Maurer Röte

The Maurer Röte stands at 2,873 metres in the Venedigergruppe range, part of the Hohe Tauern National Park in East Tyrol. It marks the border between Matrei and Virgen, two small villages in the region. The peak rises above the Virgental valley to the south and the Malfrosnitztal valley to the north. Its sharp crest runs between the Rauhkopf and the Galtenkogel, separated by the Galtenscharte saddle. The mountain’s north face drops steeply to the Malfrosnitzboden plateau. Climbers first reached the summit on 14 August 1931 through a team led by R. Soudek, H. Koppitz, K. Soff and L. Wamprechtsamer. The normal route follows the ridge from the Rauhkopf, dropping into a deep col where a stone cairn marks the way. A scree gully leads down south, then turns right around a tower before rejoining the ridge. The final section climbs a high rock tower or bypasses it on steep slabs. From the Galtenscharte, a harder alternative follows the south-east ridge, where trickier sections can be bypassed on easier ground. The summit itself is a narrow tower with exposed rock bands on one side. Views stretch across the Hohe Tauern peaks and down into both valleys. The route is serious scrambling rather than a straightforward walk, best suited to experienced hill walkers.