Spieljoch

The Spieljoch is a 2,236-metre peak in the Rofan range, a subgroup of the Brandenberger Alps in Tirol. Its steep northern face drops 150 metres into a cirque west of the Ampmoosalm, while the southern flank slopes gently down to the high pastures near the Erfurter Hütte. The summit ridge runs west–east, with the Hochiss, the range’s highest point, on the western arête. To the east the Seekarlspitze appears across the Seekarlscharte saddle at about 2,000 metres. Maurach on the Achensee lies four kilometres south and Steinberg am Rofan about six kilometres north. The mountain’s gentle southern grass slopes made early settlement possible, so no first-ascent records survive. A dense network of trails crosses the Rofan, and the normal route starts from the Erfurter Hütte at 1,831 metres. The path follows the Mauritzalm high pasture and then uses fixed ropes for the final section, taking about an hour and a half. From the Seekarlscharte a protected climb of grade A forms part of the Achensee Five-Peak Via Ferrata opened in 2010. The 150-metre north face and the brittle West Ridge offer harder climbing. In 1906 the West Ridge was descended for the first time, and in 1911 it was climbed uphill. A route through the loose north wall, graded UIAA VI+, has existed since 1940. Both lines are now rarely used because of rockfall danger. In spring ski tours also set out from the Erfurter Hütte toward the summit.