Alpelhorn

The Hochkalter rises above the Berchtesgaden National Park in the Berchtesgaden Alps. Its summit, at 2607 m, is the highest point of the Hochkalter massif, a limestone and dolomite ridge formed when Triassic seabeds were tilted by tectonic shifts. The massif splits into three groups: Hochkalter, Hocheis and the Southern Wimbach chain, each with its own huts for climbers. The Blaueishütte stands at 1653 m below the Blaueis, the northernmost glacier in the Alps, while the Wimbachgrieshütte serves the eastern flanks. The Hochkalter offers routes for every skill level, from gentle walks to demanding ice climbs and ski tours. The 1833 ‘Schöner Fleck’ route by Karl Thurwieser leads from the Blaueishütte up a steep gully to the summit ridge, passing the Rotpalfen and Kleinkalter. A harder line follows the Ofental, where loose debris makes the descent more common than the ascent. The East Ridge, pioneered in 1874 by Johann Grill, crosses the Blaueis glacier at up to 50° before tackling UIAA grade II sections to the top. From the Blaueishütte, the Schärtenspitze (2153 m) is reached in about an hour on a marked path with cable protections. Its summit looks over the Blaueis glacier, the Watzmann and the Reiteralm. The Hocheisspitze, at 2523 m, stands in the Hocheis group and was first climbed in 1868 by Hermann von Barth. The Southern Wimbach chain, made of crumbly Ramsau dolomite, feeds the wide scree slopes of the Wimbach valley, where walkers follow the river from the Wimbachklamm to the Wimbachgrieshütte.