Our History

On May 30, 1921, the first Krummholzhütte was completely destroyed by fire. However, the owners took the opportunity to rebuild it even larger and more beautiful. Thanks to the dedicated advertising of the Krummholz functionaries, more and more guests were drawn to the Hauser Kaibling.

To provide additional entertainment, they not only held the annual Krummholzkränzchen in Haus im Ennstal, but also organized toboggan and ski races. The first Krummholz race took place on February 1, 1914 - at that time without a prepared slope; only the start and finish were fixed.

Once the setbacks of the Second World War had been overcome, Thomas Scharfetter embarked on an ambitious project: the construction of a material ropeway to the Schutzhaus. It started operating as early as 1947 and was converted into the first gondola lift in the Schladming-Dachstein region just two years later. The small metal gondola only had room for four people, but was a real sensation far beyond the Enns Valley.

Thanks to the new infrastructure, the IV. Winter Games were held at Hauser Kaibling in 1951 - an event that went down in history as the "Little Olympics". In addition to downhill skiing, slalom and giant slalom, cross-country skiing, ski jumping and ice skating competitions were also held, supplemented by championships for the disabled.

Around 1959, Thomas Scharfetter planned a modern gondola lift with a capacity of around 100 passengers per hour. After approval by the local council, the lift was rebuilt in 1960 and equipped with four gondolas. The Austrian Alpine Championships were held on Hauser Kaibling as early as 1963 - a major sporting event that made Haus im Ennstal an important center of Austrian skiing. Scharfetter focused on efficiency and found the ideal partner for the business in his son-in-law Maximilian Sampl. Sampl took care of the well-kept appearance of the buildings, while his wife Gertrude managed the business affairs. At the beginning of the 1960s, Alois Moser recognized the potential of the Kaiblingalm and built the first alpine lift including a tractor service to the Krummholzhütte. This was in operation from 1961 to 1965 before being replaced by the longer "Moser lift", which was used until 1991 and finally taken over.

Pioneers such as Karl Gerhadter, Franz Kitzer, Franz Kulmhofer and Karl Moosbrugger had already built the first T-bar lifts, which were later partially merged and could be used with a shared ticket. In 1964, the Hartweger family added the Hartweger lift in the valley to the range.

After the World Cup was confirmed in 1979, the focus shifted to the construction of a new cable car. As a cable car to the Krummholzhütte was not financially feasible, the decision was made to build a feeder cable car to the middle station. The Ennslinger Gmalbachl directly on the main road was chosen as the location in the valley.

The planned World Cup races were also soon decided: Haus im Ennstal was to host four women's races and a men's combined competition. The rights of the landowners had to be obtained for the realization - a difficult process, but one that was successfully mastered thanks to common sense and strong team spirit.

From December 1981, all offices in the newly built Organizing Committee House (OK House) were fully occupied. During the hot preparation phase, more than 2,000 volunteers were involved in supporting the event. Looking back, it is clear that without this enormous effort, the 1982 Alpine World Ski Championships would not have been possible. Haus im Ennstal and Schladming proved impressively that they can successfully master major events of this dimension.

With the increasing demand in winter tourism, the construction of a new guesthouse for the Höflehner family became inevitable. Ski racer Helmut Höflehner contributed his private assets and became a partner in his parents' business. After just seven months of construction, the new Knapplhof was opened in December 1987.

Shortly afterwards, there was no snow - and so Gustav Höflehner opted for a technical innovation: the ski resort's first artificial snowmaking system, installed on the new chairlift. The experiment was a complete success. Tragically, Gustav Höflehner did not live to see this development, as he had to go into hospital on the day of commissioning and did not return. After his death, Reinhard Höflehner took over the hotel, while Helmut Höflehner continued to run the lift.

In 1998, the final decision was made to connect the four ski mountains Hauser Kaibling, Planai, Hochwurzen and Reiteralm to form a joint ski circuit. A new piste had to be built from the Kaiblingalm to Gföhl. The return connection was just as important: The Senderbahn, a detachable 4-seater chairlift built in the same year, made it easy to get from Gföhl back up to Sender.

The merger was completed in 1999 - a historic moment that was celebrated as the birth of the Schladming 4-Mountain Ski Area .

As snowmaking became increasingly important, a comprehensive master plan was drawn up for the entire project. The choice fell on a low-pressure system with high-quality propeller snow guns from the South Tyrolean manufacturer TechnoAlpin.

Implementation began in 2006 with the construction of the Ennslingalm reservoir at 1,720 meters above sea level and a pumping station to draw water from the River Enns. Since then, the snowmaking system has been continuously expanded and optimized to guarantee the best possible snow conditions on the Hauser Kaibling.

At the 2008 FIS Congress in Cape Town, Schladming was awarded the contract for the 2013 Alpine World Ski Championships. This decision paved the way for a major project at Hauser Kaibling: the Alm 6-seater chairlift in the Kaiblingalm. Thanks to well thought-out planning and additional funding, financing was secured and the project was completed on schedule.

The new Kaiblingalm reservoir was also completed in time for the start of the lift in 2011. It was particularly important to the then Managing Director Arthur Moser to protect the environment and only use as much natural space as absolutely necessary. Looking back, this extension is one of the most extensive projects in the history of the Hauser Kaibling cable cars.

In 2016, a 700-metre-long fun slope was created in the Kaiblingalm, which was immediately well received. Due to the strong demand and popularity, the run was extended to an impressive 1,460 meters in 2018 and has been one of the most popular attractions on the Hauser Kaibling ever since.

An important milestone was reached in summer 2019 when the 8-seater gondola lift and the former "Quattralpina" 4-seater chairlift were put into operation for the first time. At the same time, numerous new attractions were created: a children's adventure trail, petting stations, an e-trial park, a disc golf course and several children's playgrounds.

Thanks to the expansion of the existing cycling and hiking trails, Hauser Kaibling now also offers a varied range of activities in summer - ideal for families, sports enthusiasts and nature lovers in the Schladming-Dachstein region.

In summer 2021, water zorbing at the Kaiblingalm reservoir was a fascinating attraction: children and adults could walk across the water in oversized balls without getting wet - fun that immediately became a highlight.

The next attraction followed just one year later with the SchafsinnTeich. A variety of experiences await visitors here: the Schafsinn barefoot trail, on which different surfaces such as moss, gravel or sand can be felt, the sheep climbing route for skill without harnesses and carabiners as well as original stations such as sheep whispering and sheep jumping. The offer is complemented by cozy rest areas with magnificent Dachstein views.

The reservoir has thus developed into a place full of adventure, nature experiences and relaxation.

From the 2025/26 winter season, the popular ski swing between Hauser Kaibling and Planai will be raised to a new level of quality. On Hauser Kaibling, a modern 10-seater gondola lift will replace the previous Senderbahn, while on the Planai, the new 8-seater chairlift "Mitterhausalm I" will replace the old Sonneckbahn.

The new Hauser Kaibling transmitter lift from cable car manufacturer Leitner provides a much faster connection: It takes less than five minutes to get directly to the transmitter plateau, just one lift ride away from the highest point of the Schladming 4-mountain ski area. With a transport capacity of 2,800 passengers per hour and a speed of 6 m/s, the 10-passenger gondola lift not only offers maximum efficiency, but also maximum comfort for all winter sports enthusiasts.