Kaltenberg

Kaltenberg stands on the border between Tirol and Vorarlberg in the Verwall range. Its East summit, marked by a cross and a boundary stone, reaches 2 896 m while the West summit, 50 m away, is 2 900 m high. The Pflunspitzen to the south are slightly taller at 2 912 m. The Kaltenberggletscher spills down the northern flank, and below it the Kaltenbergsee sits at 2 506 m between the glacier’s snout and the Kracheljoch. The mountain is best climbed from the Kaltenberghütte at 2 089 m, which can be reached from Stuben, Langen or St Christoph. From the hut the route crosses the Kracheljoch, drops briefly onto the glacier, then ascends a rope-fixed gully to the summit. An alternative is the North ridge, graded UIAA I. In summer the South-west ridge from the Neue Reutlinger Hütte and the South-east ridge from the Konstanzer Hütte offer harder lines. Winter skiers start from Stuben’s lifts up the Albonagrat or tour from the Kaltenberghütte, while routes also leave from Nenzigasttal and the Neue Reutlinger Hütte. The Verwall group’s high valleys frame the Kaltenberg’s slopes. The Kaltenberghütte provides a base for both climbers and ski mountaineers. The glacier and the twin lakes add to the scenery, while the surrounding peaks of the Verwall form a rugged horizon.