Östliche Erlsbacher Spitze

The Östliche Erlsbacher Spitze is a 3,015-metre peak in the Venedigergruppe range. It stands on the Panargenkamm in the far north-west of East Tyrol, within the municipality of St Jakob in Defereggen. The mountain forms part of a narrow crest that links the higher Westliche Erlsbacher Spitze to the south-east and the Seespitze beyond. Steep slopes fall away from the summit on all sides, especially towards the Trojeralmtal to the north-east. Two small alpine lakes, the Alplesseen, lie in a shallow cirque on the western flank. The peak first appears in guidebooks and maps only after the year 2000. Members of the Lienz section of the Austrian Alpine Club pushed for its official naming at that time. Before then it had been recorded simply as a height point without a title. The route to the top follows the well-marked trail used for the Seespitze, starting from the Jägerstube inn in St Jakob Innerberg. Walkers reach the Seespitzhütte and skirt the Oberseitsee before crossing above the Alplesseen basin. From a point near 2,900 metres on the South Ridge, the final climb follows the narrow South-East Ridge to the summit. On the summit itself there are views across the Venediger peaks and down to the Schwarzach valley. The surrounding ridges drop sharply into the Trojeralmtal, while the cirque of the Alplesboden holds two small glacial tarns. The contrast between the high, windswept ridge and the sheltered alpine lakes below makes the route memorable. The area is part of the Hohe Tauern National Park, so walkers may also see ibex or marmots on the upper slopes.