__NOTOC__ The Wildalmkirchl is a rocky peak, , on the southern edge of the Steinernes Meer. It lies within the Austrian state of Salzburg, northeast of the village of

Maria Alm Maria may refer to: People * Mary, mother of Jesus * Maria (given name), a popular given name in many languages Place names Extraterrestrial *170 Maria, a Main belt S-type asteroid discovered in 1877 *Lunar maria (plural of ''mare''), large, da ...

and northwest of the

Hochkönig massif The Hochkönig is a mountain group containing the highest mountain (Mount Hochkönig) in the Berchtesgaden Alps, Salzburgerland, Austria. The Berchtesgaden Alps form part of the Northern Limestone Alps. Location It lies to the west of the town o ...

. The first part of its name comes from the ''Wildalm'' ("wild alpine meadow"), a remote high valley located north of the Wildalmkirchl in the Austro-Bavarian border region in the Steinernes Meer range; the second part of its name is derived from the shape of the mountain which, from various standpoints resembles a church with its roof and tower. At a height of 2,457 m, northeast of the summit, is the Wildalmkirchl

bothy A bothy is a basic shelter, usually left unlocked and available for anyone to use free of charge. It was also a term for basic accommodation, usually for gardeners or other workers on an estate. Bothies are found in remote mountainous areas of Sco ...

or " wilderness hut" (''Biwakschachtel'') (open, 8 sleeping places). The Wildalmkirchl, along with the

Schottmalhorn The Schottmalhorn is an edge summit of the Reiter Alm in the Berchtesgaden Alps, in Bavaria, Germany. It stands at an elevation of above sea level (NHN). Despite its low prominence and isolation, the Schottmalhorn provides a surprisingly good ...

, is the most difficult mountain to climb in the Steinernes Meer; all ascents involve climbing. The easiest route runs from the bothy to the northeastern of the "church" formation and up onto the "roof" (crumbling, I); the route then crosses the exposed ''Kirchdachgrat'' arête forming the ridge of the "roof", and scales the very exposed summit block which requires moderately difficult climbing at grade ( II); in all this takes about 40 minutes of climbing time from the bothy.

Approaches

* from Maria Alm (802 m) or Hinterthal (1,016 m) along path no. 426 via the Wasserfallscharte gap (2,421 m) in 5–6 hours (high Alpine, easy climbing necessary, tricky fields of old snow until late in the year). * from the plateau of the Steinernes Meer along path no. 401 (from the Riemannhaus or the Kärlinger Haus via the Hochbrunnsulzen Pass, 2,356 m). * from the Wasseralm via the Wildalm and cross over in front of the Hochbrunnsulzen climbing path heading south to path no. 401. * from the southeast along path no. 401 (from the Hochkönig massif or from Hinterthal climbing via the Torscharte gap, 2,246 m).

Gallery

File:Wildalmkirchl_2.jpg, The Wildalmkirchl from the northeast File:200909_Wildalmkirchl.jpg, The Wildalmkirchl in the morning, seen from the bothy File:200909_Wildalmkirchl-Biwak.jpg, The Wildalmkirchl bothy

Maps

* Alpine Club map 1:25,000, Sheets 10/1 "Steinernes Meer" and 10/2 "Hochkönig und Hagengebirge"

External links

{{Commons category
Information and a picture of the Wildalmkirchl bothy

Photography with a view from the north into the Steinernes Meer; below left: the Wildalmkirchl with its striking, church-like shape
Two-thousanders of Austria Berchtesgaden Alps Mountains of the Alps Mountains of Salzburg (state)