Kalbling

The Kalbling stands in the Gesäuse National Park in Upper Styria, a sharp pyramid of rock rising above the western edge of the park. It belongs to the Admont-Reichenstein Group and is one of the most striking peaks in the area. Though lower than some neighbours, its clean lines make it visible from far away in the south and west. The mountain is famous both as a viewpoint and as a climb, with routes that attract hikers and mountaineers alike. The normal route is straightforward for experienced walkers but needs care in spring when snowfields cross the path from the Klinke Hut. That hut sits on the Scheiblegg High Alm at 1 503 m and can be reached by a toll road from Kaiserau. From the hut the trail goes through the Kalbling Gate and circles the mountain over steep scree slopes, finally reaching the summit meadows called Speikboden. Many climbers add the nearby Sparafeld or Kreuzkogel to the day’s tour. To the east the path drops into the Flietzen Gorge and leads to the Mödling Hut below the Reichenstein. From the top the view stretches west to the Dachstein massif and, on clear days, as far as the Grossglockner nearly 150 km away. The South Ridge, first climbed in 1922 by Alfred Horeschowsky and Franz Piekielko, remains the classic climb with routes graded from minus four to five. Other popular lines include the Baumgärtner Way and Herbst-Scholz on the West Face, while the Scheiblehner Riss and the South-West Pillar offer harder tests. The South Wall has routes that are often loose and have claimed lives, though the South Couloir is still climbed regularly.