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20-708: 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

40-459: A N-S axis along a ridge on the mountain's taller western half: Hocheck (2,651 m), Mittelspitze (Middle Peak, 2,713 m) and Südspitze (South Peak, 2,712 m). The Watzmann massif also includes the 2,307 m Watzmannfrau ( Watzmann Wife , also known as Kleiner Watzmann or Small Watzmann ), and the Watzmannkinder ( Watzmann Children ), five lower peaks in the recess between the main peaks and

60-856: A height of 1,653 metres (5,423 ft) in the Blaueis Cirque ( Blaueiskar ) below the Blaueis , the most northern glacier in the Alps . Other mountain huts are the Bergheim Hirschbichl for the Hocheis Group, the Wimbachgries Hut ( Wimbachgrieshütte ) for climbs up the eastern flanks of the massif and the Ingolstädter Haus for the Southern Wimbach Chain. The Hochkalter mountains, like

80-413: A type of snow that has been left over from past seasons and has been recrystallized into a substance denser than névé. It is ice that is at an intermediate stage between snow and glacial ice. Firn has the appearance of wet sugar, but has a hardness that makes it extremely resistant to shovelling. Its density generally ranges from 0.35 g/cm to 0.9 g/cm , and it can often be found underneath

100-628: Is about an hour's walk from St. Bartholomä on the Königssee . The Eiskapelle is fed by mighty avalanches that slide down from the east face of the Watzmann in spring and accumulate in the angle of the rock face. Sometimes a gate-shaped vault forms in the ice at the point where the Eisbach emerges from the Eiskapelle . Before entering there is an urgent warning sign that others have been killed by falling ice. In

120-580: Is located several hundred metres below the Mittelspitze also in the east face. The best climbing period is June through September, in some years October. The easiest route is to follow hiking trails from the village of Ramsau near the small town of Berchtesgaden up to the Watzmann Hut at 1,928 metres, such as hiking trail 441 from Wimbachbrücke. This is quoted as taking four hours, though an experienced hiker can do it in less than three. One typically spends

140-556: Is the famous East Face ( Watzmann-Ostwand ), which rises from the Hirschau peninsula at lake Königssee to the main peaks in a vertical ascent of around 1,800 metres (the longest wall in the Eastern Alps ). While the easiest routes through the east wall is rated UIAA Class III, the wall has claimed almost 100 lives so far. Difficulties include the length of the climb, route-finding, and deteriorating weather conditions approaching from west,

160-672: 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. Large rockfalls 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

180-753: The Watzmannfrau. The entire massif lies inside Berchtesgaden National Park . The Watzmann Glacier is located below the famous east face of the Watzmann in the Watzmann cirque and is surrounded by the Watzmanngrat arête , the Watzmannkindern and the Kleiner Watzmann . The size of the glacier reduced from around 30 hectares (74 acres) in 1820 until it split into a few fields of firn , but between 1965 and 1980 it advanced significantly again and now has an area of 10.1 hectares (25 acres). Above and to

200-422: The complete circuit, stable weather conditions are essential as drastic weather change on the ridge between the peaks can be fatal. On the northeastern face of the massif at 1,346 m (4,416 ft) is a scenic viewpoint called Archenkanzel. From there, it is possible to look down to lake Königssee , which is 743 meters below, and also to St. Bartholomew's Church . A much more serious and challenging climb

220-529: The easier end of UIAA Class II, and very exposed. Permanent cables once existed along the ridge, but were dismantled at some points to prevent inexperienced hikers from attempting the traverse, having a false sense of security. From the Südspitze, most hikers will not return to the Watzmann Hut but continue to descend into the Wimbachgries valley and from there back to Ramsau . One should estimate 12 to 17 hours for

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240-585: The east face itself is another icefield in the so-called Schöllhorn cirque, called the Schöllhorneis , which is crossed by the Kederbach Way ( Kederbacher-Weg ). The cirque and icefield are named after the Munich citizen, Christian Schöllhorn , who was the first victim on the east face. On 26 May 1890 he fell at the upper end of the icefield into the randkluft and was fatally injured. Another small nameless snowfield

260-575: The entire Northern Limestone Alps, consist of a mixture of dolomite 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 limestone were tipped at an angle of 30° to 40° by tectonic movements of

280-462: The night there and then climbs to the summit the next morning. The climb from the hut to the Hocheck peak (2,651 m) is quite straightforward, though a head for heights is required on the peak. The Hocheck is around two hours from the Watzmann Hut. From the Hocheck, hikers can return to the hut or continue and traverse to the Mittelspitze and from there to the Südspitze. The traverse is more challenging, at

300-415: The predominant direction for weather change in the area, difficult to ascertain from the face. A simple emergency shelter has been erected in the wall. Even experienced climbers are advised to hire a local guide for the wall as finding the route can be challenging. Firn Firn ( / f ɪər n / ; from Swiss German firn "last year's", cognate with before ) is partially compacted névé ,

320-400: The snow that accumulates at the head of a glacier . Snowflakes are compressed under the weight of the overlying snowpack . Individual crystals near the melting point are semiliquid and slick, allowing them to glide along other crystal planes and to fill in the spaces between them, increasing the ice's density. Where the crystals touch, they bond together, squeezing the air between them to

340-418: The surface or into bubbles. In the summer months, the crystal metamorphosis can occur more rapidly because of water percolation between the crystals. By summer's end, the result is firn. The minimum altitude that firn accumulates on a glacier is called the firn limit , firn line or snowline . In colloquial and technical language, "firn" is used to describe certain forms of old snow , including: As in

360-622: The upper Blaueis Combe into the valley. These rockslides impounded the lake of Hintersee . Even today the large glacial erratics 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

380-678: 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 Wimbachgries Hut, 1,327 m). Watzmann The Watzmann ( Bavarian : Watzmo ) is a mountain in the Berchtesgaden Alps south of the village of Berchtesgaden . It is the third highest in Germany, and the highest located entirely on German territory. Three main peaks array on

400-451: The west of the icefield lie the remains of a JU 52 transport-bomber that crashed in October 1940. Amongst the other permanent snow and icefields the Eiskapelle ("Ice Chapel") is the best known due to its easy accessibility from St. Bartholomä . The Eiskapelle may well be the lowest lying permanent snowfield in the Alps. Its lower end is only 930 metres high in the upper Eisbach valley and

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