Feuerspitze

The Feuerspitze stands in the Lechtal Alps of Tirol, a 2,851-metre peak with an exposed summit that attracts both hikers and ski mountaineers. It lies about seven kilometres south-east of Holzgau, its northern flank guarded by the Fallenbacherferner, now a small remnant of what was once a glacier. Neighbouring ridges include the Holzgauer Wetterspitze to the north, the Fallenbacherturm to the east, and the Vorderseespitze to the south, each separated by high passes such as the Gamskarlscharte and the Stierlahnzugjoch. The mountain’s name comes from striking red hornstone layers in its northern face, part of the Dogger and Malm formations that contain microfossils like radiolarian skeletons. These brittle strata make the rock unstable, so climbers on the north side must watch for falling stones. The Normalweg, the easiest route, starts from the Simmshütte at 2,004 metres in the Sulzeltal valley. From there a clear path leads south-west to the Stierlahnzugjoch before turning north to the summit in about three and a half hours. Visitors who choose the Normalweg find a steady climb through alpine meadows and scree, with views opening over the Kaisertal to the south-west. The Simmshütte provides a warm refuge before the final ascent, and in winter the same route becomes a ski tour. On the summit ridge the panorama stretches across the Lechtal Alps, taking in the Wetterspitze, the Parseierspitze and the distant peaks of the Allgäu.