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22-783: The highest peaks in the Tannheim Mountains are the Kellenspitze (2,238 m) and Gimpel (2,176 m); both can easily be ascended from Nesselwängle in the Tannheim valley. Other summits include the Gehrenspitze (2,163 m), Rote Flüh (2,111 m), the Schartschrofen (1,968 m), the Schneidspitze (2,009 m) and the Kelleschrofen (2,091 m), from which rises

44-638: A pyramidal peak is created. In some cases, this peak will be made accessible by one or more arêtes. The Matterhorn in the European Alps is an example of such a peak. Where cirques form one behind the other, a cirque stairway results, as at the Zastler Loch in the Black Forest . As glaciers can only originate above the snowline, studying the location of present-day cirques provides information on past glaciation patterns and on climate change. Although

66-577: A larger leeward deposition zone, furthering the process of glaciation. Debris (or till) in the ice also may abrade the bed surface; should ice move down a slope it would have a 'sandpaper effect' on the bedrock beneath, on which it scrapes. Eventually, the hollow may become a large bowl shape in the side of the mountain, with the headwall being weathered by ice segregation, and as well as being eroded by plucking . The basin will become deeper as it continues to be eroded by ice segregation and abrasion. Should ice segregation, plucking and abrasion continue,

88-487: A less common usage, the term cirque is also used for amphitheatre-shaped, fluvial-erosion features. For example, an approximately 200 square kilometres (77 sq mi) anticlinal erosion cirque is at 30°35′N 34°45′E  /  30.583°N 34.750°E  / 30.583; 34.750  ( Negev anticlinal erosion cirque ) on the southern boundary of the Negev highlands . This erosional cirque or makhtesh

110-412: A mountainside near the firn line , they are typically partially surrounded on three sides by steep cliffs . The highest cliff is often called a headwall . The fourth side forms the lip , threshold or sill , the side at which the glacier flowed away from the cirque. Many glacial cirques contain tarns dammed by either till (debris) or a bedrock threshold. When enough snow accumulates, it can flow out

132-514: A similarly shaped landform arising from fluvial erosion. The concave shape of a glacial cirque is open on the downhill side, while the cupped section is generally steep. Cliff-like slopes, down which ice and glaciated debris combine and converge, form the three or more higher sides. The floor of the cirque ends up bowl-shaped, as it is the complex convergence zone of combining ice flows from multiple directions and their accompanying rock burdens. Hence, it experiences somewhat greater erosion forces and

154-440: Is formed by intermittent river flow cutting through layers of limestone and chalk leaving sheer cliffs. A common feature for all fluvial -erosion cirques is a terrain which includes erosion resistant upper structures overlying materials which are more easily eroded. Glacial cirques are found amongst mountain ranges throughout the world; 'classic' cirques are typically about one kilometer long and one kilometer wide. Situated high on

176-479: Is most often overdeepened below the level of the cirque's low-side outlet (stage) and its down-slope (backstage) valley. If the cirque is subject to seasonal melting, the floor of the cirque most often forms a tarn (small lake) behind a dam, which marks the downstream limit of the glacial overdeepening. The dam itself can be composed of moraine , glacial till , or a lip of the underlying bedrock . The fluvial cirque or makhtesh , found in karst landscapes,

198-779: The Babylonian Tower ( Babylonischer Turm ). To the north of Tannheim rises the Einstein , a striking, isolated summit. Bases for tours in the Tannheim Mountains are the Gimpelhaus (private), the Tannheim Hut (DAV), the Otto Mayr Hut (DAV) and the Füssen Hut (private). The base for the local mountain rescue services is the operations room in the multi-purpose centre in Nesselwängle and

220-730: The Gimpelalm . 47°31′N 10°35′E  /  47.517°N 10.583°E  / 47.517; 10.583 Kellenspitze The Kellenspitze , often also called the Kellespitze or Köllenspitze , at 2,238  m (AA) is the highest peak in the Tannheim Mountains . It lies in the Austrian state of Tyrol . Originally the mountain was known locally as the Metzenarsch , but when in 1854 Marie Frederica of Prussia visited

242-672: The Lower Cretaceous about 140 million years ago and has not quite finished even today. In the wake of this mountain folding various nappes ( Decken ) of sedimentary rock (parts of the Earth's crust broken off from the subsurface and pushed over one another) were stacked up and reach the surface as the Lechtal Nappe ( Lechtaler Decke ) in the area of the Kellenspitze. The summit and northern mountainside consist of Wetterstein limestone , whilst

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264-453: The ascent heads steeply uphill to the north across the scree slopes of the Gimpelkar cirque to the col , then right and upwards requiring climbing at UIAA grade I and, in places II. There are also short sections of cable protection. According to the literature this approach takes a good 2 hours to reach the top. From the opposite side, a route runs from the Otto Mayr Hut in the north up to

286-451: The bergschrund changes very little, however, studies have shown that ice segregation (frost shattering) may happen with only small changes in temperature. Water that flows into the bergschrund can be cooled to freezing temperatures by the surrounding ice, allowing freeze-thaw free mechanisms to occur. If two adjacent cirques erode toward one another, an arête , or steep sided ridge, forms. When three or more cirques erode toward one another,

308-406: The dimensions of the cirque will increase, but the proportion of the landform would remain roughly the same. A bergschrund forms when the movement of the glacier separates the moving ice from the stationary ice, forming a crevasse. The method of erosion of the headwall lying between the surface of the glacier and the cirque's floor has been attributed to freeze-thaw mechanisms. The temperature within

330-465: The hunting lodge on the Tegelberg and was having the surrounding peaks pointed out, they called it after In der Kelle , the name of a strip of land at the foot of the mountain, because its original name referred to a Matz , in other words a prostitute , and seemed inappropriate. The summit lies just over 2 kilometres as the crow flies northeast of Nesselwängle and 7 kilometres west of Reutte . To

352-719: The north is the valley of Raintal and, to the south, the start of the Tannheimer Tal . Nearby peaks are: to the south the Hahnenkamm (1,940 m), to the east the Gehrenspitze (2,163 m) and to the west the Gimpel (2,176 m) and the Rote Flüh (2,111 m). The Tannheim Mountains are part of the Northern Limestone Alps , whose folding began during the Alpide orogeny in

374-524: The opening of the bowl and form valley glaciers which may be several kilometers long. Cirques form in conditions which are favorable; in the Northern Hemisphere the conditions include the north-east slope, where they are protected from the majority of the Sun's energy and from the prevailing winds. These areas are sheltered from heat, encouraging the accumulation of snow; if the accumulation of snow increases,

396-495: The same col, taking a good four hours to the top of the Kellenspitze. Cirque A cirque ( French: [siʁk] ; from the Latin word circus ) is an amphitheatre -like valley formed by glacial erosion . Alternative names for this landform are corrie (from Scottish Gaelic : coire , meaning a pot or cauldron ) and cwm ( Welsh for 'valley'; pronounced [kʊm] ). A cirque may also be

418-472: The snow turns into glacial ice. The process of nivation follows, whereby a hollow in a slope may be enlarged by ice segregation weathering and glacial erosion. Ice segregation erodes the vertical rock face and causes it to disintegrate, which may result in an avalanche bringing down more snow and rock to add to the growing glacier. Eventually, this hollow may become large enough that glacial erosion intensifies. The enlarging of this open ended concavity creates

440-461: The southern flank comprises soft marl of the so-called Partnach beds . The rock of the Kellenspitze is very crumbly in places and relatively unattractive to climbers as a result. The normal route for the easiest ascent of the Kellenspitze runs up the northwestern mountainside from the col of Nesselwängler Scharte . The base for this route is the Tannheimer Hut at 1,713 metres. From the hut

462-469: The tallest volcanic structure in the Indian Ocean . The island consists of an active shield-volcano ( Piton de la Fournaise ) and an extinct, deeply eroded volcano ( Piton des Neiges ). Three cirques have eroded there in a sequence of agglomerated, fragmented rock and volcanic breccia associated with pillow lavas overlain by more coherent, solid lavas. A common feature for all fluvial-erosion cirques

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484-587: Was formed by intermittent river flow in the Makhtesh Ramon cutting through layers of limestone and chalk, resulting in cirque walls with a sheer 200 metres (660 ft) drop. The Cirque du Bout du Monde is another such feature, created in karst terraine in the Burgundy region of the department of Côte-d'Or in France . Yet another type of fluvial erosion-formed cirque is found on Réunion island , which includes

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