Northwestern Walsertal mountains
| Northwestern Walsertal mountains | ||
|---|---|---|
| Highest peak | Hoher Ifen ( 2230 m above sea level ) | |
| location | Vorarlberg , Austria / Bavaria , Germany | |
| part of | Allgäu Alps | |
| Classification according to | Alpine Club Guide Allgäu Alps | |
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| Coordinates | 47 ° 21 ' N , 10 ° 6' E | |
The northwestern Walsertal mountains are a subgroup of the Allgäu Alps in Austria and Germany . At 2230 meters, the striking Hohe Ifen is the highest peak in the subgroup. This sub-group is of geological importance with the Gottesacker plateau and the second longest cave in Germany, the Hölloch .
Boundaries and surroundings
Starting from Sibratsgfälle in the north, the border of the northwestern Walsertal mountains runs through the Hirschgundtal with the Rubach and the Rohrmoostal with the Starzlach to the east into the Kleinwalsertal . Following this to the south and south-west, it continues through the Bärgunttal up to the Üntschenpass (1854 m), from there down into the Bregenzerwald and the Bregenzer Ach downstream to Rehmen . From there, the border runs north up to the Stoggsattel (1415 m) and through the valleys of Schönenbach and Subersach back to Sibratsgälle.
Surrounding subgroups in the south-east are the south-east Walsertal mountains with which there is a connection via the Üntschenpass. To the west lies the Bregenzerwald Mountains over the Stoggsattel . In the north it goes over the watershed in the Rohrmoostal into the Allgäu pre-Alps west of the Iller .
mountains
The highest point of the group is the Hohe Ifen at 2230 meters. The Üntschenspitze (2135 m) follows . Other striking mountains are the Güntlespitze (2092 m), the Diedams- (2090 m) and Hählekopf (2058 m), the Grünhorn (2039 m), the Obere Gottesackerwände (2033 m), the Walmendinger Horn (1990 m), the Lüchle - (1989 m) and Falzer Kopf (1968 m), the Untere Gottesackerwände (1857 m), Green Heads (1725 m), the Mohrenkopf (1645 m), the Kackenköpf (1560 m) and the Engenkopf (1282 m).
geology
From a geological point of view, the northwestern Walsertal mountains are divided into two parts. In the south between Walmendinger Horn and Üntschenspitze the mountains are made of flysch . The sedimentary rocks of the flysch zone consist mainly of sandstone and sand limestone , silica limestone , marl , claystone and breccia . Characteristic of the rocks is the weathering instability, which shows on steep grass flanks through the incision of ravines . The ice age 16,000 years ago has left the sharp ridges.
In the northern part around Hohen Ifen and Gottesackerplateau there are rocks and layers of the Helvetic system . This extensive folded system is formed in the upper area by an approximately 100 meter thick layer of Schrattenkalk . This forms the plateau of the Hoher Ifen and the plateaus above the Gottesackewalls. The lime is deposited on a layer of marly rocks, the Drusberg layers . This soft rock ensures that the weather-prone limestone breaks off, creating the characteristic Ifen plateau, for example. Further west on the Diedamskopf, the Schrattenkalkplatte is missing and the summit is made up entirely of Drusberg layers.
In the Schrattenkalkplatte of the Gottesacker plateau, weathering has created an extensive and ramified drainage system, the Hölloch . With currently 10,900 meters (as of 2008) it is the second longest cave in Germany. Another important cave is the domino hole with a length of 550 meters. The area around the Hohen Ifen is also provided with caves. So far 92 cave entrances have been discovered in the vicinity. The more important, but by no means as well explored, cave objects are the Spitzeck Cave (710 m long), Klaus Cramer Cave (610 m), Kalte Platte (200 m), Kellerloch (142 m) and the Snow Hole (50 m). Overall, the entire northern area of the mountain group is provided with caves by the karst .
nature
Almost the entire northern part of the northwestern Walsertal mountains is under protection. On the German side, the nature reserve Hoher Ifen with a size of 2430 hectares . The Hochifen and Gottesacker plant protection area is located on Austrian territory .
There are numerous botanical peculiarities in these areas . On the Windecksattel (1751 m) grow one of the largest cotton grass - bogs ( Eriophoretum scheuchzerii ) in Bavaria and the rare plants endive hawkweed ( Hieracium intybaceum ) and Eastern Alpine gentian ( Gentiana pannonica ).
Alpinism
The only managed Alpine Club hut in this subgroup is the Schwarzwasserhütte (1620 m) with a total of 83 beds. There is also the Mahdtalhaus (1150 m) in the Kleinwalsertal, which is a self-catering accommodation. The Neuhornbachhaus (1650 m) is a privately run, alpine inn above the Bregenz Forest .
Hiking and mountaineering
A large part of the high peaks in the area of the northwestern Walsertal Mountains are accessible with hiking trails. The highest mountain, the Hohe Ifen, is accessible from both the south and the north with climbs. Some exposed passages are insured with wire ropes, which requires surefootedness and a head for heights for mountaineers. The next highest peaks, Üntschenspitze, Güntlespitze and Diedamskopf, can be reached on easy mountain trails. In contrast, the numerous low, but nevertheless distinctive peaks in the border areas of the subgroup cannot be reached on laid out paths.
Climb
After the 1960s, climbing routes were opened on the south walls of Hohem Ifen. The climbing area, which is popular among climbers and valued throughout the Alps, has been severely restricted by the Vorarlberg authorities since 1991 in favor of the chamois population.
Winter sports and mountain railways
There are three ski areas in the northwestern Walsertal mountains for alpine skiing . The Kleinwalsertaler Bergbahn AG operates a ski area each on the Hohen Ifen and the Walmendinger Horn . At the Ifen, two chair lifts and two drag lifts form the basis for a ski area with 30 kilometers of slopes . The Walmendingerhornbahn , three chairlifts and drag lifts make up the 14 kilometer long ski area on the Walmendinger Horn.
The mountain railways on the Diedamskopf, two cable cars , two chair lifts and four drag lifts serve a total of 41 kilometers of slopes above the Bregenzerwald.
The Schwarzwasserhütte is a very important ski touring base for the entire Allgäu Alps in this mountain group. The not too demanding but varied possibilities around the hut are mainly used for special training courses in this alpine variety.
Web links
References and comments
- ↑ a b Dieter Seibert: Alpine Club Guide alpine - Allgäu Alps and Ammergau Alps . 17th edition. Bergverlag Rother , Munich 2008 (p. 162).
- ↑ a b Compass hiking, bike and ski tour map: Sheet 03 - Oberstdorf, Kleinwalsertal (1: 25,000). Innsbruck 2009, ISBN 978-3-85491-231-6 .
- ↑ This list includes mountains with a secured notch height of over 100 meters.
- ^ Herbert Scholz: Building and Becoming the Allgäu Landscape . E. Schweizerbart'sche Verlagsbuchhandlung (Nägele and Obermiller), Stuttgart 1995, ISBN 3-510-65165-0 (pp. 74ff, 83).
- ^ Herbert Scholz: Building and Becoming the Allgäu Landscape . E. Schweizerbart'sche Verlagbuchhandlung (Nägele and Obermiller), Stuttgart 1995, ISBN 3-510-65165-0 (p. T16).
- ^ Herbert Scholz: Building and Becoming the Allgäu Landscape . E. Schweizerbart'sche Verlagbuchhandlung (Nägele and Obermiller), Stuttgart 1995, ISBN 3-510-65165-0 (pp. 88ff, T21).
- ^ Cave Association Sonthofen e. V. (Ed.): The Hölloch in Mahdtal - 100 years of cave research in Kleinwalsertal . Self-published, Sonthofen 2006 (p. 1f).
- ↑ Gaby Funk: What is blooming there? - On a flower tour in the German-Austrian border area . (Pp. 28–33) In: Bergsteiger 7/2009. Bruckmann Verlag , Munich.
- ↑ Dieter Seibert: Alpine Club Guide alpine - Allgäu Alps and Ammergau Alps . 17th edition. Bergverlag Rother, Munich 2008 (p. 169f).
- ^ IG Climbing Allgäu: Kleinwalsertal: Ifen . Retrieved October 29, 2013.
- ↑ Kristian Rath: Allgäu ski tour guide with Kleinwalsertal and Tannheimer Tal . 6th edition. Panico Alpinverlag, Köngen 2009, ISBN 978-3-9367-4010-3 (p. 30).