Grossvenediger

The Venediger group, the most westerly part of the Hohe Tauern, has the largest area of glaciers in the Austrian Alps after the mountains of the Ötztal. Its main peak, the Grossvenediger (3,674m/12,054ft), first climbed in 1841 by Ignaz von Kürsinger and 40 companions, is the second highest in the Tauern. Its magnificent névé-covered pyramid, surrounded on all sides by ice, presents no great difficulty to experienced glacier walkers, and is frequented not only by large numbers of climbers in summer but also by skiers in winter, particularly for the splendid descent on the Obersulzbachkees.

Neukirchen is a starting point for the ascent of the Grossvenediger (3,674m/12,054ft); the route leads up the Sulzbach valley to the Kürsingerhütte (2,549m/8,363ft; 6.5 hours; accommodation), from which it is a further 4.5 hours (with guide) to the summit. Another good climb, to the southeast, is up the Habach valley to the Thüringer Hütte (2,300m/7,550ft; 6.5 hours; accommodation), near the rugged Habachkees, a good base for further climbs and mountain treks.