The Rieserferner Group in Val Pusteria

The imposing mountain range, partially consisting of high glacial peaks, overtops the South Tyrolean territory and embellishes a region of another emblem.

As it might be gathered from the phrase above, this mountain group isn’t wholly situated on the lands of South Tyrol. Italy, by means of South Tyrol, and Austria, by means of East Tyrol, share this breathtaking natural masterpiece. Already in 1868, the highest mountain of the group commonly called Hochgall, situated on the Italian territory, was scaled for the first time. From then on, the Rieserferner Group has been a popular destination for experienced climbers and for those who would like to improve their skills.

The Rieserferner Group, situated in the Central Alps, is a part of the southwestern side of the High Tauern mountain range that, apart from the Ötztal Alps, boasts of the highest peaks in Austria. Delimited in the North by Klammljoch, it joins with Staller Saddle in the South. What is particular about this mountain range is that it’s relatively narrow. A granitic rock called Plutonite used to emerge from a kind of melting magma within the Earth 30 million years ago, and now it’s situated in the median part of the group. The granite of the Rieserferner Group contains also quartz.

The mountain group owes its fame not only to its wild beauty, but also to some discoveries in the Rieserferner Group that have earned a permanent place in people’s memory. In the early ’90s, between 1992 and 1994, the landlord of the Rieserferner Group’s shelter, located in the Cima di Valfredda/Geltalspitze, found a kind of footwear and leggings. With the help of modern technologies, it was possible to determine that the objects dated back to the Hallstatt Culture, namely to the period between 800 and 475 A.C. Beyond any doubt, it’s a great finding for South Tyrol.