Throw a rope, a harness and a carabiner into the boot and set off without checking a timetable – it certainly is convenient. But as people who love mountain sports, we should always be mindful of nature in everything we do.
Sustainable access is no longer just a matter of making sacrifices. E-bikes are particularly popular – though there is the catch that Cycling isn’t permitted on all forest tracks, and on Hiking Trails you’d have to walk anyway. And anyone who isn’t from the mountains first has to get from the city to the Starting Point. For this, buses and trains are the best alternative to driving your own car. In many tourist regions, regional transport offers ‘free train travel’ or ‘free bus travel’ in summer – especially with a visitor’s card. The Steinberge show how this works for climbing enthusiasts.
Important: the services included in each visitor card vary from season to season. You should therefore check the terms and conditions with the tourist board or your accommodation provider before booking.
Example: You live in Munich and your Finishing Point is the Steinplatte in Waidring in the Pillerseetal valley. When you book your accommodation, you can ask for the link to the guest card to be sent to you straight away and save it in the app.
Throughout your stay, you can use it on all local trains between Hochfilzen and Wörgl, as well as on buses within the Pillerseetal valley – eastwards as far as Lofer and westwards as far as Ellmau. It’s much more relaxing than sitting in a traffic jam, and you’ll have plenty of time to study Adi Stocker’s climbing guide at your leisure.
There’s also the PillerseeTal Card, which includes, amongst other things, a daily ride on the Uphill Facilities up to the Steinplatte – so you’re right at the foot of the crag in no time. The Henne and Marokka Via Ferratas/Iron Ways on the other side of the valley are also accessible via the Fieberbrunn Uphill Facilities. The scope and validity of the card vary, so do check in advance.
If the Loferer Steinberge are your Finishing Point, it’s just as straightforward: anyone staying overnight in the Saalachtal valley in Salzburg can use the local guest card to travel on public transport throughout the Pinzgau region. It’s valid from the day of arrival – so if you’re travelling by train, you won’t have to pay anything extra from Salzburg, or from Zell am See or Saalfelden Leogang.
The same applies to the Leoganger Steinberge with the Saalfelden Leogang visitor’s card. The Leoganger Nord and Süd Via Ferrata/Iron Way routes, which start from the Passauer Mountain Lodge/Hut, can be easily reached via Leogang-Steinberge railway station – and you can even decide at the last minute whether to descend to Saalfelden or Weißbach. This is something you simply can’t do if you drive your own car to the Starting Point.
In addition, there are ‘Almerlebnis’ buses in the region that also serve more remote Starting Points. Timetables and operating seasons vary – do check briefly before setting off.
Within the region, an E-Bike gets you to the nearest climbing spot in no time – and in many cases takes you even closer than buses and trains can. There are hire points in every town: in the Pillerseetal, in the Loferer & Leogang Rocky Mountains, and in Leogang and Saalfelden.
One point that is often overlooked: Cycling isn’t permitted on all forest tracks in Austria, and certainly not on Hiking Trails. So before setting off, check briefly just how far you’re actually allowed to ride.
And if the weather isn’t on your side: Fieberbrunn offers e-car sharing – an alternative that is, at the very least, lower in emissions than driving your own petrol or diesel car.
Tips & Safety
Would you like to know more about climbing safety? Click here for our safety tips.
