The Lärcheck is a 2123 metres (6,965.2 ft) high mountain in the Kaisergebirge

Kaisergebirge

The Kaisergebirge is a mountain range in the Northern Limestone Alps and Eastern Alps. It consists of two main mountain ridges – the Zahmer Kaiser to the north and the Wilder Kaiser to the south. The entire range is situated in the Austrian state of Tyrol between the town of Kufstein and the...

 range of the Northern Limestone Alps

Northern Limestone Alps

The Northern Limestone Alps are the ranges of the Eastern Alps north of the Central Eastern Alps located in Austria and the adjacent Bavarian lands of southeastern Germany. The distinction from the latter group, where the higher peaks are located, is based on differences in geological composition...

 in Austria.

Location

The Lärcheck forms the mighty northeastern buttress of the Wilder Kaiser; its rock faces towering 1200 metres (3,937 ft) over the Kaiserbach valley

Kaiserbach valley

The Kaiserbach valley is a mountain valley in the Austrian province of Tyrol in the district of Kitzbühel. The Kaiserbach valley runs from Griesenau to Stripsenjoch; it therefore lies in the eastern part of the Kaisergebirge mountains. To the north it is bordered by the Feldberg, which belongs to...

. It belongs to the impressive backdrop of the Ostkaiser ("East Kaiser") and appears from all sides as a narrow rock pyramid. To the south it is joined to the high peaks of the Ackerlspitze

Ackerlspitze

At 2,329 metres above sea level, the Ackerlspitze is the second highest peak in the Kaisergebirge range in the east of the Austrian state of Tyrol. The mountain is located in the eastern part of the range, also referred to as the Ostkaiser or East Kaiser. To the east it is flanked by the...

 and Maukspitze

Maukspitze

The Maukspitze is a high peak in the Kaisergebirge in the Northern Limestone Alps.- Location :The Maukspitze represents the easternmost independent summit of the Kaisergebirge mountains. To the east is the crest of the Niederkaiser, to the west the Maukspitze borders on the Ackerlspitze...

.

Approaches

The normal route to the Lärcheck is challenging and should not be underestimated. Only experienced mountaineers with good fitness, surefootedness, a head for heights and climbing agility should risk the ascent.

The base in the Kaiserbach valley is the pine oil distillery (Latschenölbrennerei, 900 m) between the Fischbachalm and the Griesner Alm (car parks on the toll road from Griesenau). The signposted mountain path climbs steeply into the Kleine Griesner Tor, a rock-strewn cirque

Cirque

Cirque may refer to:* Cirque, a geological formation* Makhtesh, an erosional landform found in the Negev desert of Israel and Sinai of Egypt*Cirque , an album by Biosphere* Cirque Corporation, a company that makes touchpads...

. From there it branches off, unsigned, to the left; the main path carries on to the Fritz Pflaum Hut

Fritz Pflaum Hut

The Die Fritz Pflaum Hut is an Alpine club hut belonging to the Bayerland Section of the German Alpine Club, located in the Kaisergebirge mountains in the Austrian federal state of Tyrol.- Location :...

. From here to the summit there are only occasional and very faded signs (as at 2009) and the danger of falling rocks is ever present. The route traces a way roughly through the middle of an extremely steep, unstable scree slope to about 1,850 metres on the rock face of the summit block. There the climbing path leads up out of the cirque and runs across steep terrain (Schrofen

Schrofen

Schrofen is a German mountaineering term that refers to steep terrain, strewn with rocks and rock outcrops, that is laborious to cross, but whose rock ledges offer many good steps and hand holds. It is usually rocky terrain on which grass has established itself, but it can also refer to purely...

), bands of rock and steep gullies. At the most difficult spot a cable has been fixed to which climbers must attach themselves. Immediately thereafter, is a challenging, unsecured grade II climb. In front of a rocky ledge (view over to the Chiemsee

Chiemsee

Chiemsee is a freshwater lake in Bavaria, Germany, between Rosenheim, Germany, and Salzburg, Austria. It is often called the Bavarian Sea. The rivers Tiroler Achen and Prien flow into the lake; the river Alz, out of it...

) the route runs right (view of St. Johann

St. Johann in Tirol

-History:St. Johann is situated in the Leukental, which extends from Jochberg to the Streichen close to the Bavarian border. This region was already settled in the 4th century BC by a Celtic tribe, the Ambisontiers, who pursued copper mining in the surrounding mountains.In 15 B.C...

) and then over the north arête to the summit cross

Summit cross

A summit cross is a cross on the summit of a mountain or hill that marks the top. Often there will be a "summit register" at the cross, either in a container or at least a weatherproof case....

. Three hours should be allowed for the whole climb, the descent on this route takes 2.5 hours.

The only base nearby is the Fritz Pflaum Hut

Fritz Pflaum Hut

The Die Fritz Pflaum Hut is an Alpine club hut belonging to the Bayerland Section of the German Alpine Club, located in the Kaisergebirge mountains in the Austrian federal state of Tyrol.- Location :...

, from which one can climb to the Kleine Griesner Tor and then reach the Lärcheck in 2 hours.