Northern Route

Overview

Wildes Kar and Fackenzähne

The northern ascent to Wilde Kreuzspitze has two approaches, one from Burgum through Burgumtal, one from Fußendross through Großbergtal (or Großbergalm if you will). Both approaches recombine at Karjöchl (2630m) to conclude the ascent in a scree and block scramble. The Sig Pic shows the route from the intersection of both routes to the summit.

I must confess that I didn't reach the summit because of the weather. We reached the second snowfield visible on the Sig Pic, where we decided to retreat as everything was hidden in clouds. The ascent covers an elevation gain of more than 1900m and there seemed to be no point in doing the last 200m when there wouldn't be any reward in the end.

Therefore the last part of this route description follows a guidebook and I want to encourage anybody, who has climbded it, to complete it for me.

Thanks to that early retreat we did both approaches since we ascended along Großbergalm and descended along Burgumer Tal.

Getting There

Follow the descriptions on the main page, which lead to the Pfitscher Tal trailhead. The two villages Burgum and Fußendross are about 2km apart, both have small parking lots which serve the climbers of Wilde Kreuzspitze and Grabspitze, the two highest mountains of the area.

Route Description

General data
  - Start altitude: 1369m, 1384m
  - Summit altitude: 3132m
  - Prevailing exposure: N
  - Type: 5 1/2h either way
  - Protection: None

Effort: 1950m elevation gain

Power: 3 - tough in a single day

Psyche: 1 - without problems

Orientation: 1/2 - easy in Burgumtal, a bit tricky along Großbergalm

Approach1: Burgumtal
From Burgum follow the valley southwards. It gets very narrow and climbs steeply underneath the summits of Großbergsppitze and Burgumspitze. After 3 1/2h you reach Sterzinger Hütte, which is perched upon a rock, overlooking the village. From the hut a chossy scramble leads up to Karjöchl where the second approach route joins.

Approach2: Großbergalm
This is the easier route in terms of needed strength though it gets tricky when it turns into the Wildes Kar Cirque. Again follow the valley southwards along a forest road. You can follow the road or use a short-cutting path which both end up on Großbergalm. Up there you can find some huts which are let out to tourists and which can be reached by car (with permit). Still further out you see a farmhouse underneath the Grabspitze summit to which the road leads. Follow it until you reach the entry of Wildes Kar (right after you passed Glatte Wand on your right). Here you have to climb a steep step (a moraine me thinks) and there seem to be several paths. The (wrong) one we took leads to Brixener Hütte on the other side of Wilde Kreuzspitze but luckily there is an interconnecting trail with the correct approach. This latter climbs the step to its north and heads straight up to Karjöchl, a saddle which is flanked by the beautifully rough Fackenzähne Spires.

Final Ascent
From Karjöchl a marked trail (No 2) leads up to a small saddle in the Wilde Kreuzspitze south-west ridge. The going is rough since the underground is chossy with larger blocks in between. All in all this part of the climb poses no problems but for the strength you need to get up there. Once in the saddle, turn onto the south-west ridge which you follow to the summit cross.

This very last part is unknown to me so I'm hoping for additional info by SPers.

Essential Gear

Hiking gear is sufficient, maybe crampons in late spring / early summer. Also Wilde Kreuzspitze is often climbed in winter by ski tours, which follow the same principal approach.

Images

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