Stellachwand

The Stellachwand is a 3,060-metre peak in the Granatspitz range of East Tyrol. It stands in the core zone of Hohe Tauern National Park, north of Matrei village. The summit lies between the Stellachturm to the south and the Gradötz to the north, with two cols marking the gaps between them. To the west the old Stellachkees glacier once stretched, while to the south-east the Kendlkar valley opens below. The nearest valley is the Kalser Dorfertal on the eastern side, and the Steinerbach stream rises on the western flanks.

Climbers rarely visit the Stellachwand, and only a few maps show it. The usual route starts at the Sudetendeutsche Hütte and crosses the Dürrenfeld before turning west into a steep gully. From the Graue Scharte col the path climbs easy rock steps to the summit, graded I. The first ascent in 1927 followed a harder traverse from the Stellachscharte down to the Graue Scharte, graded II. An alternative II-grade line also leaves from the Hochleitenscharte col.

On the summit ridge the view stretches across the Granatspitz peaks and deep into the Hohe Tauern valleys. The surrounding cols and neighbouring 3,000-metre tops form a jagged horizon. No marked trails lead to the top, so the route is left to experienced walkers with a map. The silence and scale of the high Alps reward those who make the climb.