Pflerscher Pinggl

The Pflerscher Pinggl is a 2767-metre peak in the Stubai Alps where the Austrian Gschnitztal valley meets the South Tyrolean Pflerschtal. It stands on the main Alpine ridge, a narrow crest that divides the two valleys. To the west the Hohe Zahn and the 3017-metre Weisswandspitze rise above the same ridge, while to the northeast the crest continues toward the 2599-metre Pflerscher Scharte. Climbers value the Pflerscher Pinggl for its clean lines and the sense of isolation it offers. The mountain is built almost entirely of paragneis, the same coarse-grained rock found throughout the Ötztal-Stubai crystalline zone. No signed trail leads to the summit; the only routes are the south-west and east ridges, both graded UIAA I. The Italian Tribulaun hut at 2369 metres sits beside the Sandessee below the southern flanks. This stone-built refuge is the usual base for the climb. From the hut the route follows the south-west ridge or the east ridge, scrambling over blocks of paragneis until the final snow or ice slope delivers the summit. The view stretches from the Ortler to the Zillertal Alps.