The Karlspitzen is a
twin-peaked mountain in the middle of the
Kaisergebirge range of the
Northern Limestone Alps
The Northern Limestone Alps (), also called the Northern Calcareous Alps, are the ranges of the Eastern Alps north of the Central Eastern Alps located in Austria and the adjacent Bavarian lands of southeastern Germany. The distinction from the ...
in Austria. The two peaks are the northern ''Hintere Karlspitze'' (2,281 m) and the southern ''Vordere Karlspitze'' (2,263 m) with its
summit cross
A summit cross is a Christian cross on the summit of a mountain or hill that marks the top. Often there will be a summit register (''Gipfelbuch'') at the cross, either in a container or other weatherproof case.
The practice originated in the Ge ...
; they are linked by a sharp, exposed, rocky arête. Seen from the south the Vordere Karlspitze is a huge and very prominent block of rock, whereas the Hintere Karlspitze is hidden behind other (lower) neighbouring mountains.
Location
The Karlspitzen peaks tower over the
Ellmauer Tor saddle and
Steinerne Rinne couloir to their east and so lie in the heart of the Wilder Kaiser mountains. To the east rise the rather lower summits of the
Goinger Halt and
Predigtstuhl, immediately to the north are the
Fleischbank and
Totenkirchl and, further west, separated by the Kopftörl arête, is the higher
Ellmauer Halt. Thanks to its location the Karlspitzen have extensive views over both the Wilder Kaiser and also the neighbouring mountain ranges.
Routes
The Karlspitzen are among the more difficult and hence less-frequented summits in the Kaiser. No signposted or secured route runs up to the
double peak; all the more reason why Alpine experience, a sense of direction, safe climbing ability and a
head for heights
To have a head for heights means that one has no acrophobia (irrational fear of heights), and is also not particularly prone to fear of falling or suffering from vertigo (the spinning sensation that can be triggered, for example, by looking down ...
are necessary. The normal way starts at the
Ellmauer Tor and is only marked by a pair of
cairn
A cairn is a human-made pile (or stack) of stones raised for a purpose, usually as a marker or as a burial mound. The word ''cairn'' comes from the (plural ).
Cairns have been and are used for a broad variety of purposes. In prehistory, t ...
s. Cairns should not be relied on in any case, many are misleading. However, traces of the trail are generally easy to recognise. They lead through a rocky and generally steep ''
Schrofen'' which involves light climbing of up to
grade II difficulty. It takes an hour to reach the Karlspitzen arête where the route branches to the Hinterer and Vorderer Karlspitze.
External links
Tour report with photos{{in lang, de
Mountains of the Alps
Mountains of Tyrol (federal state)
Two-thousanders of Austria
Kaiser Mountains