Hochkalter
At 2,606.9 metres (8,553 ft), the Hochkalter in the Berchtesgaden Alps is the highest peak in the massif of the same name and therefore one of the highest mountains in Germany. The Hochkalter Massif (German: Hochkalterstock or Hochkaltermassiv) is also called the Hochkalter mountains (German: Hochkaltergebirge).
| Hochkalter | |
|---|---|
View of the Hochkalter and Blaueis, from the north | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 2,606.9 m (8,553 ft) |
| Prominence | 663 m (2,175 ft) |
| Parent peak | Watzmann |
| Isolation | 4.5 km (2.8 mi) |
| Coordinates | 47°34′09″N 12°51′56″E |
| Geography | |
Hochkalter Location in the Alps | |
| Location | Germany (Bavaria) |
| Parent range | Berchtesgaden Alps |
| Climbing | |
| First ascent | Prince-Bishop Schwarzenberg with Gemminger, Tatz and Wein, 1830 |
| Easiest route | From the Ofen valley, grade I |
| Normal route | over the "Schönen Fleck" from the Blaueishütte, grade II |
The Hochkalter massif lies west of the Watzmann massif and, like it, is located within the Berchtesgaden National Park. The Hochkalter mountains are divided into sub-groups known as the Hochkalter Group (Hochkalter-Gruppe), Hocheis Group (Hocheis-Gruppe) and Southern Wimbach Chain (Südliche Wimbachkette). The most important base for climbing this alpenstock is the German Alpine Club's Blaueis Hut (Blaueishütte, literally "Blue Ice Hut") which lies at a height of 1,653 metres (5,423 ft) in the Blaueis Cirque (Blaueiskar) below the Blaueis, the most northern glacier in the Alps. Other mountain huts are the Bergheim Hirschbichl for the Hocheis Group, the Wimbachgries Hut (Wimbachgrieshütte) for climbs up the eastern flanks of the massif and the Ingolstädter Haus for the Southern Wimbach Chain.