This page is meant to be a truly international collaboration: an expatriate Brit and American joining forces with a German to work on an Austrian mountain range. So far we have not yet decided how to proceed so expect changes in the coming weeks. The first instalment is supposed to put together all logistical information and link the existing pictures in their places. Some future sections are already indicated but have to be filled in the future. Maybe they will vanish again while others pop up.

1 – Overview

Zahmer and Wilder Kaiser seen from Spitzstein (by Sebastian Hamm)

Wilder Kaiser and Zahmer Kaiser, together called Kaisergebirge – or simply Kaiser – are among the smallest of mountain ranges in the Alps. Still the names are well known in the mountaineering and climbing community, since climbing history has been written on (or hanging from) their walls and faces. Mainly Wilder Kaiser was the scene of many a historic feat with names like Fleischbank, Predigtstuhl or Totenkirchl dominating the lists. Everyone of rank and name climbed here and at all times the best climbers pushed climbing a step further with new test pieces on these walls. H. Dülfer established the classic Fleischbank Ostwand Route together with W. Schaarschmidt. F. Wiesner climbed here before emigrating to the US and kicking of the climbing movement there. A. Heckmair and L. Vörg practised on the Wilder Kaiser faces before setting out to climb the Eiger north face together with H. Harrer and F. Kasparek. G. B. Piaz, P. Preuss and H. Buhl scored FAs, some of them as improbable solos either around the turn of the 20th century or in post WW II. Though today every crack and cleft seems to have been climbed still there seems to be room for improvement like St. Glowacz’ “Des Kaisers Neue Kleider”, which introduced the 10th degree to the Kaiser.

Kaisergebirge consists of two small ranges, both consisting of little more than a single ridge. The characters of the wo ranges couldn’t be more different. Zahmer Kaiser in the north is a smooth sloped, pine covered range, popular among climbers. To the south, divided by the Kaisertal and Kaiserbachtal Valleys, which combine in the Stripsenjoch Saddle you find the wildest of mountain ranges, Wilder Kaiser. It also consists of a single ridge, running from east to west, with several short side ridges, in all about 40 different summits.

2 - Wilder Kaiser Climbing

Heli Kotter and Christian Käsweber in Vertical Tango on Fleischbank.
Picture linked with permission from Markus Stadler's site (see below)

Markus Stadler, who is the author of two climbing guidebooks about Wilder Kaiser (see below) has put together an extensive collection of routes on his own site. I (Gangolf) couldn't resist linking the picture above from his site, which he offers as freely downloadable desktop background.

Wilder Kaiser Climbing
- Markus Stadler's Site
Zahmer Kaiser Climbing
- Vorderkaiserfelden.com

Just to get an impression of the wealth of rock climbs, here is a list from a popular guidebook Bayerische Alpen Nordtirol. I'll keep this up to date with links to any trip reports we get here on Summitpost. The table is sorted by difficulty - plug yourself in whereever comfortable for a great time!

Mountain	Route	Grade	Length
Totenkirchl	North side, "Führerweg"	III	10 pitches
Hintere Goinger Halt	North Ridge	III+	8 pitches
Ellmauer Halt	Kopftörlgrat	III+	many (15+?) pitches
Predigtstuhl	North Ridge "Matejak/Ostler"	IV+	18 pitches
Totenkirchl	Northeast side, "Heroldweg"	V	6 pitches
Kleine Halt	Nortwestwand "Kaiserführe"	V+	27 pitches!
Totenkirchl	Totenkirchl Express	VI	18 pitches
Fleischbank	East Wall, "Dülfer"	VI or V/A0	15 pitches
Fleischbank	Northwest Face, "Via Classica"	V+	15 pitches
Leuchsturm	Alte Südwand	VI+ or V+/A0	12 pitches
Fleischbank	"Wiessner/Rossi"	VI+ or V+/A0	11 pitches
Totenkirchl	Direct West Wall, "Dülfer"	VI+ or V+/A0	23 pitches
Predigtstuhl	"Schüle + Hasslacher"	VII- or V+/A0	10 pitches
Vordere Karlspitze	Northeast Ridge / East Wall	VII-	9 pitches

3 - Geology

Predigtstuhl and Hintere Goinger Halt (by Luidger)

The Kaisergebirge Range belongs to the northern limestone Alps and thus – believe it or not – is mainly made up from limestone. About 90% of the range consists of the so-called Wetterstein Limestone, named after the predominant rock in Wettersteingebirge to the west of the Kaiser. It builds layers of up to 1000m in thickness, which amounts to the complete height of the Kaiser faces. The remaining 10% are Main Dolomite, mainly to be found at the bottoms of the valleys.

An interesting feature of the area is that during the build-up of the Alps the formerly horizontal sediment layers got uplifted and now form angles between 50° and 90°. These layers now form a labyrinth of cracks, which results inn incredible multitude of possible routes. Thanks to the popularity of the Kaiser all (?) these routes have been established.

4 - Panorama Ackerlspitze

RegalpspitzeRegalpwandTörlwandTörlspitzenTreffauerEllmauer HaltGamshaltV. KarlspitzeH. KarlspitzeV. Goinger HaltTotenkirchlFleischbankH. Goinger HaltPredigtstuhlZahmer Kaiser

Summit View Ackerlspitze: Central Wilder Kaiser (by Lioba Stenner). Hide / Show labels

5 - Kaisergebirge on SP

Interactive Overview Map of Kaisergebirge

6 - Zahmer Kaiser

Zahmer Kaiser seen from Scheffauer, picture by mairhofs

Zahmer Kaiser is located in the northern half of Kaisergebirge. Its Summits are located on a long ridge, the highest of them in the eastern part. Vordere and Hintere Kesselschneid as well as Pyramidenspitze are the three highest summits of the range only one of which tops 2000m.

Teufelskanzel (802m)
Rogerkopf (1138m)
Lahnkopf (1204m)
Zehnerkopf (1241m)
Gamsschaukopf (1216m)
Naunspitze (1633m)
Petersköpfl (1745m)
Einserkogel (1924m)
Zwölferkogel
Elferkogel
Pyramidenspitze (1997m)
Vordere Kesselschneid (2001m)
Hintere Kesselschneid (1995m)
Jovenspitze (1890m)
Rosskaiser (1970m)
Heuberg (1603m)
Stripsenkopf (1807m)
Ropanzen (1572m)
Feldberg (1813m)
Kohllahnerkopf (1556m)
Wasserlahnerkopf
Schneebichl (1470m)
Scheibenkogel (1614m)
Zasserlkögerl (1298m)

7 - Wilder Kaiser

TuxeckTreffauerKaiserkopfEllmauer HaltKöpfelTörlspitzeTörlspitzenkammTörlwandRegalpwand/-spitzeAckerlspitzeMaukenspitze

Wilder Kaiser seen from Ellmau in the south (by Lioba Stenner). Hide / Show labels

Though only a relatively small range, consisting of a single east – west ridge, Wilder Kaiser is divided into four even smaller subranges. One to the east and west each and two in the centre, where the side ridges protrude to north and south. The highest summit of Wilder Kaiser is Ellmauer Halt.

7.1 - Westkaiser

Zettenkaiserkopf (1609m)
Zettenkaiser (1960m)
Scheffauer (2111m)
Hackenköpfe (2125m)
Sonnenstein (1714m)
Wiesberg (1998m)
Kopfkraxen (2178m)
Gamskarköpfl (2040m)
Sonneck (2260m)
Kleinkaiserl (2219m)
Treffauer (2304m)
Tuxeck (2226m)
Kaiserkopf (2171m)

7.2 - Halten – Stock
Elmauer Halt (2344m)
Leuchsturm (2275m)
Friedrichsturm (2160m)
Gamshalt (2292m)
Kleine Halt (2116m)
Totensessel (1745m)

7.3 - Central Wilder Kaiser
Vordere Karlspitze (2260m)
Hintere Karlspitze (2261m)
Totenkirchl (2190m)
Christaturm (2170m)
Fleischbank (2187m)
Fleischbankpfeiler (1749m)
Predigtstuhl (2116m)
Vordere Goinger Halt (2242m)
Hintere Goinger Halt (2192m)
Bauernpredigtstuhl (2119m)
Nördliche Törlspitze (2187m)
Goinger Turm (2201m)
Goinger Törlspitze (2227m)
Östliches und Westliches Törleck (2198m)
Höchster Törlturm (2191m)
Kreuztörlturm (2173m)

7.4 - Ostkaiser
Daumen (2151m)
Törlwand (2197m)
Regalpwand (2227m)
Regalpspitze (2253m)
Regalpturm (2226m)
Hochgrubachspitzen (2277m, 2284m)
Ackerlspitze (2329m)
Ackerlhüttenturm (1910m)
Waxensteinerturm (2086m)
Maukspitze (2231m)
Niedersessel (1840m)
Gamsflucht (2203m)
Lärcheck (2122m)
Kaisermanndl (1940m)
Mitterkaiser (2001m)
Kleinkaiser (2032m)
Geschwendtner Turm (2042m)

8 - Getting There

Eastern part and southern side of Wilder Kaiser (by Velebit)

The popularity of Kaisergebirge mainly stems from the fact that the cities of Munich, Salzburg and Innsbruck are almost equally close to the area, between 75km and 100km. The itineraries all starts at the respective airports and end at Kufstein to the west of the range.

From Munich
Munich airport is farthest away from Kaisergebirge since it lies on the other (north-eastern) side of the city. From the airport tak A92 in direction Munich. At Kreuz Neufahrn switch to A9 south which you have to leave again at Kreuz München Nord, where you switch to A99, the motorway ring around Munich. At Kreuz München Süd switch onto A8, direction Salzburg until you reach the Inntaldreieck intersection. Switch onto A93, which takes you to Kustein.
From Salzburg
Take A8 west, direction Munich. At Inntaldreieck switch to A93 south until you reach Kufstein.
From Innsbruck
Take A12 (Inntalautobahn) east, which will take you directly to Kufstein.

9 - Red Tape

Posing alpine chough (by Lioba Stenner)

1963 Kaisergebirge was set aside as a natural park, containing an area of 102 km². As a result only one lift has been built in the range and up to early 2006 the Kaisertal Valley to the west of the group was the only inhabited valley without road access in the whole of Austria. However, construction of a road was begun in May of the year. Within the natural park the usual restrictions apply.

10 - Mountain Huts and Refuges

Refuge / Hut	Height	Summer	Winter	Tel.	Thumbnails
Ackerlhütte	1460	June - Oct supervised	self service	+43/5356/72022
Anton-Karg-Haus	829	mid May - Oct	closed	+43/5372/62578
Aschenbrenner Berghaus	1140	all summer	all winter	+43/5372/62220
Babenstuberhütte	2300	self service	self service	n.a.
Brentenjochhütte	1273	all summer	all winter	+43/5372/65148
Fritz-Pflaum-Hütte	1865	self service	self service	+43/8033/4179
Gaudeamushütte	1267	mid May - mid Oct	closed	+43/5358/2262
Griesner Alm	1006	beg May - end Oct	Dec - March	+43/5352/64443
Gruttenhütte	1619	end May - mid Oct	closed	+43/5358/2242
Kaindlhütte	1318	1. May - 1. Nov	closed	+49/173/1958910
Kaisertal-Haus (Hans-Berger-H)	936	mid May - end Oct	closed	+43/5372/62575
Pfandlhof	783	all summer	all winter	+43/5372/62118
Riedlhütte	1268	mid May - end Oct	closed	n.a.
Stripsenjochhaus	1577	mid May - end Oct	closed	+43/5372/62579
Vorderkaiserfeldenhütte	1384	all summer / after Easter closed	all winter / Dec closed	+43/5372/63482
Wochenbrunner Alm	1085	all summer	all winter	+43/5358/2180

11 - Accommodation

Each of the towns and villages of the area has a homepage with the possibility to book hotel rooms and apartments. Follow one of the links below.

11.1 – South / Wilder Kaiser

Ellmau
Scheffau
Soell
Going

11.2 – West / Kufstein
Kufstein
Ebbs
Niederndorf
Schwoich

11.3 – North / Kaiserwinkl
Kössen
Walchsee

11.4 – East / St. Johann
Erpfendorf
Kirchdorf
Oberndorf
St. Johann

12 - Weather Conditions

Kaiserwetter – the term Germans use for perfect weather – though dating back to the German Emperor Wilhelm II, who needed perfect weather for his photo ops – might also have been coined by climbers in Wilder Kaiser – and certainly is used that way today: weather perfect for climbing in the Kaiser.

Tirol weather information

13 - Maps & Books

13.1 - Maps

Digital Maps
- href=http://www.austrianmap.at>www.austrianmap.at
Regular Maps
- Kaisergebirge
  Kompass Map WK 9
  1:50.000
  ISBN: 3-85491-011-8
- Kufstein, Kaisergebirge, Kitzbühel
  Freytag & Berndt Map WK 301
  1:50.000
  ISBN: 3-8508-4710-1
- Kaisergebirge
  Alpenvereinskarte Blatt 8
  1:25000
  Art.Nr.: 100014
  DAV Shop

13.2 - Books

Hiking Guides
- Kaisergebirge
  Kompass Wanderführer WF905
  Walter Theil
  Kompass Verlag
  ISBN: 3-85491-193-9
- Wilder Kaiser
  Rother Wanderführer
  Sepp Brandl
  Rother Verlag
  ISBN: 3-7633-4084-X
- Bergwanderungen, Gipfelziele und Höhenwege im Kaisergebirge
  Wilder Kaiser, Zahmer Kaiser und Umgebung
  Tobias Sessler
  Books on Demand Verlag
  ISBN: 3-8334-3435-X
- Kaisergebirge und Kitzbüheler Alpen
  Tourenführer
  Siegfried Garnweidner
  Bruckmann Verlag
  ISBN: 3-7654-4382-4
Climbing Guides
- Kletterführer Wilder Kaiser
  Markus Stadler
  Panico Verlag
  ISBN: 3-9367-4006-2
- Kletterführer Wilder Kaiser, Band 2
  Markus Stadler
  Panico Verlag
  ISBN: 3-9367-4013-5
Bayerische Alpen Nordtirol (15 routes in the Wilder Kaiser)
Richard Goedeke
Bergverlag Rother
ISBN: 3-7633-3016-X

Alpenvereinführer (Guidebooks of the German Alpine Club)

Kaisergebirge
Alpenvereinführer Alpin
Horst Höfler / Jan Piepenstock
Rother Verlag
ISBN: 3-7633-1257-9
Kaisergebirge
Alpenvereinführer Extrem
Pit Schubert
Rother Verlag
ISBN: 3-7633-1272-2

Climbing History

Wilder Kaiser. Klettergeschichte
Horst Höfler, Pit Schubert
AS Verlag
ISBN: 3-9051-1194-2

14 - Page History

gha – Page setup
Dec 3rd, 2006 mvs - A popular climbing route table.
Mar 3rd 2007 gha - Added Naunspitze to the list
Mar 5th 2007 gha - Added overview pic Zahmer Kaiser
May 2007 mvs - Added Fleischbank, and some links.
Dec 12th 2007 gha - Added Fleischbank, Scheffauer, Pyramidenspitze to the listing
Feb 2008 mvs - Added Totenkirchl Express to the "quick list" of rock climbs.

Images



[ View Gallery - 39 More Images ]

0 - Introduction

1 – Overview

2 - Wilder Kaiser Climbing

3 - Geology

4 - Panorama Ackerlspitze

5 - Kaisergebirge on SP

6 - Zahmer Kaiser

7 - Wilder Kaiser

7.1 - Westkaiser

7.2 - Halten – Stock

7.3 - Central Wilder Kaiser

7.4 - Ostkaiser

8 - Getting There

9 - Red Tape

10 - Mountain Huts and Refuges

11 - Accommodation

11.1 – South / Wilder Kaiser

11.2 – West / Kufstein

11.3 – North / Kaiserwinkl

11.4 – East / St. Johann

12 - Weather Conditions

13 - Maps & Books

13.1 - Maps

13.2 - Books

14 - Page History

Images