Overview
Rote Flüh and (left, behind) Gimpel
Located between Gimpel to the northeast and Schartschrofen to the west, Rote Flüh is the easiest and by far most frequented summit in the main ridge of Tannheimer Berge / Allgäu Alps . An easy hiking route leads you from Tannheimer Tal in about 2,5 to 3 hours to the top. This is why many, many families and hiker groups try the ascent. Near Gimpelhaus offers a good opportunity for families and their kids to get acquainted to mountaineering and summit adventures. In late spring and early fall Rote Flüh has some hundred ascents per day. So don´t expect to be alone up there.
But Rote Flüh has some more “faces”: first of all the huge south and southwest rock face, extending to the southeast with a minor summit on the southeast ridge of Rote Flüh: Hochwiesler. It is a paradise for climbers with many famous classic routes, accessible early and late in the year due to the southern exposure of the faces. Climbers love the easy access to more than 50 climbing routes on the south face which offer the possibility to climb almost the whole year round!
Friedberger Klettersteig and Friedensweg , two (easy but in parts airy) Via Ferratas use the connecting ridge from Schartschrofen and offer a more demanding route to Rote Flüh.
The denomination of the summit, Rote Flüh, means “huge red rock”. Most confusing is the sheer lack of red rocks – you can easily recognise this in my images. Geologically Rote Flüh is a huge rock face of “Wettersteinkalk”, a white or light grey limestone, mainly built of calcareous algae. The tale is that there are red limestones interstratified with the Wettersteinkalk. I know these younger, “condensed” red limestones from geological field trips in the Northern Limestone Alps which where deposited in cracks, gaps and cleavages within the limestone platform of Wettersteinkalk. I didn´t saw them on my two trips to Rote Flüh…….I don´t hope I was blind! :-).
Getting there
Rote Flüh south face
Trailheads for Rote Flüh:
Northern routes
Southern, western and eastern routes
By car:
By train and bus:
Railway stations near trailheads are: Musau and Vils. See the ÖBB schedule here.
Every trailhead has its bus station. See the schedule for bus line 4262 here .
Routes Overview
Rote Flüh south face
Rote Flüh normal route
Start at Nesselwängle Gimpelhaus parking area, Haller or Haldensee.
Ascend on trail number 415 to Gimpelhaus. From Gimpelhaus use trail number 415 until you reach the trail junction with trail 418 from Tannheimer Hütte.
Turn left on trail 417 and follow this trail up to Judenscharte, the col between Gimpel and Rote Flüh. Some rocks and slippery slabs after that col are secured with fixed ropes and some steps cut into the rock. After that follow the steep trail up to the huge summit cross.
A longer ascent can be made from Musau trailheads (see the Gimpel page) via Raintal forest road to Musauer Alm.
About 800 m after Musauer Alm leave the forest road by turning left at a trail junction. Follow this trail zigzagging up to Nesselwängler Scharte between Köllenspitze and Schafler (beginning of Köllenspitze normal route).
Descend shortly on the south side until you reach the traverse trail number 415. Follow this trail in western direction until you reach trail number 422 above the trail junction with trails 415 / 417. Go on on trail 417 as described above.
 Ascent to Rote Flüh |  Overlook of Friedberger Klettersteig |  Overlook of Friedberger Klettersteig |
Rote Flüh via Friedenheimer Klettersteig / Friedensweg
See the route page for more information.
 Gimpel(left) Rote Flüh and Schartschrofen from Schlicke |  Gimpel (left) and Rote Flüh |  Rote Flüh (left) with normal route, Gimpel to the right |
Rote Flüh south / southwest face routes
Best base camp and information about rock condition: Gimpelhaus or Tannheimer Hütte .
Trailheads: Nesselwängle, Haller, Haldensee.
Trail to starting points:
Starting at the hut follow shortly the trail to Rote Flüh. Leave that trail to your left and follow the unmarked trail to the south faces of Hochwiesler and Rote Flüh until you reach the starting point of your choosen route.
Some famous routes:
| Routes denomination | Grade |
|---|---|
| „Alte Südwand“ | IV+ |
| „Südwestwand“ | VII / A0 |
| „Spiderman“ | IX |
| „Schwarze Mamba“ | VIII- |
| „Southwest buttress“ | VII- / A0 |
| „Southern dihedral“ | VI+ / A0 |
| „Via Barbara“ | VIII+ |
| „Sturm im Paradies“ | VIII+ |
 Rote Flüh as seen from Schartschrofen |  Summit view to Köllenspitze |  Rote Flüh as seen from Gimpel Normal Route |
“Thomaswändle” on the east side of Rote Flüh is a new climbing park. There are 17 short routes between grade III- and VIII+, among them:
| Routes denomination | Grade |
|---|---|
| „Baby Blue“ | III |
| „Mäxchen“ | III |
| „Bluna“ | IV+ |
| „Spanische Treppe“ | IV- |
| „Balu“ | V |
| „Mogli“ | V |
| „Luftikus“ | IV / V |
| „Pfiffikus“ | IV / V |
| „Indian Summer“ | IV / V |
| „Morning Sun“ | V+ |
Red Tape & Accommodation
Rote Flüh as seen from Gimpel
Red Tape
No restrictions as far as I know.
Accommodation
You find hotels, campgrounds and other accommodation at
Vils
Musau
Reutte/Tirol
Tannheimer Tal (Grän, Haldensee, Haller, Nesselwängle)
Mountain huts:
Musauer Alm
Vilser Alm
Otto Mayr Hütte
Füssener Hütte
Gimpelhaus
Tannheimer Hütte
Gear & Mountain Condition
The summit as seen from Friedensweg
Rote Flüh for hikers on the normal route is a late spring, summer and autumn summit, depending on the snow conditions. There is only one easy scrambling part at the summit block which is secured with fixed ropes and some steps cut into the rock.
A helmet and a Via Ferrata kit for Friedberger Klettersteig / Friedensweg. Is recommended.
All other routes are for the experienced climbers. Most routes have fixed bolts. Full climbing gear, ropes, helmet and a figure eight descender, in case you don´t use the normal route as descent, are needed for all routes.
Climbing on the south face routes is possible the whole year round.
Best time is late spring, shady summer days and early fall.
On hot summer days the south face is almost too hot to climb.
Climbing on sunny winter days is possible and it's the only possibility to have the south face for your own. But you have to be careful with the descent! The normal route down could be snowy and icy until late in spring!
Current Weather:
Maps & Guide Books
Gimpel as seen from Rote Flüh
Maps
Guide Books
The climbers guides of Toni Freudig can be ordered here via Internet .
External Links (by user pini)
- Tannheimer Valley
Content: Live cams, infos about how to get there by car, infos about trainstations and airports, huts, lodging, camping, cable cars, highlights, events, village infos, tourist information centers, travel agencies, mountain rescue service, physicians, churches, banks, post offices, garages, gas stations, taxi services, list of other webpages about the Tannheimer valley, infos about 'fit &fun', photos of Tannheimer valley, weather conditions, restaurants, ski schools, clubs, shopkeepers, buisnees of Tannheimer valley, real estates etc.
- Pasold, Kletterführer Allgäu
Pasold, Achim : Kletterführer Allgäu. Köngen: Panico, 1998. [In German!]
ISBN 3-926807-59-8
Content: Description of the approach to the both huts (Gimpelhaus and Tannheimer Hütte), the phonenumber of the Tannheimer Hütte, precise descriptions of all routes, excellent topos with precise infos about the length of every pitch, the kind of pitons which one can expect to find, the kind of climbing, photos of the Rote Flüh and its routes, infos about the first climb of every route. A very big advantage: All topos are slack. So you don't have to take the whole book with you for every climb. I myself copied the topos which I took for my climb. You hardly need any other infos for a safe climb of the Rote Flüh if you buy this book. All infos written in german. In summary: I can recommend this book very much!! It is the best climbing guide book concerning the Rote Flüh which I know.
- Friedberger Klettersteig - Klettersteige bei via-ferrata.de
Via-Ferrata.de - Klettersteigportal - Over 100 fixed rope routes. Moreover detailed information over climbing, alps, hiking and other outdoor activities.
Additions and Corrections
[ Post an Addition or Correction ]
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| Lampi | Untitled Comment | |
Hasn't voted | "Climbing on sunny winter days is possible and it's the only possibility to have the south face for your own. But you have to be careful with the descent! The normal route down could be snowy and icy until late in spring!" The south face can be abseiled because most of the routes are equipped with inox spits. | |
| Posted May 5, 2003 10:25 pm | ||
 | ||
| selinunte01 | Re: Untitled Comment | |
Hasn't voted | There are several abseil routes; please refer to Freudig, T.: Klettern auf der Tannheimer Sonnenseite, 2nd edition, 2006 | |
| Posted Dec 27, 2012 10:49 am | ||
| Lampi | Untitled Comment | |
Hasn't voted | Correction: U can get simple food at the "Tannheimer Hütte". In my opinion it's better than in the "Gimpelhaus". | |
| Posted May 5, 2003 10:31 pm | ||
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