The Mädelegabel is a 2,645 metre high mountain, made of

main dolomite Main Dolomite (, , ) is a lithostratigraphic unit in the Alps of Europe. Formation was defined by K.W. Gümbel in 1857. Middle to Late Triassic sedimentary record in the Alpine realm is characterized by presence of various masses of dolomitic r ...

, in the

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 ...

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 is one of the best-known and most-climbed high peaks in the German Alps, Within the Allgäu Alps it is the fourth-highest summit, with rock faces up to 400 metres high. Together with the

Trettachspitze The Trettachspitze is a mountain in the Allgäu Alps in Germany. Due to its striking appearance (a very steep, narrow horn of rock when seen from the west and east) it is one of the best-known mountains in the Allgäu Alps. Location and area T ...

and the Hochfrottspitze it forms the famous triumvirate of peaks on the main crest of the Allgäu. Its name comes from ''Mähder'' - a mown mountain pasture in the vicinity - and ''gabel'' from the appearance of the triumvirate to the north which recalls a fork (German: ''Gabel''). Originally the Mädelegabel was the name for all three peaks of the triumvirate; only later were they distinguished from one another by name. The border between

Bavaria Bavaria, officially the Free State of Bavaria, is a States of Germany, state in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the list of German states by area, largest German state by land area, comprising approximately 1/5 of the total l ...

and

Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...

runs along the mountain ridge. On its southeastern slopes is the Schwarzmilzferner, a small glacier. The extremely popular Heilbronn Way (''Heilbronner Weg'') runs past the summit, below it and to the south.

Ascent

The Mädelegabel can be quickly reached from the Heilbronn Way. The route branches off the Heilbronn Way on the ridge just above the Schwarmilzferner glacier and follows the marked path, taking about 30 minutes to reach the summit. It involves a UIAA grade I climb which is not difficult as it is not very exposed and the going, on solid rock, is firm. As a result, the mountain receives a lot of visitors. Bases that can be used for the ascent include the Waltenberger Haus (2.5 hours to the summit), Kemptner Hut (2.75 h) and

Rappensee Hut The Rappensee Hut () is an Alpine Club hut belonging to the Allgäu-Kempten Section of the German Alpine Club. With 304 bedspaces it is the largest of all the 327 huts of the German Alpine Club. It received a record number of guests on 19 Sept ...

(5 h). The Mädelegabel is a popular spring ski tour starting from the Lech valley and overnighting if need be at the Kemptner Hut. The mountain was probably first climbed during survey work in 1818/19 which was completed by the border commission in 1835. It was certainly conquered in 1852 by

Otto Sendtner Otto Sendtner (27 June 1813 – 21 April 1859) was a German botanist and phytogeographer born in Munich. He received his education at the University of Munich, where he was a student of Karl Friedrich Schimper (1803–1867). Afterwards he serv ...

on today's normal ascent.Ernst Zettler, Heinz Groth: ''Alpenvereinsführer - Allgäuer Alpen''. 12., completely new, updated edition. Bergverlag Rudolf Rother, Munich 1985, (p. 204).

Gallery

File:Mädelegabel Summit cross.JPG,

Summit cross A summit cross is a Christian cross on the summit of a mountain or hill that marks the top. Often there will be a summit register (''Gipfelbuch'') at the cross, either in a container or other weatherproof case. The practice originated in the Ge ...

File:Guggersee Trettachspitze Maedelegabel Hochfrottspitze.JPG, The Mädelegabel group from the Guggersee to the northwest File:Maedelegabel_von_Osten.jpg, The Mädelegabel (left) and

(right) from the east File:Maedelegabel.jpg, View of the Mädelegabel (2nd peak from right). Left: the Kratzer and left in front of it, the Kemptner Hut

References

Sources

*Ernst Enzenperger: ''Die Gruppe der Mädelegabel'', Munich, Jos. Köselsche Buchhandlung, 1909 * *Thaddäus Steiner: ''Die Flurnamen der Gemeinde Oberstdorf im Allgäu'', Vol. II, Selbstverlag des Verbandes für Flurnamenforschung, München 1972 * *

Alpenvereinskarte Alpine Club maps (, often abbreviated to ''AV-Karten'' i.e. AV maps) are especially detailed maps for summer and winter mountain climbers, hikers, and ski tourers. They are predominantly published at a scale of 1:25.000, although some sheets have ...

1:25,000, Sheet 2/1, ''Allgäuer- Lechtaler Alpen, West''

External links

Die Mädelegabel
{{DEFAULTSORT:Madelegabel Allgäu Alps Mountains of the Alps Mountains of Bavaria Mountains of Tyrol (federal state) Two-thousanders of Austria Oberallgäu Two-thousanders of Germany