Grossglockner

Grossglockner -  which translates as "the Great Bell-Ringer" - is, at 3,798 m a.s.l.,  the highest peak in Austria and the highest peak in the Alps east of the Brenner Pass. The summit lies in the Glockner group, which belongs to the High Tauern, on the border of the Austrian federal states of Carinthia and Tyrol. Geologically, the Grossglockner massif is made of gneiss. On the northern side, Austria's largest glacier, the Pasterze, winds beneath the mountain. The pyramid-shaped summit has attracted climbers since time immemorial. The first to reach its summit were Austrians - the brothers Sepp and Martin Klotz and Martin Reicher, in 1800. Today a massive gilded cross stands on the summit, bearing the inscription "In solemn memory of the family celebration of the 25th wedding anniversary of Their Majesties Emperor Franz Joseph II and Empress Elisabeth, celebrated by the grateful people of Austria. Erected by the Austrian Alpine Club." And in the centre of the cross there is also a dedication to the memory of the fallen members of the Austrian Club in the First World War. The monumental cross is anchored to the sides by 4 steel cables. If a storm is approaching, I strongly recommend not going near it.

There are no legislative restrictions on people's movement on the Grossglockner. Climbers may ascend it entirely on their own. For commercial ascents, however, a legal ascent is possible only with a certified IFMGA guide. In good summer conditions a mountain guide may take a maximum of 3 people on the rope on the Normalweg route; on all other routes and in winter conditions, even on the normal route, a maximum of 2 people. 

 
Normalweg - difficulty UIAA II, PD+, length 9 km, elevation gain 1,860 m (from the car park)
By far the most popular ascent route. It is also used as the descent route after climbing any other route to the summit of the Grossglockner. A logical line from the south, starting by crossing the Ködnitzkees glacier. Higher up, the route moves onto the rocky Kampl shoulder, secured with steel cables, to the Erzherzog-Johann hut. The route then continues via Adlersruhe (the Eagle's Rest) into the east face, where it seeks its weaknesses in rocky gullies, comes out onto the summit ridge which leads to the fore-summit Kleinglockner (3,770 m a.s.l.) and across the saddle to the main summit at an altitude of 3,798 m a.s.l. The descent follows the same route back. I recommend splitting the route over 2 to 3 days.
 
Ascent via the Stüdlgrat ridge, | difficulty AD, III+ UIAA | elevation gain of the ridge itself 550 m, approximate climbing time 3  to 5 hours
The Stüdlgrat is a classic  rock  climbing tour of lower difficulty leading along the ridge.  The approach to the ridge itself is from the Stüdlhütte hut (2,802 m a.s.l.) along a mountain trail and higher up across the Teischnitz glacier (crevasses!). The route follows the Stüdl ridge the whole time, in some places moving onto its right or left side. Watch for the polished rock.  The harder sections are equipped with fixed protection or thick fixed ropes, which significantly reduce the original climbing difficulty and ease progress. The ridge ends right at the main summit. Descent via the classic route – the Normalweg. I recommend climbing this route only with a good weather forecast. Returning back along this route can be problematic for less experienced climbers.
 
Pallavicini couloir / Pallavicinirinne - difficulty III UIAA | D, 55°, ice up to 70° in the upper part, elevation gain from the start at the Glocknerbiwakschachtel bivouac 600 m,
The Pallavicini couloir – first climbed  in 1876 and named after Count Pallavicini and the mountain guides H. Tribusser, G. Bäuerle and J. Kramser. It is  a classic snow-ice-mixed  tour that follows the prominent couloir (Rinne) in the north face of the Grossglockner the entire time.  It ends in a prominent saddle on the summit ridge, just 30 metres below the main summit. A magnificent tour that most alpinists have on their "to-do list". The key to climbing it is to catch good climbing conditions - hard névé ice is ideal, whereas a lot of fresh snow poses an enormous avalanche risk. In summer this route is practically objectively dangerous due to falling rocks and the lack of snow and ice. The Pallavicini Rinne can also be skied, but this is  very steep skiing on slopes of up to 55°, suitable only for very experienced and technically accomplished ski mountaineers.
 
Mayerl Ramp - difficulty D+, III, 70°, 580 m elevation gain from the start below the face
A route in the north face – in the right-hand part of the face – a classic ice-mixed tour, less objectively dangerous than the Pallavicini gully, often in good climbing conditions. The start of the route is from the bivouac; after crossing the bergschrund, the climbing begins on a moderately steep snow slope at an angle of 50° for 200 metres, then the route logically branches slightly to the left into steep ice terrain – 5 pitches at an angle of 60° to 70°. The route exits onto the summit ridge near the Glocknerhorn tower. From there, along the summit ridge on mixed terrain up to difficulty III+, 2 hours to the main summit. The easiest descent is via the normal route to the Erzherzog-Johann hut.

For the ascent you need sturdy mountaineering boots that can take crampons, basic glacier equipment, a climbing harness, a helmet, carabiners, slings, and a climbing rope at least 30 m long. For the routes on the north face, a 2 x 60 m rope and equipment for climbing on both ice and rock (ice screws, a set of nuts or cams), clothing resistant to rain and wind, and equipment  for emergencies (headlamp, mobile phone, first-aid kit, an insulated spare layer).

 It depends on the route by which you want to climb the Grossglockner. As a rule, for all routes from the southern side the starting point is the village of Kals am Grossglockner, and for the routes from the north it is the car park at the Kaiser-Franz-Josefs-Höhe. Because of the total elevation gain, I recommend spreading the ascent over 2 or more days, with accommodation in mountain huts. The following huts are in the area: Lucknerhütte (2,240 m a.s.l.), Stüdlhütte (2,800 m a.s.l.), Salmhütte (2,640 m a.s.l.) and Erzherzog-Johann hut (3,450 m a.s.l.). Below the north face is the Grossglockner Biwakschachtel bivouac shelter (unstaffed).