Hochgasser

The Hochgasser is a 2,922-metre peak in the Granatspitz range along the main Alpine crest. It stands on the border between East Tyrol and Salzburg, with the St Pöltner Hut on its southern flanks. The mountain’s name comes from a broad gully or ‘Gasse’ on its western side. Climbers first reached the summit in the early 1920s, when Roman Majewski and companions made the first ridge crossings to the Bärenköpfe and Hörndl. The usual route starts at the St Pöltner Hut, crosses the Alten Tauern pass and follows the broad western ridge, with short sections graded UIAA I. More challenging options include the route from Hörndl via the Bratschenscharte (UIAA II) and the 1993 first ascent of the steep east spur (up to UIAA V) by A. Hölzl and R. Maurhofer. From the summit the Tauernhauptkamm stretches north and south, while the eastern face drops steeply into the Amertal. To the west the broad ridge leads down to the Alten Tauern, and to the north the Bratschenscharte separates the Hochgasser from the Hörndl. The contrast between the gentle western slopes and the sheer eastern walls gives the mountain its striking profile.