Fernau - D
Elevation: 200 m / Lenght: 320 m
Approach: 10 min / Duration: 1 hrs
Rating: 5/5
If I had to recommend just one ferrata this year, it would be Fernau with a difficulty level of D. I haven't enjoyed climbing as much as I do here in a long time.
I would definitely not rate the difficulty of the climb as D, and almost not even as C/D. Most of the time you climb a C, with the more challenging sections being only a few metres long and easily manageable. So you might be wondering why I enjoyed this ferrata so much when it was actually quite simple?
In a word: variety. The beginning was marked by power climbing on a bare rock face without any retainers. This was followed by traversing around sharp rock and passage between tight boulders, where I almost got stuck with my backpack on my back (and I'm no fatty) and then suddenly at a height of more than 100 metres, very exposed sections complemented by beautiful views of the surroundings.
As you might expect, the most exposed sections also contain the most challenging passages of the entire ferrata. Every few dozen meters brings something new and different. The rock itself is completely different from the ones I usually climb. I don't know exactly why, but this ferrata really caught my attention after the first few meters and my enthusiasm lasted until the end. I haven't enjoyed climbing as much as I did here in a long time - even though the entire ferrata is actually quite easy.
You still have to climb a few more meters to reach the top of Egesengrat (2631m). The reward for getting up early was taking pictures of the local sheep and chilling with them, which was really great. In addition, there are many other options in the area to have fun - for example, continuing with the cable car to the top and then hiking the final 150m to the top of Schaufelspitze (3332m). Your wallet will be 40 euros lighter after paying for the cable car, so make it worth it.
Circular route from the cable car by ferrata to the top of Egesengrat (2631m).