Scheiblingpalfen

The Scheiblingpalfen is a 1,304-metre mountain in the upper Steiermark Enns valley, standing where the Forstaubach stream meets the valley floor. It forms the easternmost spur of the Eibenberg massif, which stretches for about seven kilometres between the Enns river to the north and the lower Forstau to the south. The mountain’s jagged rock towers mark the eastern end of the Mandling Pass, a narrow gorge that carries the border between Salzburg and Steiermark.

Geologists recognise the Scheiblingpalfen as part of the Ramsau dolomite belt, formed roughly 235 million years ago. Its pale walls contain a darker band of Cardita oolite, a rock typical of the eastern Mandling area, while the lower slopes rest on grey phyllite from the Grauwackenzone. In the 1970s engineers stabilised the unstable southern flank with works along the Forstaubach stream.

Walkers reach the summit via the marked trail from Gleiming, passing open gravel slopes and the characteristic rock pinnacles that give the mountain its name. From the top there are wide views across the Enns valley and into the Salzburger Schieferalpen. The contrast between the pale dolomite cliffs and the darker oolite band is visible on the southern face, a reminder of the region’s complex geological history.