Alkuser Rotspitze

The Alkuser Rotspitze is a 3,053-metre peak in the Schobergruppe range of the Hohe Tauern in Austria. It stands about ten kilometres north-north-west of Lienz in East Tyrol. The normal route is straightforward when snow-free and dry. From the summit, clear weather reveals sweeping views across the Schobergruppe, especially towards the Petzeck and Hochschober. The name Alkus appears in records from 1206 and refers to a hamlet, a lake, a pass and alpine meadows. Some scholars link it to the Latin word casa through older spellings such as ‘alte Gose’ or ‘Alte Gase’. The Alkuser See lies south of the mountain at 2,432 metres, serving as the usual starting point for the ascent. The unmarked route climbs from the lake to the connecting ridge between the Kleine Rotspitze and the main summit. It then follows the ridge northwest to the cross on top. The climb is mostly easy, with only brief sections graded I, and takes roughly two hours from the lake.