Great Ring of Wilderness, 5-day route

The first section of the route leads along the national park Wilderness Trail Buchensteig along the Groß Bach stream.

About 2 hours through beech forests past the Wilden Graben to the junction with Begsteigersteig in the Kohlersgraben. Immediately before the ascent, we pass a highly interesting spring. Here the Ebenforstbach reappears, which disappears through a ponor on the alpine pastures and flows underground through the karst. The Ebenforstalm, our destination for today’s hike, can be reached from here in 3 to 3 1/2 hours.

First, it goes steeply uphill to the right, and after a quarter of an hour we reach a forest road, which we then follow uphill to the right again. After the next left turn, the path branches off to the right onto a cart track. Then it goes uphill a bit through the forest to a larger crossroads. Here we follow the left path uphill. This section of the path is particularly attractive due to its natural deadwood component. After half an hour, we reach a clearing where the path now goes down a scree slope (caution steep!) along the hillside to a wider stream bed. Here, the Ebenforster Bach flows with sufficient water; we cross it easily and then climb the hillside on the other side again. After another half hour, the high plateau is reached. This area is called “Klaushof”. In the past, the stream was dammed here with a sluice, until a Klaussee or Klaushof was filled. With this artificial flood, tree trunks could be drifted in stages through the gorges and trenches as far as Reichraming.

Now it is not far to the forest road; we follow path 472 to the left and at the next road junction to the right, then again to the left towards Ebenforstalm. The last section of the path leads past the Themed Trail Wool Grass, Alpine Pasture and Water Sink, past the water sink and through the Ebenforster moor (see detailed description on the following pages). Our destination for the day, the Ebenforstalm Hut, has been reached.

Day 2
We leave Ebenforstalm towards Schaumbergalm - with the peaks of Alpstein and Trämpl always in sight - over the alpine meadow to the left up the ridge towards Trämpl. Upon reaching the flat alpine pasture, the path forks. Those who choose the shorter variant and want to skip the viewpoint mountains continue along the right path towards Schaumbergalm. Towards Alpstein, we follow the left trail uphill through a forest area. The path continues over a vegetated scree field and then through another forest area. Here the path is very steep and slippery when wet. After about an hour, the Luchsboden saddle between Alpstein and Trämpl is reached. From here, it is still a good quarter of an hour to the summit of Alpstein. The summit area is exposed; sure-footedness and no fear of heights are necessary. The magnificent view into the Reichraminger Hintergebirge makes the ascent worthwhile!
We return the same way to the Luchsboden and from there continue in about 30 minutes to Trämpl. After signing the summit book, we now descend towards Schaumbergalm, which is beautifully visible from here. The descent from the summit is somewhat steep and rocky; then the path leads through the forest and finally over the alpine meadows directly to Schaumbergalm Hut.
After an extensive lunch break, we now head down the forest road for just under half an hour to the entry of path no. 472a (to the left) towards Bodinggraben. The view of the northern faces of the Sengsengebirge is breathtaking at any time of year. We now hike a stretch through the forest along the Salzträgersteig until we reach a forest road again – caution slippery when wet! We follow this road downhill to the left. At the next junction, we turn left towards Windischgarsten/Steyrsteg on path no. 472. After another 20 minutes, the hiking trail starts again, which leads us straight past the Iron Hergott over the Steyrsteg. This section now descends very steeply to the Krumme Steyrling; caution is advised!

After 45 minutes, we have reached the forest road again, and now it is only 5 minutes straight ahead to our destination for the day – the Steyrsteg Bivouac Site. Now an exciting night awaits us amidst the forest wilderness of the national park!

Day 3
After packing up all our belongings again at the bivouac site, we can set off. We walk a short stretch back (about 3 minutes) to the fork towards Weingartalm, which we reach after 30 minutes and 200 meters ascent on the forest road. The Weingartalm is not managed; the old hut lies picturesquely on the forest edge with wonderful views of the surrounding mountains. From here, the highest mountain of the Hintergebirge, the Große Grötzenberg at 1,724 meters, could also be climbed in about 2 hours.
Continuing towards Großnalm and Windischgarsten on hiking path no. 470. After 5 minutes, the road forks; we follow the left route, and after another 10 minutes, a forest path branches off left from the road. This path leads first through young beech stands, later over windthrow areas with views of the Tote Gebirge, gently uphill and downhill. After roughly an hour, a fork is reached; here we continue straight on path no. 470 downhill to Großnalm, which we reach in 10 minutes. The route is not very visible here; we follow the alpine meadow downhill and keep right. Großnalm is a pasture area without a managed hut; occasional summer guests are Noriker horses and white donkeys. A lunch break is well-timed now. Driving livestock to the alpine pastures during summer offers many advantages. The animals toughen up and their growth is promoted. Both Großnalm and Weingartalm are very species-rich and host various habitats. This diversity can only be preserved through management and care.
From the lower end of the alpine pasture, it is only a short way to the junction with forest road Langfirst, which we follow left for an hour to the unmanaged Dörflmoaralm. From here, you have one of the most beautiful views of the Windischgarsten valley and the mountains of the Haller Mauern. Now we leisurely continue down the forest road for a good half hour to the Zickerreith Hut. Here you can strengthen yourself with a magnificent alpine pasture snack and book a cozy bed for the night.

Day 4

The next morning, the same path leads back uphill to Dörflmoaralm. After a short break at the alpine hut, we hike left over the wet alpine meadows to the Ahornsattel between Langfirst and Wasserklotz, probably the most beautiful viewpoint mountain in the Hintergebirge. The next path section is partially steep downhill and slippery when wet. Numerous springs originate here, which is why the area is also called “Siebenbrünn”. After two hours through primeval forests with mountain elms, maples, beech, larch and spruce, the pasture area of Blahbergalm is reached, and shortly afterwards the alpine hut greets us. The alpine pasture building, completely renovated in 1999, dates mostly from 1930.
After a rest, we leave Blahbergalm heading north down the alpine meadows to the forest edge, where the path leads right along the pasture fence. Soon it goes downhill sharply, past the Rebhandl cross to the road bend. In some hiking maps, the route here is marked differently. Over the old Knappensteig, it continues downhill (detailed information see description “Knappensteig”). We now walk a stretch just outside the national park along the forest pasture boundary of Bergeralm downhill. After an hour, we have reached the valley floor and the Nationalpark Weißwasser Bivouac Site.

**** Overnight variant: Those who prefer to spend the third night at the Weißwasser Bivouac Site can hike directly from Dörflmoaralm for one and a half hours to Blabergalm and then descend in about 45 minutes via Knappensteig to the Weißwasser bivouac site.****

Then it goes quickly on the forest road straight towards Reichraming. Those who choose the variant via Hirschkogelsattel must turn right here and reach Anlaufalm in about two hours. Otherwise, we reach the Schleierfall after 45 minutes on the former route of the legendary forest railway (now forest road) through several tunnels.

Via the Hochschlacht (only for experienced hikers), it goes about two and a half hours and 440 meters uphill to Anlaufalm. The narrow trail begins immediately to the right after Schleierfall and goes steeply uphill at once. Soon you reach a hilltop with a rest bench and first views of the Hintergebirge and the Große Schlucht. The path then steadily climbs along the ridge, and after about 40 minutes walking time, the Hochschlachtbach invites for a welcome refreshment. The next section through the gorge along the creek, flanked by steep rock formations, is particularly attractive. At a fork, we branch left uphill and leave the creek. Now it goes steeply uphill again, partly through the forest, and after another 40 minutes, we have reached the pasture area. From here, it is still a good half hour over alpine meadows without significant inclines to the Anlaufalm Hut – the day’s goal is reached. If you still have energy, we recommend a short detour to the farmer’s cross at Klausriegel just a few minutes’ walk from the alpine hut.

Day 5
We leave Anlaufalm the same way over the alpine meadows back to the fork before the forest edge. Here we follow the path straight towards Annerlsteg/Brunnbach no. 487/488 a short stretch downhill through the forest until the path merges into a forest road. We now hike along the national park border for a stretch. After about 10 minutes’ walk, path no. 487 branches off left towards Annerlsteg/Triftsteig. The next 20 minutes descend partially steeply into the Keixengraben; the path crosses a dry spot in the stream bed and we reach a forest road, where we turn right towards Brunnbach. Soon, a road junction is reached. We turn left towards Keixen/Großer Bach and hike, now again inside the national park, through a clearcut on a wide path downhill. The Kyrill storm in 2008 caused massive bark beetle infestation and numerous trees had to be removed. In the following years, trap trees were laid out to contain the mass reproduction.
After a quarter of an hour, we reach Keixen, a meadow with the remains of former residential and stable buildings. Here lived a professional hunter with his family until the 1950s, who also kept livestock for self-sufficiency.
The path makes a sharp right turn immediately at the remains of the buildings. After another 10 minutes, we finally have reached the forest road in the valley, which we follow along the Groß Bach to the Klaushütte. A short break is recommended here, as it is about 3 hours’ hike from the Buchensteig to the Anzenbach barrier.
Refreshed, we continue downhill towards Reichraming with a short detour at the Große Klause. Before the tunnel, the path branches left to Klaushütte, where the former building can be made out from above. After the tunnel, a wooden footbridge leads left into the gorge to the former Klaustümpel – impressive when you know that here once stood the most important timber rafting structure in the Hintergebirge with a dam height of almost 9 meters, which impounded a lake with 255,000 cubic meters of water.

We follow the road for a short distance and then branch off at Rabenbach onto the Wilderness Trail Buchensteig. After about 45 minutes’ walking time, the Ring of Wilderness closes at the entry to Begsteigersteig, where we branched off on the first day to Ebenforstalm. The following section is already known to us (see description of Wilderness Trail Buchensteig) and after two hours’ walking time, we have reached the starting point of our hike at the Anzenbach barrier – after five unforgettable days through the forest wilderness in the Nationalpark Kalkalpen!