Schrammacher

The Schrammacher is a striking mountain in the Zillertal Alps of Tyrol, standing 3,410 metres high. Its horn-like shape and smooth northwest face rise steeply above the surrounding valleys, making it a dramatic sight from many angles. The peak sits four kilometres north-west of the Pfitscherjoch pass and four kilometres west of the Schlegeis reservoir. Three glaciers cling to its slopes: the Alpeiner Ferner at the foot of the northwest wall, the Oberschrammacher Ferner on the south-east slope, and the large Stampflkees to the south-west. The mountain is connected to neighbouring peaks by ridges and cols, including the Alpeiner Scharte to the north and the Sagwandspitze to the west. The Schrammacher has a notable climbing history. The first recorded ascent was made in August 1847 by Peter Karl Thurwieser, a Salzburg meteorologist and mountaineer, with local guides Georg Lechner and Jakob Huber. Their route led from an alp north of the Pfitscherjoch over the south ridge. In 1874, Maurice of Dechy and Hans Pinggera also claimed a first ascent, an oversight corrected in 1901. The northwest face was climbed for the first time in 1895 by Fritz Drasch and Johannes Lechner, a route that foreshadowed later north-face climbing trends. Hermann Buhl completed the first winter ascent of this wall in 1951. Most climbers approach the Schrammacher from the Pfitscherjoch hut at 2,248 metres. The normal route crosses the Stampflkees glacier and follows the south ridge to the summit, taking around five hours in moderately difficult terrain. Alternative bases include the Olpererhütte above the Schlegeis reservoir and the Gera hut at the end of Valser valley, though these routes take longer and carry a higher risk of rock falls below the mountain’s walls. The Schrammacher remains a challenging but rewarding objective for experienced mountaineers.