Speed climb the Rax through the Höllental via the Alpenvereinssteig (B) and descend via the Teufelsbadstubensteig (B)
This tour leads through the beautiful Höllental and climb up the Rax via the famous Alpenvereinssteig (aka AV-Steig) Via Ferrata. The descent is done via another Via Ferrata at the east of Höllental, namely the Teufelsbadstubensteig. Due to the fact that both Via Ferratas are fairly simple, the tour qualifies for a speed climb.
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 the crossing of Teufelsbadstubensteig (used later for the descent) and straight ahead the Alpenvereinssteig. After ascending the Alpenvereinssteig up to the Höllentalaussicht, the tour then continues towards the mountain station of the cable car with its good restaurant. After a well deserved break, the tour goes back but this time uses the Teufelsbadstubensteig to descend back to the Höllental.
Tour Description
| 00:00 | Start at the parking lot Höllental (before the tunnel, GPS: 47.746355, 15.763405). The trail starts opposite of the parking lot. |
| 00:01 | Follow the trail parallel to the street (keep right 2x). |
| 00:05 | Ascent the Schönbrunnerstiege (iron stairs). |
| 00:07 | Follow the blue route through the Höllental. |
| 00:30 | Keep straight ahead at the crossing towards Hoyossteig. |
| 00:35 | Keep straight ahead at the crossing towards Teufelsbadstubensteig (follow signposts towards Alpenvereinssteig). |
| 00:40 | Keep straight ahead / slightly left at the crossing towards Gaislochsteig (follow blue markings towards Alpenvereinssteig). |
| 00:45 | Climb up the long iron ladder which is also the start of the Alpenvereinssteig Via Ferrata. Follow the trail upwards. |
| 01:35 | At the crossing, turn left and climb up the iron ladder (upper part of Alpenvereinssteig). Follow the trai upwards. |
| 02:05 | Enjoy the view from Höllentalaussicht (end of Alpenvereinssteig). Best enjoyed with a self-brought refreshment (). |
| 02:15 | Follow the hiking trail southwards – first through the bushes and then towards the gravel road. |
| 02:30 | At the crossing of Schwaigriegelsattel, turn left and follow the gravel road eastwards (towards the mountain station “Bergstation”). |
| 02:45 | Well deserved break at the Berggasthof ( ) next to the mountain station of the cable car. |
| 03:30 | Hike back westwards towards Schwaigriegelstattel. |
| 03:55 | At the crossing of Schwaigriegelsattel turn sharp right and follow the trail towards Wachthüttelkamm. |
| 04:35 | At the crossing, turn left and follow the small trail towards Teufelsbadstubensteig. |
| 04:36 | Turn left again and descend via the Teufelsbadstubensteig. |
| 05:25 | Back at Höllental, turn right and follow the same trail back that was used for the ascent. |
| 06:45 | Back at the parking, end of the tour. |
At a glance
| Level | easy-moderate |
| – Via Ferrata Category | B |
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| Best time in the year | |
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General Tour Data
| Area: | Rax/Schneeberg Group, Lower Austria, Austria | |
| Distance: | 14km | |
| Ascent: | 1123m (2h 40min) | |
| Descent: | 1123m (2h 10min) | |
| Highest Pt: | 1623m | |
| Lowest Pt: | 563m | |
| Duration: | 5h 50min (without breaks) 6h 45min (with breaks) |
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| Stop/Rest: | Ottohaus (1644m) Berggasthof Rax (1545m) |
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| Equipment: | Via ferrata set incl. helmet Backpack with standard hiking equipment Enough water 1x “Gipfelbier” () Sun & Weather protection Camera |
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| Topo/Map: | Alpenvereinssteig (B) Teufelsbadstubensteig (B) |
| Download GPX | ||
| O | Tour at outdooractive.com |
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