Fear of heights? That would be a laugh if I missed out on the hike through the Kitzlochklamm gorge. At a height of 30 meters, I face my fear. I would do it again in a heartbeat!
One thing in advance: I have an extreme fear of heights. It's noticeable even at small bridges, supposedly beautiful viewing platforms and - above all - glass elevators.
But I still wanted to dare the adventure and hike through a gorge. Okay, at first I didn't quite know that I would have to deal with extreme heights and long bridges. But for you I have faced my greatest fear!
Here's what you need for this hiking adventure:
- Backpack with snack :)
- Water, granola bar
- In autumn: a good jacket and in summer a sweater
- Good shoes
- Absolutely a good camera
- A boyfriend or girlfriend
- If you have a dog: Your dog :)
For whom is this adventure suitable?
For those who want to switch off and enjoy a full load of nature. And also for people with fear of heights. I have also survived it and would do it again immediately :)
Table of contents
On to the supposedly most beautiful gorge in Austria
During a spontaneous short trip to the Salzburger Land we decided to visit the supposedly most beautiful gorge in Austria: The Kitzlochklamm. So pack a backpack with essentials such as a rain jacket, drinks and, of course, the camera. Then off we went to the gorge. It is located in the beautiful Rauris valley near Taxenbach. Here the Rauriser Ache shoots with quite a force through narrow gorges and then flows into the Salzach.
Since we have the Tauern National Park Card, we do not have to pay anything, otherwise € 6.00 are due for adults. After a small checkout and a souvenir store, the adventure begins.
My first view of the gorge does not bode well: wooden walkways as far as the eye can see. And that at a pretty good height. And in the I see a huge, long, high bridge. Oh dear, that could be fun. First I take a deep breath and swallow my fear. I accept the challenge.
Warnings and the duration of the hike
A tour through the gorge should supposedly take an hour. Well, that I hold out so long. Several warning signs and rules of conduct pepper the entrance. Such as do not go in large groups on the footbridges, only individually and not next to each other and also do not lean over the bridge railing. What sounds a bit exaggerated at first, but will soon prove to be extremely important.
I take the first step onto the wooden walkway. It creaks lightly under my feet. My eyes grow wide. My heart races faster. "Don't back down now," I tell myself and put one foot in front of the other.
The footbridges give the hikers a safe feeling, I also feel quite safe on the narrow paths. But it is quite strenuous, especially the many steps and narrow turns. But the effort is worth it - the gorge is really narrow in places and meter-high rock walls make us look tiny. Below us, the Rauriser Ache pours out and we see beautiful turquoise bays.
We reach a hill that makes me shudder a little. Here it goes meters and quite steeply up. I fight my way through and after a few minutes I feel that all the stair climbing will have a positive effect on my butt. Yippee!
Of strange noises and climbers tired of life
Almost at the top I hear strange noises, sounds something like rattling metal. As I search the walls with my gaze, I see a climber - for me - tired of life, experiencing the gorge at an incredible height in a different way than we do. In the Kitzlochklamm there is an adventurous high-altitude via ferrata that experienced climbers can climb. I would also like, but I leave that then but our Nina.
Once on the hill, we pass through some caves and tunnels. Extremely beautiful and worth seeing is also the Einsidelei. Until recently, a shepherd lived here alone with his goats. I can hardly imagine how one can live here, so isolated and in such a small space. But he apparently enjoyed it very much.
At the end of the hike, another big challenge for me: crossing the huge bridge. Daringly, I put one foot in front of the other. My knees go weak, my heart beats a little faster and my fingertips get cold. Should I really dare to look down? Yes, but hello! Of course. That would be a laugh! I close my eyes, hold on to the bridge, take a deep breath and then open my eyes very slowly.
The view is priceless! I am mighty proud and full of cockiness that I have decided to go over the bridge. I even have a photo taken of me:
The accident in the Kitzlochklamm gorge
After the bridge there is a small memorial. When I learned what this was built for, I get soft knees. My cockiness is suddenly gone and the warnings written at the entrance of the gorge suddenly make sense.
In 1947 there was a terrible accident here. A school group consisting of 30 schoolgirls went on an excursion to this gorge. On a footbridge, the teacher wanted to take a group photo and the schoolgirls lined up together to pose for the picture.
Under this load, the footbridge collapsed and pulled all the children down with it. 8 students lost their lives, the rest were rescued, some seriously injured. After this accident, the footbridges were renewed with steel girders to ensure greater safety.
I find this story very bad, nevertheless, I feel very safe on the footbridges. And that means something! After the memorial we make our way back, which was much shorter and less spectacular than the way there.
The conclusion to the adventure Kitzlochklamm
For me, this trip to the gorge was extremely worth seeing. We were there in autumn. The water level of the Rauriser Ache was quite low, so the waterfalls also looked less impressive. In spring, the gorge is supposed to be even more beautiful, because here the meltwater brings more water masses and the Ache flows turquoise shining into the Salzach.
Thumbs up for those who are into nature and want to face their fear of heights. If I can do it, so can you! :)
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