Westliche Erlsbacher Spitze

The Westliche Erlsbacher Spitze is a 3,035-metre peak in the Venedigergruppe range, part of the Panargenkamm. It stands in the municipality of St. Jakob in Defereggen, in the north-west of East Tyrol. The summit lies between the Alplesspitze to the north-west and the Östliche Erlsbacher Spitze to the south-east. To the west lies the Alplesboden cirque with its two small lakes, while the valleys of Trojeralmtal drop away steeply to the north-east. The peak only received its name after 2000, when members of the Lienz section of the Austrian Alpine Club pushed for it to appear on maps and in guidebooks. Before then it was known only as a spot height. The normal route follows the South Ridge from the Seespitzhütte, passing the Oberseitsee and crossing above the Alplesseen before climbing the North-West Ridge to the top. The route starts from the Jägerstube inn in St. Jakob Innerberg. Visitors reach the summit after a long climb that crosses the high cirque holding the Alples lakes. The final section follows a narrow ridge with steep drops on either side. From the top there are wide views across the Venediger peaks and down into the Schwarzachtal. The contrast between the high, windswept ridge and the sheltered valleys below makes the climb memorable.