Hoher Kalmberg: First Hike Near Linz

The experience started all the way in Bad Goisern, where I approached a local older ski enjoyer on the train station and had a lengthy conversation about the local area and the best mountains to visit. After noting down his choices, the man, Pavlo and I all took the bus in the direction of Gosau and then got off at the Ramsau stop. From there, we started our hike towards the ridge ahead of us. This was the first successful 1000 elevation meter hike for Pavlo, so I was really looking forward to his feedback after we finish the hike.

The first section of the hike was quite easy. Hikers have a choice of either following the gravel road leading to a neighboring mountain hut or taking a more direct trail through the forest. We opted for the former and enjoyed the scenic views while walking uphill. Both of us got an international roaming call at the same time, Pavlo talked to his internet provider telling him about increased fees, while I had a quick chat with a friend who offered to play tennis some time soon.

After laughing from the coincidence, we continued our hike and soon reached the first mountain hut on our way, Iglmoosalm (1206 m). The hut was obviously closed for the season, but we took a break there to eat some snacks and put on our gaiters. From that point onwards, the trail was covered in snow and ice, so we needed the extra protection for our legs.

We continued our hike, sometimes taking shortcuts through the forest to avoid the icy patches on the main road. While it wasn't too difficult to traverse the terrain, navigating through the snow and finding the right path was a bit tricky.

Eventually, we reached an old wooden sign pointing off the main road uphill with many foot, snow shoe, and ski tracks leading in that direction. My offline map also pointed me in that direction, so we followed the trail and soon found ourselves on a ski tour trail leading up the mountain. The trail was quite bumpy, with constant ups and downs, but we made steady progress. I checked the map and realized that we were going practically parallel to the main road, so there was not much risk of getting lost, but also not much reward in terms of gained elevation.

As a result of this detour, we skipped the Schartenalm cluster of huts and went straight to the saddle between the neighboring peaks. The huts were closed anyway, but maybe the road upwards would have been more scenic than going through the forest. As we came to the saddle to Goiserer Hütte (1592 m), we saw a trail runner in shorts and summer gear enjoing a sandwich on a bench. We talked for a bit, discussed the surrounding peaks and had a scenic toilet break with a view of the Kalmberg peaks.

We also discussed which route down we should take. We had four options: going back the same way, going north down to Loskogel (1486 m), going south along Niederer Kalmberg (1827 m) and Brenntenkogel (1640 m) to the highway, or going straight down the north-eastern side of the ridge along the cable car directly to Bad Goisern.

Since logistically the last option sounded the best, we decided to try it out. Before departing, the trailrunner told us he shortly tried to take the north-eastern route down, but the snow was too deep and he had to turn back. Having gaiters and shoe spikes, we were a bit more optimistic about our chances. I then slid my hand across the wooden railing of the bench and got a nice splinter stuck in my finger, which I couldn't pull out on the spot and had to walk all the way down to the hotel with it.

Before heading down, we put on our shoe spikes and took a detour towards the highest summit of the ridge, Hoher Kalmberg (1833 m). The trail was quite shallow and well-marked with footsteps from other hikers, we even came across a couple going down from the peak, saying it's their first hike since last summer. We made it to the top without too much trouble, only occasionally sinking our feet into the snow. The views from the summit were breathtaking, with the surrounding peaks covered in a blanket of snow, while the valleys below were already green with spring coming.

We checked the visitor book hidden in a box at the summit cross, and found out that most people compare the summit cliff to a giant face. Now that I had some time to look at my photos, it really does look like a head, with the summit cross being a little hairpin and the cliff being the face itself.

We took a break for some photos and snacks, enjoyed the sun warming us up at 15°C, and then started our way back. The route back was nice and quick, and we got to the hut just in time to catch some more sunlight for the descent.

The descent started off immediately rough. The snow was deep and we kept sinking into it with every step. We were following the steps made by a previous hiker, and somehow those steps were shallow, but we kept sinking deeper and deeper as we went down. The gaiters kept sliding down and letting snow inside, but we pushed through, knowing that we would eventually get to the bottom where the snow melted.

At one point, we reached an old avalanche site, where the snow had slid down the slope, taking down bushes and grass with it. The avalanche snow was packed much tighter than the fresh snow around, so we decided to follow the avalanche path down instead of going around, hoping it would be easier to walk on. It was. Pavlo also tried taking some shortcuts through the vegetation, but the snow was much deeper there, getting his clothes wet.

As we kept going down, the snow got shallower and shallower, and eventually we started seeing patches of grass and dirt again. Soon after, we reached the Wallmann-Poidl-Rast outdoor shelter with a bunch of signs telling people to pick up trash and not to litter. We took a break there to take off our spikes and gaiters, and then continued down the forest trail. The feeling of relief from having solid ground under our feet was short-lived, as the trail onwards was covered in a layer of ice. Still, we couldn't be bothered to put on our spikes again, so we just took it slow and steady, using surrounding branches for balance where needed.

Eventually, we reached the bottom of the trail where the supply-only cable car was located. It's just a small shed with a road leading up to it from he town, but having it and a solid wide road to walk on was a huge help after the rough descent. We followed the road all the way down to the town, hoping for a clear gravel path, but the whole road was covered in ice from the sledging that took place there during the winter. Still, we made it down safely, and went shopping for some groceries before heading home.

Overall, it was an amazing hike with stunning views and a good challenge. A solid 1000 meters of elevation gain and loss, accessible from the town and the neighboring villages from the other side of the ridge. I would even go as far as recommending it for all seasons, as most of the trail is well-marked and the gravel roads are easy to follow. Just make sure to take the right equipment for the occasion, preferably some snow shoes in winter and some good hiking boots in summer.