Gamsblick - C
Elevation: 200 m / Lenght: 550 m
Approach: 1,5 hrs / Duration: 1,5 hrs
Rating: 4/5
At first glance, this via ferrata sparked an unexpected sense of respect in me. The wall is undeniably beautiful, but from below - standing at the mountain hut - it looked fairly demanding.
In the end, though, the toughest part wasn't the ferrata itself but the approach hike, which takes around two hours from the parking lot at a relaxed pace. Climbing uphill in direct sunlight was exhausting, and the trail itself wasn't exactly pleasant, especially during the final half hour.
Once you reach the start, the ferrata can technically be climbed in about 45 minutes - assuming your girlfriend is waiting below with heatstroke and you're in a hurry. Without rushing, expect roughly 1 hour and 15 minutes. The climbing felt quite monotonous; the difficulty remained almost constant the entire time. It's a pure C, but situated at a very impressive height. I occasionally struggled to ignore the 300 meters of empty space beneath my feet. But the views? Absolutely fantastic.
The real trouble, however, was the descent, which I wouldn't even call a "trail." In some sections we had to jump across sharp rocks, and parts of the route led down loose scree that kept slipping under our feet. I was honestly relieved when, after about an hour, we finally made it back down to stable ground, where I could enjoy the scenery — and my grumbling girlfriend.
Circular route from the parking lot to the mountain hut and onward to the ferrata.