Großer Donnerkogel is a popular Austrian peak located in the western part of the Dachstein massif. It attracts visitors thanks to its easy accessibility, extensive panoramic views, a year-round cable car, as well as the charming Gosausee lake. The main attraction of the mountain, however, is the well-known via ferrata Intersport Klettersteig with its characteristic ladder, suspended between the summits of Kleiner Donnerkogel and Großer Donnerkogel. For us, this peak became the real cherry on top of our several-day trip in the Dachstein massif. I warmly invite you to read the trip report!
Table of contents
- Why Großer Donnerkogel?
- Vorderer Gosausee and the start of the trek
- Intersport Klettersteig [C/D]
- Großer Donnerkogel (2,054 m a.s.l.) – summit
- Intersport Klettersteig via ferrata – return route
- Hike map
Why Großer Donnerkogel?
On the last day of our stay in the Dachstein massif, we had two priorities. First of all, after summiting Hochgolling, Hoher Dachstein and Großer Koppenkarstein, we were already a bit tired. The route was therefore supposed to be relatively easy (or at least easier than those we had tackled in the previous days). Secondly, the peak was meant to offer a change of scenery, so that we could admire the Dachstein massif from a slightly different perspective. Großer Donnerkogel seemed to meet both requirements perfectly, so the decision to climb it was made quite quickly.
We leave our campsite in Ramsau am Dachstein at around 8:00 a.m.; we have to drive about 80 km to the chosen starting point of the trail. The road through Austrian villages does not bore me at all – everything is so green, neat, simply fairy-tale-like! Still, remembering the four traffic fines that arrived last year from Tyrol, I carefully watch all speed limits 😄.
Vorderer Gosausee and the start of the trek
When we reach our destination, i.e. the lower station of the Gosaukammbahn cable car, it quickly becomes clear that the peak is indeed very popular. Two large parking lots are full, so we stop at a third one located along the road. Worth noting – all parking lots are free of charge! After five minutes of walking, we immediately understand where the popularity of this place comes from – in front of our eyes appears the incredibly beautiful Vorderer Gosausee.
With great difficulty tearing our eyes away from Gosausee, we head for the route we have chosen – a hiking trail that is to lead us to the start of the famous Intersport Klettersteig. The via ferrata begins at an altitude of 1,600 m a.s.l., while the lake lies at 900 m a.s.l. We therefore have to overcome 700 meters of elevation gain over a distance of 3 km. The trail is thus quite steep, but very pleasant – we walk through an intensely green forest, along a comfortable path, and small frogs jump around near our boots. During the ascent, from time to time a view of Gosausee opens up on the left – becoming more and more magnificent with every gained meter.
Despite the crowds in the parking lots, there are really not many people on the trail. This is yet another time when I have the impression that in Austria, the effort of hiking on foot to a place that can be reached by cable car is undertaken by very few. Instead, we meet trail painters – a cheerful little group armed with red and white paint. It is worth mentioning here that in the Dachstein massif all marked routes have the same marking: the Austrian flag. You will not encounter the multi-colored trail markings known from Poland or Slovakia.
At an altitude of around 1,500 m a.s.l., we leave the forest and step out onto a wide, scenic meadow. From there, we can already see the upper cable car station, as well as… two mountain huts located literally opposite each other – Gablotzer Hütte and Breininghütte. That is what you call fierce competition for customers, right? To the left, we also have a view of today’s goal – Großer Donnerkogel and its companion Kleiner Donnerkogel, both nicely adorned with dwarf pine.
On the road in front of the huts, a man with a bucket filled with stones approaches us, repeating the German word “bitte” like a mantra. At first I freeze in place, but after a moment I realize that he is asking for help delivering the load to two men who, about 200 meters further on, are hardening the trail with stones. I grab the bucket and carry it to the indicated spot. And just like that, in a very simple way, I became a volunteer contributing to the improvement of Austrian tourist infrastructure.
From the huts to the start of the Intersport Klettersteig it is already very close – literally fifteen minutes of walking. In the end, we arrive at the start of the via ferrata about one hour after beginning the trek at Gosausee. For 700 meters up, that’s quite decent.
Intersport Klettersteig [C/D]
Intersport Klettersteig is a very easy via ferrata – the vast majority of its sections are graded A or B (on a scale up to F). In many places we are not even walking on rock, but simply along a regular path among dwarf pine. Sections marked as C occur only sporadically, and we encounter just two C/D passages. The first appears at the beginning of the ferrata – it is a relatively demanding but short chimney (this spot is called Kaiserverschneidung, and I am not sure whether it is harder to climb or to pronounce its name). The second C/D section can be found near the end of the route. It is a vertical rock wall that must be climbed immediately after crossing the famous ladder suspended over the abyss. Moreover, this second C/D section can be bypassed via an easier side variant. For those interested, I am sharing a detailed topo from bergsteigen.com at this link.
In short, I can confidently recommend this via ferrata to beginners, and even to those who have never been on this type of route before and would like to check whether this activity is for them. I should also add that while we are usually greeted by emptiness on Alpine via ferratas, here there were really quite a lot of people. We overtake a few small groups along the route, and before the main attraction of this place – the several-meter-long ladder connecting the summit of Kleiner Donnerkogel with Großer Donnerkogel – we even have to queue. Crossing the ladder itself is quite an interesting experience; however, I advise moving across it efficiently – the longer you hesitate, the more it sways 😄.
Believe it or not, it was only after returning to Poland that we realized that Intersport Klettersteig is one of the most popular via ferratas in Austria, and that the ladder I mentioned is a real Instagram viral!
The via ferrata leads us straight to the summit of Großer Donnerkogel. The indicative time given in online guidebooks for completing the entire route is 3 hours. Despite several bottlenecks and an unhurried pace, we manage to complete the ferrata half an hour faster.
Großer Donnerkogel (2,054 m a.s.l.) – summit
The last Alpine summit of our trip – Großer Donnerkogel (2,054 m a.s.l.) – is reached a few minutes before 2:00 p.m. A beautiful view opens up from the top, encompassing the glacier-covered main Dachstein massif as well as other surrounding Alpine peaks. At the summit, there is the obligatory photo with the cross and a well-deserved rest. However, it does not last very long – unpleasant-looking clouds drive us away from the top. Interestingly, we seem to be the only tourists whom the prospect of an approaching storm concerns in any way. The Austrians appear not to notice what is happening in the sky at all.
Intersport Klettersteig via ferrata – return route
From the summit, we descend along a regular trail, which offers an incredible view to the north and west almost the entire way. We particularly enjoy the ubiquitous greenery. We had missed it a bit on the bare rocks of Dachstein, but here it is abundant. We quickly lose elevation – in less than an hour, we are back first among the dwarf pines, then at the two mountain huts. At one of them, we treat ourselves to a portion of cake with cream – why not! At the end of the day, you can.
We devour the sweets and continue – descending the same forest trail we used to ascend. By Gosausee, we are back a few minutes after 4:00 p.m. We notice that a few people are swimming in the lake – so there’s no prohibition! We don’t wait for a special invitation – we also quickly get into the water.
Summing up the whole day – Großer Donnerkogel not only met our expectations, it actually exceeded them. Although it was neither difficult nor very high, it gave us a lot of simple mountain joy – and that is ultimately the most important thing.
Date of the hike: August 5, 2022
Hike statistics: 12 km, 1,200 meters of elevation gain
Thank you for taking the time to read my post! If you want to stay up to date with new content, I invite you to follow me on Facebook and Instagram! I appreciate every like, comment, and share. If you find my content valuable and want to support me, feel free to buy me a virtual coffee on buycoffee.to.
![Tofana di Rozes (3,225 m) – Giovanni Lipella via ferrata [C/D]](https://nadpoziomemmorza.pl/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/IMG_7630-min-scaled-e1759007712277-600x400.jpg)
