Olperer
3,476 m
Austria
- Elevation
- 3,476 m
- Prominence
- 1,234 m
- Difficulty
- 5/10
- Easy alpine
- Best Season
- Jul–Aug
- Routes
- 1
WorksReported 1 Jun 2026 · until 15 Oct 2026
The hut website announced building work at the Olpererhütte in summer 2026 to extend staff accommodation, with possible construction noise and helicopter flights; the hut remains open (until about early October 2026).
olpererhuette.de
Routes
1Sources differ: II (Olpererhütte (DAV Neumarkt)) · III- (bergsteigen.com (wall step at the start of the ridge))
The first-ascent line and still the easiest way up the highest peak of the Tux Alps: from the Olpererhütte (2,389 m) over block ground to the small Schneegupf ice field, a steep bolted wall step onto the south-east ridge, then 3–4 rope lengths of very exposed but easy climbing (I–II+) to the summit. About 1,100 m from the hut; a serious alpine climb, not a hike.
Elevation Profile
approximate line- Distance
- 5.0 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +1,706 m
- start → summit
- High Point
- 3,476 m
- Time Up
- 6h 20m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 4h 05m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
From the car park at the Schlegeis reservoir (about 1,800 m) path 502 follows the road along the lake, crosses the Riepenbach and climbs through larch and dwarf pine, then grassy slopes, to the Olpererhütte (2,389 m), about 1½ hours. Most parties sleep there. From the hut follow the marked path towards the Riepenkopf and Alpeiner Scharte; at about 2,800 m, just below the ridge, a sign 'Olperer Südostgrat' marks where you leave the path. Cairns lead over easy but pathless block ground to the Schneegupf, a small, shrinking ice field (up to about 30°) where crampons are often needed. At its top a short vertical wall gives access to the ridge: it is equipped with bolts and some foot rungs, but the fixed rope that was there for many years has been removed and, according to the hut, is unlikely to be replaced. The ridge above is not hard (mostly I–II, some II+) but extremely exposed, with the north face and the Hintertux glacier on one side and the Unterschrammachkar on the other; bolts allow belaying. The hut gives about 4 hours to the summit. Descend the same way, abseiling or belaying the wall step; allow 2–4 hours back to the hut depending on traffic and conditions, plus an hour to the car park. Do not drift right towards the ski area, or you end up on the north ridge. Many unroped parties turn back on the exposed ridge; carry a rope and know how to use it, or go with a guide.
Start
Schlegeisspeicher1,785 m
- Zillertalbahn to Mayrhofen, then the seasonal bus to the Schlegeis reservoir
- Parking at the trailhead
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Schlegeisspeicher → Olpererhütte | 1.5 | 604 | 0 | 2h 12m |
| 2 | Olpererhütte → Olperer | 3.5 | 1,102 | 15 | 4h 08m |
Waypoints
- Parking: Schlegeisspeicher1,785 m
End of the Schlegeis toll road; bus from Mayrhofen in summer
- Hut: Olpererhütte2,386 m
- Feature: Olperer Südostgrat turn-off3,418 m
Leave the marked path; cairns over block ground (not on route line)
- Feature: Schneegupf3,282 m
Small ice field up to about 30°
- Summit: Olperer3,476 m
Key Passages
- Pathless block ground following cairns
- Schneegupf ice field (up to 30°)
- Bolted vertical wall step onto the ridge (crux, II+ to III-)
- Very exposed south-east ridge to the summit
Equipment
0/8 packedDownloads
Route confidence 76%Overview
The highest peak of the Tux Alps (3,476 m), a sharp rock pyramid above the Schlegeis reservoir and the Hintertux glacier ski area. Its normal route is a short but very exposed rock ridge (II+) reached from the comfortable Olpererhütte.
The Olperer stands at the western end of the Tux main ridge, on the divide between the Zillertal (Schlegeis/Zamser Grund) and the Wipptal side valleys (Valser Tal, Schmirntal). Its steep pyramid dominates the view from the Hintertux glacier, whose lifts climb almost to the foot of its north face, and from the Schlegeis reservoir to the south-east.
The normal route follows the south-east ridge, the line of the first ascent, from the Olpererhütte (2,389 m): an hour or two over pathless block ground to the small Schneegupf ice field, a bolted wall step and then 3–4 rope lengths of easy but exposed climbing. It is short by alpine standards (about 4 hours from the hut) but needs a rope and the skill to use it; guide books and hut wardens stress that many unroped parties turn back on the ridge. Harder routes include the north ridge (ZS, IV-) from the Geraer Hütte or the glacier ski area, and a traverse combining both ridges.
Glacier retreat has changed the mountain: the Schneegupf shrinks every summer, and in 1998 an ice and rock avalanche from the Großer Riepenkees at about 2,800 m grazed the old Olpererhütte. Expect more loose rock and bare ice than older descriptions suggest.
Climbing Notes
You need to be comfortable climbing grade II–III rock in big exposure, ideally roped with running belays on the bolts, plus basic crampon technique for the Schneegupf. A day from the hut is about 6–8 hours return. Parties unsure of moving together on exposed rock should hire a guide in Mayrhofen or Hintertux.
Typical itinerary: drive or take the bus to the Schlegeis reservoir, walk 1½ hours to the Olpererhütte, climb the Olperer early next morning and descend to the valley the same day. Start at first light: queues form at the wall step on fine summer weekends, and afternoon thunderstorms are frequent.
The fixed rope on the wall step has been removed and bolts and foot rungs added; bring your own rope and a few quickdraws. Check current conditions with the hut, especially early in the season when snow covers the ridge.
History
Paul Grohmann, with Georg Samer and Jakob (Jackl) Gainer, made the first ascent on 10 September 1867 from the Zamser Grund via the Riepenkar and the Riepengrat, the south-east ridge that is still the normal route. The Prague section of the German and Austrian Alpine Club built the first Olpererhütte in 1881 to make the climb easier; it passed to the Berlin section in 1900 and to the DAV section Neumarkt in 2004, which replaced it with a new hut opened in 2007.
Season
Best Jul–Aug- January: Not advisable
- February: Not advisable
- March: Not advisable
- April: Not advisable
- 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; hut closed (winter room)
- Feb
- Winter
- Mar
- Winter; ski touring nearby only
- Apr
- Winter conditions
- May
- Snow on the ridge; hut closed
- Jun
- Hut opens in June; ridge often snowy and icy
- Jul
- Main season; busy at weekends
- Aug
- Main season; Schneegupf may be bare ice
- Sep
- Stable weather, fewer people; early snow possible
- Oct
- Hut open until about early October; ice on the ridge
- Nov
- Winter
- Dec
- Winter
Access & Permits
- Hut Booking
- Olpererhütte (DAV Neumarkt): book online via the hut website; summer weekends fill early.
- Fees
- The Schlegeis Alpenstraße from Ginzling to the reservoir is a toll road
- Hut overnight fees, with discounts for alpine club members
- Rules
- The Schlegeis area lies in the Zillertal Alps nature park (Hochgebirgs-Naturpark Zillertaler Alpen); stay on paths and observe park rules
- Getting There
Mayrhofen (Zillertal); Ginzling
Innsbruck (INN)
- Train (Zillertalbahn) from Jenbach to Mayrhofen, then the seasonal bus to the Schlegeis reservoir
- By car from Mayrhofen via Ginzling on the Schlegeis toll road to the car parks by the dam
Hazards
- Exposure
- Rockfall
- Weather
- Glacier
Huts & Shelters
1- 2,389 m
OlpererhütteHutStaffed
60 beds · Summer, roughly June to early October; winter room with 12 places (wood stove, no water)