Five 3,000 m Alpine peaks you can hike without a via ferrata

A summit above 3,000 metres sounds like climbing gear, ropes and years of Alpine experience. It doesn't have to be. In the Austrian and South Tyrolean Alps, marked trails lead to several 3,000 m peaks with no via ferrata set, no rope and no glacier.

That doesn't make these tours a stroll. You need to be sure-footed on rocky ground, fit and well prepared. What falls away is the technical barrier, and with it much of the kit.

Here are five peaks that differ a lot in difficulty, from a quick first 3,000er to a long high-Alpine tour at 3,510 metres.

The Sulzkogel in the Stubai Alps is the perfect first 3,000 m peak. Starting in Kühtai (2,017 m), you are already above 2,000 metres. That saves climbing and makes it doable as a day trip.

Marked trail 146 crosses the dam of the Finstertal reservoir, then follows the broad south ridge to the summit. The ground is scree and boulders, but walkable all the way. At the top, a summit cross and views all round the Stubai Alps await.

Starting point: Kühtai / Dortmunder Hütte (1,948 m) Base: Dortmunder Hütte (staffed June to October) Character: Marked trail, boulder terrain in the upper section, no exposed sections

The Habicht is one of the best-known viewpoints in the Stubai Alps, and with 2,000 metres of ascent from the valley it is a serious undertaking. Splitting it over two days makes sense: on day one, walk up to the Innsbrucker Hütte (2,369 m, about 3 hours from Gschnitz), and on day two, go for the summit (about 2.5 hours).

The ascent crosses steep boulders and broken rock. Some sections have fixed cables, but it is not a via ferrata in the strict sense. Absolute sure-footedness and a head for heights are a must.

Starting point: Gschnitz / Gasthof Feuerstein (1,280 m) Base: Innsbrucker Hütte (2,369 m, DAV, staffed June to October) Character: Demanding mountain tour, partly secured sections, small firn fields or remnants of the Habichtferner glacier possible

The Säuleck in the Ankogel Group (Hohe Tauern, Carinthia) is the insider tip on this list. From the Arthur-von-Schmid-Haus (2,281 m) on Lake Dösen, the normal route leads over the Grazer Scharte to the summit. Steep, but technically straightforward.

The reward is a panorama that is hard to match: Hochalmspitze, Ankogel, Hoher Sonnblick and, when visibility is good, the Lienz Dolomites. The Säuleck also has a via ferrata (grade D/E), but the normal route avoids it completely.

Starting point: Dösner Tal car park (1,600 m) Base: Arthur-von-Schmid-Haus (2,281 m, ÖAV, staffed late June to late September) Character: Steep climb over grass and boulders, waymarked

The Kreuzspitze in the Ötztal may be the most surprising peak on this list: 3,455 metres high, yet without any technical difficulty. No rock to climb, no glacier, no fixed cables. From the Martin-Busch-Hütte (2,501 m), the path zigzags up wide fields of boulders and scree to the summit.

On the way you pass the ruined Brizzihütte and a small mountain lake. At the top, a huge panorama opens up: Wildspitze, Similaun, Hintere Schwärze and the Weißkugel area.

Starting point: Vent (1,900 m), about 2 hours up to the Martin-Busch-Hütte Base: Martin-Busch-Hütte (2,501 m, DAV Berlin section, staffed late June to late September) Character: Straightforward high-Alpine tour over scree and boulders, marked throughout

At 3,510 metres, the Hochfeiler is the highest summit in the Zillertal Alps and the most demanding on our list. The normal route from the Hochfeilerhütte (2,715 m) reaches the top over a boulder ridge and scree, without touching a glacier.

The approach from the third hairpin on the Pfitscher Joch road (1,710 m) to the hut alone takes 2.5 to 3 hours. On summit day, another 800 metres of ascent await. A two-day tour with a night in the hut is the norm here.

Starting point: Third hairpin on the Pfitscher Joch road (1,710 m), Pfitsch Valley, South Tyrol Base: Hochfeilerhütte (2,715 m, AVS, staffed mid-June to mid-September) Character: Long high-Alpine tour over boulders, very good fitness required