Hochnissl

Published on 2021-11-21 by Michael Stanton

A great climb of Hochnissl in new hiking boots! With new poles, and a new pack too! Wow. Very fun.

Looking to the north and west from the ridge below the summit:

Gorgeous peaks towards Innsbruck:

Lamsenspitze and other peaks:

Nothing remarkable to report, only once again to wonder at the relentless steepness of this trail, and the curious nature of southern Karwendel slopes. Enormous latschen fields tilted at 70 degrees. Vast screes, sometimes basins and other times ramps between cliffs. The trail, one foot-width wide, somehow blasted in place, possible a deal with the devil was made and they appeared, in their mass from the Mieminger Kette across Innsbruck all the way to the Rofan Mountains. There is barely a millimeter for error on the bright gray, shining slopes. The ridgecrest is a relief -- finally, a small stripe of horizontal ground! Though the sobering north sides wake you up real quick. I've never seen them without snow plastered on unfriendly, icy faces.

It's just a hard place, for hard men and womenfolk of the hills.

The mountain was crowded today. I ground out the 1700 meter ascent in 3 hours and 20 minutes, but still I was passed by several people and I never overtook anyone. My God, the Austrians are healthy! My 8:45 start was apparently much too late. On the ridge crest I finally got tired of counting the people coming down (over 15). There was less snow than I had the week before on the Maukspitze, but these boots provided a feeling of more safety for what snow there was. I wouldn't have had to turn around below the summit of the Ackerlspitze with these, hmpf!

Looking down to the east:

The Me:

Cool peak on the way down, the Schneekopf. Wow, there is a trail on it!

I'm curious about other peaks and trails in this steep and difficult part of town.