Weißkugel
3,738 m
Austria, Italy
Also known as Вайскугел, Weisskugel, +3Also known as
Вайскугел · Weisskugel · Βάισκούγκελ · Palla Bianca · Weißkugel - Palla Bianca
- Elevation
- 3,738 m
- Prominence
- 565 m
- Difficulty
- 5/10
- Easy alpine
- Best Season
- Apr
- Routes
- 2
Routes
2Sources differ: I-II (summit block) (tourentipp.com) · F (from the Matsch valley) (Camptocamp)
The common South Tyrolean approach: from Melag in the Langtaufers valley to the Weißkugelhütte (2,542 m), up the heavily crevassed Langtauferer Ferner to the Weißkugeljoch, across to the Hintereisjoch, then up the 35–40° Matscher Wandl and the exposed south ridge (I–II) to the summit. About 1,200 m from the hut, long and serious for its grade.
Elevation Profile
- Distance
- 12.3 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +1,968 m
- −140 m lost on the way up
- High Point
- 3,738 m
- Time Up
- 8h 22m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 5h 56m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
From the car park at Melag (about 1,915 m) walk up the valley past the Melager Alm and climb in zigzags (roughly under the hut's goods cableway) to the Weißkugelhütte / Rifugio Pio XI (2,542 m), about 1½–2 hours. From the hut, drop east to a large moraine, follow it east, then leave it on the right at a cairn and cross steep slopes down onto the Langtauferer Ferner. Head east-south-east up the glacier to about 2,900 m, then turn south and later south-west, keeping to the eastern edge of the very crevassed glacier, to below the Weißkugeljoch (about 3,360 m). Cross the col, traverse south across the glacier arm beyond it and the steep slope west of point 3,400 m, then a flat but crevassed section to below the Hintereisjoch (about 3,460 m). Climb steeply onto the upper plateau of the Matscher Ferner (a bergschrund or ice step can be awkward), then turn north up the Matscher Wandl, about 100 m at 35–40°, to the south ridge at a little over 3,600 m. Follow the ridge to the south fore-summit, then scramble over blocks (UIAA I–II, exposed) to the main summit and cross. Allow about 4 hours from the hut, more in poor conditions. Descend the same way; expect short re-ascents to the Hintereisjoch and Weißkugeljoch. A direct line up the steep north-east flank from below the Weißkugeljoch exists but is steeper. Austrian sources describe the glaciers around the Weißkugel as among the most accident-prone in the country despite their gentle look: stay roped, and avoid the route in poor visibility.
Start
Melag1,909 m
- Train to Mals (Vinschgau line), bus to Graun/Reschen and on into the Langtaufers valley to Melag.
- Parking at the trailhead
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Melag → Weißkugelhütte | 4.5 | 644 | 11 | 2h 44m |
| 2 | Weißkugelhütte → Weißkugel | 7.8 | 1,324 | 131 | 5h 39m |
Waypoints
- Parking: Melag1,909 m
- Hut: Weißkugelhütte2,552 m
- Col: Weißkugeljoch3,367 m
- Col: Hintereisjoch3,410 m
- Summit: Weißkugel3,738 m
Key Passages
- Steep moraine slopes down onto the Langtauferer Ferner
- Crevassed eastern edge of the Langtauferer Ferner
- Weißkugeljoch to Hintereisjoch traverse
- Matscher Wandl (35–40°)
- Exposed blocky summit ridge (I–II)
Equipment
0/8 packedDownloads
Route confidence 70%Overview
The second-highest peak of the Ötztal Alps (3,738 m), a glacier-girt pyramid on the Austrian–Italian border between Langtaufers, the Matsch and Schnals valleys and the Austrian Rofental. Every route converges at the Hintereisjoch and finishes up a 35–40° slope and an exposed rocky south ridge; long glacier approaches are the real challenge.
The Weißkugel (Palla Bianca in Italian) stands at the junction of the Weißkamm and the main Alpine divide, on the border between North Tyrol and South Tyrol. It is ringed by large glaciers: the Langtauferer Ferner to the north-west, the Hintereisferner to the east, whose long-term measurements make it one of the best-studied glaciers in the Alps, and the Matscher Ferner to the south. It is about 14.5 km from the Wildspitze, its higher neighbour, and stands well above the surrounding peaks, so the summit view is wide.
Huts on all sides give access: the Weißkugelhütte (Rifugio Pio XI) above Melag in Langtaufers, the Schöne Aussicht hut above Kurzras in the Schnals valley, the Oberetteshütte in the Matsch valley, and on the Austrian side the Brandenburger Haus and the Hochjoch-Hospiz. All routes meet at the Hintereisjoch, from where the normal route climbs the Matscher Wandl and the south ridge.
The Weißkugel has no single hard section, but it combines long distances on crevassed glaciers, a steep final slope that may be ice, and an exposed blocky summit ridge. Austrian guidebook literature counts its glaciers among the most accident-prone in the country. It is a popular spring ski-mountaineering goal, with many skiers stopping at the fore-summit ski depot.
Climbing Notes
You need solid glacier skills (crevasse rescue, route-finding on featureless glaciers), confident cramponing on 35–40° slopes that can be ice in late summer, and the ability to scramble grade I–II exposed rock in crampons. Stamina matters: about 1,200 m and 4–5 hours from the Weißkugelhütte, with re-ascents on the way back. Hire a guide if you lack glacier experience.
Typical itinerary from Italy: drive or bus to Melag, walk to the Weißkugelhütte (about 2 hours), summit and return to the valley the next day. The Schöne Aussicht hut above Kurzras offers the shortest approach, especially with the Schnals glacier lifts. From Austria, the Hochjoch-Hospiz (via Vent) or Brandenburger Haus make it part of a multi-day Ötztal glacier tour.
Start early so the Matscher Wandl is still frozen and the glacier snow bridges hold; turn back in mist, as the glaciers are wide and confusing. In spring on ski, many parties stop at the ski depot on the south ridge rather than climb the exposed final ridge.
History
Archduke Johann of Austria, crossing the nearby Hochjoch in 1846, recorded an ascent, probably in summer 1845, by two porters from the Schnals valley, Johann Gurschler and Josef Weitthalm, who climbed from the Kurzhof over the Steinschlagferner and Hintereisferner, roped together and cutting steps. Because this report went unnoticed for a long time, the Viennese climber Joseph Anton Specht was long credited with the first ascent, by the south ridge on 30 September 1861; accounts differ on whether his guides were Nicodem and Leander Klotz of Rofen or Johann Raffeiner, Leander Klotz and others. A military survey party in 1854, which called the peak 'Hintere Wilde Eisspitz', gave up an attempt after eleven hours.
Season
Best Apr- January: Not advisable
- February: Not advisable
- March: Good
- April: Best (best window)
- May: Good
- June: Possible
- July: Best
- August: Good
- September: Good
- October: Not advisable
- November: Not advisable
- December: Not advisable
- Jan
- Huts closed; winter conditions
- Feb
- Huts closed
- Mar
- Spring ski-mountaineering; Weißkugelhütte opens weekends by reservation
- Apr
- Classic ski-touring month
- May
- Late ski season; huts close in May
- Jun
- Huts reopen late June or July; snowy glaciers
- Jul
- Summer season; good snow bridges early in the month
- Aug
- Open crevasses and possible bare ice on the Matscher Wandl
- Sep
- Stable weather often; icy slopes; huts close end of September
- Oct
- Huts closed; early snow
- Nov
- Winter conditions
- Dec
- Winter conditions
Access & Permits
- Hut Booking
- Weißkugelhütte / Rifugio Pio XI (CAI Desio): book by phone (+39 0473 633191). Schöne Aussicht: book directly with the hut.
- Fees
- Hut fees with CAI/AVS/Alpine Club discounts
- Schnalstal glacier lifts are paid if used for the Schöne Aussicht approach
- Rules
- The summit lies on the Austria–Italy border; no border formalities in the Schengen area
- Getting There
Graun im Vinschgau / Curon Venosta (Langtaufers); Kurzras in the Schnals valley
Innsbruck (INN); Bolzano (BZO) is smaller
- Car: Reschen pass road to Graun, then about 10 km east up the Langtaufers valley to Melag (road kept open in winter)
- Train to Mals (Vinschgau railway), bus to Graun and into the Langtaufers valley
- For the Schnals approach: train to Meran or Naturns and bus to Kurzras
Hazards
- Glacier
- Crevasses
- Exposure
- Weather
- Remoteness
- Avalanche
Huts & Shelters
2- 2,542 m
WeißkugelhütteHutStaffed
44 beds · Summer about 1 July – 30 September (some listings mid-June – early October); spring 1 March – 1 May at weekends by reservation; no winter room
- 2,842 m
Schöne AussichtHutStaffed