Grossglockner

A 3,798-metre peak in the Hohe Tauern range of central Austria, the highest mountain in the country. Grossglockner is one of the most prominent peaks of the eastern Alps, and the summit dome is visible from across the Austrian state of Tyrol on clear days. The mountain has a distinctive twin-peaked profile — Grossglockner at 3,798 metres and Kleinglockner at 3,770 metres, separated by a corniced ridge that has been the site of substantial first-ascent and modern climbing history. The name in German means "the great bell-ringer," in reference to the resonant ridge profile.

The first ascent came in 1800 by an Austrian-led expedition organized by Franz von Salm-Reifferscheidt-Krautheim, the prince-bishop of Gurk. The expedition was unusual in that it was scientifically motivated and organized — von Salm assembled a team of guides, climbers, and scientific observers to make systematic measurements of altitude, temperature, and atmospheric conditions on the summit. The summit team of five climbers reached the top via the Pasterze Glacier route on July 28, 1800. The expedition was, for its era, an exceptionally well-documented mountaineering effort.

The standard route today is the Stüdl Ridge from the Stüdl Hut on the northern flank — a sustained climb that involves glacier travel, a steep upper ridge with several rock pitches, and the corniced traverse between Kleinglockner and Grossglockner. The technical difficulty is moderate by Alpine 3000-metre standards. The corniced traverse — the Schartenseite — is the section that requires the most careful routing; the cornice has collapsed under climbers' weight in the historical record, producing the majority of fatal accidents on the mountain.

Grossglockner is climbed by approximately 5,000 summit attempts per year. The peak has the most developed climbing infrastructure of any Austrian mountain — multiple huts, established routes, well-maintained access roads. For climbers based in Austria and Bavaria, Grossglockner is the home high peak. The summit views toward the Hohe Tauern range, the Pasterze Glacier, and the Italian Dolomites are among the most extensive in the eastern Alps.