Hochiss, at 2299 m, is the highest peak of the Rofan range, famous for its dramatic north face plunging 350 metres in sheer vertical rock. Yet from the south, the mountain reveals a completely different character - a gentle, easily accessible ascent that welcomes hikers of all levels.

The summit rewards visitors with sweeping views across the Rofan massif and down to the deep blue waters of Achensee. This contrast between the wild, vertical north wall and the mellow southern slopes makes Hochiss one of the most rewarding destinations in the range. In summer the alpine pastures that give the mountain its name (from the dialect word 'Isse', meaning mountain pasture) add a lush touch to the scenery, while the trails remain dry and pleasant for walking.

How to reach the summit

• Erfurter Hütte (1831 m), north above Maurach am Achensee - the standard route leads north below the summit, then switchbacks up from the west to the summit cross; easy difficulty
• Alternatively: a section of the Achenseer 5-Gipfel-Klettersteig (since 2010) crosses the southeastern flank of Hochiss, rated C/D

Practical information

• Erfurter Hütte serves as the closest base, with an easy trail continuing to the summit
• The north face is a serious climbing destination - the historic Alter Weg route from 1911 is graded UIAA IV-, while the hardest route, Das letzte Problem (1996), reaches UIAA VIII+
• A section of the 5-Gipfel-Klettersteig via ferrata crosses the southeastern flank

No records exist of the first ascent, since the fertile terrain around Hochiss was settled and grazed long before mountaineering became a pursuit - the mountain's very name still echoes those pastoral origins.