Wiesbachhorn

Großes Wiesbachhorn
The Großes Wiesbachhorn seen from the start of the Großglockner Alpine Road
Highest point
Elevation	3,564 m (11,693 ft)
Prominence	450 m (1,480 ft)
Isolation	9.7 kilometres (6.0 mi)
Coordinates	47°9′25″N 12°45′18″E / 47.15694°N 12.75500°E / 47.15694; 12.75500
Geography
Location	Salzburg, Austria
Parent range	Hohe Tauern
Climbing
First ascent	In the 18th century by two farmers from Fusch called Zanker and Zorner
Easiest route	Over the northwest ridge (Kaindlgrat, I, Firnschneide 35°)

The Großes Wiesbachhorn (German pronunciation: [ˈɡʀoːsəs ˈviːsbaχˌhɔʁn]) is a mountain in the federal state of Salzburg, Austria and, at 3,564 m above sea level (AA) (according to other sources 3,570 m above sea level (AA)), is the third-highest peak of the Hohe Tauern range.

Its entirely free-standing firn-capped summit forms the main peak of the Fusch/Kaprun chain and is often viewed in Alpine literature as a rival of the Großglockner. The great slope on its eastern and southeastern side plunges 2,418 metres to the Fuscher Ache - the greatest height difference between mountaintop and valley floor in the Eastern Alps. Of alpinistic significance was the first ascent of the Northwest Face (Nordwestwand) on 15 July 1924 by Franz Riegele and Willo Welzenbach. They were the first ones to use ice nails (Eisnägel) to assist them; these were later developed into the ice screws used today. The Northwest Face was one of the classic ice walls of the Eastern Alps; the ice has since melted, however.

The Großes Wiesbachhorn is almost entirely surrounded by glaciers. To the north is the Wielingerkees, to the northeast the Sandbodenkees flows eastwards and down into the Sandboden and further into the Fuscher Ache. To the south lies the Teufelsmühlkees und im Westen das Kaindlkees. An important neighbouring mountain to the north, separated by the 3,211 metre high wind gap of the Sandbodenscharte, is the Kleines Wiesbachhorn with a height of 3,286 metres. To the southwest, on the other side of the 3,265 metre high Wielingerscharte, between the Kaindlkees and Teufelsmühlkees glaciers, lies the two Bratschenköpfe peaks (3,413 and 2,401 metres high). To the west the terrain falls away to the Mooserboden Reservoir, to the east into the Fuscher Tal. The nearest important settlement is Fusch an der Großglocknerstraße, about 10 kilometres away to the north as the crow flies.