The III. Hornspitze, also called Berliner Spitze, is the highest of the Hornspitzen peaks and a striking feature on the main ridge of the Zillertal Alps. Rising to 3254 m, it sits just north of the Austrian-Italian border, rewarding climbers with sweeping high-alpine views.

The peak crowns a roughly 2.5-kilometer secondary ridge known as the Hornrücken, which separates two glaciers - the Hornkees to the southwest and the Schwarzensteinkees to the northeast. Both glaciers, along with the small Mitterbachkees firn field, are visibly retreating due to climate change, lending the area a fragile, wild atmosphere. Neighboring summits include the other Hornspitzen peaks, plus the Schwarzenstein (3369 m) and Turnerkamp (3420 m) further along the main ridge. In winter and spring the terrain is snow and ice-covered, while summer exposes the rocky summit section demanding sure-footed scrambling.

How to reach the summit

• Berliner Hütte (2042 m) — trail heading southeast Am Horn, then across the Hornkees glacier to the Mitterbachjoch (3130 m), followed by firn and rock (UIAA grade II) to the summit — approx. 4 hours, difficulty: demanding (glacier equipment required)
• Weißenbach — via the Stabeler-Weg as a traverse to the Berliner Hütte, a high-alpine route also reaching the Mitterbachjoch — approx. 9 hours, difficulty: demanding

Practical information

• Glacier equipment (crampons, ice axe, rope) is required for crossing the Hornkees
• The final stretch involves moderately difficult scrambling (UIAA II) over large boulders
• The Berliner Hütte serves as the main base, a well-known refuge in the Zillertal Alps

The name Berliner Spitze became common among mountain guides working near the Berliner Hütte from the 1880s onward, though it was not universally welcomed, as some feared it implied Prussian dominance.