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Nederkogel (3163 m), 12. 7. 2021

pg18. 07. 2021 15:00:37

To conclude my wanderings on a short return to Innsbruck - where the main goal this time was picking up the bike - the day after finishing the Karwendel crossing I finally climbed the fairly well-known three-thousander Nederkogel, which despite last year's successful season remained unconquered and rises high above the famous ski-mountaineering center Sölden. Despite fatigue, a long evening watching the European football championship final and morning commitments in the city that called for a more afternoon ascent, I had to make use of the last preparation day before the weather worsened - walks around the Tyrolean capital just aren't the same without ascending one of the three-thousanders in the Stubai or Ötztal Alps; last year there were about twenty, Nederkogel is this year's first.

Since I got to know the Stubai Alps pretty well last year, and mostly avoided the Ötztal ones except for Wildspitze, Similaun, Fineilspitze and Hoher Geige, after a two-hour train and bus ride - because of bike transport I was carless in Tyrol this time - at 11am I set off from the outskirts of Zwieselstein village near Sölden towards the summit 1500m higher.

From the start at Zwieselstein Sahnestüberl bus stop I reached the scenic pasture Lenzenalm in under half an hour on a pleasant forest trail, had a coffee there and continued on the still easy trail, where - oh so Tyrolean! - cows asserted right of way, so I often had to go around. With ever better views especially on peaks above the Obergurgl-Hochgurgl ski center, after a pleasant trail in just over an hour from the pasture I arrived at the junction to Neder lake and Nederkogel summit.
I used the five-minute side trip to the cute lake to leave some unnecessary stuff for the final ascent there and scoped out the continuation to the summit about 700m higher, which looks deceptively short due to the huge cross on top.
A bit before 2pm I headed for the summit, which first winds through gravel terrain then steeply climbs to the scenic northern ridge of Nederkogel.
Here the still somewhat demanding path continues over characteristic granite boulders ever higher above the lake valley on the east side of the mountain. Along the way I crossed some harmless snow patches, about 100m below the summit on advice of a trio of passersby to avoid tricky summer snow on the western ridge where the excellently marked path steeply turns, I crossed to crumbly slopes on the eastern flank. Through fairly loose terrain I climbed to old markings of the unmarked route over eastern cliffs of Nederkogel and via rocky slabs in nice II-degree climbing directly to the big cross on top (the final climbing can mostly be avoided but the crumbly terrain below summit where the east route once went is much more dangerous than the solid rock I took).
As Nederkogel stands as a steep sentinel over the central Ötztal range, summit views are splendid: it was enjoyable to gaze around and recall memories of last year's tours to Wildspitze, Hohe Geige, Similaun and Zuckerhütl clearly visible in the wonderful panorama, and the deep views to Sölden, Nedersee and Obergurgl-Hochgurgl ski center are beautiful too.

After longer stay on top around 4pm I carefully descended to the marked traverse path, where in the spirit of camaraderie shown by those ahead I helped a youngster with advice on the final ascent, then continued down over summit structure and north ridge of Nederkogel. A bit after half past five I was back at the lake at 2436m where I took a long break and planned the night - how I spent it maybe via other channels nasmeh

In the morning in Zwieselstein village center, above which Nederkogel rises markedly 1700m higher, I caught the first morning bus to Ötztal Bahnhof and from there train to Innsbruck, same evening train on overnight trip to Ljubljana.

The fifth straight day of this year's Tyrol wanderings thus took me highest, though the tour wasn't too long or overly demanding; as long as no snow on west ridge (I had full winter gear but softened summer snow ascent over snowed ridge risky) and skip climbing finish, it's moderately demanding ascent needing about 4 hours walk from start. Maybe not easiest or most comfortable three-thousander nearby - Sulzkogel, Zischgeles or even Rinnenspitze in Stubais offer that - but in dry conditions I can recommend it to those without much experience at these heights.