The Schlieferspitze (3,290 m) is the highest summit on the Krimmler Kamm ridge in the Venediger Group, and it's often called one of the most striking peaks in the entire range. Rising sharply above the valleys of the Krimmler Achental and Obersulzbachtal, it dominates the skyline as a bold, unmistakable landmark.

Four long, remarkably even arêtes — each roughly two kilometres in length — radiate from the summit towards the northwest, northeast, southeast and southwest. Surrounding the peak are glaciers climbing above 3,100 metres: the Hinterjaidbachkees to the north, the Östliche Sonntagkees to the east, and the Westliche Jaidbachkees to the west. It's a raw, high-alpine world of rock and ice, snow-bound in winter and revealing jagged ridgelines and firn fields come summer.

How to reach the summit

• Warnsdorfer Hut (2,336 m), upper Krimmler Achental valley — head north to the southwest arête, then a steep section graded UIAA II-, around 3.5 hours, demanding difficulty
• The historic 1871 first-ascent route began at the Johannis Hut (2,121 m), crossing the Obersulzbachtörl and the Obersulzbachferner glacier — rarely used today

Good to know

• Base for the ascent: Warnsdorfer Hut (2,336 m)
• The final stretch requires scrambling/climbing skills (UIAA II-) and a head for rock terrain
• Face and flank routes opened between 1904 and 1934 are now abandoned due to high rockfall risk

The Schlieferspitze was first climbed on 22 August 1871 by Eduard Richter and Johann Stüdl — who, remarkably, also bagged the nearby Großvenediger that very same day.