Schalfkogel
3,537 m
Austria
Also known as SchalfkoglAlso known as
Schalfkogl
- Elevation
- 3,537 m
- Prominence
- 355 m
- Difficulty
- 5/10
- Easy alpine
- Best Season
- Jul–Aug
- Routes
- 1
Routes
1Sources differ: PD- (hikr.org (felixbavaria, 2012): WS- for the short glacier section) · T4 (hikr.org (felixbavaria, 2012): T4- for the summit climb) · G2 (thehighrisepages.de)
The usual summer line: hut walk from Obergurgl to the Ramolhaus (3,006 m), then cairned scree, firn slopes and a block ridge (I) to the Firmisanjoch (3,285 m) and up the firn-covered north ridge to the summit cross. A remote, little-frequented high tour; crampons and ice axe are essential when the ridge is icy.
Elevation Profile
- Distance
- 11.3 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +1,762 m
- −131 m lost on the way up
- High Point
- 3,537 m
- Time Up
- 7h 33m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 5h 22m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
Day 1: from Obergurgl (1,907 m) the marked hut path drops to the Gurgler Ache, then climbs gently along the west side of the valley and in steep switchbacks to the Ramolhaus (3,006 m), about 3½–4 hours and 1,100 m of ascent. Rucksacks can go up on the hut's goods lift if arranged with the tenant. Day 2: leave the hut south-south-west along a narrow terrace past a small lake, following cairns through a scree basin, then climb moderately steep firn or glacier-polished slabs and scree to a notch at about 3,310 m north of the Firmisanjoch (about 1¾ hours). Follow the rock crest south (I) to the Firmisanjoch (3,285 m), cross a subsidiary top on the ridge (short steps of I) and descend slightly onto the glaciated summit ridge. The north ridge steepens to a final rock step and a narrow firn crest to the large metal summit cross (about 1¼ hours from the col; roughly 3 hours from the hut). The terrain between the hut and the Firmisanjoch varies a lot with conditions: pathless broken rock, blocks, slabs and steep firn. Descend the same way. Late in summer the firn bands can be undercut by meltwater; the rocky rib to the right is then safer. The heavily crevassed glacier north-east of the summit should be avoided. There is no water on the route apart from glacial meltwater.
Start
Obergurgl1,906 m
- Train to Ötztal station, then the regional bus via Sölden to Obergurgl (roughly hourly).
- Parking at the trailhead
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Obergurgl → Ramolhaus | 7.6 | 1,123 | 29 | 4h 46m |
| 2 | Ramolhaus → Schalfkogel | 3.7 | 638 | 106 | 2h 48m |
Waypoints
- Trailhead: Obergurgl1,906 m
- Hut: Ramolhaus3,005 m
- Col: Firmisanjoch3,287 m
- Summit: Schalfkogel3,537 m
Key Passages
- Firn slope to the notch north of the Firmisanjoch
- Rock crest (I) between the notch and the Firmisanjoch
- Subsidiary top on the north ridge
- Narrow firn crest to the summit
Equipment
0/10 packedDownloads
Route confidence 65%Overview
A remote 3,537 m glaciated summit in the heart of the Ötztal Alps, between the Gurgl and Niedertal valleys. In summer it is a long, quiet high tour from the Ramolhaus over cairned scree, firn and an easy rock ridge; in spring it is a classic ski tour from the Martin-Busch-Hütte.
The Schalfkogel rises at the southern end of the Ramolkamm, the ridge that separates the Gurgler Tal from the Niedertal above Vent. Small glaciers surround it: the Diemferner to the west, the Schalfferner to the south-west and the Kleinleitenferner and Gurgler Ferner side to the east. Because it stands in the middle of the big Ötztal peaks, the summit gives an all-round view of the Wildspitze, Similaun, Hochwilde and the main Alpine divide. Many maps give 3,540 m.
It sees far fewer visitors than the Ramolkögel or the Hochwilde. Summer parties usually start from the Ramolhaus (3,006 m), the highest hut of the DAV Hamburg section, and climb by the Firmisanjoch and the firn-capped north ridge; others traverse from the Hochwildehaus (Fidelitashütte) or the Langtalereckhütte over the east side. None of the lines is technically hard (UIAA I at most), but route-finding on pathless broken ground, steep firn, short glacier sections and loose rock make it a serious outing for experienced alpine walkers.
Glacier retreat has changed the approaches markedly. Reports describe bare ice, rockfall-damaged ground below the Schalfkogeljoch (abseiled in 2011) and debris-covered glacier on the Schalfferner side. Conditions vary greatly from year to year, so ask at the huts.
Climbing Notes
Suitable for fit, experienced alpine walkers or mountaineers who can move confidently on scree, slabs and firn, use crampons and an ice axe, and climb easy rock (I). A rope and glacier kit are advisable for the short glacier section on the summit ridge and essential if you use the Diemferner. Fitness for a 1,100 m hut approach followed by a 6-hour summit day is needed; acclimatisation is helpful but rarely critical at 3,500 m.
Typical itinerary: day 1 Obergurgl to the Ramolhaus (3½–4 hours); day 2 summit (about 3 hours) and back to the hut or down to Obergurgl. Discuss current conditions with the Ramolhaus warden before setting out, as the DAV Hamburg section advises. Inexperienced parties should hire a guide from Obergurgl or Vent.
In spring the mountain is a demanding ski tour from the Martin-Busch-Hütte via the Nördlicher Schalfferner and the Diemferner, with about 1,260 m of ascent (3½–4 hours) and full glacier equipment needed.
History
The first ascent is credited to the French traveller Frédéric Bourgeois de Mercey and his guides in 1830, from the Gurgl valley, descending over the Schalfferner and the Fanatjoch into the Pfossental. Guides Blasius Grüner and Methodius Scheiber reached the summit during triangulation work in the 1850s. On 7 September 1868 Johann Karlinger and the Vent priest Franz Senn, with the guide Ignaz Schöpf, climbed it by the north-west flank and north ridge; on 12 September 1868 Elie van Rijckevorsel with Grüner, Alois Gstrein and Scheiber came up the east flank and north ridge.
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: Not advisable
- November: Not advisable
- December: Not advisable
- Jan
- Winter; huts closed
- Feb
- Winter; ski-touring only for experienced parties
- Mar
- Ski-touring season from the Martin-Busch-Hütte when it opens
- Apr
- Ski-touring season; glacier and avalanche skills required
- May
- Late ski tours possible; summer huts closed
- Jun
- Ramolhaus opens in late June; much snow on the approach
- Jul
- Summer season; firn on the summit ridge
- Aug
- Summer season; ridge may be icy and bare later in the month
- Sep
- Ramolhaus closes in mid-September; icy conditions likely
- Oct
- Huts closed; early winter conditions
- Nov
- Winter
- Dec
- Winter
Access & Permits
- Hut Booking
- Book the Ramolhaus through the tenant at Hotel Edelweiss & Gurgl in Obergurgl (by phone or e-mail, see dav-hamburg.de). Rucksacks can be sent up on the goods lift by prior arrangement.
- Fees
- Paid parking in Obergurgl (multi-day parking is limited)
- Hut overnight fees with reciprocal-rights discounts for alpine club members
- Getting There
Obergurgl (Ötztal); Vent for the Martin-Busch-Hütte approach
Innsbruck Airport (INN)
- Train to Ötztal station on the Arlberg line, then regional bus via Sölden to Obergurgl (roughly hourly)
- By car: A12 to the Ötztal exit, then up the Ötztal to Obergurgl; parking in Obergurgl is limited and paid
- For the Martin-Busch-Hütte approach: bus or car to Vent, paid car park at the chairlift valley station
Hazards
- Glacier
- Crevasses
- Rockfall
- Weather
- Remoteness
- Avalanche
Huts & Shelters
1- 3,006 m
RamolhausHutStaffedBooking required
62 beds · June to mid-September; winter room available