Upsspitze

The Upsspitze stands at 2332 metres in the Ammergauer Alps, a limestone range in the Northern Limestone Alps. It forms a twin summit with the Daniel, only eight metres higher, creating a striking double peak above the villages of Ehrwald and Lermoos in Tirol’s Reutte district. The mountain’s southern flanks are gentler, while the northern face drops some 200 metres in a steep wall. Nearby to the northwest is the Hochschrutte, a subsidiary summit reaching 2247 metres. Together these peaks mark the high point of this section of the Alps. The Upsspitze is climbed as part of a straightforward mountain tour from the south, where the final ridge to the Daniel demands only sure-footedness. Walkers set out from Lermoos, passing the Tuftlalm alpine pasture and the Upsspitze itself before reaching the Daniel in about four hours. The return route drops via the Grüner Ups viewpoint and the same pasture, completing the circuit in roughly two and a half hours. The route is well described in alpine club guides and local walking maps. On the summit ridge between the two peaks there are wide views across the Wetterstein and Mieminger ranges. The Tuftlalm offers shelter and refreshment half way up, while the Grüner Ups provides a quiet spot to rest and look back over the valley. The limestone crags of the Hochschrutte rise to the northwest, and the villages of Ehrwald and Lermoos lie far below in the green valley. The contrast between the open high ridges and the sheltered pastures makes this a memorable day on the mountains.