I start in Weitental near Lackenhof. This is also where the large Ötscher lift runs up to the Ötscherschutzhaus. If you want to save yourself the climb up to the Riffelsattel (1283 m), you can take the lift. It’s still an old two-seater chairlift, which you don’t find so often in the Alps any more.
Otherwise, you walk along the Riffelabfahrt to the Riffelsattel. A wide track runs down the ski piste through the forest. In winter, skiers carve down here. But for how much longer? The Lackenhof ski area, around the Großer and Kleiner Ötscher, has had financial problems for years. The last ski season may soon be upon us.
Riffelsattel#
The path, surrounded by tall grass, leads directly to the Riffelsattel without any hairpin bends. I take my first break. Oh, the sandwiches taste good after this climb. The view is fantastic. Lots of forest. The path to the Ötscherschutzhaus comes in from the left, the path to the right leads to the Kleiner Ötscher and the one across down into the Ötschergraben.
It drops steeply. After a few hundred metres, I reach a wide forest road. From here it becomes flatter. There is a lonely house in a clearing in the middle of the forest. The place is named after the former Spielbichler family of lumberjacks, who settled here in the 18th century and lived in the hut for several generations until the 20th century. The Ötscherbach has its source not far from here.
At first, I walk along the wide Ötscher road, from where a small path branches off down to the Ötscherbach stream. From here, the hike begins through the fantastic gorge of the Ötschergraben.
Ötschergraben#
I cross a small stream. The path meanders along the slope through the forest until I finally reach the Ötscherbach. The Schleierfall is a good place to take a break. The water covers the rocks like a veil and falls down to the Ötscherbach. When it is very dry, the waterfall sometimes carries no water at all. Just a trickle.
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/>Here the Ötscherbach still finds a gentle valley. It can spread out as it pleases. But that changes the longer I follow its course. The slopes become steeper. Soon there is no more vegetation on them and rock faces drop vertically down to the stream. The path also becomes narrower and rises higher and higher above the stream. It nestles along the rock face as a thin ribbon. A number of wooden footbridges have been built, which blend beautifully into the landscape. The natural beauty of the surroundings, the golden-blue stream, the red-grey rock and the lush green grasses and trees, let my heart beat faster.
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/>Finally, I come to the Mirafall, the next big waterfall. This is more spectacular than the Schleierfall. The water cascades down vertically from a rocky outcrop for around 30 metres. After the Schleierfall, the gorge narrows. In the distance, I recognize an impressive bridge over the stream. It leads to the Ötscher-Hias, where you can stop for food and drink. If you continue along, you reach Mitterbach and Mariazell. However, I stay in the Ötschergraben.
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/>From the Ötscher-Hias, the gorge is busier. Many hikers cross my path on this beautiful, sunny day. As I am walking at a fast pace, I have to wait a few times before I can pass them. The narrow path barely allows me to walk side by side. Overtaking is then difficult. Some places allow you to descend to the stream. A few hikers take advantage of this opportunity to go for a swim and sunbathe in the rocky gorge despite the coldness of the mountain stream.
Power plant Wienerbruck#
The gorge widens. Ötscherbach and Erlauf flow into each other. The river is now wider and calmer. I can already recognize the Wienerbruck storage power station. It was built back in 1910 to supply electricity for the nearby Mariazell railway. The dammed Erlauf and Lassingbach streams shoot down around 150 metres into the valley through pipes and tunnels, driving the turbines that generate the electricity. Since 2015, the power plant has also been open to interested visitors every day. Guided tours are available every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 10:15 during the hiking season.
Lassing gorge#
The hike ends with another steep ascent through the Lassing gorge. Numerous steps make the ascent easier. On its journey into the Erlauf, the Lassingbach falls over several waterfalls down the steep gorge. A group of white-water canoeists use the small waterfalls for an adventurous plunge into the water. The hike ends at the nature park centre Ötscher-Törmauer and the tranquil Wienerbruck water reservoir, in which the reflection of the train station building awaits. The mountainous railway line from Mariazell to Laubenbachmühle, popularly known as the Himmelstreppe, offers fantastic views that I don’t want to miss. I leave Wienerbruck on the next train and look back on a wonderful hike.