Page Type Page Type: Mountain/Rock
Location Lat/Lon: 47.50310°N / 10.60210°E
Activities Activities: Hiking, Trad Climbing, Sport Climbing, Scrambling, Via Ferrata
Seasons Season: Spring, Summer, Fall
Additional Information Elevation: 6916 ft / 2108 m
Sign the Climber's Log

Overview

Rote FlühRote 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 FlühRote Flüh south face


Trailheads for Rote Flüh:

Northern routes

  • Musau / railway station or Musau Bärenfalle Inn

  • Füssener Jöchl


  • Southern, western and eastern routes

  • Nesselwängle, Grän, Haldensee or Haller



  • By car:

  • You reach Musau on road number 179 coming from Füssen / Germany or Reutte / Innsbruck, Garmisch-Partenkirchen and Lechtal / Arlberg region. Leave the road at exit “Reutte Nord” and turn on road L69 to Musau.
    At Bärenfalle Inn (signpost) there is a hiker parking area behind the parking area of the inn! Just follow the dirt road some 300 m into the woods to the road barrier.
    At Musau park your car near the railway station where it is possible.

  • You reach Nesselwängle from Reutte or Arlberg region on road number 198. Turn on road number 199 at Weißenbach and pass by Gaichtpass. Follow the bypass road around Nesselwängle until you reach the Gimpelhaus parking area northwest of Nesselwängle (day and multiple day fees). There are no public parking possibilities in the village of Nesselwängle!
    If you follow road 199 you reach Haller, Haldensee and, by taking road number L261 at Haldensee, Grän.

  • You reach Nesselwängle from Germany / Allgäu region by using highway A 7 to exit Oy and road number 399 to Pfronten. Take Achtalstraße and – after the border – L261 to Grän and Haldensee. At Haldensee take road number 199 to Haller and Nesselwängle / Gimpelhaus parking area.

  • From Grän you can take the cablecar to Füssener Jöchl.



  • 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 FlühRote 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.

    Friedberger KlettersteigAscent to Rote Flüh
    Friedberger KlettersteigOverlook of Friedberger Klettersteig
    Friedberger KlettersteigOverlook of Friedberger Klettersteig


    Rote Flüh via Friedenheimer Klettersteig / Friedensweg
    See the route page for more information.

    SchartschrofenGimpel(left) Rote Flüh and Schartschrofen from Schlicke
    SchartschrofenGimpel (left) and Rote Flüh
    GimpelRote 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 denominationGrade
    „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+


    Friedberger KlettersteigRote Flüh as seen from Schartschrofen
    Rote FlühSummit view to Köllenspitze
    Rote FlühRote 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 denominationGrade
    „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 FlühRote 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

    Friedberger KlettersteigThe 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

    Friedberger KlettersteigGimpel as seen from Rote Flüh


    Maps

  • Alpenvereinskarte Bayerische Alpen, scale 1 : 25.000, map number BY 5: Tannheimer Berge, Köllenspitze, Gaishorn, 1st edition, 2012, Deutscher Alpenverein

  • Bayerische Topographische Karte, scale 1 : 50.000, map number UK50-48, Füssen und Umgebung, Landesamt für Vermessung und Geoinformation Bayern, 2012



  • Guide Books

  • Alpenvereinsführer: Allgäuer Alpen und Ammergauer Alpen, alpin, Bergverlag Rudolf Rother, 2008

  • Hölzler, W., et al.: Allgäu Kletterführer inklusive Tannheimer Berge; Panico Alpin Verlag, 6th edition, 2010

  • Freudig, T.: Klettern im Herzen der Tannheimer Berge, 2004

  • Freudig, T.: Klettern auf der Tannheimer Sonnenseite, 2nd edition, 2006


  • 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 CorrectionsPost an Addition or Correction

    Viewing: 1-3 of 3
    Lampi

    Lampi - May 5, 2003 10:25 pm - Hasn't voted

    Untitled Comment

    "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.

    selinunte01

    selinunte01 - Dec 27, 2012 10:49 am - Hasn't voted

    Re: Untitled Comment

    There are several abseil routes; please refer to Freudig, T.: Klettern auf der Tannheimer Sonnenseite, 2nd edition, 2006

    Lampi

    Lampi - May 5, 2003 10:31 pm - Hasn't voted

    Untitled Comment

    Correction: U can get simple food at the "Tannheimer Hütte". In my opinion it's better than in the "Gimpelhaus".

    Viewing: 1-3 of 3


    Children

    Children

    Children refers to the set of objects that logically fall under a given object. For example, the Aconcagua mountain page is a child of the 'Aconcagua Group' and the 'Seven Summits.' The Aconcagua mountain itself has many routes, photos, and trip reports as children.