Kesselfall - Höhenburg

Access to starting point:
Through the Karawanks Tunnel, we drive to Austria, and then we continue driving on Tauern highway. Further, we drive through the tunnel Katschberg and later also Tauerntunnel, we follow the highway towards Salzburg only to exit for Bischofshofen, from where we continue driving on a four-lane road towards the already mentioned town. From Bischofshofen we follow the signs for settlement Zell am See and then for settlement Kaprun. In Kaprun we continue through the valley Kaprunertal and we follow the signs »Speichererseen«. The slightly ascending road we follow all the way to the end. We park in a free garage, which is located at the end of the road by the mountain hut Kesselfall Alpenhaus. The road which goes further from the garage is closed for public traffic.

Path description:
In garage, we follow the signs for exit and on the stairs, we ascend upwards. Because the exit is at the top of the garage. From the garage, we come on the road where we continue right where we also get pointed to by signs for cashier's desk where we can buy a ticket towards the lake Mooserboden.
We continue past the gate on the road which is closed for public traffic. After a very short ascent on the road, signpost points us to the left on a footpath through the forest. The path then leads through the forest and soon crosses a stream. For some time we walk on a relatively gentle path through the forest and then we join the cart track on which we come to the bottom station of the inclined elevator. Cart track is old access to the inclined elevator, new road leads through a tunnel. Mentioned inclined elevator is otherwise the largest such elevator in Europe and leads to the upper part of the road towards the lake Mooserboden. Elevator was originally made for the purpose of dam construction on lakes Wasserfallboden and Mooserboden.
In front of the bottom station of the elevator, our path turns to the right and is then further for quite some time ascending through the forest. At the ascent it also few times through a short tunnel crosses the route of the elevator. Higher, we then cross a grazing fence and the path brings us on the mountain pasture where cows are grazing in the summer months. For some time we are then ascending on a little more panoramic grassy slopes and then the path turns to the left and leaves the mountain pasture. After that, the path runs on a cart track which brings us on an asphalt road. Left leads the road towards the bottom part of the dam on lake Wasserfallboden, and we continue on the road right upward where also signposts point us to. We soon come to a crossroad where from the right side joins the road from the upper station of the inclined elevator.
At the crossroad, we continue left on the road which quickly brings us to tunnel. Walking through the tunnel is forbidden therefore our path turns left and then crosses little steeper slopes by the tunnel. On the other side of the tunnel we again join the road and we come to a dam on lake Wasserfallboden. At the dam we continue slightly right on the road and we soon again avoid the tunnel left on a footpath. The path further crosses quite steep slopes above the lake from which we have a very nice view towards numerous three-thousanders above the lake. After that, the path turns right and for a short time joins the tunnel. In the tunnel, the path runs on a narrow sidewalk, which is from the road separated by a fence. We soon leave the tunnel and the path again brings us on steep slopes above the lake. This time the slope is even a little steeper and while walking quite some caution is needed. The path here at first slightly descends and we also get help from fixed safety gear. For a short time, we then join an old abandoned road and after a short exposed crossing we again join the main asphalt road. At the next tunnel we again leave the road, but this time the slopes which we cross are less steep. The path here runs through grassy slopes with a nice view towards the lake and surrounding peaks. When we again join the road soon brings us to a crossroad. Signposts here point us to the right upward and after a short ascent, we come to the mountain pasture Fürthermoaralm on which there are also a mountain hut and a chapel.
We continue on a cart track past a chapel and we are quickly again at the crossing. Right upward leads the path Hochkammerweg towards the ski slope Kitzsteinhorn – Kaprun, and we continue straight and follow the signs for Mooserboden. From the crossing, our path at first slightly descends and leads us past some information boards, which describe plants and animals on the mountain pasture. After that, the path crosses few streams and the cart track passes into a footpath. The path here turns to the left and starts ascending a little steeper and it again brings us on an asphalt road. We follow the road to the next tunnel where blazes again point us to the right on a footpath. Only last ascent to a dam on lake Mooserboden follows. By the dam is situated also a restaurant.
To the lake Mooserboden is otherwise possible to get to also with a combination of bus transportation and inclined elevator.
We continue on the road over a dam and approximately on the halfway of the dam we come below the slope of the peak Höhenburg. On the left side, there is another restaurant and secured climbing paths (Klettersteigarena Höhenburg), which lead to the summit. We continue on the dam and before the tunnel we leave the road and we continue right on the path which bypasses the peak Höhenburg. On the eastern side of the peak, when we again join the road we come to a crossing.
We go left upwards and we start ascending on the stairs. Further, we come on a panoramic grassy slope and the path soon turns right upwards. The path then brings us on the northern side where again a view opens up towards the lake Wasserfallboden. From the right side join also secured climbing paths, which run on the eastern side of the mountain and to the top follows only a short undemanding ascent.

On the way: Stausee Wasserfallboden (1672m), Fürthermoaralm (1805m), Mooserboden (2036m)