Brechhorn, Mountain summit in Tyrol, Austria

The Brechhorn is a 2,032 m high mountain in the Kitzbühel Alps, lying between the Aschauer Ache and Windau valleys. Its upper slopes are grazed by sheep, goats, cows and horses, and no lifts or vehicle tracks run beyond the Brechhornhaus at 1,660 m. The summit carries a cross of wood and steel with a stamp and summit register.

The Brechhorn lies between the Aschauer Ache and Windau valleys and has no ski lifts, material ropeways or vehicle tracks above the Brechhornhaus at 1,660 m. The Alpenrosenbahn cableway from Westendorf reaches the Talkaser at 1,760 m, from where marked trails continue to the Brechhornhaus on the Kreuzjoch and then to the summit.

Local farmers use the slopes to graze sheep, goats, cattle, and horses, keeping alive a way of mountain agriculture that has defined this landscape for generations. Walking up the mountain, you directly observe how people work with the land today.

From Westendorf, the Alpenrosenbahn runs to the Talkaser at 1,760 m; from there two marked routes, east and west around the Fleiding, reach the Brechhornhaus at 1,660 m on the Kreuzjoch. In winter the toll road is usually cleared as far as the car park at its start, and the route via Ebenau Alm, Durach Alm and Breitlab Alm takes about 2 hours 50 minutes to the summit.

From the summit, a short unmarked trail drops and climbs again to the Floch (2,057 m); the same route allows a descent into the Windautal valley through the cirque between the two peaks. That descent crosses the western flank and is only advised for sure-footed hikers with a head for heights.