Kesselfall - Mooserboden (Klettersteig MoBo 107)

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 Elevator was originally made for the purpose of dam construction on lakes Wasserfallboden and Mooserboden.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.
At the dam we go left on an asphalt road and we descend to the first left turn. At the turn, we then go right on a narrow footpath which leads towards the starting point of a secured climbing path named MOBO 107. At the turn there is also a smaller information board. Next follows a descent on a narrow path which runs on a grassy terrain below the dam. We descend all the way to the entry into a climbing part of the path, where there are also some information boards.
In front of the entry into a climbing part of the path, we must equip ourselves with a helmet and self-belay set. On the very beginning we at first descend on a short zipline (flying fox) to the dam. Carabiners, which are on a hoist we clip into the climbing harness, and self-belay set we clip into the rope, which is situated a little lower and is intended for belaying. Because the descent is very gentle with this rope we can also pull ourselves towards the dam. When we come to the dam at first we attach the self-belay set on the steel cables, and then we remove the hoist.
Further, we then climb on a dam and we get help from various artificial holds and steps. On the path, there are taking turns steep ascents and short crossings. Approximately on the halfway of the ascent by the path there is also a bench from which we have a very nice view towards the lake Wasserfallboden and surrounding peaks. Climbing path still runs slightly to the left and in the last part brings us to a crossing.
Left runs a little easier path, and right upwards harder. If we continue right we at first steeply ascend by the steel cable, and we also get help from steps in a form of stones, which are screwed on the dam. Next follows traversing to the left where we mostly walk on a steel cable. Here we are almost on the top of the dam and consequently the slope is almost vertical. The path then brings us to »a swing«, where with the help of a hanging rope we cross almost vertical slope. Carabiners on the rope we attach into the climbing harness, and self-belay set on a steel cable and we cross the steep slope to the other side. From the left then again joins the easier variant and then follows a short crossing to a hanging bridge. After the crossing of the bridge path brings us on a grassy terrain below Höhenburg on which also lead secured climbing paths of various difficulties. Here secured path ends, and we go right and we join the road which runs on the dam. On the dam we continue right and then we descend on the ascent route.
Described climbing path is marked with difficulty level B/C. The climbing part of the path which runs on a dam has 80 meters of altitude difference. And for the ascent we will need approximately 30 minutes.

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

Trip can be extended to: Höhenburg , Heinrich Schwaiger Haus (1 h 20 min) , Großes Wiesbachhorn (4 h 20 min)