Lechtal Alps

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View from Stan Kogel on the central Lech Valley Alps

The Lech Valley Alps are a mountain range of the Northern Limestone Alps and with an area of ​​about 1000 km ² the most extensive group. They are located in western Austria, especially in the Tyrol and, to a lesser extent, in Vorarlberg.

The peaks of the Lech Valley Alps are the highest in the Northern Limestone Alps, whose only three thousand located here ( Parseierspitze with 3036 m). Alpine Club huts and height paths allow more day traverses of the mountain and the mountain range make it a popular hiking area. Nevertheless, the Lech Valley Alps are less developed for tourists in comparison to some other mountain ranges of the Northern Limestone Alps, for example, the neighboring Allgäu Alps and have so many places a more original character.

Geology

The Lech Valley Alps are a mountain chain with a distinctive main ridge and richly branched, long side combs. The longitudinal extent is about 70 km, average width 20 km. It is characterized by a more diverse, often small-scale alternating lithology mainly of sedimentary rocks, which leads to a very varied landscape. The most important Gipfelbildner is the main dolomite, often for the fragile, highly dissected and debris- rich mountains provides (eg Dremelspitze, ladder top, Vorderseespitze, Vallesinspitze ). Equally important is the spot marl with yellowish brittle rubble mountains at higher elevations ( eg at the Parseierspitze, Trittkopf, free tip ) and flowery, dense green mats at medium altitude. For sharp ridges of Aptychenkalk provides ( summit dome of Parseierspitze, Roggspitze ). A very hard, bright lime with best climbing opportunities, the Oberrätkalk (eg Holzgauerhaus Weathertop, free tip). The Wettersteinkalk forms the long wall of the Heiterwand and is characterized by a compact, little dissected appearance with impressive rock walls. A special feature is the Gosau layers in Muttekopfgebiet that stand by unusually colorful conglomerates, breccias and sandstones. In addition to the sedimentary rocks but also metamorphic rocks occur. In a small area north of St. Anton am Arlberg (eg Galzig ) one encounters mica schist, the typical rocks of the Central Alps.

Adjacent Mountain Ranges

The Lech Valley Alps border the following other mountain groups in the Alps:

  • Allgäu Alps ( in the north)
  • Oberammergau Alps (north-east )
  • Wettersteingebirge and Mieminger chain ( in the east)
  • Ötztal Alps (South )
  • Samnaun group ( in the south)
  • Verwallgruppe ( in the southwest )
  • Lechquellengebirge ( in the west)

Boundary

The boundary of the Lech Valley Alps is orographic comparatively easy. In the West, the Flex Pass forms the border with the Lechquellengebirge. From there it runs along the Zürser Bach's Zürs to the confluence with the Lech at the same place and along the Lech up to Reutte, continue to the Oberammergau Alps by Zwischentoren, an elongated valley with an imperceptible as pass watershed to Ehrwalder valley. To the east of Fern Pass borders with the Gurgltal from the Lech Valley Alps to Mieminger chain. In the south, the boundary runs along the Inn River from Imst to Landeck and continues with the river Sanna to the confluence of Rosanna. The Rosanna is the line up for Verwall to St. Anton am Arlberg and on to the Arlberg Pass, and from there the Rauzbach down to Stuben and back up to flex pass.

In some maps and atlases the west of the Flex Pass situated mountain group is expected to Lech Valley Alps. In the used here AVE, the Alpine Club classification of the Eastern Alps by the Germans, Austrian and South Tyrolean Alpine Association, this mountain range is called but independently with the name Lechquellengebirge.

Subgroups

The older, out of print editions of the Alpine Club leader Lech Valley Alps take a comparatively delicate subdivision of the mountain group into sub-groups, proceed as follows:

  • Vallugagruppe
  • Stan Kogel group
  • Fire Spitz group
  • Free Spitz group
  • Parseiergruppe
  • Medriol
  • Torspitzgruppe
  • Parzinn and Steinkar
  • Light Spitz group
  • Muttekopfgruppe
  • Heiterwand group
  • Fallerschein group
  • Rudi Gerg Ruppe
  • Feist Lie group
  • Thanellergruppe
  • Loreagruppe
  • Gartnerwand group

Many of the above sub-groups yet further sub-divided.

The current edition of the Alpine Club leader Lech Valley Alps alpine takes a somewhat coarser partition, proceed as follows:

  • Vallugagruppe and North combs
  • Weather pointed and Valle Sing Ruppe
  • Free Pointed comb
  • Parseiergruppe
  • Medriol. Rosskar and Grießtalgruppe
  • Muttekopfgruppe and Parzinn
  • Namloser mountains and Heiterwand
  • Feist Lie group
  • Thaneller and Loreagruppe

Summit

In the Lech Valley Alps there are over 600 named and provided with spot elevation summit. The following sortable table lists the ten highest and an assortment of other peaks. The list not only the height of a peak is recorded, but also his saddle height ( VIPs ) with respect nick and his dominance with respect mountain. This allows an assessment of the independence of a summit.

Passes and transitions

Except as set forth passes that connect the Lech Valley Alps with neighboring groups exist within the Lech Valley Alps a passable by car transition:

Tourist significant transitions are, inter alia,

  • Almajurjoch ( 2237 m, location of the Leutkircher Hut )
  • Kaiserjoch ( 2310 m, location of Kaiserjochhauses )
  • Flarschjoch ( 2464m )
  • Patrol Charter ( 2846 m, the highest crossing in the Lech Valley Alps )
  • Seescharte ( 2599 m, in the course of transition E5)
  • Front and Rear Dremelscharte ( 2434 m or 2470 m)

Conservation

In the Tyrolean Lech Valley Alps part of it are the following reserves:

  • Nature reserve Ehrwalder pool at Ehrwald
  • Antel mountain nature reserve in Imst
  • Special reserve Silzer Innau at Silz
  • Rest area Muttekopf
  • Tiroler Lech Nature Park, also nature reserve

In the ( small ) part of the Vorarlberg Lech Valley Alps there are no reserves.

Tourism

Alpine Club huts

In the Lech Valley Alps there are the following huts of the German and Austrian Alpine Association:

  • Hitchhiker hut ( near the Hahntennjoch )
  • Ansbacher Hütte ( at Flirsch )
  • Augsburger bivouac ( in the course of the Augsburg High Route )
  • Augsburger hut ( at Grins )
  • Edelweiss House ( at Steeg )
  • Hanauer Hütte ( at the bottom )
  • Heiterwand hut ( near Imst )
  • Kaiserjochhaus ( at Pettneu )
  • Leutkircher hut ( at St. James)
  • Loreahütte ( near the Fern Pass )
  • Memminger Hütte ( Bach )
  • Muttekopfhütte ( near Imst )
  • Reuttener hut (with gutters )
  • Simmshütte ( at Stockach )
  • Steinseehütte ( at Zams )
  • Stuttgarter Hütte ( at Zürs )
  • Ulmer Hütte ( at St. Christopher )
  • Wolfratshauser hut ( at Lermoos )
  • Württemberg House ( at Zams )

The cabins are generally open from early July to mid-September of each year. The majority of the cottages also offers catering. It is advisable to inquire before a hut visit to the Alpine clubs or in the valley villages.

Remote / distance trails

The European long-distance hiking trail E5 crosses the Lech Valley Alps approximately at its center in north-south direction. Coming from the Allgäu Alps, reaches the E5 at Holzgau the Lech. The Lech Valley it goes down along lech up to Bach. There, the climb begins to the main ridge of the Lech Valley Alps. First it goes through the Madautal valley by Madau and on to the Memminger Hütte. From there, the rise continues to Seescharte in the main ridge. When Seescharte the E5 reached 2,599 m its greatest height in the Lech Valley Alps. From there begins the descent altitude of 1,800 meters down into the Inn valley over the Zammerloch (incorrectly, this valley is often referred to as Lochbachtal ). The Inn valley is reached at Zams. From Zams it is not far innaufwärts to Landeck.

The North alpine long-distance trail 01 ( Kalkalpenweg ) traversed by the Lech Valley Alps length. The crossing of the Lech Valley Alps from east to west (or the reverse ) direction is also commonly referred to Lech Valley Trail. The alpine version of the European long-distance hiking trail E4 is identical to the Lech Valley Trail in the Lech Valley Alps.

  • The leg 16 of the long-distance trail runs through the Lech Valley Alps as follows: Ehrwald, Lermoos, Fern Pass, Castle Fernstein, Loreahütte, Rear Tarrentonalm, Hitchhiker hut Hahntennjoch, soil, Hanauer hut Steinseehütte, Württemberg house, Memminger Hütte, Ansbacher Hütte, Kaiserjochhaus, Leutkircher hut, hut Ulmer, Stuttgart hut, Zürs.

The Augsburg Trail and the Spiehlerweg are known to be challenging mountain trails. Both form a variant of the above-described Kalkalpenwegs between Memmingen and Ansbacher Hütte.

The Via Alpina, a cross-border long-distance trail with five sub- paths through the whole Alps, also passes through the Lech Valley Alps.

The Red Trail Via Alpina runs with two stages through the Lech Valley Alps as follows:

  • R47 stage of the Coburg hut to hut Wolfratshauser. The first half of this stage is in the Mieminger chain, only from the place Biberwier the Lech Valley Alps be entered.
  • Stage of the R48 Wolfratshauser Hauer hut to Weissenbach am Lech

The Yellow Trail Via Alpina runs with two stages through the Lech Valley Alps as follows:

  • Section B37 of Zams at Inn on the Memminger Hütte on the Seescharte
  • Section B38 of the Memminger Hütte to Holzgau in the Lech Valley over Madau

The course of the Yellow route of the Via Alpina in the Lech Valley Alps corresponds to the course of the E5 in the reverse direction.

Via ferrata

In the Lech Valley Alps there are the following via ferrata:

  • Arlberger ferrata near Sankt Anton A.
  • Ferrata on the Steinkarspitze in Steinseehütte
  • Imst via ferrata
  • Get on the Front Platteinspitze in Imst
  • Mountain Climbing to the top at the Empire Hanauer hut

Near the Steinseehütte there are some crags.

Ski tourism

In the Lech Valley Alps ski areas are rare due to the steep and rocky character. A significant exception is the Arlberg region around the winter sports resorts of St. Anton and Zurs on the western foothills of the mountain range.

Books / Cards

  • Alpine Club leader Lech Valley Alps, from 1st Edition 1972, Bergverlag Rother, Munich, This guide contains all known routes in the Lech Valley Alps including the climbing routes
  • This guide includes only paths and routes to II Difficulty. Thus, there are for the Lech Valley Alps no work that comprehensively describes the mountain range of mountaineering point of view.
  • The guide comprises of the Lech Valley Alps, the area around the Arlberg and the south side against the punch valley.
  • The guide includes in the Lech Valley Alps only 2 walks in Landeck.
  • The guide includes the Lech Valley Alps 11 hikes in Imst
  • The guide includes in the area of the Lech Valley Alps 2 walks in Lermoos
  • The guide includes many walks on both sides of the Lech Valley
  • The guide includes 11 walks in the eastern Lech Valley Alps
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