Seiser Toni. Alternatively, from Wilhelm Eichert-Hütte, you can take the easier and longer Grafenbergweg descent path, blue markings, which leads directly to the parking area.
- East to Hubertushaus: From here, descend along the Springlessteig path to the base of the wall. Then, follow the green path back to Seiser Toni. If you arrived by train, instead of returning to Grünbach am Schneeberg, follow the red markings from the base of the wall to Unter Höflein train station.
Good to know
- First opened in May 2013, the route is maintained by Österreichische Gebirgsverein, a Vienna based branch of the Austrian Alpine Club. This is where the route gets its name from.
- You can find many climbing routes in Hohe Wand.
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Video
Weather
Main sources
- bergsteigen.com (German)
- we climbed the route on September 28, 2024