Mountain ranges / Stubai Alps / Vordere Sommerwand

Vordere Sommerwand

Country: Austria

Mountain range: Stubai Alps

Elevation: 2715 m / 8907 ft

Lat/Lon: 47.07418°N 11.16428°E

Type: peak

Weather forecast:

Views: 236

Popularity: 14% (3219th place)

Number of pictures: 8

Number of paths: 1

Number of GPS tracks: 0

Description of mountain:
Sommerwand is a relatively long ridge rising as a massive rocky barrier above the upper part of the Oberbergtal valley, concealing from valley views an amphitheater-like cirque that hosts the small Sommerwand glacier, located between the Sommerwand and Knotenspitze ridges.

Among the several ridge summits, only the highest and lowest—Innere and Vordere Sommerwand—are of tourist interest; the latter is the only one accessible without serious climbing or glacier travel.

Vordere Sommerwand lies on the northern edge of the main Sommerwand ridge. Austrians are not unanimous on the exact point representing the named summit—on most older maps, Vordere Sommerwand (geographically sensible) is right at the end of the northern ridge at 2,676 m; the marked path ends at the large cairn near the elevation spot. Newer maps place Vordere Sommerwand on a cross-marked ridge elevation at 2,715 m, reached after a few dozen meters along the sharp, partly secured ridge. This description refers to the latter version.

Vordere Sommerwand is a house mountain of the popular Franz-Senn-Hütte and one of the few peaks in the glaciated Alpine range with markings leading most of the way. From the valley between Sommerwands and Knotenspitzen, it appears as a barely noticeable ridge end, but rises steeply above the hut and Oberbergtal valley. An appealing climbing route via the north ridge (up to grade III) leads to it, while the marked path ascends via its east flank. The summit offers an exceptional deep view of the Franz-Senn-Hütte below, Obergbach valley, Sommerwand glacier and peaks above it, and mountains around Rinnensee lake.