Ochsenbug

The Ochsenbug rises in the Venediger Group of the High Tauerns, its summit standing about six kilometres northwest of Matrei in East Tirol. Locals sometimes call it the Kristallkopf, and it is the easternmost three-thousander in the whole range. The marked normal route from Hinteregg is straightforward when snow has gone and the ground is dry. The route leaves Hinteregg at 1 433 metres and climbs north along the Tauern valley to the Nunitzköpfl at 2 015 metres. From there it turns southwest, then west up steeper ground through the Ochsenbugleit’n to the top where a large metal cross stands. A southern start from the Lahntaler Alm at 1 764 metres is technically no harder but far riskier, with steep grass slopes and slabs that have already claimed lives; guidebooks strongly advise against it. Once on the summit ridge the view stretches across the Venediger peaks and down to the Tauern valley. The cross marks the highest point, and the descent retraces the same path unless an alternative traverse is chosen. The mountain’s isolation and clear air make it a quiet place for those who reach the top.