Breiter Grießkogel

The Breiter Grießkogel rises as a sharp pyramid of rock and ice in the Stubai Alps east of Längenfeld in Tirol. It stands between the Horlachtal valley to the north and the Sulztal valley to the south, its slopes feeding the Grasstallferner glacier on one side and the Grießkogelferner on the other. Two weather stations mark its heights: a snow-measuring station at 2 385 m and a wind-measuring mast just below the 3 287 m summit, both run by the Tyrol avalanche-warning service. Climbers reach the summit by several routes. The classic high tour follows the Zwieselbachjoch, a 2 870 m col where the Grießkogelferner ends, then ascends UIAA grade I ground to the top. Walkers usually start from Gries im Sulztal, passing the Winnebachseehütte at 2 362 m or the Schweinfurter Hütte at 2 028 m before tackling the glacier. In spring the same route becomes a popular ski tour, while the north-west ridge over the Grasstallferner offers another fine snow line. A quieter approach climbs from the Larstigtal via the Larstigscharte col at 3 032 m, while the Salchenscharte in the west provides a weglos but now ice-free way up without touching a glacier. Once on the summit ridge the view stretches across the Stubai Alps and into the Ötztal. The steep south face drops sharply to the Grießkar basin, while the long north-west ridge falls toward the Grasstalltal. From the col at Zwieselbachjoch the eye follows the Grießkogelferner down to its snout, and beyond it the Larstigtal and Winnebachkar open like fingers of rock and ice. The contrast of high, wild ridges and the quiet valleys below makes the Breiter Grießkogel a rewarding goal for those who seek both exertion and solitude.