The hardest hikes in Austria, by the numbers
Of the 68 trails in Austria in our dataset, 33 (49 percent) rate strenuous or very strenuous on the gain-and-distance scale we use and run 3 to 30 miles with at least 1,500 ft of climb; these are the 25 with the highest rating.
E4 (alpin) Fernwanderweg (Bereich Rofan) leads with 3,703 ft of gain over 24.3 miles, 152 ft per mile, with a steepest pitch of 28 percent.
Across the 25, gain runs from 2,223 to 5,923 ft and distance from 6.3 miles to 24.3 miles; the median gain is 4,200 ft and the median distance 9.7 miles.
25 of the 25 are out-and-back routes.
| # | Trail | Miles | Gain (ft) | Ft per mile | Max grade | Elevation (ft) | Rating | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | E4 (alpin) Fernwanderweg (Bereich Rofan) | 24.3 | 3,703 | 152 | 28% | 1,578 to 3,449 | 424.2 | |
| 2 | Via Alpina Red R48 | 13.4 | 5,180 | 387 | 50% | 2,876 to 6,574 | 372.6 | |
| 3 | Via Alpina Red R38 | 11.4 | 5,923 | 520 | 37% | 2,745 to 6,948 | 367.5 | |
| 4 | Via Alpina Red R43 | 14.8 | 4,223 | 285 | 30% | 3,150 to 6,048 | 353.6 | |
| 5 | Via Alpina Red R16 | 10.6 | 5,681 | 536 | 42% | 2,137 to 5,742 | 347 | |
| 6 | Lasörling Höhenweg Etappe 1High Tauern NP | 10.9 | 5,156 | 473 | 40% | 3,749 to 7,677 | 335.3 | |
| 7 | Via Alpina Red R35 | 9.1 | 5,321 | 585 | 62% | 5,076 to 8,594 | 311.2 | |
| 8 | Via Alpina Red R36 | 11.5 | 4,200 | 365 | 31% | 3,211 to 7,374 | 310.8 | |
| 9 | Via Alpina Red R53 | 11.5 | 4,121 | 358 | 33% | 2,993 to 6,367 | 307.9 | |
| 10 | Via Alpina Red R40 | 8 | 5,776 | 722 | 51% | 1,778 to 7,352 | 304 | |
| 11 | Wandertour Geißstein | 8.8 | 4,598 | 523 | 62% | 4,230 to 7,446 | 284.5 | |
| 12 | AV Weg 454 (Bärenhütte - Windscharte - Schneibstein)Nationalpark Berchtesgaden | 6.8 | 5,824 | 856 | 60% | 1,570 to 6,907 | 281.4 | |
| 13 | Via Alpina Purple A3 | 7.8 | 4,834 | 620 | 46% | 2,212 to 6,027 | 274.6 | |
| 14 | Europäischer Fernwanderweg E4, Österreich, Rofan | 9.5 | 3,919 | 413 | 57% | 3,299 to 7,216 | 272.9 | |
| 15 | Via Alpina Red R41 | 7.4 | 4,822 | 652 | 35% | 1,763 to 6,396 | 267.1 | |
| 16 | Wandertour Geißstein ab Lengau | 9.7 | 3,645 | 376 | 44% | 3,740 to 7,446 | 265.9 | |
| 17 | Via Alpina Red R23 | 10.1 | 3,387 | 335 | 59% | 6,110 to 8,260 | 261.6 | |
| 18 | Glungezer-Geier-Weg | 8.8 | 3,701 | 421 | 42% | 6,618 to 9,152 | 255.2 | |
| 19 | Greim | 6.3 | 4,526 | 718 | 35% | 3,563 to 8,106 | 238.8 | |
| 20 | Via Alpina Red R55 | 12.5 | 2,223 | 178 | 21% | 1,476 to 2,932 | 235.7 | |
| 21 | Via Alpina Red R17 | 8.8 | 2,934 | 333 | 30% | 4,373 to 6,126 | 227.2 | |
| 22 | Münchner Jakobsweg | 10.4 | 2,341 | 225 | 20% | 1,304 to 3,443 | 220.7 | |
| 23 | Via Alpina Red R15 | 10.2 | 2,348 | 230 | 47% | 2,738 to 4,942 | 218.9 | |
| 24 | Ötztal Trek Etappe 19 | 6.6 | 3,549 | 538 | 63% | 7,652 to 9,553 | 216.4 | |
| 25 | Panoramaweg Südalpen 04 | 7.4 | 3,044 | 411 | 39% | 4,857 to 6,724 | 212.3 |
How this list is ranked
Rating = the square root of 2 x elevation gain (ft) x distance (miles), the gain-and-distance formula Shenandoah National Park publishes for its own trails. Bands: under 50 easiest, 50 to 100 moderate, 100 to 150 moderately strenuous, 150 to 200 strenuous, 200 and over very strenuous.
This list: band strenuous (150 to 200) or very strenuous (200 and over), 3 to 30 miles, at least 1,500 ft of gain, ordered by rating desc, gain per mile desc, capped at 25. The rating column is computed from the miles and gain printed in the same row, the numbers each trail page uses, so every row can be checked from the row itself. The rating says nothing about exposure, scrambling, altitude or conditions.
Only trails with a full page count, so "Austria" here means the 68 trails in Austria in our dataset, not every trail in Austria.
Each trail page shows the full elevation profile behind these numbers and the same data drawn as a topographic print, made to order. Start with E4 (alpin) Fernwanderweg (Bereich Rofan).
Hardest hikes elsewhere.
The same ranking for other countries in our dataset.