Birnhorn

With the shape of a pear, the Birnhorn has little in common; it resembles more a broad pyramid that drops southwards towards the Leoganger valley in a 1400 m long wall – one of the longest walls of the Eastern Alps. The change of rock layers gives the summit a special appearance – geologists speak of so-called bedded Dachstein limestone. Over these broad benches, the summit can be excellently scrambled. For the ascent, it is recommended to take the mostly unsecured Hofersteig through the Melkerloch and the southeast flank (T4+) and to use the secured path over Kuchelnieder (via ferrata A) for the descent. This creates an interesting circuit from the Passauer Hut. Without a hut overnight stay, the ascent of 1850 meters of altitude is only recommended for well-conditioned mountaineers.