Reißkofel
2,371 m
Austria
Also known as Райскофель, ReisskofelAlso known as
Райскофель · Reisskofel
- Elevation
- 2,371 m
- Prominence
- 1,390 m
- Difficulty
- 4/10
- Alpine hike
- Best Season
- Jul–Sep
- Routes
- 1
Routes
1Sources differ: T3 (hikr.org (Straniger, 2017)) · schwer (difficult) (Alpenverein Hermagor on alpenvereinaktiv.com)
The shortest route, from the Jochalm (about 1,490 m) above Reisach in the Gailtal: a relentlessly steep path to the Alplspitz (1,971 m), then a marked path through the rocky south face with short cabled sections to the narrow, exposed summit ridge. About 1,000 m of ascent, 2½ hours up; descend the same way or by the loop over the Kleiner Reißkofel.
Elevation Profile
- Distance
- 4.6 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +878 m
- −65 m lost on the way up
- High Point
- 2,371 m
- Time Up
- 3h 38m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 2h 33m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
From Reisach in the Gailtal drive past the Gasthof Reißkofelbad and up the gravel forest road to the Jochalm (about 1,490 m, parking about 500 m before the alp; free-roaming cattle in summer). The path passes a hunting hut and climbs in many steep switchbacks through open forest to the Alplspitz (1,971 m), a rocky knoll with a good view, in a little over an hour. Above the Alplspitz the route splits on a south-facing rock wall. The direct line (left) climbs steeply via the Hochfleck between rocks on a good path; traverses and a short gully are protected with steel cables. It reaches the summit ridge at about 2,325 m, where the ridge is in places only half a metre wide with a near-vertical drop north to the Drau valley, then follows the ridge west for 10–20 minutes to the summit cross. The right-hand option goes north-east to the Kleiner Reißkofel and trail 229 (the Gailtaler Höhenweg) along the ridge, also with cabled passages. Descend the same way, or make a loop: east along the ridge, down the steep, loose and unprotected path to the Köfeletörl (2,129 m), optionally up the Kleiner Reißkofel (2,158 m), then back via the Alplspitz on trails 229 and 235. Memorial plaques on the route are a reminder that a slip in this steep, gravelly terrain is serious, especially when wet.
Start
Jochalm1,557 m
- None to the Jochalm; buses run along the Gailtal (Hermagor–Kötschach-Mauthen) through Reisach, leaving a long walk on the forest road.
- Parking at the trailhead
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jochalm → Reißkofel | 4.6 | 878 | 65 | 3h 38m |
Waypoints
- Parking: Jochalm1,557 m
- Feature: Alplspitz1,927 m
- Summit: Reißkofel2,371 m
Key Passages
- Steep forest switchbacks to the Alplspitz
- Cabled traverses and gully on the direct line via the Hochfleck
- Narrow, exposed summit ridge
- Unprotected, loose descent to the Köfeletörl (loop variant)
Equipment
0/5 packedDownloads
Route confidence 75%Overview
The highest peak of the Gailtal Alps (2,371 m), a steep limestone and dolomite massif between the Gail and Drau valleys in Carinthia. The shortest route from the Jochalm is a steep, partly cabled path finishing on a narrow, exposed ridge with long views over both valleys.
The Reißkofel is the high point of the Reißkofel group, the central section of the 120 km long Gailtal Alps in western Carinthia. The massif covers about 30 km² and falls steeply on every side: the dolomite north flank is cut by long rock spurs that drop 1,200 m towards the Drau valley, while the limestone south face above the Gailtal is more even but barely less steep, with long scree and boulder slopes below. With nearly 1,400 m of prominence it dominates both valleys.
Three approaches are in common use: from the south via the Jochalm or Wurzenalm and the Alplspitz (the shortest); from the north via the E.-T.-Compton-Hütte, the Padiaursteig and the col by the Kleiner Reißkofel; and along the main crest on the Gailtaler Höhenweg and the Julius Kugy Alpine Trail. A bivouac box stands on the west flank at about 1,800 m.
None of these is technically hard, but all are steep, loose in places and exposed near the top. The summit ridge is in places only half a metre wide, with a near-vertical drop to the north. There are no huts or water on the southern route, and the south face gets hot in summer.
Climbing Notes
A demanding mountain walk for sure-footed hikers with a head for heights. The short cabled sections need no via ferrata kit for most people, but care is essential on the steep, gravelly paths, especially when wet. About 1,000 m of ascent and 4½–6 hours for the round trip from the Jochalm.
Start early: the southern approach faces the sun and has no shade above the forest, and summer thunderstorms build quickly over the Gailtal Alps. The south side often melts out early (one party found it snow-free at the end of March in a dry winter), but snow lingers on the north side of the summit ridge and makes the last metres awkward. The loop over the Kleiner Reißkofel is a little easier in ascent than the direct line, but its descent to the Köfeletörl is steep, loose and unprotected.
For a longer outing, combine the summit with the Gailtaler Höhenweg or approach from the north via the Compton hut.
History
The great earthquake of 1348 triggered a large rockslide from the south face, as it did on the Dobratsch; rockfall debris and boulder fields in the Gailtal still show its traces.
Season
Best Jul–Sep- January: Not advisable
- February: Not advisable
- March: Not advisable
- April: Possible
- May: Possible
- June: Good
- July: Best (best window)
- August: Best (best window)
- September: Best (best window)
- October: Good
- November: Not advisable
- December: Not advisable
- Jan
- Winter; forest road snowbound
- Feb
- Winter conditions
- Mar
- South side may melt out in dry winters; snow on the ridge
- Apr
- Snow on the north side of the ridge; check conditions
- May
- Snow remnants on the summit ridge
- Jun
- Good once the ridge is clear
- Jul
- Hot on the south face; start early; thunderstorms
- Aug
- Hot on the south face; thunderstorms
- Sep
- Often the best month: stable and cooler
- Oct
- Good until the first snow
- Nov
- Snow and ice on the ridge
- Dec
- Winter conditions
Access & Permits
- Rules
- Free-roaming cattle on the Jochalm in summer; park about 500 m before the alp
- Getting There
Reisach (Gailtal); Hermagor
Klagenfurt Airport (KLU)
- By car: A2 to the Hermagor exit, B111 through Hermagor towards Kötschach-Mauthen to Reisach, then up via the Gasthof Reißkofelbad on a gravel forest road to the Jochalm (about 45 minutes from Reisach per Alpenverein Hermagor)
- From the west: via Lienz, Oberdrauburg, the Gailberg pass and Kötschach to Grafendorf/Reisach
- Northern approach: from Greifenburg or Berg im Drautal to the E.-T.-Compton-Hütte
- No public transport to the Jochalm
Hazards
- Exposure
- Rockfall
- Weather