Mitterkaiser 2011m

After crossing the Kaiserbach, the ascent begins on the wide hiking path towards Stripsenjoch. Above a scree field, the path turns towards the northern cliffs of the Predigtstuhl. At the path junction, we turn left onto the trail heading to Grießener Tor / Ackerlspitze. With a pleasant incline, the path leads through the forest into the broad hollow between Mitterkaiser and Predigtstuhl. In long switchbacks, you hike up a larch-covered ridge in the middle of the large scree cirque on a good trail. Below the Kleinkaiser, you ascend via a steeper gravel gully to the Griesner Tor and to the now visible Fritz Pflaum Hut.

North of the hut stretches the Mitterkaiser. From here we leave the marked hiking trails. An almost level, clearly visible, unmarked path leads across a scree field to a striking intersection in the southwest wall of the Mitterkaiser. This steep block gully is climbed (UIAA I+). Below a wedged block, we move left and climb well-gripped somewhat exposed along the left edge of the gully up to the larches at the upper end. A steep larch corridor leads through broken rock, slightly exposed in a short right curve, onto a moderately steep meadow and larch slope. Through rocky larch corridors, we quickly reach the ridge rocks. A short rocky gully leads up to the cairn marking the south summit and highest point of the Mitterkaiser. The main summit with a cross is located a bit farther north beyond the ridge points. First, you ascend directly northwards along the ridge crest, then cross eastwards under the ridge into a small saddle. Now we descend a short block gully on the west side and quickly ascend again in a crumbly gully to a narrow saddle on the ridge. The north-facing ridge rock must now be climbed somewhat exposed (UIAA I+). Afterwards, we ascend a bit exposed directly on the ridge or just east of it, almost level towards the north. Finally, we hike up the east-facing rocky slope to the summit cross. To reach the highest point of the main summit, three meters must be downclimbed north of the cross and then descended westwards into a crumbly rocky gully. At a suitable place, you cross into a north-facing block gully and climb steeply in it (UIAA II-) to the small summit plateau with cairns. The cross-bearing north summit is only accessible from here by significantly harder climbing (UIAA III+).

Descent along the ascent route.