Glocknerwand

Grossglockner left, right Glocknerwand from northwest

The Glocknerwand is according to the literature 3721 meters, according to the Austrian Federal Office of Metrology and Surveying 3722 meter high mountain in the Glockner Group in the Central Alps in the middle part of the Hohe Tauern. From the nearby Grossglockner it is separated by the Lower Glocknerscharte ( 3596 m). The mountain lies on the border between East Tyrol and Carinthia.

The Glocknerwand is a massive, fan-shaped mountain, which has very steep, 400-meter high walls to the southwest and northeast. The summit area is covered with huge snowdrifts that make an ascent dangerous and unpredictable. Therefore, the towers of the Glocknerwand are considered the most difficult -to-climb peaks throughout the Glockner group.

Climbing history

A first ascent attempt of Glocknerwand was undertaken by the German mountaineer Karl Hofmann and the two mountain guides Groder Michael and Joseph Kerer on 25 September 1869. The group did not reach under difficult conditions but the highest point, but came in thick fog only on a 3711 meter high spire. This was due to a decision of the Alpine Club from January 31, 1871, in honor called him Hofmanspitze. All the other towers are named after their conqueror.

It was only on September 3, 1872, also managed to climb the highest rock tower. The mountain guide Josef Kerer and Peter Groder brought the Viennese Josef Pöschl climbers on the 3721 meter high Second Gipfelgratturm, which was later named according Pöschlturm. Other summit attempts followed, some are but also failed as the ascent of 26 June 1886, when Alfred Markgraf Pallavicini and A. Crommelin with the two leaders Christian Ranggetiner and E. Rubesoier fatally injured when a large part of the snow cornice rushing down at the top of the Hofmann top and aroused the mountaineers. The first solo ascent of Glocknerwand, without a guide, succeeded in August 1891 Dr. Ludwig Kohn of Vienna.

Environment

Compared to its southeastern neighbor, the highest 3798 meter mountain in Austria, the Grossglockner, the Glocknerwand acts by their enormous mass equally well. On the map image, although it appears only as a continuation of the Grossglockner Nordwestgrats, but is by him through the deeply Lower Glocknerscharte located at 3589 meters altitude, clearly separated.

In the northeast and southwest of the wall are extensive glaciers. In the northeast extends up to an altitude of 3300 meters, the Glocknerkees, which is a part of the Pasterze, the largest glacier in Austria. In the southwest lies the Teischnitzkees bounded by the Luisengrat, the southern continuation of the leading on the Grossglockner Stüdlgrats.

Adjacent mountains are in the northwest devil Kamp ( 3511 m) and Romariswandkopf ( 3511 m). Next permanently inhabited settlements in the remote southwest at 9 kilometers as the crow large village in the Tyrolean Kals Valley and 12 km east Winkl located in Heiligenblut in Carinthia.

The seven Grattürme

Elevation data by the topographic map 1:25.000 Alpine Club, the towers are named after their first ascent:

Points, crossings and routes

The path taken by the first of 1869 began at the southern newly built Stüdlhütte to 2802 meters above sea level and led over the Teischnitzkees. At the Devil Kamp you entered the Glocknerwand and rose over 52 ° inclined bare ice on the northeast side by step cutting with the ice pick up. The walk was about four hours.

The Glocknerwand is to climb only as high tour with suitable equipment and glacier experience. As a base still serves the Stüdlhütte. The normal route (easiest increase ) leads from the hut to the north up to the so-called scissors at the snout of the Teischnitzkess, then west below the Luisengrats along to the height of Luis notch and further up into north- west to the base of the wall of the Glocknerwand and on the southern flank of Hofmann peak over the so-called left - or Middle increase in moderately difficult climb in, according to the literature, UIAA difficulty level II to the summit in a walking time of about three hours from the hut. At 3260 meters above sea level, on the northern edge of the Glocknerkees located below the Glocknerwand Kamps the Glockner bivouac with six relief camps, which is suitable as a base for touring the north-east wall.

Exceeding all seven towers over the Grossglockner is one of the most demanding enterprises of the entire Eastern Alps. Depending on the circumstances, this balancing act requires climbing skills in the UIAA grade III to IV , descent 120 meters of altitude, ascent 200 m, with abseiling and walking time 5-8 hours.