Karleck round

We start our hike from the Ardningalm car park, following trail no. 613 up to the Arling Saddle. Here, at the border between Upper Austria and Styria, we enjoy the magnificent views — southward toward Ardning and northward toward Spital am Pyhrn and Windischgarsten.

From the saddle, we take the gently descending path to an alpine hut, from where a forest road leads gradually downhill. Soon, the Großer Pyhrgas comes into view, with its slopes surrounded by mountain pines and its distinctive white-grey limestone peak. About one kilometer from the Arling Saddle, we reach the road that leads up from the Bosruckhütte on the Spital am Pyhrn side.

From here, we can either follow the forest road uphill or cross the road, pass through a cattle gate, and after a few steps join a grassy forest track that gently ascends for about 15 minutes to the Rohrauer House. Depending on the time of day, we’ve certainly earned a coffee with cake, a hearty snack, or a warm bowl of soup.

Refreshed, we continue to the Pyhrgasgatterl, where the borders of three municipalities meet: Ardning, Hall, and Spital am Pyhrn. This is also the starting point of the Hofersteig, the trail up to the Großer Pyhrgas. We, however, take the path toward Ardningalm, climbing one last time to a scenic saddle. From here, the Enns Valley, stretching from Ardning to Selzthal, lies at our feet.

A charming alpine trail leads us through lovely pastures to the Bacher Alm, where a forest road begins again. The varied route continues through forest and alpine meadows back to the point where we first branched off toward the Arling Saddle. With the Bosruck ahead of us — and, with a bit of luck, some chamois at its base — we descend to the Ardningalm.

On the terrace or in the cozy hut, we bring our Karleck Circuit to a pleasant close.