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The Weiherkopf is a summit in the Hörner Group within the
In 18th century maps the mountain is described as the ''Veier''; but, from 1940, in the topographical map of Fischen as the ''Weiher Kopf''. "A pond 'Weiher''from which the name might have been derived can no longer be identified". Steiner believes it is, however, entirely plausible that the mountain might once have been called the ''Weihenkopf''. "This name would have meant "peak where kites liked to live. e.g. the red kite". ''Gabelweihe'' is an old German name for the
''Skigebiete modernisiert''
at bolsterlang.de, retrieved 29 January 2017. Der Weiherkopf is used both in summer and winter as the start point for
Homepage Hörnerbahn
One-thousanders of Germany Mountains of the Alps Oberallgäu Allgäu Alps Mountains of Bavaria Winter sports in Germany
Allgäu Alps
The Allgäu Alps (german: Allgäuer Alpen) are a mountain range in the Northern Limestone Alps, located in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg in Germany and Tyrol and Vorarlberg in Austria. The range lies directly east of Lake Constance.
Character ...
in Bavaria
Bavaria ( ; ), officially the Free State of Bavaria (german: Freistaat Bayern, link=no ), is a state in the south-east of Germany. With an area of , Bavaria is the largest German state by land area, comprising roughly a fifth of the total lan ...
, Germany, with a height of .
Geography
The peak rises within theNagelfluhkette Nature Park
The Nagelfluhkette Nature Park (German: ''Naturpark Nagelfluhkette'') is a cross-border nature park between the Germany, German region of Allgäu and the Austria, Austrian state of Vorarlberg. The nature park encompasses the area of the three Na ...
. To the north is Immenstadt
Immenstadt im Allgäu () is a town in Oberallgäu, the southernmost district of Bavaria, Germany, in the German Alps. First mentioned in a 1275 administrative tract, it was granted town privileges in 1360, which makes it one of the oldest towns in ...
, to the east Fischen im Allgäu
Fischen im Allgäu is a municipality in the district of Oberallgäu in Bavaria in Germany.
History
During World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 193 ...
. To the southeast lies Oberstdorf
Oberstdorf ( Low Alemannic: ''Oberschdorf'') is a municipality and skiing and hiking town in Germany, located in the Allgäu region of the Bavarian Alps. It is the southernmost settlement in Germany and one of its highest towns.
At the&nb ...
and to the west is Balderschwang
Balderschwang is a municipality in the district of Oberallgäu in Bavaria in Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russi ...
. Near the summit are the neighbouring peaks of the Bolsterlanger Horn to the southwest and the Rangiswanger Horn to the north.
Character
The Weiherkopf is a "relatively large summit, half covered in open meadow and half with woodland", which is known for its extensive views from the Grünten to theGroßer Widderstein
The Großer Widderstein (or just Widderstein) is a mountain, , in the west Austrian state of Vorarlberg. Topographically it belongs to the Allgäu Alps. It is the highest peak in the subgroup of the Southeastern Walsertal Mountains (''Südöstliche ...
.
History of the name
In 18th century maps the mountain is described as the ''Veier''; but, from 1940, in the topographical map of Fischen as the ''Weiher Kopf''. "A pond 'Weiher''from which the name might have been derived can no longer be identified". Steiner believes it is, however, entirely plausible that the mountain might once have been called the ''Weihenkopf''. "This name would have meant "peak where kites liked to live. e.g. the red kite". ''Gabelweihe'' is an old German name for the red kite
The red kite (''Milvus milvus'') is a medium-large bird of prey in the family Accipitridae, which also includes many other diurnal raptors such as eagles, buzzards, and harriers. The species currently breeds in the Western Palearctic region o ...
; the modern name is ''Roter Milan''.
Tourism and access
Cableways
The ''Hörnerbahn'' six-seatergondola lift
A gondola lift is a means of cable transport and type of aerial lift which is supported and propelled by cables from above. It consists of a loop of steel wire rope that is strung between two stations, sometimes over intermediate supp ...
has two sections and enables access to the Weiherkopf from Bolsterlang. The first section of the cableway runs to the middle station at , the departure point for various walks around the Weiherkopf. The second section runs from the middle station to the ridge of Horngrat, , between the Bolsterlanger Horn and the Weiherkopf.
In summer 2013 the Weiherkopf drag lift, which was over 40 years old, was replaced by the modern couple-able six-seater ''Weiherkopfbahn''.at bolsterlang.de, retrieved 29 January 2017. Der Weiherkopf is used both in summer and winter as the start point for
paragliders
Paragliding is the recreational and competitive adventure sport of flying paragliders: lightweight, free-flying, foot-launched Glider (aircraft), glider aircraft with no rigid primary structure. The pilot sits in a :wikt:harness, harness o ...
.
Summer
In the summer season it is possible to walk a 'panorama way' between the summits. The Weiherkopf is an intermediate objective on this route. The main path is called the Allgäu Hörner Tour (''Allgäuer Hörnertour''), which is also negotiable in winter, but is not then waymarked.Winter
In the winter season it is possible to ski from the summit on aFIS
FIS or fis may refer to:
Science and technology
* '' Fis'', an ''E. Coli'' gene
* Fis phenomenon, a phenomenon in linguistics
* F♯ (musical note)
* Flight information service, an air traffic control service
* Frame Information Structure, a Se ...
downhill, slalom and snowboard run.
The Weiherkopf is also a popular area for ski touring
Ski touring is skiing in the backcountry on unmarked or unpatrolled areas. Touring is typically done off-piste and outside of ski resorts, and may extend over a period of more than one day. It is similar to backcountry skiing but excludes the u ...
and snowshoe
Snowshoes are specialized outdoor gear for walking over snow. Their large footprint spreads the user's weight out and allows them to travel largely on top of rather than through snow. Adjustable bindings attach them to appropriate winter footwe ...
walkers.
References
Literature
* ''Weiherkopf und Großer Ochsenkopf'', in: Herbert Mayr, Allgäuer Alpen, Kompass Wanderführer 925, Kompass-Karten-GmbH, Rum 2005, 2nd edn., pp. 36–37, {{ISBN, 3-85491-201-3External links
Homepage Hörnerbahn
One-thousanders of Germany Mountains of the Alps Oberallgäu Allgäu Alps Mountains of Bavaria Winter sports in Germany