Hochkalter
Encyclopedia
At 2606.9 metres the Hochkalter in the Berchtesgaden Alps
is the highest peak in the massif
of the same name and therefore one of the highest mountains in Germany. The massif is also called the Hochkaltergebirge, Hochkalterstock or Hochkaltermassiv.
The Hochkalter massif lies west of the Watzmann
massif and, like it, is located within the Berchtesgaden National Park. The Hochkalter mountains are divided into sub-groups known as the Hochkalter Group (Hochkalter-Gruppe), Hocheis Group (Hocheis-Gruppe) and Southern Wimbach Chain (Südliche Wimbachkette). The most important base for climbing this alpenstock is the German Alpine Club
's Blaueis Hut (Blaueishütte, literally "Blue Ice Hut") which lies at a height of 1653 metres (5,423.2 ft) in the Blaueis Combe (Blaueiskar) below the Blaueis
, the most northern glacier
in the Alps
. Other mountain huts are the Bergheim Hirschbichl for the Hocheis Group, the Wimbachgrieshütte for climbs up the eastern flanks of the massif
and the Ingolstädter Haus for the Southern Wimbach Chain.
and limestone
. In the Hochkalter and Hocheis Groups, the harder Dachstein limestone predominates, rock that was formed by sedimentation in the Tethys Ocean
during the Late Triassic
stage (220 million years ago). When the Alps were formed the sloping strata of Dachstein limestome were tipped at an angle of 30° to 40° by tectonic movements of the African and European continental plates. The result can be clearly seen on the Hochkalter massif especially in the Ofen valley (Ofental). Much of the Southern Wimbach Chain comprises brittle Ramsau dolomite, which has contributed significantly to the accumulation of rocks in the Wimbach
valley.
s occurred time and again on the Hochkalter massif. In prehistoric times – around 3,500 years ago – more than 15 million m³ of rock slid from the upper Blaueis Combe into the valley. These rockslides impounded the lake of Hintersee. Even today the large glacial erratic
s in the Zauber Forest bear witness to this monumental event. But even in recent times there have frequently been large rock-falls:
The brittleness of the rock in the Wimbach valley is very obvious. The floor of the valley is covered by streams of debris of great depth. This magnificent landscape may be experienced by anyone who walks from Ramsau (Wimbach Bridge car park) along the valley, initially through the Wimbach Gorge and then onto the open valley floor (about one hour to the Wimbachschloss Inn, a further hour to the Wimbachgrieshütte, 1,327 m).
Berchtesgaden Alps
The Berchtesgaden Alps are a mountain range of the Northern Limestone Alps, named after the market town of Berchtesgaden located in the centre...
is the highest peak in the massif
Massif
In geology, a massif is a section of a planet's crust that is demarcated by faults or flexures. In the movement of the crust, a massif tends to retain its internal structure while being displaced as a whole...
of the same name and therefore one of the highest mountains in Germany. The massif is also called the Hochkaltergebirge, Hochkalterstock or Hochkaltermassiv.
The Hochkalter massif lies west of the Watzmann
Watzmann
The Watzmann is the third highest mountain in Germany, and the highest peak standing entirely within Germany. Its three main peaks are Hocheck , Mittelspitze and Südspitze .The Watzmann massive also includes the...
massif and, like it, is located within the Berchtesgaden National Park. The Hochkalter mountains are divided into sub-groups known as the Hochkalter Group (Hochkalter-Gruppe), Hocheis Group (Hocheis-Gruppe) and Southern Wimbach Chain (Südliche Wimbachkette). The most important base for climbing this alpenstock is the German Alpine Club
German Alpine Club
The German Alpine Club or DAV is the largest climbing association in the world and the eighth largest sports union in Germany. It is organised into 354 legally independent branches with a total of around 815,000 members...
's Blaueis Hut (Blaueishütte, literally "Blue Ice Hut") which lies at a height of 1653 metres (5,423.2 ft) in the Blaueis Combe (Blaueiskar) below the Blaueis
Blaueis
The Blaueis is the northernmost glacier in the Alps and lies within the municipality of Ramsau in the Bavarian part of the Berchtesgaden Alps...
, the most northern glacier
Glacier
A glacier is a large persistent body of ice that forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. At least 0.1 km² in area and 50 m thick, but often much larger, a glacier slowly deforms and flows due to stresses induced by its weight...
in the Alps
Alps
The Alps is one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany to France in the west....
. Other mountain huts are the Bergheim Hirschbichl for the Hocheis Group, the Wimbachgrieshütte for climbs up the eastern flanks of the massif
Massif
In geology, a massif is a section of a planet's crust that is demarcated by faults or flexures. In the movement of the crust, a massif tends to retain its internal structure while being displaced as a whole...
and the Ingolstädter Haus for the Southern Wimbach Chain.
Geology of the Hochkalter mountains
The Hochkalter hey mountains, like the entire Northern Limestone Alps, consist of a mixture of dolomiteDolomite
Dolomite is a carbonate mineral composed of calcium magnesium carbonate CaMg2. The term is also used to describe the sedimentary carbonate rock dolostone....
and limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
. In the Hochkalter and Hocheis Groups, the harder Dachstein limestone predominates, rock that was formed by sedimentation in the Tethys Ocean
Tethys Ocean
The Tethys Ocean was an ocean that existed between the continents of Gondwana and Laurasia during the Mesozoic era before the opening of the Indian Ocean.-Modern theory:...
during the Late Triassic
Late Triassic
The Late Triassic is in the geologic timescale the third and final of three epochs of the Triassic period. The corresponding series is known as the Upper Triassic. In the past it was sometimes called the Keuper, after a German lithostratigraphic group that has a roughly corresponding age...
stage (220 million years ago). When the Alps were formed the sloping strata of Dachstein limestome were tipped at an angle of 30° to 40° by tectonic movements of the African and European continental plates. The result can be clearly seen on the Hochkalter massif especially in the Ofen valley (Ofental). Much of the Southern Wimbach Chain comprises brittle Ramsau dolomite, which has contributed significantly to the accumulation of rocks in the Wimbach
Wimbach
Wimbach is a municipality in the district of Ahrweiler, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany....
valley.
Rockslides
Large rockslideRockslide
A rockslide is a type of landslide caused by rock failure in which part of the plane of failure passes through intact rock and where material collapses en masse and not in individual blocks.The mode of failure is different from that of a rock-fall....
s occurred time and again on the Hochkalter massif. In prehistoric times – around 3,500 years ago – more than 15 million m³ of rock slid from the upper Blaueis Combe into the valley. These rockslides impounded the lake of Hintersee. Even today the large glacial erratic
Glacial erratic
A glacial erratic is a piece of rock that differs from the size and type of rock native to the area in which it rests. "Erratics" take their name from the Latin word errare, and are carried by glacial ice, often over distances of hundreds of kilometres...
s in the Zauber Forest bear witness to this monumental event. But even in recent times there have frequently been large rock-falls:
- On 24 August 1908 the summit of the Hochkalters came crashing down and changed the appearance and height of the peak markedly. The volume of rock broken off is estimated at 240,000 m³. The rock fall was felt in the Ramsau valley as an earthquake.
- On 25 July 1954 the second Blaueis pinnacle on the northern arete of the Blaueisspitze collapsed.
- Nine years later to the day, on 25 July 1963, the collapse of a column on the Schärtenspitze resulted in the route up the north face becoming much more difficult.
- In February 1959 several hundred thousand cubic meters of rock slid from the area of the Palfelhörner onto the snow below in the upper reaches of the Wimbach valley.
The brittleness of the rock in the Wimbach valley is very obvious. The floor of the valley is covered by streams of debris of great depth. This magnificent landscape may be experienced by anyone who walks from Ramsau (Wimbach Bridge car park) along the valley, initially through the Wimbach Gorge and then onto the open valley floor (about one hour to the Wimbachschloss Inn, a further hour to the Wimbachgrieshütte, 1,327 m).
Overview of the Hochkalter summits
- Hochkalter Group
- Hochkalter, 2,607 m
- Ofentalhörnl, 2,513 m
- Kleinkalter, 2,513 m
- Blaueisspitze, 2,480 m
- Steintalhörnl, 2,468 m
- RotpalfenRotpalfenRotpalfen is a mountain of Bavaria, Germany....
(Wasserwandkopf), 2,367 m - Schärtenspitze, 2,153 m
- Steinberg, 2,065 m
- Am Hund, 1,803 m
- Stanglahnerkopf, 1,791 m
- Schottmalhorn, 1,662 m
- Hocheis Group
- HocheisspitzeHocheisspitzeThe Hocheisspitze is a 2,523 m high mountain in the Berchtesgaden Alps, over which the border between Germany and Austria runs. It is also the highest mountain in the eponymous Hocheis Group that belongs to the Hochkalter Massif....
, 2,523 m - Hinterberghorn, 2,493 m
- Kammerlinghorn, 2,483 m
- Hinterbergkopf, 2,247 m
- Hocheishörnl, 2,252 m
- Karlkogel, 2,195 m
- Eislhörnl, 2,095 m
- Vorderberghörnl, 2,083 m
- Kleineishörnl, 1,934 m
- Hocheisspitze
- Southern Wimbachkette
- Seehorn, 2,321 m
- Großes Palfelhorn, 2,222 m
- Kleines Palfelhorn, 2,073 m
- Alpelhorn, 2,254 m
- Kühleitenschneid,
- Prunnerkopf, 2,076 m
- Sigeretkopf, 2,066 m
Sources
- Max Zeller: Das Hochkaltergebirge, Teil 1, in: Heinrich Heß (Hrsg.): Zeitschrift des Deutschen und Österreichischen Alpen-Vereins 1914, Wien 1914, S.177-218.
- Max Zeller: Das Hochkaltergebirge, Teil 2, in: Heinrich Heß (Hrsg.): Zeitschrift des Deutschen und Österreichischen Alpen-Vereins 1915, Wien 1915, S.157-200.
External links
- Summitpost Information about the Hochkalter
- Homepage of the Blaueishütte
- Hochkalter route description with photos