Hintere Kendlspitze

The Hintere Kendlspitze is a 3,080-metre peak in the Granatspitz range of East Tyrol. It stands in the core zone of Hohe Tauern National Park, just south of the Gradötzkamm. The mountain lies between the Vordere Kendlspitze to the south and the Stellachwand to the north. Between the Stellachwand and the Hintere Kendlspitze is the Graue Scharte col at 2,971 metres. To the west is the Dürrenfeld basin, reached by a walking path, and to the east the Kendlkar cirque. The normal route climbs from the Kals-Matreier-Törl hut past the Blauspitze and Brunnerkogel into Dürrenfeld. From there climbers go cross-country up the South-West flank through rock sections to a narrow summit ridge. After a small col the final summit is reached, graded II. Other options include the North Ridge from the Graue Scharte or the South Ridge to the Vordere Kendlspitze. The descent can also be made by the North-East face, graded III. The shortest approach is from the Sudetendeutsche Hütte, which serves as a base. On the summit ridge the view stretches across the Granatspitz peaks and deep into the Hohe Tauern valleys. The surrounding cirques of Dürrenfeld and Kendlkar hold small glaciers and steep rock walls. The contrast between the high, rugged ridges and the quieter alpine meadows below makes the mountain’s setting striking. The route demands sure-footedness and a head for heights, but rewards with one of the wildest prospects in the eastern Alps.