Großer Greiner is a wild, rarely visited summit in the Zillertal Alps, reserved for experienced climbers seeking real adventure far from crowded trails. With no marked paths and demanding scrambling, it rewards the few who attempt it with a truly memorable ascent.

The peak rises above steep, partly rugged cirques, with forested slopes lower down, and is nowadays practically free of glaciers. To the north lies its smaller neighbour, Kleiner Greiner, followed by the striking Greinerwand, which drops steeply toward the Zamser Grund. Southward, a long ridge continues over the Talggenköpfe, Schönbichler Horn, Furtschaglspitze and finally the Großer Möseler. The views stretch across a wild panorama of the central Zillertal Alps, and a strong sense of solitude accompanies climbers throughout the approach.

How to reach the summit

• Schlegeisspeicher (car park at the Schlegeis toll road) – via the Schlegeisgrund to the Furtschaglhaus, then a marked path into the Reischbergkar, followed by an unmarked, steep ascent of the west face and ridge (up to UIAA III+), demanding, for experienced climbers only
• In summer, the reservoir car park is also reachable by bus line 4102 (Mayrhofen – Ginzling – Schlegeis, June to September only)

Practical information

• No developed or marked trail leads to the summit — the climb requires scrambling and climbing skills up to UIAA III+
• The terrain is partly loose and highly exposed, especially near the main summit
• The Furtschaglhaus hut makes a convenient base for the ascent
• A tunnel of the Zemm-Ziller hydropower scheme runs beneath the mountain, connecting the Zemmgrund and Schlegeisgrund valleys

The first ascent was made in 1873 by Karl Zöppritz, though as early as 1784 the naturalists Karl Maria Ehrenbert von Moll and Belsazar Hacquet attempted the climb, drawn by the mountain's reputation for rich mineral deposits.