The Steinbergstein is a

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 ...

, ({{convert, 2215, m, ft, disp=output only, abbr=on) high, 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) ...

in Austria.

Location

The Steinbergstein rises between the valleys of the

Windauer Ache The Windauer Ache is a mountain stream in Tyrol (state), Tyrol, Austria, in the scenic Windautal valley in the Kitzbühel Alps. The Ache rises on the Reinkarsee at about , at the foot of the Kröndlhorn, and its middle reaches run through a rough ...

and the ''Kelchsauer Ache''. The cirque between the north face of the Steinbergstein, the ''Ramkarkopf'' (2,063 m) and the ''Steinberg'' (1,886 m), which is rich in springs, forms the ''Steinberggraben'' stream that empties into the

river. The source of the Trattenbach stream lies to the south of the ''Steinberg'', feeding the ''Kurze Grundache'', a tributary of the ''Kelchsauer Ache''.

Use

Above the

tree line The tree line is the edge of the habitat at which trees are capable of growing. It is found at high elevations and high latitudes. Beyond the tree line, trees cannot tolerate the environmental conditions (usually cold temperatures, extreme snowp ...

the open slopes are used as grazing grounds for sheep, goats, cows and horses. In summer, flocks of sheep are especially common around the summit. A

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 ...

runs from the Gamskogel Hut to the ''Lagfelden Alm''. The hiking trails are all marked with tree-mounted and ground-based signs.

Ascent

From Kelchsau the route runs along the track past the ''Sonnblick'' snack bar to the Demmels Hut. From here it runs through the Lodron Alm through open alpine pasture up to the summit of the ''Lodron'' (1,925 m). From here it is a 1½ hour walk to the top of Steinbergstein. Five hours should be allowed for the whole journey. Another route runs along the trafficable forest track in 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 then continues to the foot of 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 ...

mountain, up to the ''Steinberghaus'' and the Gamskogel Hut. The shortest, but hardest, route runs along the eastern flank from the Gamskogel Hut through the ''Ahornau Alm'' steeply uphill to the ''Lagfelden Alm''. From here it crosses open terrain on an unmetalled, but signposted route up to the summit. There is also an ascent from the Steinberghaus that runs alongside the ''Steinberggraben'' through the ''Neuhögen Alms'' and the ''Oberkar Alm'' up to the ''Lodronjoch'' saddle. From there it continues over the ''Ramkarkopf'' to the Steinbergstein. All the trails, especially that over the eastern flank, require

sure-footedness 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 ...

. In winter the Steinbergstein is a popular and challenging destination for

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 ...

Summit

The Steinbergstein 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 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 ...

. The present cross was erected in summer 1978. The summit offers an impressive view over the

Brixental The Brixental ("Brixen Valley") is a southeastern side valley of the Tyrolean Lower Inn Valley in Austria with a length of about 30 km (18.6 mi). Near Wörgl (513 m AMSL; 318 mi) the Brixental and Inn valleys meet. The Brixen ...

valley and the

Kaisergebirge The Kaiser Mountains (german: Kaisergebirge, meaning ''Emperor Mountains'') are a mountain range in the Northern Limestone Alps and Eastern Alps. Its main ridges – are the Zahmer Kaiser and south of it the Wilder Kaiser. The mountains are s ...

mountains to the north. The crest of the

, with its prominent peaks of the

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) and the

(2,444 m) stretch away to the south.

External links

Website for Kelchsau

Huts of the Austrian Alpine Club – Steinberghaus
Mountains of the Alps Mountains of Tyrol (state) Two-thousanders of Austria Kitzbühel District Kitzbühel Alps