Zwieselbacher Rosskogel

Route Character

 A Sellrain classic with stunning downhill options. Moderately difficult by two key spots, otherwise an extremely popular and heavily frequented tour.

Starting Point & Village

Starting point: Parking lot at Haggen betweeen St. Sigmund and Kühtai. The parking of the inn “Forellenhof” is free for visitors, other parkings have to be paid. Village: St. Sigmund im Sellrain

Ascent & Route

From the parking lot smooth to the South towards the small forrest, then staying a bit above the Kraspesbach further on flat into the narrowing valley. Soon you reach the "first Zwing", a narrow steep step where we often need crampons (icy because of the stream).
When we mastered this step, we reach a smooth valley plain with a small shooting box at the beginning. We follow the valley vottom and turn in a wide curve to the left (southeast). The slope ist getting steeper and turns to the right to a second bottleneck ("second or upper Zwing"). This second bottleneck ist the most avalanche endangered part of the ascent.
Now we reach a wide plain where we leave the common route to Weitkarspitze and adress to the classic Zwieselbacher Rosskogel. We hike along the plain southwards to the Kraspesferner(glacier) where we surmount another steep part with some kickturns. Now again smoothly ascending in a right turn to the south-west to a ridge from where the summit can be seen clearly. We follow the ridge in western direction and traverse straight ahead towards the summit. Here is the ski depot, but most times you can go on with your ski or splitboard to the very top. The last meters are a bit exposed, but we are rewarded with great panoramic views.

Descent & Variants

Generally descent along the ascent route over many nice slopes.

With safe conditions it is possible to ride the short steep eastern summit slope and then on over the Kraspesferner to the steep step above the plain.
The option to bypass the upper bottleneck requires very safe conditions  and good skills in steep terrain. To do this, we head to left at the bottom of the step and cross over the plain via Kraspessee to the Northwest. Below the rocky faces of Kraspesspitze and Schöllekogel, we ride, initially staying left near the faces, into a steep slope which leads down to the smooth valley bottom where we meet the normal route.  
 

Alternative:
At the upper Kraspesferner, shortly before the Rotgrubenspitze to the east to a saddle (2947m) and over into the Rotgrube. Down the brilliant eastern firnslopes into the Gleirschtal and flat out to St. Sigmund.

Option to the Alternative:
At the ridge from Rosskogel to the upper Kraspesferner towards South-east and either directly through the bowl into the Walfeskar(col) or over the small hill along the summer trail into Walfeskar and then via Neue Pforzheimer hut out to St. Sigmund.

Photo Gallery

A selection of 5 photos from the tour:

Map and Avalanche Risk

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