Krottenkopf, Großer

Overview

Grosser Krottenkopf is the highest mountain of the Allgäuer Alpen and for that reason often visited.

The summit is not situated in the main chain of the Allgaeu Alps but in the Hornbachkette. This proud secondary chain spreads from Öfnerspitze to the low Hornbach valley.

The easiest route is a normal hike with a bit of climbing (UIAA I) briefly before the summit.
But there are two interesting climbs that good climbers can climb without an rope: the north ridge (UIAA III) and the gutter that leads down from the Kleiner Krottenkopf at the east side of the Großer Krottenkopf. The interesting thing about these two routes are that almost no one climb these routes.

Additional Information from cjaniesch
Date: July 25, 2005 07:46 AM
Grosser Krottenkopf was first-climbed by Dr.Gümbel in 1854.
The peak was named Grosser Krottenkopf by Hermann von Barth in 1869. Until then the whole part of the Hornbach Chain from what is today known as the Krottenspitzen in the west to Marchspitze in the east had been collectively called Krottenspitzen by the people of Oberstdorf. Von Barth climbed the highest and named it Grosser Krottenkopf.
The name might have originally been derived from the German word for toad (Kröte) as a local legend has it, that a number of evil spirits had been transformed into toads and then been banned to the mountains

Link to the page of THost (german)

Getting There

You can reach the Grosser Krottenkopf from Germany over Oberstdorf or from Autria over Lechtal.

1) To Oberstdorf
By car :
-From Germany over Kempten -- Immenstadt - Sonthofen -- Oberstdorf
- From Switzerland over St. Gallen - Höchst - Bregenzerwald - Hittisau - Riedbergpass - Fischen - Oberstdorf
- From Autria over Innsbruck - Fernpaß/Reutte - Oberjoch - Sonthofen - Oberstdorf

Next station : Oberstdorf/Allgäu

Nest airports : München II - 2 h distant
Stuttgart - 2,5 h distant
Zürich - 2,5 h distant

From Germany (Oberstdorf), you have to sleep at the Kemptner Hut (1844 m) (a real big one because of the "Heilbronner Höhenweg" that starts also here and is often crowded).

2) To Holtzgau or Elbigenalp (Lechtal)
By car :
- München - Garmisch - Reutte - Lechtal
- Stuttgart - Kempten - Reutte - Lechtal
- Lindau - Bregenz - Hochtannbergpaß - Lechtal

By train :
- Reutte - Lechtal
- Langen a. Arlberg - Zürs - Lech - Warth - Lechtal

Airports :
- Innsbruck
- München

From the Lechtal you can either ascend from "Elbigenalp" or (shorter) "Holzgau" (both are about 1000-1100m high). It is no problem to climb the Großer Krottenkopf in one day, even when you want to climb the norht ridge.
You can climb over the Kemptner Hut, also accessible from Holzgau in about 3 hours.
Or you can first ascend to the Hermann-von-Barth-Hut (2131 m) from Elbigenalp (about 3 hours) and then climb the Großer Krottenkopf on the next day, but from here you have not the possibility to climb the north ridge

Red Tape

No permits, no fees
Free parking in Holzgau and Elbigenalp

When To Climb

June (north ridge better July) to October (depends on snow conditons)

Mountain Conditions

Meteo Oberstdorf

Routes Overview

- Normal route on a marked path from Krottenkopfscharte (collar on the way between Kemptner Hut and Hermann von Barth Hut)

- N ridge (III)

- NE face (IY)

- Gutter of the NE face (III)

- E face (V)

- W face (V)

- SW face (IV+)

Summits of the Hornbach chain

The chain is 15 km long, located between Lechtal in the south and Hornbachtal in the north

- Grosser Krottenkopf 2657 m
- Urbeleskarspitze 2626 m
- Marchspitze 2610 m
- Bretterspitze 2609 m
- Noppenspitze 2596 m
- Kreuzkarspitze 2591 m
- Gliegerkarspitze 2577 m
- Wasserfallkarspitze 2557 m
- Sattelkarspitze 2553 m
- Ifenspitze N summit 2540 m
- Ramstallkopf 2536 m
- Ifenspitze S summit 2535 m
- Hornbachspitze 2533 m
- Herrmannskarspitze 2527 m
- Wolekleskarspitze 2522 m
- Elferspitze 2512 m
- Balschtespitze 2504 m
- Schwellenspitze 2494 m
- Plattenspitze W summit 2493 m
- Plattenspitze 2486 m
- Faule Wand Spitze W summit 2480 m
- Faule Wand Spitze E summit 2473 m
- Herrmannskar Turm 2466 m
- Klimspitze 2465 m
- Wolfebnerspitze N summit 2433 m
- Zwölferspitze 2421 m
- Wolfebnerspitze S summit 2420 m
- Söllerkopf N summit 2402 m
- Rothornspitze 2392 m
- Söllerkopf S summit 2390 m
- Strahlkopf 2361 m
- Schöneckerkopf 2322 m
- Rotwand 2290 m
- Jöchlspitze 2226 m
- Häselgehrberg 2209 m

Huts

Kemptner Hut 1846 m
Gabi and Martin Braxmair with Sina and Moritz
Hut : category 1
190 Lager, 100 Beds
Warm meals from 12 to 19.30
Open : mid june to mid october
Info-Hotline 08322/700152

Access :
From Oberstdorf 3,5 h
From Spielmannsau 2,5 h

Herrmann Von Barth Hut
Gerhard Vonier
6644 Elmen 107
Telefon und Fax: 0043 5635 30621
E-Mail: info@hermann-von-barth.at
Open from mid june to begin of october

Access :
From Elbigenalp over Kasermandel to baglift and to hut : 3 h
From Häselgehr over Luxnachersattel 5 h
From Hinterhornbach over Schöneckerscharte 5 h

From Hermann-von-Barth Hut over Krottenkopfscharte toKemptener Hut : 3 - 4 h

Berggasthof Spielmannsau
( 1000 m)
W. u. J. Geiger
87561 Oberstdorf / Allgäu
Tel.: +49-8322-3015 or 96030
Fax: +49-8322-8860

Camping

Camping Rudi
Häselgehr 122
6651 Häselgehr, Austria

Tel +43 (5634) 6425
E-Mail: camping.rudi@aon.at

Infos

Elbigenalp

Holzgau

Oberstdorf

Images

View Krottenkopf, Großer Image Gallery - 15 Images