Wildspitze
3,768 m
Austria
Also known as Вилдшпице, Βίλτσπίτσε, +2Also known as
Вилдшпице · Βίλτσπίτσε · ვილდშპიცე · Вильдшпитце
- Elevation
- 3,768 m
- Prominence
- 2,261 m
- Difficulty
- 4/10
- Alpine hike
- Best Season
- Jul–Aug
- Routes
- 2
Routes
2Sources differ: K3- via ferrata to the Mitterkarjoch (mid/late summer) (Camptocamp) · PD/PD+ in early summer when the couloir is dry but the cables are under snow (Camptocamp)
The standard route to Austria's second-highest summit: from Vent to the Breslauer Hütte (2,844 m), up the debris-covered Mitterkar and a short, steep cabled gully to the Mitterkarjoch (3,468 m), then across the upper Taschachferner and up the south-west ridge (I) to the south summit. About 950 m from the hut; crowded and stonefall-prone at the col.
Elevation Profile
- Distance
- 10.8 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +1,895 m
- start → summit
- High Point
- 3,768 m
- Time Up
- 7h 42m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 5h 12m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
From Vent (1,896 m) walk up to the Breslauer Hütte (2,844 m) in about 2½ hours, or take the chairlift towards the Wildes Mannle to save about 500 m; from the Rofenhöfe the path is a little shorter. Behind the hut, head north-west into the Mitterkar, following blue paint and cairns through moraine to the remains of the Mitterkarferner, now largely buried under debris. Climb north-east to the obvious gullies below the Mitterkarjoch. In winter and early summer the south-facing gully (up to 45°, about 100 m) is climbed on snow. In mid and late summer, when it is dry, a cabled via ferrata (K3-/C) on the rocks to its right leads to the col (3,468 m). This is the crux of the route: steep, exposed, prone to stonefall and often queued on fine days. In early summer, when the gully is partly dry but the cables are still buried, it can be harder (mixed ground to about grade 3). From the col, descend a few metres onto the Taschachferner, cross it eastwards over a steeper crevassed step around 3,550 m to the flatter basin known as the Frühstücksplatzl, then go south to the saddle at the foot of the south-west ridge (about 3,660 m). Follow the broad ridge of scree and easy rock (I), with a short protected section that may be icy, to the summit cross on the south summit. The north summit, connected by a short ridge, is now more than 10 m lower. Allow 3–3½ hours from the hut. Descend the same way, or traverse via the north summit and the Jubiläumsgrat to the Rofenkarferner.
Start
Vent1,893 m
- Chairlift from Vent towards the Wildes Mannle (saves about 500 m to the Breslauer Hütte), summer
- Train to Ötztal station, Ötztal valley bus to Sölden and Zwieselstein, then the bus to Vent.
- Parking at the trailhead
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vent → Breslauer Hütte | 6.5 | 956 | 7 | 4h 01m |
| 2 | Breslauer Hütte → Wildspitze | 4.2 | 938 | 13 | 3h 41m |
Waypoints
- Trailhead: Vent1,893 m
- Hut: Breslauer Hütte2,844 m
- Feature: Mitterkar3,471 m
Moraine and debris-covered remains of the Mitterkarferner; cairns
- Col: Mitterkarjoch3,471 m
Cabled gully (via ferrata C) below the col (not on route line)
- Summit: Wildspitze3,768 m
Key Passages
- Cabled gully to the Mitterkarjoch (crux, stonefall, queues)
- Crevassed step on the Taschachferner at about 3,550 m
- South-west ridge with a short protected section below the summit
Equipment
0/8 packedDownloads
Route confidence 85%Overview
Austria's second-highest mountain (3,768 m) and the highest of the Ötztal Alps, a twin-topped peak ringed by glaciers above Vent and the Pitztal. The normal route is a technically easy glacier climb, but its cabled, stonefall-prone access to the Mitterkarjoch and hidden crevasses deserve respect.
The Wildspitze stands on the Weißkamm, the glaciated ridge running north-east from the Weißkugel, above the head of the Pitztal to the north and the Vent and Rofen valleys of the upper Ötztal to the south and east. It has two summits: a rocky south summit with the cross and a firn-capped north summit. The north summit was long the higher, but melting has lowered it, and the south summit (3,768 m on recent surveys; 3,770 or 3,774 m in older sources) is now the high point. With 2,261 m of prominence it is one of the most prominent peaks in the Alps.
Three glaciers surround it, the largest being the Taschachferner. Most climbers come from Vent via the Breslauer Hütte and the Mitterkarjoch; others from the Pitztal, using the glacier railway, the Braunschweiger Hütte or the Taschachhaus. In winter and spring it is a classic ski-mountaineering summit and often the finale of the Ötztal haute route.
None of the standard routes goes beyond UIAA I, which makes the Wildspitze a common first big glacier peak. The difficulties are concentrated at the Mitterkarjoch, where a short via ferrata replaces what used to be a snow gully, and on the crevassed upper Taschachferner, where accidents in hidden crevasses still happen. Expect queues on fine summer weekends.
Climbing Notes
Requirements: glacier travel and crevasse rescue, cramponing on moderate slopes, a head for heights on a short via ferrata, and fitness for about 950 m from the Breslauer Hütte (about 1,900 m from Vent without lifts). Bergzeit recommends having done a few easier rock-and-ice three-thousanders first. Local guides offer it regularly, and the Breslauer Hütte runs three-day 'Wildspitze intensive' courses.
Typical itinerary: day 1, Vent to the Breslauer Hütte (2–2½ hours, less with the chairlift); day 2, leave early, reach the Mitterkarjoch before the crowds and the sun loosen the gully, summit in about 3–3½ hours and descend to Vent. From the Pitztal, the glacier railway allows a one-day ascent, but sleep high or do an acclimatisation tour first.
Wear a helmet below the Mitterkarjoch, stay roped on the Taschachferner even when it looks harmless, and in early summer expect awkward mixed ground where the cables are still under snow.
History
Hermann and Adolf Schlagintweit attempted the mountain in 1847 and probably reached about 3,552 m on the north-east ridge. The first ascent was made in 1848 by Leander Klotz, a farmer and guide from Rofen, with another local farmer, to the south summit. In 1857 the Klotz brothers guided the Viennese merchant Joseph Anton Specht up for the second ascent. On 29 August 1861 Nikodem and Leander Klotz guided Anton von Ruthner and Friedrich von Enderes to the south summit, and Leander crossed to the then-higher north summit, long regarded as the first ascent of the main summit. Since the north summit has melted below the south summit, 1848 is again counted as the first ascent of the highest point.
Season
Best Jul–Aug- January: Possible
- February: Possible
- March: Good
- April: Best
- May: Good
- June: Possible
- July: Best (best window)
- August: Best (best window)
- September: Good
- October: Possible
- November: Not advisable
- December: Possible
- Jan
- Winter ski ascents from the Pitztal; Mitterkarjoch descent is AD+ on ski
- Feb
- Winter ski-mountaineering
- Mar
- Spring ski-touring season begins
- Apr
- Classic ski-mountaineering month (Ötztal haute route)
- May
- Spring snow; summer huts not yet open
- Jun
- Breslauer Hütte opens mid/late June (19 June in 2026); Mitterkarjoch gully awkward when partly dry
- Jul
- Main summer season
- Aug
- Main season; stonefall at the Mitterkarjoch in heat
- Sep
- Quieter; Breslauer Hütte closes around 20 September
- Oct
- Huts closed; early snow
- Nov
- Early winter
- Dec
- Winter ski ascents from the Pitztal glacier area
Access & Permits
- Hut Booking
- Breslauer Hütte (DAV Sektion Breslau): reserve via the online form at breslauerhuette.at; phone +43 676 963 4596. Taschachhaus and Braunschweiger Hütte (Pitztal side) via their own booking systems.
- Fees
- Hut overnight fees with Alpine Club member discounts
- Chairlift from Vent and the Pitztal glacier railway are paid
- Rules
- A hut sleeping bag (liner) is obligatory at Alpine Club huts
- Breslauer Hütte reservations only via the hut's online reservation form
- Getting There
Vent (Sölden municipality); Mittelberg/St. Leonhard for the Pitztal
Innsbruck (INN)
- Train to Ötztal station, bus through Sölden and Zwieselstein to Vent
- Car: Ötztal valley road to Zwieselstein, then the side road to Vent (large car park at the village entrance; small car park at the Rofenhöfe)
- Pitztal: train to Imst-Pitztal, bus to Mittelberg and the Pitztaler Gletscherbahn
Hazards
- Glacier
- Crevasses
- Rockfall
- Exposure
- Weather
- Altitude
Huts & Shelters
1- 2,844 m
Breslauer HütteHutStaffedBooking required
Mid-June to late September (19 June – 20 September in 2026)