Arlberger Klettersteig

David and I had planned for a long time to spend the 1st of August bank holiday weekend (Swiss national holiday) doing via ferratas somewhere in the Alps. After studying the weather forecast, we decided on Tirol. On Friday morning we drove to St. Anton near the Arlbergpass, with the objective of completing the Arlberger Klettersteig.

 

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We take the Ganzigbahn cable car, with its rather unique cog wheel system at the valley station. At the middle station, we have to wait for 20 minutes for the Vallugagrat cable car, since due to technical problems this one is only running at 50% capacity. The steep descent from the cable car station to the Valfagherjoch (T4) is not to be underestimated. I discover this the hard way when I slip on some loose stones and fall on my bum... Luckily no major harm is done.

Ahead is a rocky ridge with numerous summits. The via ferrata follows this ridge all the way to the Weissschrofenspitze, making for a good 4 hours of actual via ferrataing. A good physical condition is an absolute requirement! Many of the difficulties occur in the descents, in between the different summits, and also at the very end, on the final descent after the Weissschrofenspitze. The AlpinVerlag guide gives these descents a C/D grade, while the ascent of the Knoppenjochspitze gets a D grade. Personally, I struggled more with the descents. That might just be me, though. I don't really like to be hanging by my arms off the cable. At one point in the descent of the Knoppenjochspitze, I even create an extra foothold with a sling, just to be sure. Overall, the D grade seems about right.

As we finish the via ferrata, a thunderstorm is approaching from the south. We've bought a return ticket for the Valluga cable car, but we're running a little late already and with the thunderstorm approaching, we instead head for the Kapall ski lift, in the direct vicinity of the exit of the via ferrata. They're happy to accept our Vallugagrat return ticket on the ski lift as well, but not right away, since the lift is temporarily shutting down until the thunderstorm has passed. We take shelter in the nearby restaurant. Half an hour later, the skies are clear again, and we get down to St. Anton without further incident.

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The Arlberger Klettersteig is an epic via ferrata, with considerable up and down along a spectacular ridge. I'm not such a fan of the demanding down-climbing, which is about the only bad thing I can say about the route. An alpine environment with easy access (though mind the operating times of the cable car!), great views and a full 4 hours of challenging via ferrata. A great start to our weekend.

Next day: Tajakante Klettersteig