Hochgall
3,436 m
Austria, Italy
Also known as Monte Collalto, Hochgall - Monte Collalto, +1Also known as
Monte Collalto · Hochgall - Monte Collalto · Хохгалль
- Elevation
- 3,436 m
- Prominence
- 1,148 m
- Difficulty
- 5/10
- Easy alpine
- Best Season
- Jul–Aug
- Routes
- 1
AdvisoryReported 1 Jan 2025
The cables on the steep step beyond the Graues Nöckl were removed in 2025 (month not stated in the source). Downclimb (UIAA II) or abseil twice with at least 35 m of rope; bolts are in place for the return climb.
alpenvereinaktiv.com
Routes
1Sources differ: PD (Camptocamp) · AD- (JWD Bergtouren (ZS-, sustained II with cabled sections)) · III+/IV- (DAV Panorama on alpenvereinaktiv.com: crux slabs below the fore-summit if the cables are not used) · VF B (DAV Panorama / JWD: cabled slabs below the fore-summit)
The South Tyrolean normal route: from Rein in Taufers to the Kasseler Hütte (2,274 m), then cairned paths and scree to the Graues Nöckl (3,084 m) and a long, exposed rock ridge (II, short steps of III or cabled slabs) to the summit. About 1,200 m of climbing from the hut on mixed-quality rock; no glacier travel in summer.
Elevation Profile
approximate line- Distance
- 9.8 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +1,925 m
- −64 m lost on the way up
- High Point
- 3,436 m
- Time Up
- 7h 46m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 5h 17m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
Day 1: from Rein in Taufers (about 1,550–1,600 m; bus stop and car park at the village entrance) take path 1 past the Untere Terner Alm to the Kasseler Hütte (Rifugio Roma, 2,274 m), about 2–2½ hours. Day 2: follow the Arthur-Hartdegen-Weg (path 8) towards Ursprung for 20–30 minutes. At a stream gully a red sign 'Hochgall – Collalto' points right; faint paths and cairns climb south-east past a small pond and a basin with grey lakes (about 2,580–2,600 m), cross the stream in the outwash plain of the former Eastern Rieserferner and go up scree and moraine to the west ridge of the Graues Nöckl. Rock climbing starts at about 2,880 m and is partly loose to the airy top of the Graues Nöckl (3,084 m), 2½–3 hours from the hut. Beyond the Graues Nöckl a narrow, exposed crenellated ridge (II) leads to a steep step down to the lowest col of the north-west ridge (about 3,050 m). Its cable was removed in 2025: downclimb (II) or make two abseils (at least 35 m of rope); bolts are in place for the climb back up. The north-west ridge then climbs over a short wall and inclined slabs, briefly touching the edge of the steep Hochgallferner on the left (a few steps on snow), to two slabby steps below the fore-summit, protected with cables (B, or III+/IV- free). An easy narrow ridge leads to the summit, 1½–2 hours from the Graues Nöckl. Descend the same way, about 3 hours to the hut.
Start
Rein in Taufers1,576 m
- Train to Bruneck, bus to Sand in Taufers and on to Rein in Taufers.
- Parking at the trailhead
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rein in Taufers → Kasseler Hütte | 5.4 | 731 | 36 | 3h 11m |
| 2 | Kasseler Hütte → Hochgall | 4.3 | 1,194 | 28 | 4h 35m |
Waypoints
- Trailhead: Rein in Taufers1,576 m
- Hut: Kasseler Hütte2,271 m
- Shoulder: Graues Nöckl2,956 m
- Summit: Hochgall3,436 m
Key Passages
- Partly loose climbing on the west ridge of the Graues Nöckl
- Exposed ridge and steep step down from the Graues Nöckl (II or abseil)
- Edge of the Hochgallferner at about 3,250 m
- Two slabby steps below the fore-summit (cables, B, or III+/IV-)
Equipment
0/8 packedDownloads
Route confidence 75%Overview
The highest summit of the Rieserferner group (3,436 m), a steep rock pyramid on the border between South Tyrol and East Tyrol above Rein in Taufers and the Antholz valley. Its normal route is a long, exposed rock ridge (II–III) with no glacier crossing in summer.
The Hochgall (Italian Monte Collalto) rises at the heart of the Rieserferner group, on the main ridge between the Reintal and Antholz valley in South Tyrol and the Defereggen side in East Tyrol. It is the group's highest peak and, with more than 1,100 m of prominence, the dominant summit seen from Rein in Taufers. On the north side it drops steeply in glacier slopes; on the south it falls almost sheer towards the Antholzer See. Much of the area lies in the Rieserferner-Ahrn nature park.
The usual summer ascent starts at the Kasseler Hütte (Rifugio Roma) and climbs the north-west ridge over the subsidiary Graues Nöckl. It is a serious rock route rather than a hike: about 1,200 m of ascent from the hut, several hours of exposed scrambling and climbing to grade II with harder steps, partly on loose rock. As the glaciers have shrunk, the ridge can now be climbed without crossing ice, though snow and verglas linger in places.
The route changes over time: rockfall at the Graues Nöckl and the removal of a cable in 2025 have made the step down from the Nöckl harder (II downclimb or abseils). A second normal route climbs from the Antholz side via the Patscher Kees and the north-east ridge, and in spring the mountain is a ski-mountaineering objective from Antholz.
Climbing Notes
For experienced alpinists comfortable moving together on exposed grade II rock, leading or downclimbing III, and abseiling. Rope work is now needed at the Graues Nöckl step, and parties often belay the slabby steps below the fore-summit. DAV advice is blunt: anyone who needs a via ferrata set for the cabled slabs does not belong on this route. Hire a guide from the Tauferer Ahrntal if unsure; several guiding services offer it.
Typical itinerary: day 1 Rein in Taufers to the Kasseler Hütte (2–2½ hours); day 2 summit (4–5 hours) and back to the hut (about 3 hours), with a long descent to Rein if continuing. Start before dawn: the route is long and afternoon thunderstorms are common. Loose rock and other parties make a helmet essential. Snow on the ridge in early summer or after storms raises the difficulty considerably; ask the hut about conditions.
History
The eastern fore-summit was first climbed in 1854 by the survey officer Hermann van Acken with helpers from the Defereggen valley. The main summit was first reached on 3 August 1868 by Karl Hofmann, Valentin Kaltdorff and the guides Hansl Oberarzbacher and Georg Weis, via the west flank and north-west ridge. The second ascent, on 28 August 1871 by Eduard Richter and Johann Stüdl with the guides Thomas Groder, Balthasar Ploner and the porter Hanns Ausserhofer, followed the full north-west ridge from the Graues Nöckl, the line of today's normal route.
Season
Best Jul–Aug- January: Not advisable
- February: Not advisable
- March: Possible
- April: Possible
- May: Not advisable
- June: Possible
- July: Best (best window)
- August: Best (best window)
- September: Good
- October: Possible
- November: Not advisable
- December: Not advisable
- Jan
- Winter; ridge not practicable for most
- Feb
- Winter
- Mar
- Ski-mountaineering from Antholz; Kasseler Hütte open in March–April
- Apr
- Ski-mountaineering season
- May
- Snow on the ridge; hut closed
- Jun
- Hut opens in June; snow on the ridge makes it much harder
- Jul
- Main season
- Aug
- Main season; ridge usually dry
- Sep
- Good if dry; verglas after cold nights
- Oct
- Hut closes mid-October; early snow
- Nov
- Winter
- Dec
- Winter
Access & Permits
- Hut Booking
- Contact the Kasseler Hütte directly (phone +39 0474 672550 or via kasseler-huette.com); staffed June to mid-October and March to April.
- Getting There
Sand in Taufers / Rein in Taufers
Innsbruck Airport (INN)
- Train to Bruneck (Pustertal line), bus to Sand in Taufers and on to Rein in Taufers
- By car: Brenner motorway to Brixen, Pustertal to Bruneck, then the Tauferer valley to Sand in Taufers and up to Rein; large car park at the village entrance
- Antholz side: bus or car from Olang into the Antholz valley (Antholz-Mittertal, 6 hours to the Kasseler Hütte)
Hazards
- Rockfall
- Exposure
- Weather
- Glacier
Huts & Shelters
1- 2,274 m