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| Krippenstein to 5 Fingers Austria, WW | |
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| | Krippenstein to 5 Fingers Austria, WW | | | |
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Krippenstein to 5 Fingers Austria, WW
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| no partners | | After driving through the “lake district” and an early morning visit to the touristy Hallstatt Lake, we headed to our primary destination for the day—a hike near Krippenstein peak, which would include a visit to the "5 Fingers"--a catwalk overlook of Hallstatt Lake from several thousand feet above, with 5 viewing platforms.
The gondola has three stages, and our plan was to take it to the top and then do a hike out to a nearby glacier, after stopping at the second station for a short out and back to the 5 Fingers.
I had read that stages 2 and 3 of the gondola were being repaired due to some storm damage, but were slated to reopen the day we arrived. However, when we got there, they informed us that the upper stages were still closed, and only stage 1 was operating.
So, we adjusted our plan and decided to just hike up to the 5 Fingers from the top of stage 1. It is a demanding hike--8-9 miles round trip with around 3000 ft. of elevation gain. On the plus side, it almost guaranteed that there would be very few other tourists up there. 
So, up we went. The quick ride was fun and provided immediate views! It was still early in the morning and we were only one of the first gondolas up. At the top of stage one, most of the other passengers were headed toward a nearby ice cave for a paid tour. But we set out for 5 Fingers.
The hike immediately started climbing and was unrelenting. We climbed over 1600 feet in the first 1.5 miles. At that point, we were glad to have some cloud cover and moderate temps.
On our way, we passed another small lake as well as a side path to a minor summit--Daumenkogel--that I made a mental note to climb on our way back.
The path also had a short side trip to a small ice cave that we peeked into and explored a bit on the return.
At the upper gondola station there was a restaurant/mountain hut, which we bypassed and headed to the 5 fingers--another 20 minute walk. Luckily for us, by this time, the clouds had largely cleared up, promising great views from the overlook. And great views they were! The beauty was enhanced by the hard work we had to endure to get there, and by the fact that--as anticipated--we had this normally very popular spot all to ourselves (except for the birds, who clearly also missed the tourist crush and the food they typically bring along and share with the local fowl).
The "fingers" were cool, and the views breathtaking. Kristine somewhat reluctantly cooperated in my photo shooting endeavors, though I apparently "owe her, big-time!" Haha!
Other than having (literally) to beat back the birds, we enjoyed lunch at the overlook. The overlook area is also the spot of a nice via ferrata. I would have loved to do that one, but didn't have the gear (or the time). Next time I'm in the area .... 
After lunch, we headed back, which involved a moderate climb back up to the high point above the gondala station, where a circular staircase structure had been erected, honoring the UNESCO world heritage designation of the area. It also provided some cool 360 degree views, and had various plaques, denoting other amazing natural wonders of the world and their distance from there. One fo the wonders noted was our very own Grand Canyon--a mere 9300 kilometers away!
We took photos and relaxed a bit on the wavy benches that they had on the hilltop before heading back down.
The ice cave was kind of neat and had a solid ice sheet as well as a small, frozen waterfall/column.
We also took a short detour to visit a random, giant shark sculpture that had been placed on the mountain, in homage to sharks that apparently were in the area eons ago when this was a tropical ocean!
Per my mental note on the way up, I took a 20 min. side trip to climb another 500 feet to the Daumenkogel summit, which had nice views and a cool wrought-iron cross erected on top (I also noted another via ferrata leading to this summit). Kristine skipped this side trip, so I had some catching up to do.
In the meantime, the heavens opened up and it rained/drizzled, making the steep trail slippery and tricky to descend. I eventually caught up with Kristine and we finished the hike together--after only slipping and falling a combined 3-4 times.
The rain let up before we finished hiking, and on our drive back, we stopped at a small town--St. Gilgen--just on the edge of Wolfgangsee for dinner (pasta carbonara for Kristine, and pizza for me). The food was yummy and the views of the lake amazing.
After dinner, we drove back, stopping along the lakes to take a few photos and breathe in the incredible scenery.
Arriving back in Salzburg, we were very happy with our choice of adventures on the day! |
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