The Hochfrottspitze is a 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 ...
in Germany and the highest German mountain in the Allgäu Alps. The border with Austria runs along its ridge.
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
Mädelegabel
The Mädelegabel is a 2,645 metre high mountain, made of main dolomite, in the Allgäu Alps near Oberstdorf. 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, ...
, the Hochfrottspitze forms the famous triumvirate of peaks on the main crest of the Allgäu Alps. The busy
Heilbronn Way (''Heilbronner Weg'') runs past it to the south and east, about 100–150 metres below the summit. In spite of that, the summit is rarely climbed because the routes to it are challenging. Climbers leave the Heilbronn Way at the wind gap of the ''Bockkarscharte'' and ascend from the south following a faint path through broken rubble and
schrofen
Schrofen, a German mountaineering term, is steep terrain, strewn with rocks and rock outcrops, that is laborious to cross, but whose rock ledges (''schrofen'') offer many good steps and hand holds. It is usually rocky terrain on which grass has es ...
terrain with climbs of
UIAA grade I to the start of the vertical summit face which is an exposed grade II+ climb. Somewhat simpler is the western approach from the
Waltenberger Haus: this follows the route to the ''Bockarscharte''; it then leaves the path after 20 minutes to climb up steep gullies (grade I) to the arête of the
Mountains of Good Hope (''Berge der guten Hoffnung''). It continues over the scree-covered western ridge, trackless in places, up steps, along railings and climbing sections up to grade I to the summit. Another alternative is the ridge crossing from the Mädelegabel to Hochfrottspitze (exposed grade II climb). The wind gap between the two peaks can be climbed directly from the
Schwarzmilzferner.
The mountain was first climbed in 1869 by
Hermann von Barth
Hermann von Barth (5 June 1845 – 7 December 1876) was a famous German mountaineer.
Life and career
Hermann von Barth was born on 5 June 1845 at Eurasburg Castle. He initially studied law in Munich, where he was affiliated to the Corps Fr ...
.
Sources
*
*Thaddäus Steiner: ''Die Flurnamen der Gemeinde Oberstdorf im Allgäu'', München, Selbstverlag des Verbandes für Flurnamenforschung in Bayern, 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
The Hochfrottspitze{{Webarchive, url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110110070402/http://www.fuehrer.oberstdorf-online.de/berge/hochfrottspitze.htm , date=2011-01-10
Allgäu Alps
Mountains of Bavaria
Mountains of Tyrol (federal state)
Mountains of the Alps
Two-thousanders of Austria
Oberallgäu
Two-thousanders of Germany