Weißseespitze
3,498 m
Austria, Italy
Also known as Cima del Lago Bianco, Weißseespitze - Cima del Lago BiancoAlso known as
Cima del Lago Bianco · Weißseespitze - Cima del Lago Bianco
- Elevation
- 3,498 m
- Prominence
- 341 m
- Difficulty
- 4/10
- Alpine hike
- Best Season
- Jul–Sep
- Routes
- 2
Routes
2Sources differ: PD (outdooractive (loop with descent via the Nördergrat, II+))
The shortest way up: from the car park at the end of the Kaunertal glacier road (2,750 m) across the bare Weißseeferner beneath the Falginjoch lift to the col at about 3,115 m, then along the blocky west ridge (I) to the summit plateau and a short walk over the summit ice cap. About 900 m of ascent including re-ascents and 2¼ hours up.
Elevation Profile
approximate line- Distance
- 3.7 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +791 m
- start → summit
- High Point
- 3,498 m
- Time Up
- 3h 11m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 2h 12m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
From the large car park at the end of the Kaunertaler Gletscherstraße (2,750 m) walk briefly up the ski piste, snow-free in summer, then bear left and cross the small bergschrund onto the Weißseeferner. Crampons are essential on the bare ice. Climb gently, crossing left beneath the Falginjochbahn at about 2,900 m and keeping to the flatter ground; in late summer the few crevasses are small. Head for the last pylon and the top station and take crampons off at the col near the Falginjoch (about 3,115 m). Follow the west ridge, no harder than I when dry. At point 3,223 m bear slightly left (east), lose a little height and climb to point 3,309 m, drop briefly again, then follow faint paths up to the summit plateau. Cross the flat summit ice cap to the right to the cross and the weather station. About 2¼ hours from the car park. Descend the same way, re-ascending to point 3,309 m, then crampons back on for the Weißseeferner; about 1¾ hours. The route is unmarked and not advisable when the ridge is icy. With snow on the glacier, crevasses on the Weißseeferner and the summit ice cap are hidden and a rope is needed. The Kaunertal glacier lifts and local guides have offered roped guided ascents from the Falginjoch top station on summer Wednesdays.
Start
Kaunertal Gletscherstraße car park2,747 m
- Falginjochbahn (Kaunertal glacier ski area) to the Falginjoch, when operating; used by the guided summer tours
- Train to Landeck-Zams, bus to Prutz and up the Kaunertal; a summer bus continues up the glacier road to the car park at 2,750 m (check the current timetable).
- Parking at the trailhead
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kaunertal Gletscherstraße car park → Weißseespitze | 3.7 | 791 | 45 | 3h 11m |
Waypoints
- Parking: Kaunertal Gletscherstraße car park2,747 m
End of the toll road; summer bus
- Feature: Weißseeferner2,887 m
- Col: Falginjoch3,113 m
- Summit: Weißseespitze3,498 m
Key Passages
- Bergschrund and bare ice of the Weißseeferner
- Col by the Falginjoch top station
- Blocky west ridge (I) with two short re-ascents
- Summit ice cap
Equipment
0/6 packedDownloads
Route confidence 75%Overview
A broad ice-capped summit on the Austrian–Italian border at the western corner of the Gepatschferner, above the head of the Kaunertal. From the glacier road at 2,750 m it is one of the most accessible 3,500 m-class peaks in the Eastern Alps: a short glacier crossing and an easy rock ridge (I).
The Weißseespitze (3,498 m; Italian Cima del Lago Bianco) stands in the Weißkamm of the Ötztal Alps on the border between North Tyrol and South Tyrol, at the western corner of the Gepatschferner, one of the largest glacier areas of the Eastern Alps. To the north it falls in a 500 m firn face to the Weißseeferner and closes the Kaunertal; to the south lie the small Milanzer and Falgin glacier remnants above the Langtauferer Tal. The view is dominated by the Weißkugel across the Gepatschferner.
The mountain is a striking climate indicator. In 1997 large crevasses opened in the summit area and swallowed the cross, the result of a slope movement of about 5 million m³ of rock and ice in the north flank as the ice and permafrost retreated. The summit ice cap, whose oldest layer is about 6,000 years old, thinned by about 40 m between 1893 and 2018 and had only about 10 m left in 2021–22; it is expected to vanish by around 2030. The Austrian Academy of Sciences drilled an ice core in 2019 and runs Austria's highest weather station on the top. The official height has fallen with it, from 3,534 m on 19th-century maps to 3,498 m (BEV, 2024).
The Kaunertal glacier road brings cars to 2,750 m on the Weißseeferner, so the normal route is short: bare ice to the Falginjoch and an easy west ridge. From South Tyrol a longer, almost ice-free route climbs from the Weißkugelhütte. Plans by the Kaunertal glacier lifts, announced in 2023, for a cable car to the Weißseeköpfl 200 m east of the summit are strongly opposed by the Alpine clubs.
Climbing Notes
The normal route is technically easy, but it starts at 2,750 m straight from the car, so go slowly if you are not acclimatised. In summer the Weißseeferner is bare ice: crampons are essential and an ice axe is useful. In late summer the crevasses on the approach are small and visible, but with snow cover rope up; the summit ice cap is also crevassed. The west ridge is loose but no harder than I when dry; avoid it when icy. Allow 4 hours return.
The guided summer tour from the Falginjoch top station is an option for first-time glacier walkers. For a bigger day without the glacier road, approach from Melag via the Weißkugelhütte (about 6 hours up over two days).
History
First ascent in 1870 by Franz Senn, V. von Mayrl and J. Wanderer with the guide I. Schöpf. The Kaunertal glacier road later opened up the north side. In 1997 crevasses swallowed the summit cross during the north-flank slope movement, and three lifts on the Weißseeferner were closed for a time. In 2019 the Austrian Academy of Sciences took a 10 m ice core from the summit cap; a 2026 study of the cores found pollution traces dating back to the Roman period.
Season
Best Jul–Sep- January: Possible
- February: Possible
- March: Good
- April: Good
- May: Possible
- June: Good
- July: Best (best window)
- August: Best (best window)
- September: Best (best window)
- October: Possible
- November: Not advisable
- December: Possible
- Jan
- Winter; ski tour from the glacier ski area for experienced ski mountaineers
- Feb
- Ski tour; avalanche and crevasse risk
- Mar
- Spring ski tour from the glacier road
- Apr
- Spring ski tour
- May
- Snow-covered glacier, hidden crevasses; rope required
- Jun
- Snow on the glacier; rope up
- Jul
- Good; Weißkugelhütte open
- Aug
- Bare ice on the Weißseeferner; crampons
- Sep
- Stable weather, visible crevasses; hut closes late September
- Oct
- Early snow; ridge may be icy
- Nov
- Winter conditions
- Dec
- Winter; ski tours only
Access & Permits
- Hut Booking
- Weißkugelhütte (for the Langtaufers route): open mid-June to late September; reserve by phone (+39 0473 633191).
- Fees
- Kaunertaler Gletscherstraße toll: EUR 32 per car (kaunertal.com, 2026 ticket listing); open 07:00–17:00, extended in summer
- Rules
- The glacier ski area on the Weißseeferner is groomed and worked by machines; keep clear of pistes and lift lines when operating
- Getting There
Feichten im Kaunertal (Tyrol); Graun im Vinschgau (South Tyrol)
Innsbruck (INN)
- By car: A12 to the Landeck area, B180 to Prutz, then up the Kaunertal to Feichten and the 26 km toll glacier road to the car park at 2,750 m
- By public transport: train to Landeck-Zams, bus to Prutz and up the Kaunertal; a summer bus runs up the glacier road
- From South Tyrol: over the Reschen Pass to Graun, then the Langtauferer Tal to Melag (end of the public road)
Hazards
- Glacier
- Crevasses
- Rockfall
- Altitude
- Weather
Huts & Shelters
1- 2,542 m