Hohe Kreuzspitze

Route Character

Classic route in Ratschingstal, requires very safe avalanche conditions and tour experience. Beautiful hilly grounds in the high valley and racy channels down from Butsee. In the lower part same route with the easier Kleine Kreuzspitze (alternative destination).

Starting Point & Village

Starting point: Parking at the chapel in the small village of Flading (parking is free, volutary donation for  snow removal). Village: Ratschings

Ascent & Route

At the chapel at the parking lot, we cross over the small bridge and hike to the right, parallel to the forest road, up into the woods until we get back to the forest road. Now, a short distance along the road and then turn left, now on the trail, through increasingly lighter forest up to treeline.
Here we go flat in the basin and continue to the right (northwest), now becoming much steeper, leading up to the terrace of Klammalm (1925m).  After the pasture we turn left into the valley and shortly after we see on the right hand side a small dam.
Straight ahead is the ascent track further to Kleine Kreuzspitze  (Fig. 1), but we will cross right over the dam and climb further southwest climb over a ledge until we see in the west the steep eastern slope to Butsee (Figure 2). At this key point, we check again carefully the avalanche situation (mainly from the southern flank), with a go we climb the steep slope in a few hairpins, in a no-go, we turn around and try our luck at the Kleine Kreuzspitze.
From Butsee (wayside shrine) it is now relaxing with short steep sections over beautifully hilly terrain (Fig. 3), and finally the valley leads more steeply up the north-west slope onto teh col. From here we see the summit and passing the shallow pit on the right , we quickly up the brad ridge we finally reach the summit.

Unfortunately, the camera capitulated at the magnificent panorama from the summit, but a little surprise should be kept.

Descent & Variants

Along the ascent track.
From Butsee you can take the last channel to avoaid the “avalanche endangered” easter slope from ascent. Of course the avalanche situation has to fit 100% here, too.

While crossing back over the dam, snowboarders have to walk a short part, but that’s all.

Maps

Alpenvereinskarte 31/3 Brennerberge 1 : 50 000 Skimarkierungen: Östliche Stubaier. und westliche Zillertaler Alpen
Kompass Karte:Sterzing/Vipiteno: Wanderkarte mit Aktiv Guide, Radrouten und Skitouren. GPS-genau
Tabacco Blatt Nr. 038 (Sterzing – Stubaier Alpen) bzw. Nr. 039 (Passeiertal)

Photo Gallery

A selection of 6 photos from the tour:

Map and Avalanche Risk

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