Fluchtkogel

The Fluchtkogel is a 3 494-metre peak in the Ötztal Alps of Tirol. It stands above the Kesselwandferner glacier, its south-western snow slope feeding the ice below. A narrow ridge runs north from the summit, splitting at a rocky outcrop called Punkt 3 417 to reach the Gepatschjoch pass and the Hintergrasljoch. Since 2006 a metal summit cross has marked the highest point. The usual route is a straightforward high tour that leaves the Brandenburger Haus and crosses the Kesselwandferner to the Upper Guslar col in about an hour and a half. An alternative starts from the Vernagthütte and follows the Guslarferner, though crevasses on the upper glacier can make this section tricky. The first recorded attempt, by Cyprian Granbichler in 1865, failed to reach the top. The first successful ascent came on 19 July 1869, when Valentin Kaltdorff, Franz Senn and Julius Scholz climbed with guides Alois Ennemoser and Gabriel Spechtenhauser. From the summit the view stretches across the Ötztal Alps to the Weisskugel and the surrounding peaks. The ridge and glacier routes offer mountaineers a clear line to the top, while the high huts provide shelter for those who arrive early or descend late.