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The Höfats is a 2,259 m high mountain in the
From the eastern summit (''Ostgipfel'') (2259 m) a ridge runs towards the southeast to a saddle, the Älpelesattel, and a ledge heads east-southeast, the centre of which has an overhang (the ''Höfatszahn''). Between the ridge and the edge is the southeast face of the eastern summit. In addition, a slight ridge runs from the eastern summit to the southwest, which separates the ravine of ''Bergangertobel'' in the east from the Höfats basin (''Höfatswanne'') in the west.
The next summit is the central one (''Mittelgipfel'', 2257 m) which is actually only a 20 m long, horizontal edge, which apart from the two main ridges, only has a ridge descending to the southwest that ends in the Höfatswanne as a pillar. At the foot of this ridge is a cave (''Höfatsgufel'' or ''Gufel''). On the eastern side of the central peak, there is no corresponding ridge; instead the face drops several hundred metres, partially overhanging, into the ''Rotes Loch''.
The longest ridge in the vicinity of the Höfats, runs northeast from the next peak after the ''Höfatsscharte'' wind gap, the second summit or ''Zweiter Gipfel'' (2258.8 m). Initially, this drops off steeply down to the wind gap (''Schärtele'') between Höfats and Kleine Höfats and continues as the northeastern ridge of the Kleine Höfats. The north face of the second peak drops vertically in places down to the ''Rauher Hals''. Beneath the foot of the rock face is a prominent rock pinnacle, the ''Höfatsnadel''.
The western peak (''Westgipfel'', 2257.7 m) is connected to the second peak by a less pronounced wind gap. The north ridge (''Nordgrat'') runs northwards from the west summit, which drops steeply to the ''Rauhenhalsgrat''. The ridge heading southwest and topped with small rock towers, borders the western side of the ''Höfatswanne''.
''Die Höfats - Der einmalige Berg'', Film von Gerhard Baur, 2007
* Beitrag in ''Bergauf-Bergab'', about 1992
Tour report - crossing from the western to eastern summits
The Höfats - Declaration of love to a special mountain
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hofats Mountains of Bavaria Two-thousanders of Germany Allgäu Alps Mountains of the Alps
Allgäu Alps
The Allgäu Alps () are a mountain range in the Northern Limestone Alps, located on the Austria–Germany border, which covers parts of the Germany, German states of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg and the Austrian states of Tyrol (state), Tyrol an ...
. Located near Oberstdorf
Oberstdorf (Low Alemannic German, Low Alemannic: ''Oberschdorf'') is a Municipalities of Germany, municipality and skiing and hiking town in Germany, located in the Allgäu region of the Bavarian Alps. It is the southernmost settlement in German ...
, it separates the Oy and the Dietersbach valleys, along with the Rauheck
Rauheck is a mountain of Bavaria, Germany.
Climbing routes
Four paths lead to the summit:
*via the Oytal (Bavaria), Oytal over the Älplesattel,
*via the Dietersbachtal, also over the Älplesattel,
*via the Eissee above the Käseralp
and
*via ...
and other lower summits. With its very steep faces it is the most striking of the Allgau " grass mountains" (''Grasberge'') and is unique in the Eastern Alps
The Eastern Alps are usually defined as the area east of a line from Lake Constance and the Alpine Rhine valley, up to the Splügen Pass at the Main chain of the Alps, Alpine divide, and down the Liro (Como), Liro River to Lake Como in the south. ...
. It may be compared to the mountains of the Lofoten
Lofoten ( , ; ; ) is an archipelago and a Districts of Norway, traditional district in the county of Nordland, Norway. Lofoten has distinctive scenery with dramatic mountains and peaks, open sea and sheltered bays, beaches, and untouched lands. T ...
.
Location and surrounding area
The Höfats has four almost equally high and narrow summits, whose appearance has been said in the past to resemble that of a Gothic cathedral.Ernst Zettler/Heinz Groth: ''Alpenvereinsführer Allgäuer Alpen''. Munich, Bergverlag Rudolf Rother 1951, p. 214 The four summits of the Höfats divide into two pairs of peaks that are separated by the Höfats wind gap (''Höfatsscharte'', 2207 m). Between the summits of the two pairs of peaks are smaller gaps (about 2233 m and 2227 m high). All of the peaks sit on the crest of a ridge that runs fromRauheck
Rauheck is a mountain of Bavaria, Germany.
Climbing routes
Four paths lead to the summit:
*via the Oytal (Bavaria), Oytal over the Älplesattel,
*via the Dietersbachtal, also over the Älplesattel,
*via the Eissee above the Käseralp
and
*via ...
towards the northwest.Ernst Zettler/Heinz Groth: ''Alpenvereinsführer Allgäuer Alpen''. München, Bergverlag Rudolf Rother 1951, p. 214f
From the eastern summit (''Ostgipfel'') (2259 m) a ridge runs towards the southeast to a saddle, the Älpelesattel, and a ledge heads east-southeast, the centre of which has an overhang (the ''Höfatszahn''). Between the ridge and the edge is the southeast face of the eastern summit. In addition, a slight ridge runs from the eastern summit to the southwest, which separates the ravine of ''Bergangertobel'' in the east from the Höfats basin (''Höfatswanne'') in the west.
The next summit is the central one (''Mittelgipfel'', 2257 m) which is actually only a 20 m long, horizontal edge, which apart from the two main ridges, only has a ridge descending to the southwest that ends in the Höfatswanne as a pillar. At the foot of this ridge is a cave (''Höfatsgufel'' or ''Gufel''). On the eastern side of the central peak, there is no corresponding ridge; instead the face drops several hundred metres, partially overhanging, into the ''Rotes Loch''.
The longest ridge in the vicinity of the Höfats, runs northeast from the next peak after the ''Höfatsscharte'' wind gap, the second summit or ''Zweiter Gipfel'' (2258.8 m). Initially, this drops off steeply down to the wind gap (''Schärtele'') between Höfats and Kleine Höfats and continues as the northeastern ridge of the Kleine Höfats. The north face of the second peak drops vertically in places down to the ''Rauher Hals''. Beneath the foot of the rock face is a prominent rock pinnacle, the ''Höfatsnadel''.
The western peak (''Westgipfel'', 2257.7 m) is connected to the second peak by a less pronounced wind gap. The north ridge (''Nordgrat'') runs northwards from the west summit, which drops steeply to the ''Rauhenhalsgrat''. The ridge heading southwest and topped with small rock towers, borders the western side of the ''Höfatswanne''.
References
Sources
*''Das schöne Allgäu'', 1937, p. 117 *''Das schöne Allgäu'', 1969, p. 159 * Joseph Enzensperger: ''Die Höfats im Allgäu'' in Zeitschrift des DÖAV, 1896 * Georg Frey: ''Allgäuer Grasberge'', Jahrbuch DAV 1963 * Georg Frey: ''Auf Allgäuer Bergen'', Kempten 1963 * Volker Jacobshagen: ''Vom geologischen Aufbau der Allgäuer Kalkalpen'', Jahrbuch DAV 1966 * Georg Meier: ''Winterbergsteigen in den Allgäuer Alpen'', Jahrbuch DAV 1966 * E.A. Pfeiffer: ''Die Höfats'' in "Oberstdorf im Allgäu - Ewige Berge, Sonne und Schnee", Oberstdorf, Verlag Buchdruckerei A. Hofmann, ohne Jahresangabe * Spiehler: In "Erschließung der Ostalpen", Berlin 1893 * Thaddäus Steiner: ''Die Flurnamen der Gemeinde Oberstdorf im Allgäu'', Band II, Selbstverlag des Verbandes für Flurnamenforschung, München 1972 * * Thaddäus Steiner: ''Höfats - Versuch einer Namendeutung'' in Unser Oberstdorf, Blätter zur Oberstdorfer Heimatgeschichte. Heft 50/2007, p. 1847. *Films
''Die Höfats - Der einmalige Berg'', Film von Gerhard Baur, 2007
* Beitrag in ''Bergauf-Bergab'', about 1992
External links
Tour report - crossing from the western to eastern summits
The Höfats - Declaration of love to a special mountain
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hofats Mountains of Bavaria Two-thousanders of Germany Allgäu Alps Mountains of the Alps