Hochkönig

Hochkönig
Highest point
Elevation2,941 m (9,649 ft)
Prominence2,181 m (7,156 ft)
Ranked 6th in the Alps
ListingUltra
Coordinates47°25′14.9″N 13°03′47.4″E / 47.420806°N 13.063167°E / 47.420806; 13.063167
Naming
English translationhigh king
Language of nameGerman
PronunciationGerman: [ˈhoːxˌkøːnɪç]
Geography
Hochkönig is located in Austria
Hochkönig
Hochkönig
Austria
LocationSalzburg, Austria
Parent rangeBerchtesgaden Alps
Topo mapBEV ÖK50 124; ÖAV 10/2
Climbing
First ascent1826
Easiest routeHike

The Hochkönig is a mountain group containing the highest mountain (Hochkönig) in the Berchtesgaden Alps, Salzburgerland, Austria. The Berchtesgaden Alps form part of the Northern Limestone Alps.

Location

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It lies to the west of the town of Bischofshofen in the Austrian state of Salzburg, 42 km due south of the city of Salzburg. Hochkönig is separated from the rest of the Berchtesgaden Alps, and more specifically from the Steinernes Meer (stone ocean) by the mountain pass Torscharte at 2246 m. The summit itself is at the southern edge of a large limestone plateau, which is covered by the glacier known as the "Übergossene Alm", however this glacier is currently shrinking at a rate of 6.2% per year, and is likely to vanish in the relatively near future.[1]

The edge of the summit plateau is surrounded by an almost circular chain of mountains:

Hut

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In 1898, the Österreichischer Touristenklub (Austrian Tourism Club) built an alpine hut at the summit. The current building dates from 1985 and can sleep nearly one hundred mountaineers. The massif is also home to the High King Mountain Ski Area.[2]

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ Fisher, A.; Seiser, B.; Stocker-Waldhuber, M.; Mitterer, C.; Abermann, J. (2015). "Tracing glacier changes in Austria from the Little Ice Age to the present using a lidar-based high-resolution glacier inventory in Austria" (PDF). The Cryosphere. 9: 753–766. doi:10.5194/tc-9-753-2015. Retrieved 2 December 2015.
  2. ^ Hochkonig. SummitPost. Accessed April 5, 2012.
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