Between Heaven and Earth – Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner and the world of 8000ers

What do extreme mountaineers think and feel? What does it take to climb the highest peaks? What do the 8000ers look like from above? You will find the answers to these questions and many more interesting information in this extraordinary museum.

In the Museum "Between Heaven and Earth - Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner and the World of the 8000ers" in Spital am Pyhrn, you can dive into the world of the 8000ers. The patron of the exhibition, which spans 400 m², is the native Spital resident and extreme mountaineer Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner. She was the first woman to climb all 14 eight-thousanders without supplemental oxygen.

What she experienced on the eight-thousanders of this world can be traced in this unique museum in Europe. It showcases the history of alpinism, the physical and psychological prerequisites for extreme mountaineering, and the specifics and phases of an 8000er expedition in a vivid and modern way.
In the experience room, visitors get an impression of the extreme height, the steepness of the walls, and feel the power of the wind. Original footage of the avalanche that destroyed the Mount Everest base camp in 2015 will also be shown.

In front of the museum entrance, there is a climbing tower modeled after K2 (currently closed for safety reasons).
The 8000er Trail takes hiking enthusiasts from the museum through the Dr. Vogelgesang Gorge to the Bosruck Hut, the "base camp," and further to the Rohrauer House, the "high camp." Experienced athletes then ascend to the summit of the Großer Pyhrgas, which symbolically corresponds to the summit of Mount Everest.

Drive to the center of Spital am Pyhrn. Turn at the Sparkasse, where you can park for free.
In the monastery building by the K2 sculpture, you will find the entrance to the museum.

Rental Equipment: Audio guides (DE, ENG, CZ and NL) available at the cash desk for € 2!

Hint / Advice: For children there is the museum quiz “With Knowledge to the Summit” for €2.50. Young mountaineers explore the highest mountains in the world, symbolically pack an expedition backpack and guess what dangers and risks extreme mountaineers are exposed to.