Mölser Sonnenspitze (2489 m)

Technical difficulty: 3/10
Fitness: 4/10
Objective danger: 2/10
Landscape: 6/10
Busy: 5/10

A long, fairly gentle loop in the Wattental valley with a scenic summit.

guest post by @bennibru

Starting point: Lager Walchen
Ending point: Lager Walchen
Ascend: 1150vm / 4h
Exposition: North-east to north-west

The Mölser Sonnenspitze is a popular and – apart from the final ridge section – very easy ski touring destination starting from the Lizumer Hütte. In this tour, however, we begin roughly 600 vertical meters lower at the Lager Walchen parking lot, the gateway to the Lizum military training area. The entire route lies within the military zone, so before setting off, it is essential to check that no training exercises are taking place (this is usually not the case on weekends). Our loop follows the ski route toward the Lizumer Hütte for the ascent and descends via the western Mölstal valley.

The well-marked ski route initially runs along the left side of the Lizumbach stream, across a short alpine meadow, and then joins the forest road toward the Melangalm. We follow this until we reach flatter, open terrain. Between the outer and inner Melangalm, we cross a bridge near the power station and continue on a broad, mostly flat trail until we reach the signed turnoff for the ski route on the right.

From here, the trail climbs gently but steadily through the forest, crossing several small streams in a series of switchbacks, until we reach the military road. We follow this gently ascending road southward for 1.3 kilometers. Before continuing toward the Lizumer Boden and the hut, we branch off to the right near the old ski lift and ascend through undulating terrain between the Klammspitzen to the south and the Mölsberg to the north.

Soon the Mölser Sonnenspitze comes into view, although the route still stretches on a bit. We cross the high valley and head toward the saddle between the Sonnenspitze and its northern neighbor, the Schispitzl (2449 m). This saddle, labeled “Unbenannte Scharte” (unnamed notch), offers a good spot to assess the ridge conditions and decide whether to tackle the Schispitzl, the Sonnenspitze, or both.

The ascent to Schispitzl is quite easy and completed in just a few kick turns. The climb to the Sonnenspitze typically requires an initial detour into the often wind- scoured western slope, and sometimes it’s better to switch to foot travel. The final few meters are flat and easy, leading to a small summit plateau with a cross and sweeping panoramic views – only partially blocked by the rugged ridgeline from the Tarntalerköpfe to the Lizumer Reckner.

Descent

The descent from the summit can either follow the ridge back down or – only in very safe snow conditions – via the steep northeast summit slope. The latter is recommended especially when heading back toward the Lizumer Boden. For a descent through the Mölstal, a short re-ascent to the saddle or an early traverse out of the slope is required.

From the unnamed saddle, we descend over gently undulating terrain heading west. As we reach the flat basin below, we turn northwest toward a shallow depression next to the Mölsbach stream. The slope dropping to the Mölstal road is the steepest part of the descent and should be assessed carefully for avalanche risk.

Once on the Mölstal road, we follow it past the Mölsalm Hochleger. This stretch is nearly flat for a few hundred meters. The remaining descent is usually groomed as a toboggan run and is straightforward, with a few wide switchbacks.

Alternative Ascent via the Mölstal

The described loop can also be done in reverse. Ascent via the Mölstal is slightly longer but uses a pleasant trail just below the sled run. Around the Mölsalm Hochleger, it’s recommended to stay southwest of the trail and follow the snow - covered Mölstal road terrain, optionally including the Nördlicher Klammerschober as an additional summit. The descent via the ski route is generally manageable, but due to several flat sections, it can be a bit tedious.

Pro Tip: This route – especially if only aiming for the Schispitzl – is a solid choice for days with higher avalanche danger.

Photos by @bennibru