Nordkante

• Cable Car to Trailhead:** From the Osterfelderkopf mountain station (~2,050 m), descend northeast towards the Hochalm, passing underneath the Hochalm cable car to the north. At the saddle above the Hochalm, turn left following signs toward Hupfleitenjoch. In the pronounced hollow below, turn left again, pass under the Alpspitz cable car to the west, and make a short ascent to Hupfleitenjoch.

• Trail Descent & Mountain Pine Traverse:** From Hupfleitenjoch, descend toward the Höllental valley on the main trail for roughly 150 height meters. After negotiating two tight switchbacks, look for steps reinforced with wooden beams. Turn left here onto a faint, subtle trail through the mountain pines (Latschen).

• Scramble to the Wall Base:** Follow the faint trail horizontally through the pines without gaining significant elevation. Ascend a slab to the left towards the base of the wall . Climb over rock steps and scree—staying to the left above the prominent gully—towards the base of the north ridge. Some parts are expose and prone to rock falling. Wear helmet, and pay attention to not trigger rocks to fall into the Höllental hiking path below.

• Reaching the Route Start:** Traverse a shallow basin at the end of the gully descending from Osterfelderkopf and ascend in a rightward arc to the base of the climb. The start is located next to a grassy tuft and marked by an iron pole with 2 starting bolts. It may be difficult to see the iron pole.

L#~ Part 1 : Entry Wall & Lower Ramps (L 1/4)
L#1 | 4b | ~30m | From the iron pole, climb directly up the steep ridge [4b], then continue slightly right across easier terrain [3b] to the 2-bolt belay below a right-sloping dihedral. (Warning: Do not go left into the yellow dihedral!) Pay attention to the loose rocks!
L#2 | 4c/5a | ~30 m | Traverse right around an exposed, airy edge (2 bolts, 1 piton) into the right-sloping dihedral [4a] (2 pitons). At its end, climb up to a niche on a higher ledge (belay on 2 pitons).
L#3 | 3c | ~35 m | Continue up along the ledge, follow the fall line past a rock outcrop on the left, and enter a shallow funnel [3c]. Bear slightly left to a block belay (1 bolt + sling).
L#4 | 3b | ~30 m | Climb straight up through a shallow gully [3b], bearing left until reaching the 1-bolt belay at the base of the chimney below the distinct chockstones.
L#~ Part 2 : Main Ridge & Chimney System (L 5/10)
L#5 | 4c | ~30 m | Climb a shallow crack along the right outer edge of the chimney (1 bolt), traverse left into the chimney proper [4b], and climb beneath the giant chockstone [4c] (2 bolts) to the belay on the large lower chockstone (2 bolts).
L#6 | 4c | ~45 m | Pass behind the giant chockstone climbing left [4b], over an edge near the fall line [4c] (2 bolts), and past a prominent rock head on the left [3b] to the belay above the left-hand gully (2 bolts).
L#7 | 4b | ~25 m | Ascend along the edge and via a flake to the right onto a slabby ledge [4b]. Set belay below the crack overhang (2 bolts).
L#8 | 4b | ~30 m | Pull through the crack overhang [4b] (1 bolt) and run parallel up the north edge to a ledge belay on the left side of the main edge, directly below the "Eagle's Beak" (Adlerschnabel) (2 bolts).
L#9 | 3c | ~35 m | Follow the crack and gully system parallel to the ridge [3c] to a belay (2 bolts) to the right of a yellow dihedral.
L#10 | 3b | ~30 m | Climb up another gully and move left to the 2-bolt belay on a ledge directly below the memorial plaques (Gedenktafeln).
L#~ Upper Exit Options (L 11–14)
From the memorial plaques, climbers can select from three different finish options to reach the summit:
L#~ Option A : Standard Route (Grade 4a)
L#11 | 3c | ~55 m | Traverse left directly beneath the slabs descending from the right [3c]. Pass a pointed rock outcrop on the left to reach a gear/cam belay at a prominent crack below the wide, slabby summit gully (no pitons).
L#12 | 4b | ~45 m | Traverse briefly left, climb the corner on the left side of the slabby gully [4a], then traverse left again and ascend a dark crack [4b]. Belay at the start of the next traverse (no bolts).
L#13 | 4b | ~25 m | Traverse left up a gently sloping ramp to a notch [4b]. Belay at a bolt/flake on the right below a short corner.
L#14 | 3c | ~20 m | Ascend the dihedral [3c] and climb right across slabs [3a] to the right-hand notch of the summit plateau, followed by ~50m of easy walking terrain to the cross.
L#~ Option B: Lighter Finish (Grade 3b)
L#12 | 2b | ~45 m | Traverse left with minimal elevation gain across a faint rib [2b] to a belay below a visible gully (no pitons).
L#13 | 3b | ~30m | Enter the gully and climb up it [3b] to a 1-bolt belay.
L#14 | 3a | | Same exit as Option A onto the summit plateau.
L#~ Option C: "Kreitz-Verschneidung" Direct Variant (Grade 5c)
L#10 | Variation | ~40 m | From Pitch 9, climb straight up the fall line to a bolt in a smooth vertical wall rather than bearing left to the memorial plaques. Turn the wall on the left [4b] and climb right to a sloping ledge belay (2 bolts).
L#11 | 5c | ~35 m | Traverse left to a short overhanging wall [5c, 1 piton] and continue up a gully [4c]. Pass a small ridge tower on the right, then step left to a slab belay (2 bolts).
L#12 | 5a | ~45 m | Follow the ridge [1/2] to a niche on the left. Take a wide step right to a crack, ascend leftwards [5a], and keep left to the belay (2 bolts) at the base of the summit dihedral pillar.
L#13 | 4b | ~50 m | Ascend the pillar [4b], pass a solid block inside the dihedral, and exit left via a gully [3b] to a boulder belay with a piton (no intermediate bolts).
L#14 | 4c | ~20 m | Climb directly up [4c] or via easier terrain [3b] to the summit plateau, belaying at 2 bolts directly below the summit cross.

Descent

From the Höllentorkopf summit cross, descend via a marked and cable-secured path down to the main trail below the Rinderscharte. Re-ascend a few meters to the saddle, then follow the well-marked walking path back to the Osterfelderkopf cable car station.

• Rope : 2×50 m half/double ropes
• Protection : Standard set of traditional climbing gear

• Guidebook Discrepancies:** Standard guidebooks (e.g., Panico Wetterstein Nord vs. Am-Berg Verlag) differ noticeably on pitch counts and lengths (e.g., 3 pitches / 135m vs. 4 pitches / 155m to the main chimney). Climbers should rely on terrain features rather than strict meter counts.

• Protection & Anchors:** Lower pitches feature retrofitted expansion bolt belays (Bohrhakenstände). However, the upper section lacks fixed belay stations, requiring traditional anchor building skills. The route is prone to rock falling.

• Approach Tricky Point:** The faint track through the dense mountain pine (Latschen) belt is easy to miss. Pushing through the branches directly across the slope is required if you lose the track. Pathfinding until the route enterance is not easy. Pay attention to rock falls.

• Overall Vibe:** Ideal as a "convenient" alpine tour (Alpinklettern für Gehfaule) thanks to cable-car support, while still offering genuine exposure and classic alpine flair.

The Nordkante of the Höllentorkopf was first climbed 120 years ago (1904) by Freudenberg, reportedly solo. It is the older of two classic ridges framing this corner pillar above Höllental. While surrounding routes in the Alpspitze area have grown exponentially harder over the past century, the Nordkante remains a classic alpine objective that balances modern retrofitted anchors with traditional alpine line-finding.