Intermediate Gesäuse Trek

Your trek starts in Admont, home of the famous abbey library, and from the first steps it goes up. Over the day you climb close to 1,100 metres and descend about 340, so this is a proper mountain day rather than a warm-up. Good paths and no technical sections, but do not underestimate the climbing.

From the southern edge of Admont the trail climbs steadily through the forest. After about 3.5 kilometres the gradient eases at around 1,200 metres and you get a breather on a fairly level stretch. Then the path climbs again, up to the highest point of the day at just over 1,500 metres.

From there you drop around 330 metres before the last climb of the day takes you up to the Mödlingerhütte, on the southern side of the Gesäuse. Drop your pack, find a spot on the terrace and enjoy your first hut evening. About 10.7 kilometres, count on around 4.5 hours.

Please note: Payment at the Mödlingerhütte is not included in the price of your package. We reserve your stay, but accommodation and half board (approximately €75 per person) must be paid in cash at the hut.

This is a mountain day in two halves: all the way down into the Johnsbach valley, then all the way back up to the foot of the Hochtor. You descend about 740 metres in the morning and climb close to 900 metres in the afternoon, most of it in one long, steady ascent. The paths are good, but the climb takes stamina, so start early and keep a decent pace in the valley.

From the Mödlingerhütte the trail drops through the forest and reaches the valley floor at around 790 metres after a little over 4 kilometres. A flat stretch along the valley brings you to Johnsbach. At the Gasthof Kölblwirt trail 601 begins, climbing steeply at first up to the Koderalm. Above it the path eases towards the Stadlalm, a wide alpine pasture between the Stadelfeld and the Hochtor, followed by a fairly level traverse past Gamsbrunn.

A last climb takes you up to the Ennseck saddle, where the Hesshütte sits at almost 1,700 metres, right at the foot of the Hochtor, the highest peak of the Gesäuse. It is the largest and best-known hut in the area, so expect a busy terrace on summer evenings. About 13.5 kilometres, count on around 5 hours 45 minutes.