Koschach - Fallbach (Fallbach Klettersteig)

Access to the starting point:
Drive through the Karavanke Tunnel into Austria, past Belzec to Spittal an der Drau, where you turn right towards Katschberg/Gmünd. At Gmünd, get off the motorway and drive through Malta to Koschach, where a sign for "Fallbach wasserfall" directs you to the right into the parking lot.

Path description:
From the parking lot, head towards the waterfall, pay the entrance fee (4€) at the ticket office, continue towards the playground and look for the sign on the right for the "Fallbach klettersteig", which crosses the stream by logs (the sign is not very visible). The path turns left up the meadow and you soon come to the first rocks.
The start is easy, crossing a narrow path, and then you reach the first vertical (C/D). The path becomes even more difficult and climbs vertically (D), with a few staples to help you. This part is more about free climbing, as the thin and loose rope is not much help.
For a short time the route is laid and then the problems start again. First it crosses a smooth wall (C), then climbs vertically (D). Then a slightly less difficult traverse over a belly rock (B/C). After a steep climb with a loose rope (D), you reach a suspension bridge on the left, and to the right the route branches off towards a viewing platform, where there is also an emergency exit. Anyone who has had difficulty up to this part of the route should return along this route, as it is the most difficult part.
After crossing a suspension bridge, the path leads diagonally upwards over a smooth wall (D), followed by a traverse (C) and you will arrive at the registration box, which is also a good place to rest before the hardest part. The route first climbs diagonally on a ledge (D) and then reaches an overhang a few metres high (E). The gradient is about 25 degrees outwards, there are no handholds, and the only way to climb is by "pulling" on a rope, where hand strength plays a major role. At the top, there is a traverse to the left (C), a vertical climb (D), and then a less difficult part of the route to the top (short section D, the rest B/C). As the rock is already quite slick, care must still be taken on this part.
From the top, descend along the right-hand path, which after about 20 minutes leads to the valley road.

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