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Hoher Riffler

3,168 m

Austria

Also known as Hoher Riffler (Nord)

Hoher Riffler (Nord)

Elevation
3,168 m
Prominence
1,330 m
Difficulty
4/10
Alpine hike
Best Season
Jul–Aug
Routes
1

  • AdvisoryReported 7 Oct 2026

    The Edmund-Graf-Hütte's 2026 season ran from 20 June to 20 September 2026, with the last overnight stay on 18 September; the hut is closed until the 2027 season (dates not yet published).

    edmund-graf-huette.com

Routes

1
3D Preview
Open 3D
UIAAIISources differ: T4+ (hikr.org (to the south summit, 2011)) · I (hikr.org (to the south summit, 2011))SACT4Sources differ: T4+ (hikr.org (to the south summit, 2011)) · I (hikr.org (to the south summit, 2011))ScrambleNormal route

Sources differ: T4+ (hikr.org (to the south summit, 2011)) · I (hikr.org (to the south summit, 2011))

The ice-free normal route on the highest peak of the Verwall: from Pettneu am Arlberg up the long Malfontal forest road and a steep path to the Edmund-Graf-Hütte (2,375 m), then a marked path up a steep, loose scree corrie to the saddle between Kleiner Riffler and Blankahorn and up the west flank to the south summit. The cross on the north summit, 2 m higher, needs a short II scramble.

Elevation Profile

approximate line
1,0001,5002,0002,5003,0003,5000 km2468Edmund-Graf-Hütte
Distance
10.0 km
one way
Ascent
+1,981 m
−55 m lost on the way up
High Point
3,168 m
Time Up
7h 58m
DIN 33466
Time Down
5h 23m
DIN 33466 · same way back

From Pettneu am Arlberg (1,222 m; free parking at the indoor pool) follow the long forest road into the Malfontal, past the Vordere Malfonalpe (about 1,690 m). A few bends further, by a boulder with a bench just before the Hintere Malfonalpe, the path to the hut branches left and climbs in tight zigzags to the Edmund-Graf-Hütte (2,375 m), about 3½ hours. Bikes can be ridden to the goods cableway, but the last part is on foot. Behind the hut a good path climbs north over pasture and ice-polished slabs to a grassy shoulder. Ahead, between the Kleiner Riffler on the left and the Blankahorn on the right, lies a huge scree and boulder corrie: the path passes a rock barrier on a narrow ramp, then zigzags ever more steeply up loose, earthy scree; about two-thirds of the way up a rock band is crossed with the help of cables. Above, the angle eases on schist to the saddle at about 2,980 m, with a view down onto the crevassed Pettneuer Ferner. The Kleiner Riffler (3,014 m) is a 5-minute detour. Turn right and follow the marked path up the west flank, crossing a firn patch when present, to the south summit with the summit register, about 2 hours from the hut. The north summit with the cross is only 30 m away and 2 m higher. Downclimb a small wall west into the exposed gap, cross a slab to the right round a pinnacle, then follow a small notch and an airy block ridge to the top (II, about 15 minutes); in snow or ice it is serious and many parties stop at the south summit. Descend the same way: about 1 hour to the hut with great care in the loose corrie (poles help), then about 2 hours to Pettneu.

Start

Pettneu am Arlberg1,242 m

  • Train to St. Anton am Arlberg or Landeck, then regional bus along the Stanzertal to Pettneu.
  • Parking at the trailhead

Stages

DayStagekmm ascentm descentTime
1Pettneu am Arlberg → Edmund-Graf-Hütte7.61,188555h 01m
2Edmund-Graf-Hütte → Hoher Riffler2.479202h 56m

Waypoints

  1. Parking:
    Pettneu am Arlberg1,242 m

    Village coordinates; the exact car-park position was not verified

  2. Waypoint:
    Vordere Malfonalpe1,687 m
  3. Hut:
    Edmund-Graf-Hütte2,375 m
  4. Col:
    Saddle between Kleiner Riffler and Blankahorn2,962 m

    Approximate position between the two summits; view onto the Pettneuer Ferner

  5. Summit:
    Hoher Riffler3,168 m

Key Passages

  • Steep zigzags from the Malfontal to the Edmund-Graf-Hütte
  • Loose scree corrie with a cabled rock band
  • Saddle between Kleiner Riffler and Blankahorn
  • Exposed gap and block ridge (II) from the south to the north summit

Equipment

0/7 packed
Technical
Safety
Footwear
Clothing
Hut & Camping
Other

Downloads

Route confidence 78%
Download GPXDownload KML

Overview

The highest summit of the Verwall group, a dominant gneiss peak between the Stanzertal and the Paznaun with a huge panorama. A marked, ice-free path leads from the Edmund-Graf-Hütte to the south summit; the cross on the north summit, 30 m away, needs a short exposed scramble (II).

The Hoher Riffler (3,168 m) is the highest point of the Verwall Alps in Tyrol and stands at the eastern end of the group, above Pettneu am Arlberg in the Stanzertal to the north and the Paznaun to the south-east. With about 1,330 m of prominence and nearly 24 km to the next higher peak, it rises well above its surroundings, and the view in clear weather is one of the widest in the Eastern Alps: the Verwall, Allgäu and Lechtal Alps, the Zugspitze and Karwendel, the Ötztal and Stubai Alps, the Ortler, Bernina and Silvretta, and on very clear days the Bernese Alps and the Weisshorn 232 km away.

The mountain has two tops. The marked normal route reaches the south summit with the summit register; the north summit with the cross is 2 m higher and about 30 m away, but reaching it involves downclimbing into an exposed gap and an airy block ridge at UIAA II. Glaciers survive on the north and east sides: the crevassed Pettneuer Ferner below the Kleiner Riffler and the Flirscher Ferner, part of the Mösli protected landscape.

It is often called an easy three-thousander, and on the marked path no climbing skills are needed, but the route is long and the 500 m scree corrie above the hut is steep and loose. Most people split the climb with a night at the Edmund-Graf-Hütte. In late winter and spring it is a popular ski tour, usually to the south summit.

Climbing Notes

You need sure-footedness on steep, loose scree and blocky ground and good fitness: about 1,950 m from Pettneu to the summit, so most parties stay at the Edmund-Graf-Hütte. Poles help a lot in the corrie, especially on the way down. The crossing to the north summit is short but exposed; skip it when there is snow or ice in the gap, as many do, or bring a short rope for less experienced companions.

The route is usually snow-free from July to September. Early in the season a firn patch remains on the west flank below the summit, and after the first autumn snow the scree and slabs become treacherous. Allow 5½–6 hours up from Pettneu (3½ to the hut, 2 to the summit) and about 3 hours down.

History

Josef Anton Specht and the guide Franz Pöll made the first ascent in 1864 from Pettneu, through the Malfontal and the side valley where the Edmund-Graf-Hütte now stands, over the Blankahorn and the then larger Pettneuer Ferner to the west summit. Anton von Ruthner followed on 4 September 1867 from Langesthei on the south side with a Paznaun chamois hunter named Lipp. The Edmund-Graf-Hütte of the Touristenklub Innsbruck was built in 1884–85. In 2013 the Austrian Federal Railways installed a weather station on the neighbouring Gauderkopf (2,991 m) to monitor natural hazards above the Arlberg railway.

Season

Best Jul–Aug
  1. January: Possible
  2. February: Possible
  3. March: Good
  4. April: Good
  5. May: Possible
  6. June: Possible
  7. July: Best (best window)
  8. August: Best (best window)
  9. September: Good
  10. October: Possible
  11. November: Not advisable
  12. December: Not advisable
Jan
Ski tour for experienced ski mountaineers; hut closed
Feb
Ski tour; avalanche conditions decide
Mar
Popular late-winter ski tour to the south summit
Apr
Spring ski tour
May
Snow in the corrie; hut closed
Jun
Snow likely in the corrie and on the west flank; hut opens around 20 June (2026)
Jul
Usually snow-free; hut open
Aug
Best conditions; afternoon thunderstorms
Sep
Good, but hut closes around 20 September (2026)
Oct
Possible as a long day before the first snow
Nov
Winter conditions
Dec
Winter conditions

Access & Permits

Hut Booking
Edmund-Graf-Hütte: bookings only via Hütten Holiday (huetten-holiday.com); changes and cancellations through the same account.
Rules
  • The Flirscher Ferner and Scheibenkopf on the east side form the Mösli protected landscape (Landschaftsschutzgebiet)
Getting There

Pettneu am Arlberg; St. Anton am Arlberg (Tyrol)

Innsbruck (INN)

  • By car: S16 Arlberg expressway, exit Pettneu am Arlberg; free parking at the indoor swimming pool
  • By train to St. Anton am Arlberg or Landeck-Zams on the Arlberg line, then regional bus along the Stanzertal to Pettneu
  • Alternative approaches to the hut from Kappl in the Paznaun via the Kapplerjoch or from the Dias lift top station (3½–4½ hours)

Hazards

  • Exposure
  • Rockfall
  • Weather

Huts & Shelters

1
Researched from 6 sourcesConfidence81%UnreviewedUpdated 8 Oct 2026
Sources & Caveats
  • Natural Earth 10m point-in-polygon + 300 m border buffer; Wikidata P17 countries whose border is within 5 km
  • Elevation: Wikipedia gives 3,167 m (Austrian map), the skeleton 3,168 m; the south summit is about 2 m lower than the north summit. Hikr gives the hut as 2,408 m against 2,375 m on the hut website.; Bed count of the Edmund-Graf-Hütte was not found on the pages read.; Hikr gives a September 2011 description; the cabled rock band and firn patch may have changed with glacier and permafrost retreat.; The Hallenbad car park in Pettneu is named by the hut, but its exact position was not located on OSM.
  • normalizeGrade of the easiest researched route
  • OSM states 3167 m
  • coordinates: 1 osm
  • summit-corrected (raw GLO-30 1290 m)
  • P4552 chain
  • 100% OSM trail graph, 0% short gaps between OSM fragments, 0% DEM least-cost, 0% straight (approx)
  • elevation from copernicus_glo30, highres