Circular hike Karleck - Runde

An easy half-day trip to Karleck-Runde with a climb to Kleiner Bosruck

Starting point

Parking at the Adningalm Hütte (free) above Ardning.
 

Description of the hike

Bosruck (1,992 m) is a massive border mountain separating the states of Upper Austria and Styria. It is famous for the 5.5 km long motorway tunnel that connects the towns of Spital am Pyhrn and Ardning. The tunnel has two tunnels - the first was built in 1980-1983 and the second almost 30 years later (2009-2013), when the single tunnel was no longer sufficient. In addition to the motorway tunnel, a more than 100-year-old railway tunnel crosses Bosruck. There are two challenging routes to Bosruck, a hiking route via Kitzstein from the west and a ferrata via Frauenmauer from the east. I haven't ventured up the big Bosruck yet, but I found on the map that it has a smaller brother, the Kleiner Bosruck peak (1,466m), around which the easy Karleck-Runde circular route goes.

I drive out of Ardning up the hill towards Ardningalm. The asphalt road behind the last houses turns into a gravel forest road, but it is wide enough for two cars. I leave the car in the car park below the Ardningalm Hütte (free). I continue on foot along the path used for supplies by the owners of the surrounding wooden huts of Ardningalm. In front of me I see two round hills - Kleiner Bosruck on the left, Karleck on the right. On my right is the Pleschberg hill and behind it, the Haller Mauern is already rising out of the morning mist. I climb slowly up the path to the foot of the Arlingsattel saddle (1 425 m). Here a path separates up through the meadow. Behind me lies the Enns valley and above it the snow-capped high mountains - the Rottenmann and Sölktal Alps.

After two hundred metres I am at the top of the saddle, where I can see across the valley to the town of Spital am Pyhrn, the Sengsengebirge and the Grosser Pyhrgas. In the saddle there is a small picture commemorating the pilgrimage from Windischgarsten to Frauenberg. Along the barbed wire separating the pastures, I run out just a few metres to Kleiner Bosruck. At first I almost miss the low wooden cross between the kneelers. The Little Bosruck is not much of a peak, but there are nice views of the Big Bosruck, Frauenmauer, Warscheneck, Hoher Nock and Grosser Pyhrgas. In the snow I can see tracks to the neighbouring Karleck, but I don't want to go there anymore and so I go back to the saddle.

From the saddle I descend along the Arlingalm huts to the Ochsenwaldkapelle chapel. The chapel stands in a picturesque spot in the meadow below Pyhrgas. It's open, so I go inside. The space is really miniature, two rows of narrow pews, room for about four people, an altar with a Madonna and holy pictures. I go back up a few metres and traverse the wide path around Karleck to the Rohrauerhaus. In summer it serves as a restaurant, in November it is closed. I'm on the forest path in a few minutes at the Pyhrgasgatterl signpost. The path turns back to the Ardningalm and takes me a few metres up the saddle.

Here is probably the most beautiful spot of the whole route - Grosser Pyhrgas above me, Scheiblingstein next to it and a view of the whole Haller Mauern. The Hexenturm tower rises in the middle, with the Natterriegel lookout to the right. On the other side of the saddle are the cottages of Bacheralm and distant views of Ennstal. From the Bacheralm, the wide path leads back under the Arlingsattel and to the Ardningalm Hütte. On the way less than 4 hours, about 10 km trampled, 700 vertical metres climbed. It's early, I don't want to go home yet, so I decide to take a detour to the nearby Frauenberg pilgrimage church (Wallfahrtskirche Frauenberg) - see attractions.

Difficulty

A relaxing Sunday hike with beautiful views of the high mountains. The altitude is not high for the Alps, about 700 meters. Probably the steepest climb is to the Arlingsattel saddle. The whole time you walk on mountain paths or wide roads. The route is also suitable for children or dogs.
 

Water availability

On the route there are several springs led into buckets and in the season it is possible to have refreshments at the huts. It is good to take at least 1.5 litres of liquids with you.
 

Sleeping options

Short trek, accommodation in the valley, or in huts on the way.
 

Mountain peaks

The route leads over the Kleiner Bosruck 1 466 m above sea level. Views of the Ennstal, Rottenmann and Sölktal Alps, Big Bosruck, Warscheneck, Sengsengebirge and Hoher Nock, Haller Mauern (Grosser Pyhrgas, Scheiblingstein, Hexenturm)
 

Danger

Easy hike, mostly on wide paths, in winter on snowshoes. There are no exposed areas, climbing or air sections on the route. It is a classic walk.
 

Food

Food to go, or in season refreshments at the huts.
 

Attractions

The Frauenberg pilgrimage site is an important Styrian pilgrimage site on the Kulm hill between Admont and Ardning. The first mention of the church dates back to the 15th century and is linked to an interesting legend (I hope I understood correctly). Around Easter of 1404, the flooded Enns is said to have brought a wooden statue of the Virgin Mary. The statue became caught in the bushes at the foot of Kulm, where, according to an apparition of light, it was found and transported to the monks at the Benedictine monastery at Admont. However, the Madonna disappeared from the monastery during the night and reappeared at its original location on Kulm. They took the statue back to the monastery, but the Madonna returned to Kulm again at night, and so it was repeated a third time. Then the abbot of the monastery decided to keep the statue where it was and had a wooden chapel built for it. The rumour soon spread, pilgrims came to see the Virgin and the small chapel was no longer enough. In a few years the abbey built a stone church on the site. Over the years, the church has been extended and rebuilt several times to its present Baroque appearance, adding a calvary, a rectory, accommodation for pilgrims and a cemetery. Inside the church there is rich Baroque decoration, a massive altar and beautiful wall paintings. The facade glows in the sunlight, the dark black rectangles in white plaster are inlaid with fragments of green-black glass. Pilgrimages to the church are still held several times a year and the bells can be heard as far as the mountains.

Nearby is the gorge with the Dr. Vogelgesang-Klamm waterfalls, access and parking from Spital am Pyhrn.