The Grabspitze (, ), formerly also called the ''Hochferner'', is the second highest peak in the Pfunderer Mountains after the Wilde Kreuzspitze (3,135 m). The Pfunderer are a subrange of the

Zillertal Alps The Zillertal Alps (; ) are a mountain range of the Central Eastern Alps on the border of Austria and Italy. Name The range is named after the Zillertal (Ziller river valley) on its north. Geography The range is bounded by the ''Tuxerjoch'' m ...

located in the Italian province of

South Tyrol South Tyrol ( , ; ; ), officially the Autonomous Province of Bolzano – South Tyrol, is an autonomous administrative division, autonomous provinces of Italy, province in northern Italy. Together with Trentino, South Tyrol forms the autonomo ...

. Its former name, "Hochferner", was derived from a

firn __NOTOC__ Firn (; from Swiss German "last year's", cognate with ''before'') is partially compacted névé, a type of snow that has been left over from past seasons and has been recrystallized into a substance denser than névé. It is ice that ...

field that lay to the side of the summit.

Ascent

The easiest route starts from Platz (1,435 m) in the Pfitscher Tal valley and heads southwards part the small hamlet of ''Überwasser'' initially on the right hand side of the stream, climbing steeply through the forest. After the

treeline The tree line is the edge of a habitat at which trees are capable of growing and beyond which they are not. It is found at high elevations and high latitudes. Beyond the tree line, trees cannot tolerate the environmental conditions (usually low ...

the track continues to follow the Überwasserbach stream. At a height of about 2,600 m the route reaches a large basin from where the summit and its

cross A cross is a religious symbol consisting of two Intersection (set theory), intersecting Line (geometry), lines, usually perpendicular to each other. The lines usually run vertically and horizontally. A cross of oblique lines, in the shape of t ...

are visible. The path now turns, still rising steeply, in the direction of a notch on the west

arête An arête ( ; ) is a narrow ridge of rock that separates two valleys. It is typically formed when two glaciers erode parallel U-shaped valleys. Arêtes can also form when two glacial cirques erode headwards towards one another, although frequ ...

of the Grabspitze, which is reached at a height of about 2,780 m. The path along the western ridge is rather

exposed Expose, exposé, or exposed may refer to: News sources * Exposé (journalism), a form of investigative journalism * '' The Exposé'', a British conspiracist website * '' Exeposé'', a student-run newspaper of the University of Exeter Film and TV ...

in places and remains steep until the subpeak is gained. From there the route runs for a little way along the southern flank in an unremarkable ridge hollow near the summit. The last few metres make their way from there up the northern flank to the summit. The ascent from the Pfitscher valley needs about four to five hours. The path is mostly

waymarked Trail blazing or way marking is the practice of marking paths in outdoor recreational areas with signs or markings that follow each other at certain, though not necessarily exactly defined, distances and mark the direction of the trail. A blaz ...

, but at various stream crossings the original waymarks are no longer recognisable due to high water. The Grabspitze is usually climbed in the new year as part of a ski tour; the ascent route largely following the marked path.

References

Hans Pescoller: ''Alpenvereins-Skiführer. Ostalpen Band 6.'' Bergverlag Rother, Munich, 1987, , p. 130
online

Literature

* Hanspaul Menara: ''Die schönsten 3000er in Südtirol. Bildwanderbuch mit 70 Hochtouren''. Athesia, Bozen, 2007,

External links

{{Commons category Alpine three-thousanders Mountains of the Alps Zillertal Alps