The Nördliche Malhamspitze is the highest of the four summits forming the Malhamspitzen, a mighty massif rising along the Maurerkamm ridge in the heart of the Venediger Group within Hohe Tauern National Park. This is a peak for those seeking genuine high-alpine wilderness, ringed on every side by glaciers.

The mountain sits amid an icy landscape - to the west lies the Gubachkees, draining toward the Isel river, while to the east the Südliches and Nördliches Malhamkees feed the Maurerbach stream, the latter having retreated dramatically in recent years. A north-south ridge links all four Malhamspitzen summits, separated only by shallow, poorly defined notches. From up here the views stretch across a stark, glacier-carved panorama of the Hohe Tauern - quiet, austere and deeply impressive, especially in early summer when snow still clings to the upper slopes.

How to reach the summit

• Clarahütte — via the Umbalgletscher glacier on the western side, demanding route requiring glacier experience
• Essener-Rostocker Hütte — via the Reggentörl pass (3047 m), continuing west across the broad Umbalkees glacier, then following the Isel river to Clarahütte

Practical information

• The ascent crosses glaciated terrain - glacier equipment and experience are required
• The nearest mountain huts are Clarahütte and Essener-Rostocker Hütte
• The peak lies within Hohe Tauern National Park

The Malhamspitzen were first climbed on 12 July 1873 by the Prague alpinist Victor Hecht and mountain guide Johann Außerhofer, who set out from Clarahütte across the Umbalgletscher.