Kapelle des Weissen Lichts

Austria · AT

Parseierspitze

Rising 3,036 m above the village of Grins in Austria's Tyrol, the Parseierspitze is a genuine summit first: it is the highest mountain—and the only three-thousander—of the entire Northern Limestone Alps, and the commanding main peak of the Lechtal Alps. Locals call it the "Queen of the Lechtal Alps," and from the valley its blocky, fortress-like massif towers well above peaks that are themselves formidable, which is exactly what draws experienced hill-walkers and alpinists to this corner of the Ötztal/Landeck region. This is not a peak you stroll up on a marked trail. Reaching the top is a proper alpine undertaking that usually starts with a steep day out of Grins to the Augsburger Hütte mountain hut, perched on a rocky spur at 2,289 m, and continues over scree, a small remnant glacier and a crumbly south-face scramble graded up to UIAA II. For fit, sure-footed mountaineers who want a summit with real character—and a panoramic pay-off—there are few more rewarding days in western Austria.