Gesäuse

The most imposing part of the Ennstal Alps is the Gesäuse, among the wildest mountain groups in the Alps and with one of their grandest defiles. Here the raging waters of the Enns have carved a gorge 15km/9mi long through the mighty limestone massif between Admont and Hieflau - an unforgettable spectacle, both for travelers who look up to the fearsome rock walls of the gorge from their train or car and for climbers seeking a way up the face. In the south of the Gesäuse the Johnsbachtal divides the mountains into two; the western group is dominated by the rugged peaks of the Admonter-Reichenstein (2,247m/7,372ft) and the Kalbling (2,207m/7,243ft), and the eastern by the Hochtor chain (Hochtor 2,372m/7,783ft) and the Planspitze (2,120m/7