Mandling – Schladming: Put-ins, take-outs and highlights
In this section the Enns is still a young river and is rated as whitewater grade 2+ at medium water levels. At low water the difficulties are more technical – you will need to manoeuvre around rocks, for example – while at high water levels the Enns becomes fast and powerful.
Special features
This is the most demanding section (whitewater grade 2+) of the entire Enns river trip. Only experienced paddlers with whitewater equipment should tackle it. You can hire the equipment here.
Navigable all year round.
Access
The put-in in Mandling is on the left bank next to a farm track, directly opposite the factory at the fire brigade’s water intake point.
Exit
The take-out in Schladming is on the right bank, under the bridge of the B320 main road.
Stages
After the put-in, things start off gently and you can comfortably stay in the middle. After about 200 m you reach the entrance to the Mandling Pass with a 150 m wave train. Keep to the right here, as the entrance on the left-hand side is blocked.
Afterwards you can move back to the middle of the river and stay there for around 150 m until the next eddy, which is best tackled on the left-hand side.
Straight after that comes a short wave train. Immediately afterwards, right at the mouth of the Mandlingbach, there is a stopper that you should paddle through with plenty of momentum. If you would rather keep things completely stress-free, you can also shoot past the stopper on the right.
After the Mandlingbach, large eddies on the right bank are waiting to be mastered. Once you have conquered them, the Enns bends to the left, where a blockage stands in your way – it is best passed on the left.
Caution: There is a large rock in the middle of the river here which has capsized many a paddler, experienced ones included.
Once you have these obstacles behind you, it is a brisk run down to Gleiming past a few clearly visible blockages (whitewater grade 1–2).
Shortly before Gleiming, the Forstaubach flows into the Enns under a concrete road bridge. Keep to the right here so that you can safely avoid the pier of the wooden bridge that follows immediately afterwards.
Directly after this wooden bridge you come to a small drop, which you will easily master with a few determined paddle strokes.
Access
The put-in in Mandling is on the left bank next to a farm track, directly opposite the factory at the fire brigade’s water intake point.
Exit
In Gleiming at the Reiteralm car park. This spot is also the put-in for the second section to Schladming.
Another option for getting onto this section of the Enns is at the Reiteralm car park in Gleiming. It is particularly suitable for inflatables at low summer water levels.
Right after the start the difficulties ease off, and this section of the Enns stays fast all the way to the swimming lake in Pichl.
After the bridge in Pichl the Enns turns right. On the inside of the bend you can paddle more freely than on the opposite (left) side, where branches may overhang the river depending on the water level. Beyond this bend it becomes really smooth, and after about 1.5 km five superb eddies on the right bank make the perfect spot for a short break.
After around 150 m you move into a somewhat more demanding passage. As the Enns is narrower here, depending on the water level you may find some waves waiting for you – you are sure to enjoy them.
Immediately after the waves the Enns widens again and you can land comfortably on the right bank to inspect the next spot. There are three ways to continue:
- Far left, past the stopper (easy option)
- Right of the stopper, over a small drop into the eddy (intermediate option)
- Through the middle, straight into the stopper with plenty of momentum (hardest option)
After this sporty spot you continue at the usual pace for about 2 km until you reach the Hutegger rapid, which promises a very wet ride and is best run down the middle. This rapid certainly has the potential to send your adrenaline levels soaring – so it is great that the next 2 km are completely relaxed, until you reach the large island on the right before the sand island: welcome to the perfect grill & chill spot.
Around the sand island the Enns is very wide and splits into several channels, the left one being the deepest. Straight afterwards you pass under the high road bridge of Schladming’s western approach, and a natural slalom course of around 400 m opens up in front of you. Then you drift on in harmony with the river, past Schladming hospital, to the next road bridge. If you want to avoid the ledge in Schladming itself, you need to land here and continue on foot. But if you have made it this far without any problems, the ledge should not pose an insurmountable challenge. At high water levels it can also be run on the left.
Once you have this whitewater spot behind you, after about 200 m you reach the end of this stage under the large bridge of the B320 on the right-hand side of the river.
Access
In Gleiming at the Reiteralm car park – ideal for inflatables at low summer water levels.
Exit
The take-out in Schladming is on the right bank, under the bridge of the B320 main road.
