The Grossvenediger, a majestic peak seemingly as old as the world itself, is the main, highly glaciated summit of the Venediger Group, in the Hohe Tauern range on the border between Eastern Tyrol and Salzburg. At a height of 3,666 meters, it is the fifth-highest mountain in Austria and the fourth-highest located purely within Austria's borders. The name "Grossvenediger" was first documented as part of a border survey. Until then, the mountain had been known as the Stützerkopf. The origin of the name is unclear, though it is presumed to derive from the Venetian merchants ("Venediger" = "Venetian" in German) who once traveled through the region. Yet another oft-cited theory is the idea that, on a clear day, you can see all the way to Venice, though this has since been refuted. A first attempt to climb it was made by Paul Rohregger back in 1828. Setting out from Untersulzbachtal, he made it as far as the Venedigerscharte. On 9 August 1828, a 17-man expedition failed because of an avalanche, with Archduke John a member of the party, in its attempt to reach the summit.

Not until 40 years after the first successful climb of the Grossglockner, on 3 September 1841, a group led by Josef Schwab was finally able to reach the summit. Participants included Ignaz von Kürsinger, Paul Rohregger and doctors Anton von Ruthner and Franz Spitaler. The party set out from Neukirchen am Grossvenediger. Their route took them through Obersulzbachtal and across the Stierlahnerwand. Of the 40 men who took part in the ascent, 26 were able to reach the summit.