Hoher Ifen
South View: High Ifen from West Ochsenhofer head
The High Ifen (also Hochifen ) is a 2,230 m above sea level. A. and 2229 m above sea level. NHN high mountain in the Allgäu Alps, west of Kleinwalsertals. In winter it forms the backdrop for a small ski resort. It lies on the border between Germany and Austria. The summit is the highest point of the slightly inclined Ifenplateaus dar. on him meet the municipal boundaries of Egg, Mittelberg (both Vorarlberg) and Oberstdorf (Schwaben ) together.
Northeast of Ifenplateaus is the Gottesackerplateau, a nature reserve karst landscape with numerous caves and rare alpine plants. The most important caves are the Hoelloch in Mahdtal and the screw hole cave at Schönenbach. On the eastern slope of the mountain Stocks a Stone Age dwelling was exposed to the tailor Küren Alpe in about 1500 m altitude.
Mountaineering / hunting / conservation
On the south side of the mountain is at the instance of a Walser hunters decreed by the District Commission Bregenz Wild rest area that according to the usual way in Austria freedom. § 33 Forest Act restricts. Mountaineers associations, in particular the DAV, the PES and the IG climbing Allgäu have the regulation of the District Commission Bregenz criticized because is located at the Südabbrüchen of the summit plateau and on Bärenköpfle one of the best sport climbing areas in the Alps within the limits. The south walls are called " Céüse the Allgäu " and thus compared with the most famous climbing areas in Europe ( in France). A barring in its current version was especially given the extensive surveying of the area and the fact that the suitable habitats for grouse outside the restricted area are not well-founded criticized as inappropriate and professionally. So wrote the Alpin magazine: " [ ... ], such a restricted area fits well into the overall concept of Kleinwalsertal: Hard and louder tourism with great economic benefit there and a rest area here where just nothing to pick up ... " Also, the ski touring was strongly limited - for example, the direct descent is no longer allowed from the plateau into Schwarzwassertal.
Ski resort
In the early 1970s emerged first ski lifts at Ifen from which today's Ifen Mountain Railroad Company was formed. It has long been majority-owned by Ruth Merckle, the wife of the pharmaceutical entrepreneur Adolf Merckle. The acquisition of the 82 - % share of the Merckle family and the 18 - % share of the Kleinwalsertaler tourism pioneer Alfons heart family Ifen mountain railway GmbH is a wholly owned & Collectibles since 1 July 2009, the Kleinwalsertaler train ( KBB ), Riezlern whose major shareholders the Allgäu Überlandwerk and Raiffeisen Holding Kleinwalsertal are. The Kleinwalsertaler Bahn AG was planning the construction of an interconnect line to Walmendinger Horn The expansion plans are criticized by various associations, because they are perceived as destructive to the environment and to promote mass tourism. The PES - section Kleinwalsertal criticized the expansion plans with the following words: "A building of this web can not " " be implemented, such as would pretend us an unsolicited move! " Harmony with nature Similarly, even the protected landscape expresses Kleinwalsertal.eV
The Kleinwalsertaler Bahn AG refers to the importance of this critical infrastructure measure that will significantly help to stop the downward trend of the tourism region and turn it into a steady growth. Because the new train would succeed to create an interconnected ski area. The majority of Kleinwalsertaler community representatives spoke in favor of the construction of the railway from collected for the well about 1,600 signatures were handed over to the mayor. Since the opponents of the project were able to collect more than 1,200 signatures of support, it came on October 21, 2012 finally a referendum. With a turnout of 74.4 percent, while 55 percent of voters opposed the construction of the planned panorama train.
Information
The ski area at Ifen is served by two double chairlifts ( Ifenbahn, Hahnenköpflebahn ) and a drag lift ( Ifenlift ), and there is in the valley a platter lift ( Gaisbühllift ) that makes it available a practice area.
Skiers can use about 22 kilometers of pistes of all difficulty levels are available, the proportion of marked black slopes compared with the neighboring ski areas is high. Because of the length and the small number of lifts and the runs are longer than average.
The base station of Ifenbahn represents the entry into the ski dar. This is reached by a road leading through the Schwarzwassertal Hirschegg. On this road runs a bus; there is also a bus service between the valley station and the adjacent Heuberg Arena.
Because of its remoteness, the area is frequented comparatively low. Nevertheless, it is due to the low capacity of the old lifts frequently to longer waiting times.