Intersport Klettersteig

The Intersport-Klettersteig climbs the north-west ridge of the Großer Donnerkogel (2,054 m) above Gosau, at the western end of the Gosaukamm in the Dachstein range. Austrian guidebooks grade it C/D (the local tourist board lists it as C); on our card it is K3+, with about 1.2 km of cable. The ferrata itself takes around 3 hours, the whole round from the lift and back 5–5.5 hours. Only two short passages are C/D, but the route is long, partly earthy and slippery, and the descent is demanding, so it suits people who already have a few C-grade ferratas behind them. The draw is the 40 m Himmelsleiter, a ladder hung across a gully to the Donnermandl pinnacle, with the Dachstein glacier and the Gosausee below.

Getting there and parking

Drive to Gosau (from the A10 at Golling via Abtenau, or from the A1 at Regau via Bad Ischl and Bad Goisern) and follow the Gosausee road for about 7 km to the valley station of the Gosaukammbahn; parking fees are posted on site. By public transport: train to Steeg-Gosau, then bus towards Gosausee to the stop Hintertal b. Gosau Gosaukammbahn.

In 2026 the Gosaukammbahn runs every 15 minutes from 9 May to 1 November, 08:15–17:00 (08:15–18:00 from 4 July to 13 September). Summer 2026 adult fares: €24.50 return, €17.20 one way; dogs €8, lead and muzzle compulsory. Check the last descent before you set off. Without the lift, path 620 climbs from the valley to the Gablonzer Hütte in about 1¼ hours. From Annaberg on the Salzburg side, the Donnerkogelbahn top station is about an hour from the start.

Approach

From the top station (1,485 m) walk up to the Gablonzer Hütte, turn left onto path 611 right by the hut and climb to the Oberer Törleggsattel (information board). Keep left there and descend a few minutes to the start at about 1,580 m: 20–30 minutes in all. The spring by the approach path is almost dry in summer and there is no water on the route, so fill up at the hut.

The route

The ferrata has four stages with escape paths between them.

• Stage 1. A short step (B/C), a slab traverse (A/B) and a wide stride (B/C) lead to the Kaiser-Verschneidung, a steep, strenuous corner on pegs and the first crux (C/D). Then an earthy ledge, a harder slab traverse (C), the Enzianwand (B/C), a zigzag through dwarf pines and two short ladders up to the flat Ziehkögelgrat. Escape paths lead off right in the saddle before the ladders and again at the end of the stage.
• Stage 2 (“Es lebe die Jagd”) is long and mostly A/B: traverses, ladders laid on the ground, short steps (B), the Gamsband and a downclimb on earthy, slippery ground. In the wet these easy grades feel much harder. A long rising traverse ends at the foot of the Himmelsleiter.
• The Himmelsleiter. Technically the ladder is easy (B), but it hangs free over the gully and sways, and many find it harder than the grade. No more than four people may be on it at once. Here you can also step off into easy ground to bypass it, or leave towards the descent path.
• Stage 3. Whether you arrive over the ladder or round it via a short traverse (A/B and C), you climb the steep, very exposed buttress onto the Donnermandl (1,920 m), the second C/D crux, then downclimb (B) into a notch.
• Stage 4 follows Paul Preuß's old climbing line up the north-west ridge: steep at first (C), then broader (B), with a few steps (A/B) to the exit a few minutes below the summit.

Descent

From the summit follow the red markings and after a few minutes turn right onto path 628 down to the Unterer Törleggsattel, then right back to the Gablonzer Hütte and on to the top station. Allow about 1.5 hours. The path is steep and rocky all the way, with several exposed spots and some cables and grips; reviewers found it polished and as tiring as the ferrata, especially when wet. If you miss the last lift, path 620 continues from the hut down to the valley; walkers caught late have done it by headtorch.

Gear and rental

Standard via ferrata kit (helmet, harness, lanyard) plus gloves; boots with a good grip help on the earthy, polished sections. Sport Jirka at the Gosaukammbahn valley station rents via ferrata sets (open daily 08:00–18:00, 2026 information); guiding companies in Gosau (Outdoor Leadership, Laserer Alpin) offer guided ascents and also rent gear. Take enough water; in autumn add a headtorch.

When to go

The ferrata is usually open from mid-June to mid-October; in early summer expect old snow, and for the winter closure the cable at the start is removed. It faces north-west, so mornings are cool. Do not go when it is wet: stage 2 is earthy and the rock turns slippery. It is closed on some days for mountain-rescue exercises (for example until noon on 20 July 2024). Crowds are the real issue on fine summer weekends: queues form at the Himmelsleiter and in the steep sections. Several reviewers walked up from the valley in the dark to start before the first lift; others suggest starting after midday, which only works if you can still make the last descent.

FAQ

How long does it really take? Guidebooks give about 3 hours on the ferrata and 4 h 50 min to 5.5 hours for the round trip from the lift. Reviewers who queued at the ladder or went slowly needed 6–6.5 hours.

Can I skip the Himmelsleiter? Yes, a bypass leads round it, and you can also leave the route there. The C/D buttress onto the Donnermandl comes after the junction, so you climb it either way unless you head for the descent path.

Is it suitable for beginners? The operator says no: it is for experienced ferrata climbers. Fit beginners have managed with help on the two C/D passages, but the length, the slippery stage 2 and the hard descent catch many people out.

Is it harder for shorter people? Reviewers around 1.60 m found some pegs far apart, especially where wet rock gives no friction.

Where are the escape routes? In the saddle before the stage 1 ladders, at the end of stage 1, at the Himmelsleiter and on the walking section before the Donnermandl. They are not always clearly signed, so study the topo first.