Its name comes from its great, white, light-reflecting, quartz layers, which allegedly cause the mountain to "radiate" (strahlen).

Ascending the Strahlkogel is difficult and it is thus only rarely visited, unlike the neighbouring 3,287-metre-high Breiter Grieskogel.

The first ascent of the mountain was in 1833 by Peter Carl Thurwieser, but his route and the precise circumstances of the climb have not been passed on.

The start point for an ascent is the village of Niederthai in the Ötztal valley at a height of 1,538 metres above sea level.

From there the route runs southwards to the lake of Grasstallsee, then east on the Grasstallferner glacier as a mountain tour (only to be attempted with the right equipment and experience) and along the west arete requiring climbing of UIAA grade II - III sections to the summit.