Geigerkopf

The Geigerkopf is a 3174-metre summit on the Tauern main ridge in the Venediger Group. It lies on the border between Tirol’s Lienz district and Salzburg’s Zell am See district, straddling the municipal boundaries of Prägraten am Großvenediger and Neukirchen am Großvenediger. The first recorded crossing of the peak was made by Hubert Peterka on 28 August 1929, though the exact date of its initial ascent remains unknown. The mountain forms a broad, flat rocky crest rather than a sharp pinnacle. It sits on the eastern ridge of the higher Grosse Geiger (3360 m), flanked by the Kleiner Maurerkeeskopf to the east and the Grosse Geiger to the west. Climbers usually reach the Geigerkopf via the Grosse Geiger, which is itself accessed from the Essener-Rostocker Hut. From the Grosse Geiger’s summit the route drops into the Geigerschartl col at 3142 m, then follows the narrow east ridge—known as the Ostgrat—in easy scrambling (UIAA grade I) to the broad flat top of the Geigerkopf. The alternative approach from the Kleiner Maurerkeeskopf involves far harder climbing, with sections graded up to UIAA III. Between the peaks lie two glaciers: the Maurerkees to the south, source of the Maurerbach stream, and the Obersulzbachkees to the north. The summit offers a broad, windswept platform with panoramic views across the Venediger Group’s high peaks. The flat crest is easy to traverse on foot, giving a sense of space and isolation despite the modest technical difficulty. From the top the eye follows the long ridges and hanging glaciers that radiate toward the Großvenediger massif and the Felbertauern road far below. The contrast between the exposed ridge and the gentle summit plateau makes the Geigerkopf a rewarding objective for experienced hill walkers and aspiring alpinists.