Teufelsspitze

The Teufelspitze is a narrow summit ridge in the Granatspitz range, part of the Tauern main chain. It stands on the border between East Tyrol and Salzburg, near the villages of Matrei and Mittersill. The mountain reaches 2,813 metres above sea level and is flanked by the Riegelturm to the west and the Riegelkopf to the south-east. The Amertaler See lies just east of the summit, adding a small alpine lake to the scene. Climbers first reached the top on 21 July 1926 via the southern ridge, led by W. Brandenstein, Henriette Hurych and F. Waldmann. A classic route follows a gully left of the south-east edge, graded UIAA III-. Another line, the Teufelskante, takes the north-east ridge, first climbed on 6 August 1931 by R. Klose and F. Liederer. Both routes involve scrambling over blocks and chimneys before gaining the final ridge. From the summit, ridges drop steeply to the Riegelturmscharte and the Finsterkar valley. Views stretch across the Granatspitz peaks and down to the Amertaler See. The air is thin, the rock solid, and the solitude complete. Those who climb here find only the wind and the distant sound of melting snow.