Adventures around Vienna - how I learned to climb my area

My life is a stroke of luck. I managed to combine two of my passions and make money from it. I love books and I need a lot of exercise in nature. I have been able to design the Kral Verlag leisure program for nine years. That means constant suggestions and preoccupation with hiking, leisure ideas and temptations. Stephanie has already reported on our book program in her wonderful blog.

Of course, I talk a lot with my authors about personal summit experiences, tours and insider tips. For years it has been embarrassing to keep confessing. "Yes, I haven't climbed the mountain yet, there are passages that I can't handle." There was always the fear of looking down, a form of fear of heights. And then we made a book with one of our favorite authors, Tom Rambauske.

Tom runs his own blog www.bergnews.com, was for many years a leading editor of one of the largest outdoor magazines in Austria and eventually also a teacher. He knows more peculiarities than hardly anyone and wanted to publish a guide for all seasons and possibilities around Vienna. I have seldom been so amazed at reading as in this manuscript. There are places to watch deer roe, tours with geocaching treasure hunts, to find the best spots for wild garlic or wild berries, or information about creepy caves and much more.

preparation for the via ferrata

 via ferrata in the Vienna Woods

 via ferrata in the Vienna Woods

In the chapter "ridges and climbing rocks" I was puzzled. Already at the headline, I usually got a breath. But then I read about the Mödling via ferrata: the hairiest part is the entrance, i.e. two meters above the ground, you can get off the entire via ferrata at any time and it only takes about 45 minutes to walk.

In fact, on mountain tours it is often the case that you walk two to three hours until the rocky passages come. As a well-prepared hiker, you know about the “key point” long in advance and can cramp up well until you have to master it. If I have the opportunity to work on the climbing technique and maybe just practice a single passage in my vicinity, I should take a look at it. At some point in early summer of last year it was time. I packed up my via ferrata set, my helmet and all my courage and took on the Wienerwald adventure.

With a lot of mental support from my companion, it took me half an hour to get to the entry point. It took me around two hours to master half of the climb, then I was fix and foxi, but also incredibly proud and afterwards enjoyed the best gin and tonic of my life. The sore muscles the following day had the format of a Glockner ascent. But it didn't matter, a start was made. I had looked into my fear and the exposed areas.

via ferrata (c) Tom Rambauske

via ferrata (c) Tom Rambauske

via ferrata (c) Tom Rambauske

This summer I walked the climb three more times, at the end I even took the suspension bridge (!!) twice in a row (just for fun) and what do you want to hear? I've been climbing my via ferrata in half an hour.

It helped me a lot in my annual preparation for wilder mountain adventures, to start and „train“ in Mödling. I still don't have to climb steeply sloping ridge passages, but I can take some mountain walks a little more relaxed.

That is why it is particularly important to me to recommend the many mini-adventures we can discover in the Vienna Woods (for all ages), especially in a year in which we should all take the opportunity to get to know a little more of our area. How about a moonwalk over the Kahlenberg or a sunrise on the Buchberg? I have an honestly helpful book tip:

Thomas Rambauske: Freizeit-Erlebnis 45 Wienerwald-Abenteuer. Stille, schrille, skurrile Naturerlebnisse für Familien und Genießer Kral Verlag 978-3-99024-747-1

45 Wienerwald-Abenteuer von Thomas Ramauske

climbed the summit

finally arrived