Zollspitze

The Zollspitze is a 3 000-metre peak in the Glockner range of East Tyrol, standing inside the core zone of Hohe Tauern National Park. It rises above the village of Kals am Großglockner, its northern face dropping steeply while the southern flanks slope gently down to the Rumesoikar basin. The mountain shares a ridge with the Salzkogel to the east, separated by the Untere Fruschnitzscharte, a col at 2 901 metres. Close by is the Rumesoikopf, and the nearest alpine huts are the Kalser Tauernhaus in the west and the Stüdlhütte far above the Teischnitzbach valley. The first recorded ascent was made on 13 August 1927 by K. Folta and R. Neumann via the south ridge and east arête. The normal route starts from the Moaralm in Kalser Tal, follows the Teischnitztal to the Pifanghütte, then continues without a path to the col before climbing the east slope to the summit. Those who prefer the east arête need some scrambling experience of grade II difficulty, while the alternative south ridge also involves short sections of climbing. On the summit visitors find wide views across the Hohe Tauern peaks and deep into the National Park. The route passes alpine meadows and high kar basins, with the Teischnitzkees glacier visible on the northern side. The contrast between the steep northern walls and the gentler southern slopes makes the climb both varied and rewarding for those who reach the top.