Dreiherrnspitze
3,499 m
Austria, Italy
Also known as Picco dei Tre Signori, DreiherrenspitzeAlso known as
Picco dei Tre Signori · Dreiherrenspitze
- Elevation
- 3,499 m
- Prominence
- 618 m
- Difficulty
- 5/10
- Easy alpine
- Best Season
- Jul–Aug
- Routes
- 1
Routes
1Sources differ: PD+ (hikr.org (WS+, Sept 2018))
The South Tyrolean normal route: from Kasern at the head of the Ahrntal through the Windtal to the Lenkjöchlhütte (2,603 m), then a long traverse to the Hinteres Umbaltörl, across the shrinking Althauskees and up a 30–40° firn slope to the shoulder and the blocky summit ridge. Two days, about 2,050 m of ascent in total, glacier kit needed.
Elevation Profile
- Distance
- 14.3 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +2,083 m
- −184 m lost on the way up
- High Point
- 3,499 m
- Time Up
- 9h 06m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 6h 34m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
Day one: from the Naturparkhaus car park at Kasern (about 1,595 m) walk to the Heilig Geist chapel and follow path 12 past the Labensau pastures and up the Windtal to the Lenkjöchlhütte (2,603 m), about 3 hours. The Röttal (path 11) is a similar alternative and is often used for the descent. Day two: just below the hut take path 12A on a long, undulating traverse to the Hinteres Umbaltörl (2,849 m). Rockfall debris makes the path hard to follow in the dark; at the junction with the Ahrner Kopf path go left, and the old line has slid away, so climb a very loose stony track. A short rock band just below the col is climbed with the help of iron pegs (II-). From the col stay briefly on the East Tyrol side, traverse a loose scree flank right and follow cairns to the Althauskees, reached by a short descent. Cross the glacier, which is exposed to stonefall from above when the sun is on it, towards a ramp beside a prominent rock rib; climb it (30°) to a second, bowl-shaped slope and go up right, passing a possible cornice on the right, to the shoulder (a few metres of 40°). An easy blocky ridge leads to the summit. Allow 4–5 hours from the hut. Descend the same way to the hut and out to Kasern via the Röttal. In summer the glacier is often bare with open crevasses and the final slope can be hard ice needing front-pointing. In good conditions parties descend over the Lahnerkees to the Birnlückenhütte instead, abseiling a steep, often icy rock step. From East Tyrol the Clarahütte (2,038 m) in the Umbaltal gives a longer, quieter approach over the Umbalkees that joins this route on the Althauskees.
Start
Kasern1,600 m
- Train or bus to Bruneck/Brunico, then bus 450 up the Ahrntal to its terminus at Kasern (about 1¼ hours).
- Parking at the trailhead
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kasern → Lenkjöchlhütte | 8.0 | 1,000 | 22 | 4h 23m |
| 2 | Lenkjöchlhütte → Dreiherrnspitze | 6.3 | 1,084 | 166 | 4h 44m |
Waypoints
- Parking: Kasern1,600 m
Paid car park at the Naturparkhaus; bus 450 terminus
- Feature: Heilig Geist1,694 m
- Hut: Lenkjöchlhütte2,584 m
- Col: Hinteres Umbaltörl2,841 m
Rock band with iron pegs (II-) just below the col
- Feature: Althauskees3,061 m
- Summit: Dreiherrnspitze3,499 m
Key Passages
- Loose traverse and pegged rock band (II-) to the Hinteres Umbaltörl
- Stonefall-exposed crossing of the Althauskees
- 30–40° firn slope to the shoulder, possible cornice
- Blocky summit ridge
Equipment
0/8 packedDownloads
Route confidence 80%Overview
A glaciated 3,499 m summit on the main Tauern crest where Salzburg, East Tyrol and South Tyrol meet. The normal route from the head of the Ahrntal is a long two-day glacier tour via the Lenkjöchlhütte, technically modest (PD) but with loose ground, stonefall and steep firn near the top.
The Dreiherrnspitze (3,499 m; Italian Picco dei Tre Signori) stands on the western main crest of the Venediger Group in the Hohe Tauern, exactly on the Austrian–Italian border. Its name recalls the three lordships that met here: the counts of Tyrol, the counts of Görz and the prince-archbishops of Salzburg; today Salzburg, East Tyrol and South Tyrol meet on the summit. It is also a three-way watershed, draining to the Salzach and Inn, to the Isel and Drava, and via the Ahr and Rienz to the Adige. The Austrian flanks lie in the Hohe Tauern National Park, the South Tyrolean side in the Rieserferner-Ahrn Nature Park.
The mountain is surrounded by glaciers: the heavily crevassed Krimmler Kees below the 450 m north-east face, the Umbalkees to the east and south, and the Lahnerkees reaching the summit area from the west. It has an eastern main summit and a 3,418 m west summit. Because it rises clearly above its neighbours, the summit has a wide view over the Zillertal Alps, the Rieserferner and the Venediger group.
All routes are glacier tours and all are long. The usual approach is from Kasern in the Ahrntal via the Lenkjöchlhütte; from East Tyrol the Clarahütte in the Umbaltal gives a quieter alternative. The ridges and the north-east face (UIAA III–V+) are serious, stonefall-prone climbs that are rarely done.
Climbing Notes
You need basic glacier skills (roped travel, crevasse rescue), confidence with crampons on 30–40° firn or ice, and the fitness for a long day: about 900 m of ascent but 4–5 hours each way from the hut over loose, poorly maintained ground. Spend the night at the Lenkjöchlhütte and start early, both for firmer snow and to cross the Althauskees before the sun loosens stones from above. Wear a helmet at the Hinteres Umbaltörl.
In late summer the shrinking Althauskees is often bare with open crevasses and the final slope can be hard ice; earlier in the season snow bridges and the cornice at the shoulder need care. The peak is also a popular spring ski tour. Parties without glacier experience should hire a guide; Ahrntal and Virgental guide offices run the tour.
History
Claims that the brothers Berger from Prägraten reached the summit during survey work in 1861 are doubtful. The first documented ascent was made on 2 November 1866 by the guide Balthasar Ploner with Michael Dorer and Isidor Feldner, from the south-west along the line of today's normal route from East Tyrol. The east ridge was first climbed in August 1902 (Thomas Maischberger, Paul Gelmo), the north-west face in 1905, the north-east face in 1926 (A. Hein, Karl Schreiner) and the north-east pillar in 1931 (Hubert Peterka, Fritz Proksch). The west ridge, the Lahner Schneide (UIAA 6+), was first climbed in 2012. The Clarahütte, the oldest base for the climb, was built in 1872.
Season
Best Jul–Aug- January: Not advisable
- February: Not advisable
- March: Possible
- April: Good
- May: Possible
- June: Possible
- July: Best (best window)
- August: Best (best window)
- September: Good
- October: Possible
- November: Not advisable
- December: Not advisable
- Jan
- Winter; huts closed
- Feb
- Winter; huts closed
- Mar
- Ski tour for experienced ski mountaineers; winter rooms only
- Apr
- Popular spring ski tour; avalanche conditions decide
- May
- Late ski-touring season; huts not yet staffed
- Jun
- Lots of snow; Lenkjöchlhütte usually opens in July
- Jul
- Hut open; good snow cover on the glacier
- Aug
- Best settled weather; glacier increasingly bare, watch crevasses and ice
- Sep
- Often stable but icy final slope; hut closes in late September
- Oct
- Huts closed; early snow
- Nov
- Winter conditions
- Dec
- Winter conditions
Access & Permits
- Hut Booking
- Lenkjöchlhütte: book by phone (+39 0474 838144) or email (info@lenkl.com); cash only; hut sleeping bag compulsory.
- Fees
- Paid car park at the Naturparkhaus in Kasern (rate not verified)
- Rules
- Austrian flanks lie in the Hohe Tauern National Park and the South Tyrolean side in the Rieserferner-Ahrn Nature Park; normal national-park and nature-park rules apply (no camping, no drones without permission)
- Getting There
Kasern (Prettau), Ahrntal, South Tyrol
Innsbruck (INN); Bolzano (BZO)
- By car: A22 Brenner motorway exit Brixen/Bressanone Nord, SS49 to Bruneck/Brunico, then the Ahrntal road to its end at Kasern
- By public transport: train to Bruneck/Brunico, then bus 450 to the terminus at Kasern (about 1¼ hours)
- From East Tyrol: Matrei – Prägraten – Ströden car park, then on foot through the Umbaltal to the Clarahütte (about 2½ hours)
Hazards
- Glacier
- Crevasses
- Rockfall
- Cornices
- Weather
- Altitude
Huts & Shelters
1- 2,603 m
LenkjöchlhütteHutStaffedBooking required
41 beds · July to September; winter room with 12 places