Solid masses of Lofer and Leogang

The massive of Lofer and Leogang or Loferer Steinberge and Leoganger Steinberge are two solid masses of the septentrional Préalpes Eastern. They rise in Austria (Land of the Tyrol and Land of Salzburg). Their name comes from two cities, Lofer and Leogang, respectively in north and the south.

The Birnhorn is the culminating point of the unit.

Geography

Situation

The solid masses are directed coarsely East-West and are connected by Römersattel. That of Lofer is most septentrional. In the Western part of the unit, in the west of the lake To plunder, a small link relatively low, dominated by Kirchberg (1678 m) is.

They are surrounded by the the Alps de Chiemgau in north, the the Alps de Berchtesgaden in the east, the the Alps de Kitzbühel in the south and the Massif of the Emperor in the west.

Principal Summits

In the solid mass of Leogang:

Birnhorn, 2634 m
Kuchelhorn, 2500 m
Passauerkopf, 2465 m
Griessener Hochbrett, 2467 m
Signalkopf, 2462 m
Large Rothorn, 2442 m
Dürrkarhorn, 2280 m
Hochzint, 2243 m
Mitterhorn, 2206 m
Fahnenköpfl, 2142 m
Brandhorn, 2099 m

In the solid mass of Lofer

Large Ochsenhorn, 2511 m
Mitterhorn (or Large Hinterhorn), 2504 m
Large Reifhorn, 2480 m
Breithorn, 2413 m
Large Rothorn, 2409 m
Rothörnl, 2394 m
Geislhörner, 2291 m
Seehorn, 2155 m
Zwölferhörnl, 2104 m

Geology

The ic formation Karst of the solid mass of Leogang offers many cavities in the Calcaire of the Dachstein. Most known is Lamprechtsofen, cave a 50 km length on 1600 meters of made uneven, between Lofer and Saalfelden. Another remarkable rock formation is Melkerloch, an arch in the south-eastern slope of Birnhorn.

One finds the same phenomenon in the solid mass of Lofer. The bottom of the Doline S is often connected to the underground cavities. In addition, the edges of the plate are made up mainly of cliffs and natural circuses. The base of these mountains, starting from a 600 meters height consists of Schiste higher Permien or lower Trias. Those, red, more rarely green and purple, are impermeable, so that much of sheets of water made themselves in these layers. The following one, with a more complex structure, is composed of limestone of Rauhwacke and Gutenstein. Then, one finds, starting from a 1100 meters height, a layer of Dolomite of Ramsau or Hauptdolomite. Then a very thin layer comes from marl from Sorted average, known under the name of layer of Raibler. Up to approximately 2000 meters, this rock is subjected to a strong erosion due to the strong slope, typical of this type of mountains. The rock is very fragile and very friable, which makes the rises rather unpopular. One frequently finds at this altitude of the deep ditches, the conduits, of the throats, even of the circuses. Lastly, the surface layer is composed of limestone of Dachstein which rises sometimes up to 500 meters. Here, the circuses do not have with the action of water but with that of the Glacier S of the last Glacial period. They present many cavities and dolines, sometimes on several hundred meters of depth (example of the Loferer Schacht ). Because of their permeability, these layers do not offer any source; the drainage results rather under ground. During the last glaciation, the solid mass of Lofer was completely surrounded by the glaciers coming from the the central Eastern Alps and reaching thickness a 2000 meters, from where importance of their erosive action. When they were withdrawn, the icecap on the plate, like that of the Übergossene Alm with the Hochkoenig, could not be maintained because of lowest altitude. However, some Névé S remain all the year, as on the southern slope, between Mitterhorn and Geiselhörnern, in a Combe sheltered, so that one could think of a " glacier nain".

Climate

Because of its rather septentrional position within the Alps, the solid mass of Lofer presents a oceanic mixture of continental Climat and . It should be noted that the northern slope undergoes average precipitations more important than the southern slope. The temperature variations occurring during the year are characteristic of the continental climate. In summer, temperatures of 30°C or more are frequently recorded on the southern slope, with the shelter of the wind. However, in winter, the temperature can sometimes lower the night until -30°C. A snowy coat is present in the valleys usually from December on April. The annual average temperature is of 7°C. In summer, the stormy tendency is strongly expressed in June and July and can be accompanied by falls of Grêle. Estival snowfalls are occasionally possible until the alpine stage. In autumn, the stable weather situations favorable to the Effet of foehn are frequently joined together, authorizing relatively soft temperatures and a perfectly released sight.

History

At all times, more the high summits were sporadically climbed by the local hunters and inhabitants. The systematic tourist development appears in the Années 1930. In 1833, the Hinterhorn Grosses is climbed by Karl Thurwieser. In same time, mountaineers like Purtscheller, Cranz, Doppler and Fill highlight themselves. In 1888, the section Passau of German alpine association takes again on its account protection solid masses of Lofer and Leogang and give fresh impulse to the development. The Ochsenhorn Grosses is assembled in 1897 by Cranz. In 1899, the refuge Schmidt Zabierow is opened with the Wehrgrube gross. In the years of the Inter-war period, when the interest for the Massif of the close Emperor decrease a little, the fame of the solid masses of Lofer and Leogang increases in its turn near certain mountaineers, so that of new routes are open. Starting from the Years 1960 and 70, all a new series of routes are created by the local mountaineers and the mountain guides. Meanwhile, two Via ferrata are open in the solid mass. However, it is always a reserved domain of the alpinism because of the absence of Téléphérique to relieve the rise and consequently the length and of the painfulness of the routes.

Activities

Winter sports resorts

Fieberbrunn

Geography of the Eastern Alps

Sources

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