Valschavielkopf

The Valschavielkopf is a 2,696-metre peak standing where Vorarlberg meets Tirol. Its slopes divide three municipalities: Gaschurn in the west, Silbertal in the north and St Anton am Arlberg in the south-east. The summit itself marks the point where these communities meet. The mountain belongs to the Verwall range and crowns the Maderer ridge, which stretches eastward from the Valschavieler Maderer. Three valleys flank the peak: the Valschavieltal to the south-west, the Silbertal to the north and the Verwalltal with its Rosanna stream to the south-east. The area is protected as part of the European Verwall nature reserve, and the boundary between the two provinces coincides with the reserve’s edge. Inside this zone live all the typical plants and animals of an alpine inner valley, from tiny flowers to large mammals, though the biggest predators have gone. The endangered golden eagle nests here and hunts across its slopes. The equally threatened rock ptarmigan also finds refuge in these high meadows and crags. Hikers rarely visit the Valschavieltal, which has no cable cars and few marked paths. The mountain can be climbed from the Tirol side, where the route is graded T3 and remains an unofficial track. The absence of crowds leaves the slopes quiet and the summit free for those who make the effort.