Alpinism - The North Face of the Grossglockner

With the opening of the Grossglockner mountain street in Heiligenblut at the first of May, starts also the ideal season for ice and mixed routes on the North Face of the Grossglockner.

The first day we aprroach to the face. We go down from the parking house to the glacier "Pasterze" and go up on the other side to the Grossglockner bivouc.

The second day we start very early to get the best and safest conditions. Between 11 and 13 o'clockn we reach the summit of the Grossglockner and after enjoied the view from the Piz Bernina to the Triglav, we go down the Normal way, passing the hut Adlersruhe, till we get again on the parking house.

Tens of routes lead up the North Face to the Grossglockner:

• the most beautiful: The Mayerlrampe. Difficulty 60° on ice and III° on rock. We go up a slope of 200m about 45° steep to get the start of the Mayerlrampe. With 5 leghts, with sections of 60° we gain the "Grögerschneid". From here on we follow the magnificent Northwestern ridge of the Grossglockner, with rock climbing in II°-III°, till we reach the summit. Requirements: base knowledge of climbing with two ice axes, base knowledge of rock climbing, to be free from giddiness, to be fit. If you are interested in, contact uns on info@glocknerfuehrer.at

• the most famous: Pallavicini Coloir. Difficulty 55° on ice and IV° of climbing. We gain the bergschrund and follow for the next 500 m the coloir with sections of max. 55°. Then we arrive at the final rock part. It depends on conditions if there are two or three easy mixed pitches to the saddle. From here on in ten minutes to the top of the Grossglockner.  Requirements: base knowledge of climbing with two ice axes, base knowledge of rock climbing, to be free from giddiness, to be fit. If you are interested in, contact uns on info@glocknerfuehrer.at

• the most difficult: The Ice nose. Difficulty, ice up to 95°. On the left of the Pallavicini we go up a 45°-50° slab for 300 metres. Then follows the crux-secitons of two-three pitches of vertical ice climbing, which lead us to the top of the route. In a few hundred metres, we gain the trace of the normal way and reach in 1,5 hours the top of the Grossglockner. Requirements: good knowledge of ice climbing (min. seconding WI 4). If you are interested in, contact uns on info@glocknerfuehrer.at

• the easiest: The Bergler Coloir. Difficulty up to 50° on ice, III° of climbing.  The ascent of the Grossglockner on the route "Bergler Coloir" starts on the left of  the "Mayerlrampe" with less but sustained steepness. After 500 metres we reach the saddle "Grögerschneid", from that on over the Northwest ridge to the top of the Grossglockner. Requirements: base knowledge of climbing with two ice axes, base knowledge of rock climbing, to be free from giddiness, to be fit. If you are interested in, contact uns on info@glocknerfuehrer.at

After the snowfalls of the last weeks, there are good conditions in the Northface of the Grossglockner now. If you are interested in an ascent of the second highest North face of the Eastern Alps (after Ortles), contact us - there are choices for every preference and capacity!