Riffelwandspitzen
Encyclopedia
The Riffelwandspitzen are two adjacent mountains in the Wetterstein range in Bavaria
. The summit of the Great Riffelwandspitze reaches a heigh of , the summit of the Little Riffelwandspitze (Kleine Riffelwandspitze) .
kamm.
Its south faces drop steeply into the Höllentalkar cirque, its north faces plunge into the Riffelriß above the lake of Eibsee
. A knife-edge ridge runs from the Great Riffelwandspitze in a southwesterly direction to the Zugspitze. The ridge of the Riffelwandkamm joins the Little Riffelwandspitze to the Waxensteinkamm passing over the Riffeltorkopf. A side ridge runs away to the Eastern Riffelkopf (Östlichen Riffelkopf), whose east face plummets vertically into the Höllental valley.
. The routes on the northern side are best approached from the Eibsee or the railway halt of Riffelriß on the Bavarian Zugspitze Railway.
The easisest route to the Little Riffelwandspitze runs from the col of Riffelscharte and the Riffeltorkopf up steep Schroffen and gullies to the top (climbing grade I (UIAA)).
The Great Riffelwandspitze was first climbed on 2 August 1866 via the east ridge by F. Resch and C. Sam. They then succeeded in making the first ridge crossing to the Zugspitze. The route is classified as grade IV- and has long been viewed as the most difficult and dangerous route in the Wetterstein Mountains. The other routes are classified between grades III and VII. All these climbs are only suitable for experienced mountaineers.
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
. The summit of the Great Riffelwandspitze reaches a heigh of , the summit of the Little Riffelwandspitze (Kleine Riffelwandspitze) .
Situation
The Great and Little Riffelwandspitze are the two most prominent peaks on the short crest of the Riffelwandkamm that runs from Germany's highest mountain, the Zugspitze, northeast towards the WaxensteinWaxenstein
Waxenstein is a mountain of Bavaria, Germany....
kamm.
Its south faces drop steeply into the Höllentalkar cirque, its north faces plunge into the Riffelriß above the lake of Eibsee
Eibsee
Eibsee is a lake in Bavaria, Germany, 9km southwest of Garmisch-Partenkirchen and roughly 100km southwest of Munich. At an elevation of 973.28 m, its surface area is 177.4 ha...
. A knife-edge ridge runs from the Great Riffelwandspitze in a southwesterly direction to the Zugspitze. The ridge of the Riffelwandkamm joins the Little Riffelwandspitze to the Waxensteinkamm passing over the Riffeltorkopf. A side ridge runs away to the Eastern Riffelkopf (Östlichen Riffelkopf), whose east face plummets vertically into the Höllental valley.
Bases and routes
The most suitable base for an ascent over the south face is the Höllentalanger HutHöllentalanger Hut
The Höllentalanger Hut is a managed hut owned by the German Alpine Club in the Wetterstein Mountains of Bavaria, in the district of Garmisch-Partenkirchen. The hut lies in a narrow defile between the Höllental-Blassen and Waxenstein-Riffelwand crest and is open from the end of May to mid-October...
. The routes on the northern side are best approached from the Eibsee or the railway halt of Riffelriß on the Bavarian Zugspitze Railway.
The easisest route to the Little Riffelwandspitze runs from the col of Riffelscharte and the Riffeltorkopf up steep Schroffen and gullies to the top (climbing grade I (UIAA)).
The Great Riffelwandspitze was first climbed on 2 August 1866 via the east ridge by F. Resch and C. Sam. They then succeeded in making the first ridge crossing to the Zugspitze. The route is classified as grade IV- and has long been viewed as the most difficult and dangerous route in the Wetterstein Mountains. The other routes are classified between grades III and VII. All these climbs are only suitable for experienced mountaineers.
Sources
- Stephan Beulke: Alpenvereinsführer Wetterstein. 4th ed. Bergverlag RotherBergverlag RotherBergverlag Rother is a German publisher with its headquarters in Oberhaching, Upper Bavaria. Since 1950 the company, that formerly went udern the name of Bergverlag Rudolf Rother, has published the Alpine Club Guides in cooperation with the German Alpine Club , the Austrian Alpine Club and the...
, Munich, 1996, p. 450ff, ISBN 978-3-7633-1119-4.