Faulkogel

The Faulkogel is a 2,654-metre peak in the Radstädter Tauern range, standing on the border between the districts of St. Johann and Tamsweg in Salzburg. It lies west of the higher Mosermandl and the Tauern Tunnel, forming part of the main Alpine ridge. The mountain has three summits, with the northern one being the highest. It once held the title of the highest mountain in the region during the 18th and early 19th centuries, when early surveys mistakenly gave it a height of over 8,000 feet. Though later measurements corrected this, the name ‘Faulkogel’—meaning ‘rotten peak’—refers to the crumbly, weathered rock near the summit. Geologically, the peak consists of brittle Triassic dolomite, while its flanks feature older marbles and schists. Walkers reach the summit from the Riedingtal via the Franz-Fischer-Hütte or from the Tauernalm near the tunnel portal. Routes pass through the Windischscharte or over the Neukarsee, often involving scrambling or exposed sections. The Rothorn can be crossed as part of a high-alpine traverse. The slopes drain into three major river systems—the Mur, the Salzach and the Enns—making the peak a hydrological meeting point in the Alps.