Ankogel, 3252 m

A quickly accessible three-thousander

According to history, the Ankogel was one of the first high mountain peaks in the Alps to be climbed. As early as 1762, the old Paschg from Böckstein is said to have climbed to the summit from his alpine pasture with "great effort and danger," even before the first ascent of Mont Blanc (1786) and the Großglockner (1800). Back then, the summit was still 17 meters higher and featured a pointed, overhanging rock horn that fell victim to a massive rockslide in 1932. The Ankogelbahn cable car was opened in 1966, bringing the Ankogel into the circle of the most popular three-thousanders in the Eastern Alps, and the Hannoverhaus on the Arnoldhöhe became a popular excursion destination. In 2014, the venerable house was retired. 150 meters lower, at the Etschlsattel, a new building was constructed, which began operation in the winter season 2014/2015. The Arnoldhöhe is named after the founder of the Hannover Section and an important developer of the Ankogel-Hochalmspitz group, Prof. Dr. Carl Arnold, who found his final resting place in the round mausoleum next to the hut. The Arnoldhöhe can be reached from the mountain station in about 20 minutes on the former, well-trodden hut path. Although the Ankogel is considered an easily climbable three-thousander, hikers should not underestimate the mountain: the great altitude, the quick cable car ascent, the late summer snow-free Lassacher Kees, rough block terrain, and a steep, exposed summit flank with some climbing sections make the tour a challenging undertaking even under the best conditions.