Roßruggspitze crossing

Hard to believe what solitude you can experience on this route in the immediate vicinity of the busy Berliner Höhenweg. As soon as you branch off from it, you enter a quiet high mountain world and soon encounter a glacier lake that wonderfully reflects the tour destination. The Roßruggspitze stands in the shadow of the large neighbors Möseler and Turnerkamp. However, the Roßruggspitze, with its long north ridge (Roßrugg), which separates the deeply crevassed glaciers of Waxeggkees and Hornkees, occupies a prominent position in the center of the Zillertal Alps. The ascent described here leads over the first glacier, initially coinciding with the route to the eastern Möselescharte, which, especially in winter, receives regular ascents for ski tours of the Großer Möseler from the north. In summer – as is often the case in the Zillertaler – one must prepare for solitude and usually find one’s own best way across the crevassed Waxeggkees. We experienced a shock moment here when a block the size of a car detached in the northeast wall of the Möseler and hurtled over the glacier, coming to rest just above the track we had laid. Contrary to the guide literature, we kept a respectful distance to the Möseler’s flanks with our track (see track). Below the summit, a rock step increasingly appears, which represents the key point of the route in addition to the glacier conditions. This involves about one rope length of climbing up to grade III difficulty, which can be well protected with medium-sized friends. Somewhat unpleasant is the crossing on steep firn at or near the start. You move at the upper end of a slope that becomes ever steeper downward (below > 40°, in the section climbed about 35° at the end), on very hard snow unpleasant, since securing would probably only be possible with a "deadman" or something similar. The exposed scrambling down the southeast ridge to the Roßrugg saddle requires concentration, but ultimately goes quite quickly and should be manageable without a rope for experienced high-altitude climbers. I have always made the last section from the saddle on my two ascents by a short abseil slightly east of the saddle. According to the hut warden, it is common to descend to the glacier in the broken terrain somewhat before the saddle. From there, the descent to the Chemnitzer Hut proceeds without major obstacles.
A return to the Zillertal on the same day would also be possible via the Roßrugg saddle to the Hornkess, which is equipped for abseiling (approach only meaningful from south to north). The north ridge from point 3153 (AV map) is another ascent option, probably demanding grade III difficulty.
The route is well suited for the approach to the west ridge of the Turnerkamp, best after a night at the Chemnitzer Hut: https://www.alpenvereinaktiv.com/s/3wSXSt. The return to the Zillertal is easiest via the Nevessattel to the Schlegeisspeicher or by descending into the South Tyrolean Ahrntal.