Via Ferrata: “Rax via Alpenvereinssteig (B) & descending via Camillo-Kronich-Steig (A)”

Climb up the Rax via the “AV-Steig” and descend via the “Camillo-Kronich-Steig”

This tour leads through the exciting Höllental up to the Rax. Although the tour is long, it is fairly easy (cat. B, I-) and thus suitable for beginners. Due to the exciting scenery, it is also enjoyable for experienced persons. And the best part is that the via ferrata exits at the popular Höllentalaussicht where even beginners are celebrated as heros by other hikers that reached this point via other means (e.g. cable car).
The tour starts at the small parking in front of the tunnel at the Höllental (GPS: 47.746355, 15.763405) where a small trail leads towards the Schönbrunnerstiege. Following a long hiking trail through the Höllental finally takes you to a long iron ladder that is the beginning of the “Alpenverreinssteig” (via ferrata cat. B). The descent is done via the promising Camillo-Kronich-Steig which ends in Kaiserbrunn.

The car can be parked at the destination (Kaiserbrunn). The bus line 1746 can be used to get from Kaiserbrunn to Weichtalhaus (1 stop). A 5 min walk along the street leads towards the entrance of the trail.

Please note that a full “Klettersteigset” (via ferrata set) is required for this tour!

Tour Description

00:00	Start at the bus stop Höllental / Weichtalhaus and follow the street (north/west).
00:05	Turn left into the trail towards Höllental (see signposts, follow the white-yellow-white marked trail parallel to the street (keep 2x right)).
00:15	Mount the Schönbrunnerstiege (iron stairs) and follow the yellow-white-yellow marked trail through the Höllental.
00:50	Follow the white-blue-white route through the Höllental towards Alpenvereinssteig (follow sign-posts).
01:00	The iron ladder marks the starting point of the AV-Steig. Put on your via ferrata set (“Klettersteigset”) here.
00:45	Keep right at the crossing to Teufelsbadstubensteig.
00:50	Follow the trail by keeping right at the crossing to Gaislochsteig. The trail now leads through a scree slope towards the AV-Steig.
01:00	The iron ladder marks the starting point of the AV-Steig. Put on your via ferrata set (“Klettersteigset”) here.
01:45	Cross the traverse (Querung).
02:20	Climb up the channel (Rinne).
02:25	Turn left and climb up the iron ladder at the crossing to the exit of the Gustav-Jahn-Steig.
02:50	Exit the AV-Steig at the Höllentalaussicht and enjoy the awesome view from there. This is also a very good place to enjoy the self-brought refreshments ().
03:35	Follow the trail and mountain road towards Ottohaus.
03:42	Turn left into the small trail (through the meadow and then through the mountain pines) leading towards the mountain street to the mountain station of the Rax cable car.
04:00	Well-deserved lunch break at the Berggasthof ().
04:05*	Follow the white-blue-white marked trail downwards on the left hand side of the Berggasthof.
04:10*	Turn right at the crossing and continue following the white-blue-white marked trail downwards.
04:18*	At the crossing, turn left into the Brandschneide-Kaiserbrunn (aka Camillo-Kronich-Steig) trail (see signpost, trail marked white-yellow-white) and follow the trail till reaching Kaiserbrunn.
05:55*	At the street in Kaiserbrunn, turn right and head towards the car parking. End of the tour.

The here shown timings are the result of a Speed-Hiking-Tour and will not reflect timings with normal hiking speed! (+ 1h)
*: Due to revision of the cable car, all the huts were closed. The timing is not considering a break at the Berggasthof.

General Tour Data

Area:		Rax/Schneeberg Group, Lower Austria, Austria
Distance:		11km
Ascent:		1093m (2h 45min)
Descent:		1106m (2h 10min)
Highest Pt:		1624m
Lowest Pt:		521m
Duration:		5h 15min (without breaks) 6h 00min (with breaks)
Stop/Rest:		Ottohaus (1644m) or Berggasthof Rax (1545m)
Equipment:		Via ferrata set incl. helmet Backpack with standard hiking equipment Snacks and enough water Sun & Weather protection Camera 1x “Gipfelbier” ()
Topo/Map:		Alpenvereinssteig (B)

		Download GPX
O		Tour at outdooractive.com

Tour Diary

Tour Date:		2018-11-15 09:00
	Weather:	Mostly sunny, sometimes icy
	Participants:	Stefan
	Activity:	Suunto
		Used the bus between Kaiserbrunn and Höllental in the morning.

At a glance

Level	easy-moderate
– Via Ferrata Category	B
Technique
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Experience
Scenery
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