Roßzogel / Monte Cavallo

Overview

The Roßzogel summit plateau with the Villgraten and Rieserferner Groups behind

Roßzogel, sometimes also Roßkogel or in Italian Monte Cavallo is the westernmost mountain of the Riepenspitze Group, a subgroup of the Villgraten Group in the southern Hohe Tauern. It is located above Pustertal / Val Pusteria and is the cornerstone mountain, where Gsieser Tal / Valle di Casies joins the broader Valley. Actually a lower ridge of tree covered mountains separates Roßzogel / Monte Cavallo from Pustertal / Val Pusteria but it is of little geographic importance (though historically it is interesting since an old Roman highway traverses its ridge).

Roßzogel / Monte Cavallo is a long stretched mountain with a barely pronounced summit, which is set back from both aforementioned valleys. At 2163m it barely passes the timberline and the summit area looks like a wide meadow, which in fact it is, at least in the summer months when you can find herds of cattle grazing up there. From the summit a ridge turns eastward, connecting it with Golfen / Monte Calvo and Hochhorn / Corno Alto. There the ridge connects with the Riepenspitze Group main ridge, which runs north to south but bends eastward in this point.

Roßzogel / Monte Cavallo is part of Toblacher Höhenweg, a two day hiking / trekking trail, which traverses the complete south of the southern Riepenspitze Group. The ridge traverse ascends twelve summits and is wonderfully panoramic. The sole place of accommodation is Pfannhornhütte / Rifugio Corno Fana to the south of Toblacher Pfannhorn. The first five summits can be climbed during a long day tour, for which you have to account some 1800m elevation difference.

Roßzogel / Monte Cavallo itsef is the lowest of teh summits on Toblacher Höhenweg and thus offers only modest views. Still thanks to the fact that the Sexten / Sesto Dolomites tower south of Pustertal / Val Pusteria and the Rieserferner Group is located across Gsieser Tal / Valle di Casies the mountain is also an interesting destination in itself. In winter it is often climbed as a ski or snowshoe destination, though most of the times only as a stage during the Hochhorn / Corno Alto climb.

360° Summit Panorama

360° summit panorama as seen from Roßzogel / Monte Cavallo

Getting There

The best starting points for an ascent of Roßzogel / Monte Cavallo are at Toblach / Dobbiaco in its south-east or Gsies / Gasies to its west.

From the West (Brenner Motorway A22)

• Leave the Brenner Motorway near Brixen / Bressanone and follow SS49 to the east through Pustertal / Val Pusteria.
• For the Gsies / Casies trailhead switch to SP46 at Welsberg / Monguelfo
• For the Toblach / Dobbiaco trailhead drive to the town, then turn northwards onto SP67 for Silverstertal Valley / Valle San Silvestro
• Park your car at the bridge across Silvesterbach Creek

From the North There are two possible roads:

• From Kitzbühel
  • Take B108 through the Felbertauern Tunnel to Lienz
  • Then southeast to Oberdrauburg (B110)
  • Turn on to B100 west into Pustertal.
  • Go through the city of Lienz until you get to Toblach / Dobbiaco.
  • SP67 into Silvestertal.
  • For the Gsies / Casies trailhead switch to SP46 at Welsberg / Monguelfo
• From Salzburg
  • Take motorway A10 to Spittal.
  • Turn west on B100 to Oberdrauburg, Lienz, Sillian and Toblach / Dobbiaco or Gsies / Casies.

Red Tape

No red tape here. However, remember that you are in the border region between two countries. Carrying an ID is not a bad idea.

Accommodation

• Hochpustertal accommodation
• Außervillgraten accommodation

Weather Conditions

Rieserferner Group seen from Roßzogel / Monte Cavallo

Maps & Books

Maps

• Sextener Dolomiten / Dolomiti di Sesto
  1:50000
  Kompass Map WK58
  Kompass Verlag
  ISBN: 3-87051-065-X
  
• Bruneck - Toblach / Brunico - Dobbiaco
  1:50000
  Kompass Map WK57
  Kompass Verlag
  ISBN: 3-85491-064-9

Books

• Osttirol Süd / Tirolo Orientale Sud
  W. Mair
  Rother Verlag
  ISBN: 3-7633-4132-3
  ISBN: 3-7633-4307-5 (Italian)
  
• Pustertal
  E. Hülsler, M. Kostner
  Kompass Verlag
  ISBN: 978-3-85026-015-2
  
• Rother-Skifuehrer "Pustertal"
  Rudolf and Sigrun Weiss
  Rother Verlag, 2004
  ISBN-3-7633-5911-7

Images

View Roßzogel / Monte Cavallo Image Gallery - 9 Images