Großer Happ

The Großer Happ stands in the Venediger Group of the Hohe Tauern National Park in East Tyrol. It is the highest peak of the Dorfer ridge, a long crest of summits reaching over three thousand metres. The mountain’s name comes from the local dialect word for ‘sheep’, though the masculine form is now used. Its steep eastern face drops to the Dorferkees glacier while the western slopes fall to the Maurerkees. Climbers have reached the summit by many routes since the first ascent in 1854. Early parties included surveyors and local guides, and later parties opened harder lines such as the North-west face in 1922. The Südwest ridge offers the usual ascent, passing the Südlicher Happ and Kleiner Happ on the way up. A marked path from the Essener-Rostocker or Johannishütte leads to the Schweriner Way. Near the Kleiner Geiger the route leaves the trail and crosses the Maurerkees glacier with crevasse danger. After climbing a short rock step, the final ridge of scree leads to the summit. From there the sharp Happscharte connects to the neighbouring Großer Geiger, where a short but exposed traverse finishes the crossing.