The Brechhorn is a high

mountain A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited Summit (topography), summit area, and ...

in the

Kitzbühel Alps The Kitzbühel Alps (german: Kitzbüheler Alpen or ''Kitzbühler Alpen'') are a mountain range of the Central Eastern Alps surrounding the town of Kitzbühel in Tyrol, Austria. Geologically they are part of the western slate zone (greywacke zone) ...

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

. It lies between the valleys of the ''Aschauer Ache'' and the Windau.Austrian Map Series (''Österreichische Karte'') 1:50.000 (ÖK 50) - se
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Use

The upper slopes of the mountain are used to some extent as grazing for sheep, goats, cows and horses. No

ski lift A ski lift is a mechanism for transporting skiers up a hill. Ski lifts are typically a paid service at ski resorts. The first ski lift was built in 1908 by German Robert Winterhalder in Schollach/Eisenbach, Hochschwarzwald. Types * Aerial l ...

material ropeway A material ropeway, ropeway conveyor (or aerial tramway in the US) is a subtype of gondola lift, from which containers for goods rather than passenger cars are suspended. Description Material ropeways are typically found around large mining conc ...

s or motor vehicle tracks run beyond the ''Brechhornhaus'' (1,660 m) which means that the scenery during an ascent of the mountain is largely unspoilt.

Ascent

The most commonly used bases for an ascent of the Brechhorn are Aschau and Westendorf. The trails are all marked and, in places, well-signposted. From Westendorf, hikers catch the ''Alpenrosenbahn'' cableway on the ''Nachtsöllberg'' to the 1,760 m high ''Talkaser'' and can then reach the ''Brechhornhaus'' quickly over two routes (east and west of the ''Fleiding'' peak). The house lies on the

Kreuzjoch Kreuzjoch (German: ''cross col'') is the name of many summits and several mountain passes, predominantly in the Eastern Alps. Summits: * Hohes Kreuzjoch, 2992 m, in the southern Ötztal Alps in South Tyrol * Kreuzjochkogel, 2746 m, between the Sel ...

between the ''Gampenkogel'' and the Brechhorn, and is a good base for the subsequent climb. In winter the mountain is especially popular with

ski tour Ski touring is skiing in the backcountry on unmarked or unpatrolled areas. Touring is typically done off-piste and outside of ski resorts, and may extend over a period of more than one day. It is similar to backcountry skiing but excludes the ...

ists and

snowshoe Snowshoes are specialized outdoor gear for walking over snow. Their large footprint spreads the user's weight out and allows them to travel largely on top of rather than through snow. Adjustable bindings attach them to appropriate winter footwe ...

walkers, who usually set off from Kirchberg i.T. and Aschau. The road is cleared during normal winter conditions as far as the car park at the start of the toll road. This route runs along the eastern flank of the mountain through the alpine pastures of ''Ebenau Alm'', ''Durach Alm'' and ''Breitlab Alm'', passing the ''Duracher Kogel'' (1,773 m) peak on the way. It takes about 2 hours 50 minutes to reach the summit.

Link to the Floch

The summit of the Floch (2,057 m) may be reached from the top of the Brechhorn on a short, unmarked, southerly trail that descends and then climbs again. This route also enables a descent into the

Windautal The Windautal is a southern side valley of the Tyrolean Brixental in the Kitzbühel Alps in Austria with a length of about 16 km. The valley is lies almost entirely within the territory of the parish of Westendorf; only its northernmost p ...

valley, the trail running over the western flank of the mountain and through the

cirque A (; from the Latin word ') is an amphitheatre-like valley formed by glacial erosion. Alternative names for this landform are corrie (from Scottish Gaelic , meaning a pot or cauldron) and (; ). A cirque may also be a similarly shaped landform ...

between the Brechhorn and the Floch. From the Brandeggalm a track runs to the ridgeway at Fleiding. The descent from the Brechhorn in a southerly direction is however only recommended for

sure-footed Sure-footedness is the ability, especially when hiking or mountain climbing, to negotiate difficult or rough terrain safely. Such situations place demands on a person's coordination and reserves of strength as well as requiring sufficient appreciat ...

hikers with a

head for heights To have a head for heights means that one has no acrophobia, an irrational fear of heights, and is not particularly prone to fear of falling or suffering from vertigo, the spinning sensation that can be triggered, for example, by looking down from ...

Summit

The summit has a

summit cross A summit cross (german: Gipfelkreuz) is a cross on the summit of a mountain or hill that marks the top. Often there will be a summit register (''Gipfelbuch'') at the cross, either in a container or at least a weatherproof case. Various other form ...

made of wood and steel, where there is a stamp and a

summit register A summit book or summit register is a record of visitors to the summit of a mountain. It is usually enclosed in a weatherproof, animalproof metal canister. Some books are maintained in an informal manner by an individual or small group, while ot ...

. To the north, the peaks of the

Hohe Salve The Hohe Salve is a well-known mountain located between Kufstein, Wörgl and Kitzbühel in the Austrian state of Tyrol. It is part of the Kitzbühel Alps and is also nicknamed ''the Rigi of the Tyrol''. Its summit is high,Windautal The Windautal is a southern side valley of the Tyrolean Brixental in the Kitzbühel Alps in Austria with a length of about 16 km. The valley is lies almost entirely within the territory of the parish of Westendorf; only its northernmost p ...

valley and the main crest of the Kitzbühel Alps, including the

Kröndlhorn The Kröndlhorn is a high mountain in the Kitzbühel Alps in Austria. It is one of the highest mountains on the main crest of the Kitzbühel Alps. The state border between Tyrol and Salzburger Land runs over its summit. Location The Kröndlho ...

(2,444 m) and

Salzachgeier The Salzachgeier () is a rugged peak on the edge of the Kitzbühel Alps on the border of the Austrian states of Salzburg and Tyrol. In the cirques and high alpine meadows (''Hochalmen'') of its eastern slopes and the two neighbouring peaks of ''F ...

(2,466 m). To the southeast is the imposing and rugged flank of the

Großer Rettenstein The Großer Rettenstein is a mountain with multiple peaks in the Kitzbühel Alps in Austria. The main summit reaches a height of Although not the highest mountain in the Kitzbühel Alps (that honour goes to the Kreuzjoch at ), the Großer Retten ...

(2,366 m).

References

{{Reflist Mountains of the Alps Mountains of Tyrol (state) Two-thousanders of Austria Kitzbühel Alps