Super ferrata - D/E
Elevation: 1,2 km / Lenght: 2 km
Approach: 1,5 hrs / Duration: 7-8 hrs
Rating: 6/5
https://ferrataguide.com/ferrata/Super_-_Ferrata_-_Dachstein
Every avid via ferrata enthusiast should experience this at least once in their lifetime, as it is a real test of your physical and mental fitness. This via ferrata is not so much about the technical difficulty as about the total length of the route and the extreme exposure.
In our case, the day started at 4 am and at 4:30 am we set off with headlamps from the first cable car station towards Dachstein. The super ferrata consists of three separate via ferratas: Anna, Johann and Hoher Dachstein. The ascent itself takes about an hour, but because we took the wrong direction at the signpost, it took almost an hour and a half in our case.
Honestly, before embarking on the first via ferrata Anna, I wanted to go back to the car. The idea of climbing the rock at 7 am and the fact that I still had at least another 6 to 8 hours of climbing and ascent ahead of me was not at all exciting. Unfortunately, the via ferrata was not easy to climb at all, as it was built for left-handed people (or at least that's what Luboš and I thought), so after less than the first hour I started to get cramps in my left hand. So I tried not to put too much strain on my hand and kept climbing.
Towards the end of Anna, a very exposed D section awaits you, which I would personally describe as the second most challenging of the entire Super ferrata. After I overcame this challenging section, my fear slowly began to leave me. We successfully climbed the top of Anna and we were again faced with a relatively long and unpleasant passage through the scree. Fortunately, there was no snow in our case, but in June or July, snow is definitely the norm here, be careful.
After a short rest, the main highlight of the day came, the second via ferrata called Johann. It was an extremely exposed climb that took 3 to 4 hours. At the beginning, you will find the dreaded D/E section, but in my opinion it was not that challenging - it is a short, smaller overhang. For a few seconds you have to hold on tightly with one hand while you switch carabiners with the other. Done, you are at the top. The next hour of climbing is quite easy, mostly in difficulty B/C.
At the first rest area you will have a small snack and also mental preparation for the most famous part of the entire via ferrata. You will be climbing almost continuously up the almost vertical wall. I was quite pumped up and could not imagine how difficult it would be. The wall looked really scary from below.
There was no point in waiting, Luboš set off and I followed him right after. Unfortunately, I will not tell you what was happening around me, because I did not look down at my feet for the whole hour and only looked up. But my fears were not fulfilled. I can assure you that the designation C/D to D in this case is based on the exposure of the via ferrata. Technically, I would classify the section as B/C to C. It feels like climbing a ladder - it really wasn't difficult, it was just really high.
At the second rest stop, I was overcome by a slight euphoria. I thought the worst was over and the next hour of the route would be a piece of cake. Which it actually was, compared to what I had already climbed. But what surprised me, and what I couldn't forgive myself for saying a few dirty words about, was the very end of this via ferrata. It was a rock ledge, below which a 500 m deep precipice opened. It really wasn't my cup of tea and I literally flew over this passage as quickly as possible. Suddenly it was over, Johann had been climbed.
Then we had a rest at a mountain hut, where I had the most expensive soup of my life and a well-deserved Coca Cola. After that, we had a short journey across the glacier. Unfortunately, in August the glacier is usually very melted and starting the final, third, relatively easy via ferrata of difficulty B/C may not be possible at all. That is why I recommend climbing during the end of June or the beginning of July. The crevasses in the glacier are very dangerous and you never know where you will step. Many people were looking for a way to get to the via ferrata. But without glacier equipment it was really impossible and in no way safe.
So it was the end for us, which Luboš was definitely more sad than me. I already climbed the Hoher Dachstein last year, so I have already unofficially conquered the Super ferrata. Maybe that counts too, haha. I would also recommend booking the cable car in advance, which is hopelessly sold out on a sunny summer day. Our expedition took about 7 hours and 1650 vertical meters. If climbing all the way to the top, I would expect it to take 9 to 10 hours. It is truly an experience for the whole day.
I don't plan on repeating this experience yet, but never say never. It's a real climb that not everyone can do, but I'm definitely glad I went for it and did it. It definitely makes you feel good about yourself.