The "Ennstaler Alpen" is a mountain range in the Northern Calcareous Alps. This mountain range is located in the Austrian Bundesländer (provinces) Upper Austria (Oberösterreich) and Styria (Steiermark).
The major part of the range belongs to Styria and only a small part to Upper Austria.
The highest mountain of the "Ennstaler Alpen" is called Hochtor and is 2.369 m high.
The "Ennstaler Alpen" are basically divided into two parts. There is the Northern Part (consisting of the "Haller Mauern" (Haller Walls) and the socalled "Gesäuseberge").
The Northern Part belongs to the Northern Calcerous Alps and therefore you will mainly find calcerous stone formations there.
The other part is the "Eisenerzer Alpen" which belongs to the "Grauwackenzone". That's the borderline between Northern Calcerous Alps and Central Alps. It mainly consits of greywacke and it's often full of resoucres (That's also the reason the mountain range is called "Eisenerzer Alpen". Eisenerz is the German word for iron ore which can be found there en mass)

Topography

Scheiblingstein

Location in the Eastern Alps.

The "Ennstaler Alpen" consist of the following minor mountain ranges:

-Haller Mauern (Highest Peak: Großer Phyrgas, 2244m)
-Gesäuseberge with Buchsteingroup (2.224m), Reichensteingroup (2.251m) and Hochtorgroup (2.369m and highest peak of the "Ennstaler Alpen")
-Eisenerzer Alpen (Eisenerzer Reichenstein 2165m)

The Norhtern Part of the moutain range is torn open by the river Enns. (Ennstaler Alpen means something like "Alps in the valley of the Enns") This part of the valley is called "Gesäuse" (There is no real translation into English which comes to my mind right now)

In the valley of the Enns population majors around the villages of Admont, Hieflau and Großreifling but basically population in these areas is quite low.

Haller Mauern

The "Haller Mauern" seen from Admont.

Bosruck

Somewhere in the middle of the ridge of the Haller Mauern the border between Upper Austrian and Styria is positioned.
The “Großer Pyhrgas” with 2.244m height marks the highest elevation of the Haller Mauern. The typical and astounding characteristic of the “Haller Mauern” are the really steep calcareous walls which are going down to the valley of Admont.

The western corner mark of the “Haller Mauern” is the “Großer Pyhrgas” (groß means big, great and Phyrgas is just a name which is probably derived drom Old High German) which at the same time is the highest point of the “Haller Mauern”. The normal route of “Großer Phyrgas” can be classified as very easy.
If we start our traverse of the ridge to the east we will then come to the “Scheiblingstein” (2197m) then we will approach the “Hexenturm” (2174m, translation: witchtower) and finally we will reach the eastern corner mark. The Natterriegel (2065m)
There are several huts which are all in the sizeable near of the “Haller Mauern”. The Bosruckhütte, the Hofalmhütte, the Rohrauer Haus, Admonter Haus and Grabneralmhütte.
The first three huts mentioned are mainly visited by mountaineers and hikers who climbed the western peaks like Bosruck, Großer Phyrgas or Scheiblingstein. The others are for the eastern part of the Haller Mauern.

Gesäuse

There is no real translation for the German word „Gesäuse”. Adjectives Austrians associate with “Gesäuse” though are words like wild, fierce, etc.
The Enns used to be a very wild and fierce river and that’s why the mountains around there are called Gesäuse.
The walls of the „Gesäuse“ which arise on each side of the river are famous under climbers.

The Gesäuse again is split up into several smaller mountain ranges.

Buchsteingroup

The Buchsteingruppe

The highest peak in the “Buchsteingruppe” (Gruppe means group) is 2224m high (Große Buchstein) and is located on the northern side of the Enns.
Of course you’ll mainly find calcareous stone there. It’s good to know that the ridge on the group is very exposed.
The Ennstaler Hütte is the refuge for climbers in the Buchsteingruppe.

Hochtorgroup

The Hochtorgruppe

The vertical, over 1000m rising walls which are arising from the Ennstal (=Ennsvalley) are characteristic for the Hochtorgruppe and so these famous North Faces (at least in Upper Austria they are famous) are El Dorados for climbers.
The Hochtorgruppe is probably the most famous and most visited climbing area in the Ennstaler Alpen and unfortunately in the reverent walls a lot of climbers have already lost their lives.
The most famous peaks in the Hochtorgroup are Planspitze, Roßkuppe, Großen Ödstein and of course Hochtor.

Admonter Reicheinsteingroup

The Admonter Reichensteingruppe

Like the Hochtorgroup the Reichensteingroup is very popular under mountaineers and hikers. The highest peak is the Admonter Reichenstein with 2251m.
Other intresting mountains in Reichensteingroup are the Kreuzkogel and the Kalbing.

The Lugauer-Zinödl-Gruppe

Located south east of the Hochtorgroup the Lugauer-Zinödl-Group has it’s highest elevation wit the Hochzinödl (2191m) and can be described as easy (Normal Route).
But again climbers can find 600m walls for long, pretentious and very intresting tours. The peak of Lugauer (2217m) is also a must if you are in the area.

Eisenerzer Alpen

The main ridge of the Eisenerzer Alpen is approximately 60km long. The ridge is very outstanding because on every point of this ridge you have a full panoramic view.
From there you can see the Dachstein and the “Totes Gebirge”.
The “Eisenerzer Alpen” is unlike the northern part of the “Ennstaler Alpen” not part of the Northern Calcareous Alps but of the Greywacke zone.

Zeiritzkampel

The highest mountain is the Gößeck (2.214 m) but surely not the most famous.
The “Erzberg” (ore mountain) is not high but already the Romans during the 4th century started to mine iron ore there and still the “Erzberg” is important for Austria’s economy.
Once a year one of the hardest Enduro races of the earth takes place on the “Erzberg”. The ErzbergRodeo is world famous and the world elite of Enduro drivers try to beat the mountain. Usually out of 500 starters only 50 reach the goal.

Reiting

The “Reiting” is a mountain range on the southern border of the Eisenerzer Alpen. The Gößeck is it’s highest peak and also the highest peak of the Eisenerzer Alpen.
The Flora in the Reiting mountains is outstanding. Over 70 differend types of orchids are growing there.

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