Hi,
I would like to take you to a wonderful place near Salzburg in Austria. It is a mountain called Drachenwand, only 1176 metres high but majestically looking on Mondsee lake.
Drachenwand is quite popular with tourists as it offers a great but short hike and perfect views. You have to be in quite a good physical and especially mental condition as the way up goes through via ferrata and of course, some special equipment is needed, such as harness and a set for via ferrata.
The climbing part starts after about 30 minutes of walking through a forest. It is an easy climb of A/B difficulty. Still, there are not many exposed parts yet.
As you are getting higher, there are more sections with C difficulty and if you are not very comfortable with heights, you may start to have quite intense feelings. However, they are quickly forgotten thanks to these breathtaking views of Mondsee.
For me, the mentally most difficult and demanding part was the rope bridge somewhere in the middle of our way.
Before I got on it, it took me about 10 minutes of deep breathing. I knew there was no way back as the way up can be taken only in one direction. I was also watching the bridge swinging whenever somebody walked over it. However, as soon as I stepped on the first bar, I suppressed any doubts and thoughts and just walked over it, too.
Then, there was about 30 minutes of quite exposed climbing but as a reward, we got another perfect view from the top.
According to internet guides, the ascent takes about 4 hours but it depends on your physical condition. You should also consider the number of people visiting this place because at some more demanding spots, you might be even queuing.
After you reach the top, there is no other equipment needed as the way down goes through forest paths which may be quite steep at some points, sometimes even secured by ropes or ladders. However, the descent should not be underestimated as you are passing some deep ravines and you might be tired of all the climbing.
And as a proper end of this trip, you should swim in the Mondsee lake which you were admiring from the top.
