The Biberkopf is a 2,599 m high mountain in the

Alps The Alps () are some of the highest and most extensive mountain ranges in Europe, stretching approximately across eight Alpine countries (from west to east): Monaco, France, Switzerland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Germany, Austria and Slovenia. ...

on the border between

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

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 ...

Location and area

The Biberkopf lies on the main crest of the Allgäu Alps on the border between the

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 ...

n district of

Oberallgäu Oberallgäu is a Districts of Germany, ''Landkreis'' (district) in Swabia (Bavaria), Swabia, Bavaria, Germany. It is bounded by (from the north and clockwise) the districts of Unterallgäu and Ostallgäu, the Austrian states State of Tyrol, Tyrol a ...

and the Tyrolean district of Reutte. It is around 15.5 km south-southwest of

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 ...

and only about 2.5 km east of the Schrofen Pass. The ''Biberkopf'' is sometimes described as the most southerly point in Bavaria and Germany, although its summit lies 110 metres further north than the Haldenwanger Eck, 4,088 metres to the west.

Geology

Its fascinating shape makes the ''Biberkopf'' (literally: "beaver's head") one of the most striking mountains in the German Alps. Geologically the body of the summit is made of severely folded dolomite that was thrust up over

marl Marl is an earthy material rich in carbonate minerals, Clay minerals, clays, and silt. When Lithification, hardened into rock, this becomes marlstone. It is formed in marine or freshwater environments, often through the activities of algae. M ...

s. The very pure dolomite is the reason for the lack of vegetations on the mountain, because the content of clay minerals in the weathering products is insufficient for the formation of soil. By contrast, in the areas on marl strata there is a rich flora.

Ascent

From the

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 ...

and from Lechleiten (near Warth) marked routes run up the Biberkopf. These take about 2.5 to 3 hours. Both ascents cross exposed sections of steep rock and scree, which is why

sure-footedness Sure-footedness is the ability, especially when hiking or mountain climbing, to navigate difficult or rough terrain safely. Such situations place demands on a person's coordination and reserves of strength as well as requiring sufficient appreciati ...

is required. Due to the installation of wire cables and other climbing aids the climbs may be attempted by less able climbers ( UIAA grade I). An ascent is not advisable in wet weather or conditions of snow and ice. Patches of snow remain year-round on the northern slopes. The routes to the summit are maintained by the German Alpine Club's branch at Obergünzburg, which belongs to the section at Kempten/Allgäu. The south face of the Biberkopf was first climbed in 1922 by the Allgäu alpinist, Hermann Grosselfinger.

Gallery

File:BiberkopfII.jpg, The summit from the south File:Aufstiegbiberkopf.JPG, On the way up File:Biberkopf.JPG, From the Saloberkopf to the southwest File:Biberkopf_vom_Rappenkoepfle.jpg, From the Kleiner Rappenkopf to the northeast File:Bürstegg Biberkopf Winter.jpg, The Walser valley settlement of Bürstegg

Sources and maps

*Dieter Seibert, '' Alpenvereinsführer Allgäuer Alpen und Ammergauer Alpen'', Munich 2004, * Alpenvereinskarte 1:25,000, Sheet3/2, ''Lechtaler Alpen, Arlberggebiet'' (The Biberkopf is right on the northern edge of the map, the Rappensee Hut is off the map) *Bayerisches Landervermessungsamt, 1:50.000, ''Sonderdruck Allgäuer Alpen'', Blatt UK L8

External links

The Biberkopf
Two-thousanders of Germany Mountains of the Alps Allgäu Alps Mountains of Bavaria Mountains of Tyrol (federal state) Two-thousanders of Austria {{Bavaria-geo-stub