Zsigmondyspitze and Gaulspitz

Published on 2024-08-24 by Michael Stanton

Zsigmondyspitze

My friend Uli had climbed this mountain solo years before and it came into my sights recently, what with climbs of Tristner and the Ahornspitze. I'd seen a video on YouTube where a couple approached the peak from the Gunggltal, and that seemed very interesting. I waited for the snow to melt and good weather, then left home at 4 in the morning one day.

Looking up the Gunggltal from near the Maxhütte

Above the waterfall in the Gunggltal

At the Maxhütte, I stopped for coffee. Toby, the caretaker, had to run an errand, so when I wanted to pay he was gone. I left 20 euros and a note saying I'd be back for a beer after, then took off up the valley. It was a longish walk, and I was glad I started early, such that I wasn't in sun until after finishing the hike/scramble above the waterfall at the valley head. I passed a woman with a large pack, probably backpacking for several days.

A backpacker navigates the extensive rock/scree above the waterfall

Looking to Ochsner on the approach to the Melkerscharte

I also chatted with a guy from Bad Feilnbach named Michael, and we talked about hikes around there. I know that area well from training hikes for the CDT in 2022. He was pretty fast, and going for the Zsigmondyspitze too. I figured I might see him once more, though he would be heading down to the Berlinerhütte on the standard approach so I might miss him.

After a final steep climb, I was at the Melkerscharte. I followed some other people here across awkward boulder slopes to the base of the route.

Climbers approaching the Zsigmondyspitze from the Melkerscharte

The rope-up point on the Southeast Ridge

From here, I switched to rock shoes. I also had a helmet, harness and a handful of slings in case I needed to anchor to something.

The climbing felt a little slippery -- I realized I'd become used to limestone (kalk) over the preceeding months, and slabby granite had a slightly insecure feel about it. Nonetheless, I enjoyed a pitch or two straight up the ridge to a point where the easy line goes far, far out left across the face, then back up on a grassy ramp.

Looking up to the technical climbing

The ridge, and the rather strange long detour to the left across the face

Indeed, the traverse out left has a spicy location with big exposure! There are a couple of bolts to protect the traverse. It felt especially strange because at the hardest points you are traversing downward on slabby, downsloping terrain. I can see why a rope would be helpful here!

But I found the upper ramp, which featured a good ten minutes of walking before requiring the use of hands again as the ramp blends back into the face near the ridge. At this point, the wind was quite strong and a number of climbers were standing around or moving a little bit up or down, depending.

The final two pitches

Note the grassy seam coming up the face -- the easiest way

A friendly Bad Feilnbacher named Michael

I climbed through a party making abseils here, and found Michael on a ledge. We sat a few minutes and talked. He encouraged me to follow the ridge above the Melkerscharte instead of settling for the awkward boulderfield.

Michael, descending

We said our goodbyes and I climbed an interesting pitch leading to either a grade IV- crack climb, which looked great, or a grade II easier way. I chose that way. After a few minutes, I was on top.

The view south, perched beside the Cross

Looking to glacial giants such as the Hornspitzen and the Italian frontier

Two carefree climbers, Tristner in the background

A favorite bit of crack climbing

Very cool! I'd anchored myself to the cross and sat with legs dangling, looking at abseiling climbers and enjoying the big views to the south. I had to be quite careful on the descent -- no mistakes allowed!

Making my way back to the ridge and the Melkerscharte

Interesting scrambling above the 'scharte

Indeed, as Michael had suggested, the climbing/scrambling on the ridge was pretty neat...sometimes offering hand-traverses with a bit of uncertainty as to how they finish! I think it took a bit longer, but it was great.

A last look to the peak from the Melkerscharte

Now down to the Maxhütte in the deep valley

A friendly early evening in the Gunggltal

Wow, what a long descent. The Gunggltal is enormous...I had so far down to go! Finally I reached the Maxhütte just in time for beers with the friendliest group of mountain climbers I ever met. And Toby was impressed with my trip...he'd been wondering what I was going to climb.

It only took a few minutes of sitting with these excellent people to decide to stay the night. Why not?

Me, Siggi, Max, Reini, Hannes der Tristnerkönig and Friedl at the Maxhütte

Toby prepared a special dinner for me

We talked about peaks around here, and made a rough plan to climb the Floitnerturm later. Max decided to stay the night as well, and hike up the Gaulspitze with me the next day -- Toby had recommended it and after the amazing dinner he made, and all the great beer and dessert he and Lisa made (along with a fantastic shower), I couldn't in good conscience just walk down the valley in the morning. The Gaulspitze, rising right above the hut above a steep trail would be the work of the morning!

After a long talk of many things, whether of mountains or of the world, we all said goodnight and Max and I repaired upstairs to the spacious lager.

Gaulspitze

In the morning, Max decided to head down, feeling pretty sore from climbing the Gaulspitze the day before. But Flo and Felix were heading up. Toby showed us the start of the climb and we set off. They were much faster than me, so they pulled ahead, but I caught them for a while as we rested halfway up. Man...what a steep trail! Lots of fun though. Unfortunately, clouds filled the valley and we entered a gray murk a bit below the summit.

The beautiful cross on the Gaulspitze, carried up years before by Siggi

Some memories of that from the Gipfelbuch

Me, Flo and Felix

Me and Felix inspecting a plastic barrel in the abandoned sheepherder hut

We talked about many things, from artificial intelligence to the difficulty making a living as a farmer in an increasingly strict regulatory environment. We also planned a future climb on the Zugspitze.

Lunchtime beer at the hut, then quickly down for me, and back home. I've really got some great friends up there. I never had the experience where every single person I met unleashed an ocean of discussions, future plans, ideas of all kinds. The whole weekend felt like an incredible gift.

I'm lucky. I'm blessed. The mountains are good, and the people even better.

Oh, I made a small instagram "reel":

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