Küchlspitze

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Küchlspitze

Malfontal vom Hohen Riffler.png

View of the Malfont valley in the Verwall with the Küchlspitze (annotated) in the far distance.
Highest point
Elevation 3,147  m (AA) (10,325 ft)
Coordinates 47°02′29″N10°13′57″E / 47.04139°N 10.2325°E / 47.04139; 10.2325 Coordinates: 47°02′29″N10°13′57″E / 47.04139°N 10.2325°E / 47.04139; 10.2325  
Geography
Austria relief location map.jpg
Red triangle with thick white border.svg
Küchlspitze
Parent range Kuchenspitze Group in the Verwall Group, Central Eastern Alps
Climbing
First ascent Survey engineers around 1860 [1]

The Küchlspitze (also: Küchelspitze) is a three-thousander (3,147 m above sea level (AA)) in the Verwall between the valley of Stanzer Tal and Paznaun in the western North Tyrol in Austria.

Three-thousanders are mountains with a height of between 3,000 metres (9,800 ft), but less than 4,000 metres (13,000 ft) above sea level. Similar terms are commonly used for mountains of other height brackets e. g. four-thousanders or eight-thousanders. In Britain, the term may refer to mountains above 3,000 feet (910 m).

Paznaun valley

The Paznaun is a valley in Tyrol, Austria, leading south-west from Pians (856 m) to the Bielerhöhe (2071 m), a mountain pass at the border of Vorarlberg and Tyrol.

North Tyrol part of Tyrol, Austria

North Tyrol, or North Tirol is the main part of the Austrian state of Tyrol, located in the western part of the country. The other part of the state is East Tyrol, which also belongs to Austria, but does not share a border with North Tyrol.

Contents

Location and landscape

The mountain rises between St. Anton am Arlberg in the Stanzer valley and Ischgl in the Paznaun to the southeast. Northeast of the summit is the Darmstädter Hut. [1]

Ischgl Place in Tyrol, Austria

Ischgl is a town in the Paznaun Valley in the Austrian state of Tyrol. Its ski resort Silvretta Arena Ischgl-Samnaun is connected with the ski resort of Samnaun across the border in Switzerland. Together this ski area belongs to the largest skiing resorts in the Alps. Its 238 kilometres (148 mi) of groomed pistes are served by over 45 mechanical lifts including cable cars, gondolas, detachable chair lifts and some T-bars.

The Küchlspitze (which means "little Kuchenspitze") is the third highest peak in the range after the Hoher Riffler and 1 metre higher Kuchenspitze immediately to the north. It is a striking, three-sided pyramid. On the main ridge the eastern arête descends to the Rautejöchli  (2,757 m above sea level (AA)) and Rautekopf (2,849 m above sea level (AA)), the southwestern arête to the Schönpleisjöchli  (2,757 m above sea level (AA)) and twin peaks of the Schönpleisköpfe (northern 2,243 m above sea level (AA), southern 2,920 m above sea level (AA)), and the northern arête runs in an S-shape to the Kuchenspitze. The mountain is glaciated; in the north cirque (Nordkar) of the Kuchenspitze lies the Großer Küchlferner glacier. The Kleine Küchlferner on the western flank is only a glacial remnant.

Hoher Riffler (Verwall Group) mountain

The Hoher Riffler is 3,168 m (AA) high and is the tallest mountain in the Verwall Alps, a mountain range in Central Eastern Alps. It is situated in the West of the Austrian state of Tyrol.

Kuchenspitze

The Kuchenspitze is a mountain, 3,148 m (AA), in the Verwall between the valley of Stanzer Tal and Paznaun in the west of North Tyrol.

Arête A narrow ridge of rock which separates two valleys

An arête is a narrow ridge of rock which separates two valleys. It is typically formed when two glaciers erode parallel U-shaped valleys. Arêtes can also form when two glacial cirques erode headwards towards one another, although frequently this results in a saddle-shaped pass, called a col. The edge is then sharpened by freeze-thaw weathering, and the slope on either side of the arete steepened through mass wasting events and the erosion of exposed, unstable rock. The word ‘arête’ is actually French for edge or ridge; similar features in the Alps are described with the German equivalent term Grat.

The Große Küchlferner drains into the Kartellspeicher reservoir and the Moosbach into the Rosanna, the west flank, with a tarn at 2,530 m above sea level (AA) into the Fasulbach, which empties into the upper Rosanna. The Madleinalpe to the southeast, which also has several tarns, drains via the Madleinbach into the Trisannna.

Tarn (lake) Mountain lake or pool in a glacial cirque

A tarn is a mountain lake, pond or pool, formed in a cirque excavated by a glacier. A moraine may form a natural dam below a tarn.

Development and ascents

The first ascents of the summit were made by survey engineers accompanied by a local chamois hunter as part of the Third k.u.k. State Survey around 1860, in the course of which the main chain of the Verwall was negotiated. [1]

First ascent first successful, documented attainment of the top of a mountain, or specific route

In mountaineering, a first ascent is the first successful, documented attainment of the top of a mountain, or the first to follow a particular climbing route. First mountain ascents are notable because they entail genuine exploration, with greater risks, challenges, and recognition than climbing a route pioneered by others. The person who performs the first ascent is called the first ascensionist.

Chamois species of mammal

The chamois is a species of goat-antelope native to mountains in Europe, including the European Alps, the Pyrenees, the Carpathians, the Tatra Mountains, the Balkans, the Rila - Rhodope massif, parts of Turkey, the Caucasus, and the Apennines. The chamois has also been introduced to the South Island of New Zealand. Some subspecies of chamois are strictly protected in the EU under the European Habitats Directive.

The mountain is rarely visited today. It may be ascended, for example, from St. Anton from the Schönverwall near the Konstanzer Hut directly or via the Kuchenjöchl saddle, or via the Moosbach valley (Kartellspeicher), and from the south from Ischgl across the Madleinalpe, or from Mathon via the Friedrichshafner Hut. The Darmstädter Hut is usually used as the base. Ascents of the summit are then difficult at the very least (east arête UIAA grad II/SACSAC ZS-), in places challenging climbing (e.g. over the Küchlspitze and the south ridge IV+). [1] [2] [3]

Related Research Articles

The Bezirk Landeck is an administrative district (Bezirk) in Tyrol, Austria. It borders the district Reutte in the north, the district Imst in the east, South Tyrol (Italy) and Graubünden (Switzerland) in the south, and the district Bludenz (Vorarlberg) in the west.

Slight Side mountain in United Kingdom

Slight Side is a fell in the English Lake District it stands 25 kilometers east southeast of the town of Whitehaven and reaches a height of 762 m (2,499 ft). Slight Side lies at the south western edge of the Scafell Massif, a four kilometre long crescent of high ground which includes the highest ground in England. The fells names derives from the Old Norse language and means "The mountain shieling with the level pastures", it is a combination of the Norse words "sletta" and "saetr". With a shieling meaning a shepherds hut or a mountain pasture used in the summer.

Glockner Group mountain range

The Glockner Group is a sub-group of the Austrian Central Alps in the Eastern Alps, and is located in the centre section of the High Tauern on the main chain of the Alps.

Ackerlspitze mountain

At 2,329 metres above sea level, the Ackerlspitze is the second highest peak in the Kaisergebirge range in the east of the Austrian state of Tyrol. The mountain is located in the eastern part of the range, also referred to as the Ostkaiser or East Kaiser. To the east it is flanked by the Maukspitze (2.231 m), to the north it sends a ridge to the Lärcheck (2,123 m). To the southwest a prominent, rocky arête runs over to the Regalmspitze (2,253 m) and on to the Kleines Törl. To the south the Ackerlspitze drops steeply, with vertical rock faces in places, into the Leukental valley. To the northwest it falls away just as steeply into the Griesner Cirque and to the northeast into the Mauk Cirque (Maukkar). On fine days there is an attractive and extensive panoramic view from the summit of the Ackerlspitze over the neighbouring mountain groups and as far as the Chiemsee lake in Bavaria as well as the Großvenediger.

Großer Krottenkopf mountain

The Großer Krottenkopf is the highest mountain in the Allgäu Alps of Austria. It is 2,656 m (AA) and is part of a side branch of the Hornbach chain, which branches off the main chain of the Allgäu Alps and runs for about 15 km eastwards.

Villgraten Mountains mountain range

The Villgraten Mountains or Deferegg Alps, also called the Defreggen Mountains are a subgroup of the Austrian Central Alps within the Eastern Alps of Europe. Together with the Ankogel Group, the Goldberg Group, the Glockner Group, the Schober Group, the Kreuzeck Group, the Granatspitze Group, the Venediger Group and the Rieserferner Group, the Villgraten Mountains are part of the major mountain range, the High Tauern. Their highest summit is the Weiße Spitze with a height of 2,962 m above sea level (AA).

Lechquellen Mountains mountain group in Vorarlberg, Austria

The Lechquellen Mountains or Lechquellen range is a small mountain group within the Northern Limestone Alps of the Eastern Alps. It lies entirely within the Austrian state of Vorarlberg and includes the upper reaches of the river Lech with its headstreams in a horseshoe shape as well as the Upper Großwalsertal valley.

Saumspitze Mountain in the Alps

The Saumspitze is a 3,039 m (AA) mountain in the Verwall Alps, a mountain range of the Central Eastern Alps. It is situated in the West of the Austrian state of Tyrol.

Strahlkogel mountain

The Strahlkogel, at 3,288 m (AA), is the highest peak in the Larstiger Mountains, a subgroup of the Stubai Alps in the Austrian state of Tyrol. The Strahlkogel is also the highest mountain in the municipality of Umhausen. Its name comes from its great, white, light-reflecting, quartz layers, which allegedly cause the mountain to "radiate" (strahlen). It has the shape of a well-proportioned, steep and pointed pyramid. Ascending the Strahlkogel is difficult and it is thus only rarely visited, unlike the neighbouring 3,287-metre-high Breiter Grieskogel. The first ascent of the mountain was in 1833 by Peter Carl Thurwieser, but his route and the precise circumstances of the climb have not been passed on. On 28 August 1887 Ludwig Purtscheller and Fritz Drasch from Salzburg climbed the mountain. Their route led along the west arête. Today, this is the normal route and easiest way to reach the summit.

Großer Möseler mountain

The Große Möseler, also called the Mösele, is a mountain, 3,480 m (AA), and thus the second highest peak in the Zillertal Alps after the Hochfeiler. It lies on the Zillertal main ridge which forms the border here between the Austrian state of Tyrol and the Italian province of South Tyrol. Its great size makes it the dominant mountain in the area. Seen from the northwest it appears like a firn-covered dome; but from the northeast as a regularly shaped cone of rock. Prominent arêtes radiate from the peak to the northwest, east and south. The mountain is easily ascended from the Furtschaglhaus and is often visited as a result. It was first climbed on 16 June 1865 by G. H. Fox, Douglas William Freshfield and Francis Fox Tuckett with mountain guides, François Devouassoud from Chamonix and Peter Michel from Grindelwald, as well as two unknown bearers.

Scheibler (mountain) mountain

Scheibler is a 2,978 m (AA) high mountain in the Verwall Alps in the Austrian state Tyrol.

Lasörling mountain in East Tyrol, Austria

The Lasörling is a mountain, 3,098 m (AA), and the highest summit in the eponymous range that stretches from the Virgental to the Defereggental valleys opposite the Großvenediger. Occasionally the mountain is also called the "Großer Lasörling" because it has a double summit - its southeast top reaching a height of 3,055 m above sea level (AA). The main top was formerly also called the Bergerspitze, and the southeast top the Musspitze or Virgen Lasörling.

Rauhkofel mountain in Austria

The Rauhkofel or Rauchkofel is a summit on the main crest of the Zillertal Alps, which forms the border between the Austrian state of Tyrol and the Italian province of South Tyrol. The name of the mountain comes from the rugged appearance of the granite blocks that form the summit. The Rauhkofel rises above its neighbouring peaks on the main Zillertal ridge considerably and it is considered the best lookout mountain in the eastern Zillertal Alps. The east and south arêtes of the Rauhkofel are part of the main crest of the Zillertal Alps. Another ridge runs from the summit heading northwest; on its continuation at a distance of just under two kilometres is the Kleinspitze. North of the summit are the remnants of the Rauhkofelkees glacier. At the southwestern foot of the peak is the Waldner See, the largest lake in the Ahrntal valley.

Ruderhofspitze mountain

At 3,474 m (AA) the Ruderhofspitze is the fourth highest mountain in the Stubai Alps in Austria. It is part of the Alpein Mountains and lies in the Austrian state of Tyrol. As a result of its topographic isolation and good all-round views it is one of the most visited mountains in the Stubai. An almost two-kilometre-long arête, the Grawawand, runs away from the summit to the east. Less prominent ridges run south and northwestwards from the Ruderhofspitze. The peak was first ascended on 30 August 1864 by Karl Baedeker, Anton von Ruthner and mountain guides Pankraz Gleinser and Alois Tanzer.

Schlieferspitze

The Schlieferspitze is a mountain, 3,290 m (AA), on the ridge known as the Krimmler Kamm in the Venediger Group of the Alps. The ridge lies in the northwest of the High Tauern, part of the Austrian Central Alps in the Austrian federal state of Salzburg. The summit is the highest on the Krimmler Kamm and is described in the sources as one of the most attractive peaks in the Venediger Group. From the valleys of the Krimmler Achental to the southwest and the Obersulzbachtal to the northeast it appears as an extremely dominant mountain. Long and evenly formed arêtes, about two kilometres long, run from the summit to the northwest, northeast, southeast and southwest. The mountain was first ascended on 22 August 1871 by Eduard Richter, professor of geography at the University of Graz, and Johann Stüdl, a merchant from Prague and co-founder of the German Alpine Club.

Simonyspitzen mountain in Austria

The Simonyspitzen are two mountain summits in the Venediger Group of the Austrian Central Alps. They lie within the High Tauern National Park on the border between the Austrian states of East Tyrol and Salzburg.

Pflunspitzen mountain in Austria

The Pflunspitzen are the highest points in the western Verwall Group in the Austrian Alps, reaching a maximum height of 2,912 m (AA). They lie west of the neighbouring Kaltenberg; the nearest village is Klösterle by Arlberg north of the peaks.

Rietzer Grießkogel mountain

The Rietzer Grießkogel is a mountain, 2,884 m (AA), and the highest peak in the Northern Sellrain Mountains, part of the Stubai Alps in the Austrian state of Tyrol. The summit is easily climbed on path no. 153. The first documented ascent was undertaken in 1829 by Innsbruck botanist, Andrä Sauter, a brother of Anton Sauter. As a result of its easy accessibility on well marked paths from Telfs in the Inn Valley and from the Sellrain Valley, it is a popular destination. Its name is derived from the village of Rietz at its northern foot in the district of Imst in the upper Inn valley.

Kasereck mountain

The Kasereck, at 2,740 m above sea level (AA), is one of the highest peaks of the Schladming Tauern and thus also the Lower Tauern. It is the most prominent summit on the crest that runs from the Hochgolling southwards and separates the valleys of Göriachtal in the west and Lessachtal in the east. Geographically this mountain lies in Salzburg state and is most easily climbed from Göriach in the Lungau.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Peter Pindur, Roland Luzian, Andreas Weiskopf: 1790 Küchlspitze 3147 m in Alpine Club Guide Verwallgruppe 1988, pp. 216 ff.
  2. ↑ Küchlspitze 3147m , entry in hikr.org.
  3. ↑ Tour reports (chronological):
    Route No.: 730 Küchlspitze -Ostgrat- , ADI at stein-und-schnee.de, 9 September 2006;
    Küchlspitze(3147m) - Bergsteigen wie anno 1880 , ADI at hikr.org, 13 July 2010.
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