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82-536: The mountain range is characterised by an unusual variety of rock formations and consequently a rich tapestry of landscapes, in particular, the steep " grass mountains " ( Grasberge ) of the Allgäu Alps with gradients of up to 70°. Its flora is amongst the most varied in the whole Alpine region and its accessibility by lifts and paths is outstanding. The mountain paths ( Höhenwege ) running from hut to hut are well known and hikers can spend seven to ten days walking in

164-413: A broader sense is used, particularly in medical fields such as neurology . An objective of topography is to determine the position of any feature or more generally any point in terms of both a horizontal coordinate system such as latitude, longitude, and altitude . Identifying (naming) features, and recognizing typical landform patterns are also part of the field. A topographic study may be made for

246-471: A coarser division into only twelve subgroups. A direct comparison between the subgroups of the old schema and the subdivisions of the new one is not possible, because the boundaries between the subgroups have been redrawn in places. The southern boundary of this subrange runs from Oberstdorf via Rohrmoos to Sibratsgfäll. Its highest peak is the Hochgrat , 1,834 m above NN . These mountains are

328-589: A narrow sense involves the recording of relief or terrain , the three-dimensional quality of the surface, and the identification of specific landforms ; this is also known as geomorphometry . In modern usage, this involves generation of elevation data in digital form ( DEM ). It is often considered to include the graphic representation of the landform on a map by a variety of cartographic relief depiction techniques, including contour lines , hypsometric tints , and relief shading . The term topography originated in ancient Greece and continued in ancient Rome , as

410-822: A popular walking area. Its rock formation is varied. In the north it is dominated by molasse . This forms the well known Nagelfluh chain with mountains like the Hochgrat, the Rindalphorn , the Stuiben and the Steineberg . The increasingly lower mountains north of the Nagelfluh chain are also made of molasse, as is the adjoining southern chain around the Girenkopf and the Siplingerkopf. The summits rising to

492-623: A reef limestone, dominates the main part of the Tannheim Mountains. This is a solid rock. As a result, the Tannheim Mountains, with their well known peaks, the Rote Flüh , Gimpel , Köllenspitze and Gehrenspitze , are a renowned climbing area . The subrange is also popular with mountain hikers. Especially in the early summer, when the main chain of the Allgäu Alps is still snow-covered, there are many paths here that are already passable. The Falkenstein ridge ( Kamm des Falkensteins )

574-486: A remote sensing technique that uses a laser instead of radio waves, has increasingly been employed for complex mapping needs such as charting canopies and monitoring glaciers. Terrain is commonly modelled either using vector ( triangulated irregular network or TIN) or gridded ( raster image ) mathematical models. In the most applications in environmental sciences , land surface is represented and modelled using gridded models. In civil engineering and entertainment businesses,

656-420: A surface or extract land surface objects. The contour data or any other sampled elevation datasets are not a DLSM. A DLSM implies that elevation is available continuously at each location in the study area, i.e. that the map represents a complete surface. Digital Land Surface Models should not be confused with Digital Surface Models, which can be surfaces of the canopy, buildings and similar objects. For example, in

738-405: A variety of reasons: military planning and geological exploration have been primary motivators to start survey programs, but detailed information about terrain and surface features is essential for the planning and construction of any major civil engineering , public works , or reclamation projects. There are a variety of approaches to studying topography. Which method(s) to use depends on

820-413: Is a general term for geodata collection at a distance from the subject area. Besides their role in photogrammetry, aerial and satellite imagery can be used to identify and delineate terrain features and more general land-cover features. Certainly they have become more and more a part of geovisualization , whether maps or GIS systems. False-color and non-visible spectra imaging can also help determine

902-584: Is a landscape that, according to present-day understanding, is (almost entirely, but see Tannheimer Tal ) on German soil. By contrast, the Allgäu Alps are a mountain range of the Alps whose definition falls out of the Alpine Club classification of the Eastern Alps . Parts of the Allgäu Alps, including its highest summit, lie on Austrian soil. The Allgäu region, however, extends far beyond the Allgäu Alps to

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984-705: Is a mountain covered with low vegetation , typically in the Alps and often steep-sided. The nature of such cover, which often grows particularly well on sedimentary rock , will reflect local conditions. The following mountain ranges of the Eastern Alps in Europe are often referred to as grass mountains ( Grasberge ): Other areas where grass mountains occur include: the gorges of the Himalayas , Scotland , Poland's Tatra Mountains , and Lofoten . Negotiating

1066-744: Is a very small and not especially high subgroup on the northeast edge of the Allgäu Alps between Pfronten and Füssen. Locally it is called the Falkensteinkamm or even the Zirmgrat . The Vils river separates the subrange from the Tannheim Mountains. On the far side of the River Lech are the Ammergau Alps. The highest peak is the Salober or Zwölferkopf (also Zirmgrat ) , (1,293 m). The well known and legendary lake of Alatsee

1148-585: Is also the most striking feature of this subrange and is formed from rocks of the Cretaceous, unlike the remaining mountains of the subgroup which are built of flysch. This is a part of the southern flysch zone of the Allgäu Alps. The Hohe Ifen and Gottesacker plateau separate the southern from the northern flysch zones. Thus the Hohe Ifen and the Gottesacker plateau form a geological window through which

1230-527: Is concerned with local detail in general, including not only relief , but also natural , artificial, and cultural features such as roads, land boundaries, and buildings. In the United States, topography often means specifically relief , even though the USGS topographic maps record not just elevation contours, but also roads, populated places, structures, land boundaries, and so on. Topography in

1312-460: Is concerned with underlying structures and processes to the surface, rather than with identifiable surface features. The digital elevation model (DEM) is a raster -based digital dataset of the topography ( hypsometry and/or bathymetry ) of all or part of the Earth (or a telluric planet ). The pixels of the dataset are each assigned an elevation value, and a header portion of the dataset defines

1394-401: Is located in these mountains, the larger Weißensee lies on their northern edge. The mountain chain may be cross on footpaths. Views are somewhat restricted due to trees. As a result, on the predominant Wetterstein limestone there are, however, striking rock formations. The south side is a rugged rock face in places. The Vilsalpsee mountains ( Vilsalpseeberge ) are located in the northeast of

1476-598: Is located within the administrative region of Tübingen and the county of Ravensburg . The Kleines Walsertal in Vorarlberg and the village of Jungholz in Tyrol are German customs union territories. Both areas are accessible by road only from German territory. Although the Kleines Walsertal has a relatively long border with the rest of Vorarlberg, high mountains have prevented a road connection being built. In

1558-640: Is only connected at one point with the rest of the Tyrol: on the top of the Sorgschrofen . All independent summits with a topographic prominence of over 30 metres are given at the List of mountains of the Allgäu Alps . The highest peaks of the Allgäu Alps are located either on Austrian soil or on the Austro-German border. In the Allgäu Alps there are over 600 named summits with spot heights . Amongst

1640-525: Is raw and uninterpreted. It may contain holes (due to cloud cover for example) or inconsistencies (due to the timing of specific image captures). Most modern topographic mapping includes a large component of remotely sensed data in its compilation process. In its contemporary definition, topographic mapping shows relief. In the United States, USGS topographic maps show relief using contour lines . The USGS calls maps based on topographic surveys, but without contours, "planimetric maps." These maps show not only

1722-743: Is relatively unspectacular. It is located a few metres west of the Gehrner Berg. This rather unspectacular elevation is 1.5 km north of the Vorarlberg village of Warth and 4 km west of the Biberkopf. The border between Bavaria and the Tyrol does not precisely follow the European watershed between the North Sea and the Black Sea . For example, the German village of Balderschwang is on

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1804-724: Is represented, as is main dolomite. And finally, there are the Schratten limestones of the Cretaceous period on the Grünten, making it a geological relative of the Hoher Ifen. The subgroup of the Tannheim Mountains ( Tannheimer Berge ) was still counted in the first half of the last century as an independent mountain range in the Northern Limestone Alps. In places the name "Vils Alps" ( Vilser Alpen )

1886-801: Is the Großer Daumen , 2,280 m above NN . The famous Nebelhorn cable car mountain lies within this subgroup as does the Hindelanger Klettersteig . Mountain paths with panoramic views cross the southern part of the Daumen Group. Geologically they are split three ways. The crest around the Nebelhorn and the Großer Daumen consist of main dolomite. The Sonnenköpfe are formed from flysch. And lias rocks, with their steep grass-covered slopes, predominate south of

1968-640: Is the bridge to the central chain of the Allgäu Alps. The highest mountain in the subgroup is the Widderstein , 2,533 m. Other notable peaks include Mindelheimer Köpfl . The range is home to the well-known hiking and skiing area of the Fellhorn and Kanzelwand ski lifts and the famous Mindelheimer Klettersteig . Very popular areas, such as the Fellhorn or in the vicinity of the Mindelheimer Hut, contrast with areas of greater solitude opposite in

2050-422: Is to something else). Topography has been applied to different science fields. In neuroscience , the neuroimaging discipline uses techniques such as EEG topography for brain mapping . In ophthalmology , corneal topography is used as a technique for mapping the surface curvature of the cornea . In tissue engineering , atomic force microscopy is used to map nanotopography . In human anatomy , topography

2132-777: The Adelegg to Kempten . From there it goes via Nesselwang and Füssen to the Lech, the boundary running north of the Falken ridge. The Hochtann Mountain Pass joins the Allgäu Alps to the Lechquellen. The Stogger Saddle is the link with the Bregenz Forest Mountains. The mountain ranges of the Northern Limestone Alps can be divided into two categories in terms of their topography : mountain chains and plateaux . With

2214-889: The Alpine Club Guide for the Allgäu Alps divide the range into the Main Chain of the Allgäu ( Allgäuer Hauptkamm ) and the Side Ridges and Other Groups ( Seitenkämme und übrige Gruppen ). The Main Chain of the Allgäu is divided into eight subgroups: the Rappen Alps, the Hochlicht Group, Peischel Group, Mädelegabel Group, Krottenspitze Group, Wilden Group, Hochvogel Group and Rauhhorn Ridge ( Rauhhornzug ). The Side Ridges and Other Groups comprise ten subgroups:

2296-723: The Hornbach chain , Höfats Group, Daumen Group, Roßzahn Group, Vilsalpsee-(Leilach) Group, the mountains between Breitach and Stillach (Schafalpen and Warmatsgund), the Walsertal Mountains ( Walsertaler Berge ) left of the Breitach, foothills west of the Iller, foothills east of the Iller and the Tannheim Mountains ( Tannheimer Berge ). The current, 16th edition, of the Alpine Club Guide for the Allgäu Alps adopts

2378-582: The Kleinwalsertal forms the southern edge of the Northwestern Walsertal Mountains ( Nordwestliche Walsertaler Berge ); the valley running from Oberstdorf via Rohrmoos to Sibratsgfäll is its northern demarcation. The Northwestern and Southeastern Walsertal Mountains meet at the Üntschen Pass. The highest peak is the Hohe Ifen, 2,229 m above NN . This mountain, together with the neighbouring Gottesacker plateau

2460-493: The Vils stream to where it discharges into the Lech near the town of Vils . However, there are more mountains north of this line which, albeit not especially high - are made of the same rock as the larger mountains of the Allgäu Alps and were uplifted by the same orogenic processes. If these ridges are counted as part of the Allgäu Alps, then the northern boundary runs from Lake Constance near Lindau to Isny and northwards around

2542-651: The "Topographical Bureau of the Army", formed during the War of 1812 , which became the Corps of Topographical Engineers in 1838. After the work of national mapping was assumed by the U.S. Geological Survey in 1878, the term topographical remained as a general term for detailed surveys and mapping programs, and has been adopted by most other nations as standard. In the 20th century, the term topography started to be used to describe surface description in other fields where mapping in

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2624-483: The 1960s and 1970s there were plans for a road tunnel between the Kleines Walsertal and the valley of the Bregenzerach. However, the local population turned down the tunnel, on the one hand, because the Kleines Walsertal would have become a corridor for through traffic and, on the other hand, it would still have been further to the central locations of Vorarlberg than the centres of the Allgäu. The village of Jungholz

2706-528: The 20 highest mountains in the Allgäu Alps. Despite its importance the Hornbach chain is rather isolated. Its summits consist of main dolomite. Its peaks and high cirques alternate in exemplary fashion. Many – also very high – summits in the Hornbach chain receive only a few visits per year. The Allgäu Alps as a geographical unit and mountain range of the Alps span two countries and four federal states. The Bavarian portion accounts for slightly more than half of

2788-581: The Allgäu Alps between the Oberjoch and Notländ saddles. They are bounded by the Tannheim, Lech, Tyrolean Schwarzwasser and Ostrach valleys. The highest peak is the Leilachspitze , 2,274 m, and main dolomite is the predominant rock. The lake of Vilsalpsee, accessible from the Tannheim valley, lies in the middle of the subgroup. In the literature, this sub-range is sometimes also counted as part of

2870-820: The Allgäu Alps in the west, where it transitions to the Bregenz Forest Mountains is not orographically distinct. The Alpine Club classification of the Eastern Alps , published in 1984, draws the boundary as follows: from Au-Rehmen along the Rehmerbach upstream to the Stogger Saddle. Then it descends, following the Osterguntenbach, the Schönenbach and the Subersach to its confluence with the Bregenzer Ach and along this river to where it joins

2952-543: The Allgäu Alps, especially when seen from the north. The Hochvogel, with its main base, the Prinz Luitpold Haus, is also the most climbed mountain in this sub-range by a long chalk. All other peaks in the surrounding area are considerably lower and much less popular. In hardly any other subgroup is the contrast between mass tourism and absolute tranquility so marked. Only a few kilometres from the Hochvogel are

3034-463: The Allgäu Alps, including their main chain, predominantly from the north, i.e. from the German side. In the western part of the Allgäu Alps there is no continuous main ridge. From the Fellhorn to the Widderstein , there is a ridge in front of the main chain, which terminates in a semicircle at the head of the Kleines Walsertal valley. The mountain chain character of the Allgäu Alps is interrupted by

3116-692: The Allgäu Alps. The best known mountain and the symbol of the Allgäu Alps – is the Höfats . Other grass mountains are the Rauheck and Kreuzeck on the main crest and the Kegelköpfe . Only in the northern spurs of the Höfats is main dolomite the bedrock. The mountain path between the Kemptner Hut and Prinz Luitpold Haus runs through the subgroup. Otherwise there are hardly any mountains that are accessible on trails. This sub-range also covers part of

3198-604: The Continental U.S., for example), the compiled data forms the basis of basic digital elevation datasets such as USGS DEM data. This data must often be "cleaned" to eliminate discrepancies between surveys, but it still forms a valuable set of information for large-scale analysis. The original American topographic surveys (or the British "Ordnance" surveys) involved not only recording of relief, but identification of landmark features and vegetative land cover. Remote sensing

3280-609: The Ifen and the Gottesacker Plateau (Cretaceous rocks). Here a karst plateau has been formed - uniquely for the Allgäu Alps and beyond. Further north the Flysch Mountains again form small chains. This is followed by Nagelfluh chain which is made of molasse. This is the most attractive molasse mountain range sculpted in the entire Alps. The lower mountains further north also form small chains. The central part of

3362-405: The Lech south of Weißenbach and should not be confused with its better known counterpart in the Kleinwalsertal . A walk on the Jubilee Trail between the Willersalpe and Prinz Luitpold Haus takes the visitor along a mountain path at considerable height along most of the chain. From the high saddle of Oberjoch the linking trail runs to the Jubilee Trail via Iseler , Bschießer and Ponten to

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3444-429: The Mädelejoch saddle and forms the centre of the Allgäu Alps. The famous Heilbronn Way runs along here. Famous peaks such as the triumvirate of the Trettachspitze , Mädelegabel and Hochfrottspitze or Hohes Licht (the highest peak of the subgroup at 2,651 m above NN ) are located in this sub-range. However, there are also isolated areas such as the Himmelschrofen ridge and Peischel Group which lies to

3526-470: The Nebelhorn. Well known peaks in this region are the Schneck , the Himmelhorn and the Laufbacher Eck . The Höfats and Rauheck Group cover that part of the Allgäu main chain between the Märzle and Hornbachjoch saddles. Their defining valleys are those of the Trettach , Traufbach , Oybach , Hornbach and Jochbach. The highest peak is the Rauheck , 2,384 m. The steep grass mountains of lias rock dominate here more than in any other subgroup of

3608-454: The Tannheim Mountains. Mountain paths pass through the range, but many summits are hardly visited. They may be climbed by experiences mountain walkers without too much difficulty despite the lack of trails to their summits. The Daumen Group is located east of the Iller valley. The Himmeleck Saddle links them with the other sub-ranges. Apart from the Iller valley, the Ostrach, Bergündle and Oybach valleys form its boundaries. The highest summit

3690-411: The Tannheim group is made of Wetterstein limestone , a reef limestone. This accounts for the isolated location of these mountains which are not topographically connected to the main chain of the Allgäu Alps. Within the Tannheim group there is a local main ridge between Aggenstein and Hahnenkamm. The mountains to the east and north of it are individual mountain massifs. The older, out-of-print editions of

3772-425: The Weißach or event to Lake Constance . The limit of the Allgäu Alps in the north is indistinct. One more restricted variant runs from the confluence of the Weißach and Bregenzer Ach along the Weißach to Oberstaufen. It then continues along the Konstanzer Ache and the Großer Alpsee lake to Immenstadt and onwards through the villages of Rettenberg , Wertach , Nesselwang to Pfronten -Ried. Then it continues along

3854-404: The Willersalpe. The Hornbach chain is the largest side ridge of the main chain of the Allgäu Alps. This subgroup branches from the main ridge at the Öfnerspitze. In the south it is bounded by the Lech valley, in the north by the eponymous en Hornbach valley. In the Hornbach chain is the highest peak of the Allgäu Alps, the Großer Krottenkopf , 2,656 m, and several other peaks that belong to

3936-408: The area of Rauheck, is built from a very widespread rock formation, known as main dolomite . It begins at the saddle of the Schrofen Pass at the head of the Rappenalpen valley and runs largely in a straight course to the Oberjoch saddle. A large number of side ridges branch off the main chain. Heading southwest are the: Hohe Licht and Peischel Group to the south and east, the Himmelschrofen ridge to

4018-669: The area of coverage, the units each pixel covers, and the units of elevation (and the zero-point). DEMs may be derived from existing paper maps and survey data, or they may be generated from new satellite or other remotely sensed radar or sonar data. A geographic information system (GIS) can recognize and analyze the spatial relationships that exist within digitally stored spatial data. These topological relationships allow complex spatial modelling and analysis to be performed. Topological relationships between geometric entities traditionally include adjacency (what adjoins what), containment (what encloses what), and proximity (how close something

4100-455: The basis for much derived topographic work. Digital Elevation Models, for example, have often been created not from new remote sensing data but from existing paper topographic maps. Many government and private publishers use the artwork (especially the contour lines) from existing topographic map sheets as the basis for their own specialized or updated topographic maps. Topographic mapping should not be confused with geologic mapping . The latter

4182-602: The better known are the following (in order of height excluding the top ten). Those marked with an asterisk (*) are outside the narrower definition of the Allgäu Alps (see Boundary section): The following are the so-called " grass mountains " ( Grasberge ), made from rocks of the Black Jurassic , whose mountainsides have gradients of up to 70°. They are the distinguishing feature of the Allgäu Alps and are not found in any other mountain group as prominently as they are here (listed in alphabetical order). Grass mountains A grass mountain ( German : Grasberg ) in topography

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4264-747: The case of surface models produces using the lidar technology, one can have several surfaces – starting from the top of the canopy to the actual solid earth. The difference between the two surface models can then be used to derive volumetric measures (height of trees etc.). Topographic survey information is historically based upon the notes of surveyors. They may derive naming and cultural information from other local sources (for example, boundary delineation may be derived from local cadastral mapping). While of historical interest, these field notes inherently include errors and contradictions that later stages in map production resolve. As with field notes, remote sensing data (aerial and satellite photography, for example),

4346-414: The common points are identified on each image . A line of sight (or ray ) can be built from the camera location to the point on the object. It is the intersection of its rays ( triangulation ) which determines the relative three-dimensional position of the point. Known control points can be used to give these relative positions absolute values. More sophisticated algorithms can exploit other information on

4428-454: The contours, but also any significant streams or other bodies of water, forest cover , built-up areas or individual buildings (depending on scale), and other features and points of interest. While not officially "topographic" maps, the national surveys of other nations share many of the same features, and so they are often called "topographic maps." Existing topographic survey maps, because of their comprehensive and encyclopedic coverage, form

4510-456: The county of Ostallgäu contains the northeastern areas such as Tannheim group, and the county of Lindau includes the northwestern part of the Allgäu Alps in its broader sense. The Tyrolean part of the Allgäu Alps is located entirely within Reutte and the Vorarlberg part is entirely within Bregenz . Looking at the Allgäu Alps in a wider sense, including the Adelegg, the German federal state of Baden-Württemberg also has share. This element

4592-436: The crow flies from the summit of the Hohes Licht to the Lech valley road to the south. To the north, however, the nearest public highway is 8.5 km away. For the Hochvogel , the corresponding distances are 3 km to the south, but 11 km to the north. In addition, the starting points for walks south of the main ridge are often situated higher than those to the north. Despite these clear factors, hikers still approach

4674-415: The detailed description of a place. The word comes from the Greek τόπος ( topos , "place") and -γραφία ( -graphia , "writing"). In classical literature this refers to writing about a place or places, what is now largely called ' local history '. In Britain and in Europe in general, the word topography is still sometimes used in its original sense. Detailed military surveys in Britain (beginning in

4756-399: The east. The highest mountain is the Grünten , 1,738 m above NN . These mountains offer a scenic backdrop for leisure activities, especially for hikers. They also have the advantage of being snow-free for longer than the adjoining subranges of the Allgäu Alps to the south. The mountains consist of four rock groups. In the northernmost ridges molasse is dominant. In places flysch

4838-408: The exception of the area around the limestone plateau of the Hoher Ifen , the western mountain ranges, including the Allgäu Alps, form mountain chains unlike the eastern plateau ranges, such as the Lofer Steinberg mountains. The only mountain chain proper runs through the south-eastern and eastern part of the Allgäu Alps and forms the Austro-German border. This main chain, with a brief interruption in

4920-485: The first topographic maps was begun in France by Giovanni Domenico Cassini , the great Italian astronomer. Even though remote sensing has greatly sped up the process of gathering information, and has allowed greater accuracy control over long distances, the direct survey still provides the basic control points and framework for all topographic work, whether manual or GIS -based. In areas where there has been an extensive direct survey and mapping program (most of Europe and

5002-430: The flysch zone. South of the Riedberg Pass the rock changes again. This is the start of the Schratten limestone of the chalk formation, the rock which forms the prominent peak of Besler. Its summit can be reached via an exposed incline or somewhat more easily using a detour from the south. The Besler, like many other mountains of this subrange, offers a good view of the main chain of the Allgäu Alps. The valley known as

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5084-405: The late eighteenth century) were called Ordnance Surveys , and this term was used into the 20th century as generic for topographic surveys and maps. The earliest scientific surveys in France were the Cassini maps after the family who produced them over four generations. The term "topographic surveys" appears to be American in origin. The earliest detailed surveys in the United States were made by

5166-456: The lie of the land by delineating vegetation and other land-use information more clearly. Images can be in visible colours and in other spectrum. Photogrammetry is a measurement technique for which the co-ordinates of the points in 3D of an object are determined by the measurements made in two photographic images (or more) taken starting from different positions, usually from different passes of an aerial photography flight. In this technique,

5248-408: The main chain of the Allgäu, this time between the saddles of Hornbachjoch and Notländ. The Himmeleck is the boundary with the Daumen Group. The surrounding valleys are those of the Jochbach, Hornbach, Lech, Schwarzwasser and Bärgündle. The subgroup is formed predominantly of main dolomite. Its highest peak is the Hochvogel , 2,592 m which is also considered the most attractively shaped mountain in

5330-479: The most representations of land surface employ some variant of TIN models. In geostatistics , land surface is commonly modelled as a combination of the two signals – the smooth (spatially correlated) and the rough (noise) signal. In practice, surveyors first sample heights in an area, then use these to produce a Digital Land Surface Model in the form of a TIN . The DLSM can then be used to visualize terrain, drape remote sensing images, quantify ecological properties of

5412-405: The mountains northeast of the Fiderescharte col. The Fellhorn is located in the southern flysch zone of the Allgäu Alps. The ridgeline from the Widderstein via the Schafalpenköpfe to the Griesgundkopf consists of main dolomite . The subrange also contains lias , for example, at the Elfer. The sub-group of the Main Chain of the Allgäu Alps ( Zentraler Hauptkamm ) extends from the Schrofen Pass to

5494-409: The mountains without descending to inhabited valleys. Thanks to its location on the northern edge of the Alps, the region has relatively high precipitation and is the rainiest in Germany. In winter the Allgäu Alps – at least in the higher regions – are comparatively snowy. Even a small glacier and several permanent snowfields survive. The Allgäu Alps and the Allgäu region are not identical. The Allgäu

5576-433: The next oldest rock below the flysch layer ( Flyschdecke ) comes to light. The subgroup of the Southeastern Walsertal Mountains ( Südöstliche Walsertaler Berge ) is bounded in the north by the Kleine Walsertal valley. To the east and southeast are the valleys of the Stillach and the Rappenalpenbach. The Üntschen Pass connects the Southeastern Walsertal Mountains with the Northwestern Walsertal Mountains. The Schrofen Pass

5658-399: The north and northwest. The Allgäu Alps border on the Bregenz Forest Mountains in the west, the Lechquellen Mountains in the southwest, the Lechtal Alps in the south and southeast and the Ammergau Alps in the east. All these ranges belong, like the Allgäu Alps themselves, to the Northern Limestone Alps . In the north the Allgäu Alps give way to the Alpine Foreland . The boundary of

5740-483: The north, the Hornbach Range to the east, the Fürschießer to the northwest, the Kegelköpfe to the northwest, the Höfats Group to the northwest, the Kanzberg ridge to the east, the Daumen Group with its branches to the north, the east and the Rosskar Group to the east and the Leilach Group with its branches to the east and northeast. The main chain of the Allgäu Alps is not in the middle of the mountain range, but on its southern and south-eastern perimeter. It follows that

5822-417: The northern part of Himmelschrofen ridge is made of main dolomite. The southern part consists of lias rock of the Allgäu Beds that have been pushed over the main dolomite. In turn the main dolomite has been thrust over the Allgäu Beds again. This sub-group is located north of the Oberjoch saddle. The Iller valley forms its western boundary, the Ostrach valley delineates it to the south and the Vilstal valley to

5904-675: The range is only unambiguously clear in the east, southeast and south. The river Lech forms the boundary here from where it leaves the Alps and enters the Alpine Foreland near Füssen upstream to its confluence with the Krumbach near Warth (Vorarlberg) . The Krumbach forms the boundary as far as the Hochtann Mountain Pass . It then continues along the Seebach and Bregenzer Ach streams to Au-Rehmen. The border of

5986-425: The scale and size of the area under study, its accessibility, and the quality of existing surveys. Surveying helps determine accurately the terrestrial or three-dimensional space position of points and the distances and angles between them using leveling instruments such as theodolites , dumpy levels and clinometers . GPS and other global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) are also used. Work on one of

6068-462: The scene known a priori (for example, symmetries in certain cases allowing the rebuilding of three-dimensional co-ordinates starting from one only position of the camera). Satellite RADAR mapping is one of the major techniques of generating Digital Elevation Models (see below). Similar techniques are applied in bathymetric surveys using sonar to determine the terrain of the ocean floor. In recent years, LIDAR ( LI ght D etection A nd R anging),

6150-529: The side ridges branch off to the north and north-west are longer than those branching to the south and east. The valleys leading from the north to the main chain, are also longer than the valleys to its south. This has a significant impact on mountain tourism. For example, it is quicker to get to large parts of the main chain from the south than from the north, especially bearing in mind that several valleys south of Oberstdorf and near Hinterstein are out of bounds to private cars. It is, for example, only 3.5 km as

6232-662: The south alongside the Lech Valley. The main peaks are formed from main dolomite. This so-called Lechtal Nappe ( Lechtaldecke ) has been pushed onto the Allgäu Beds made of lias. There are examples of this overthrust plate in many places, for example, in the vicinity of the Kempten Hut (Trettach Gully) or the Rappensee Hut (Linkerskopf). In some cases even a double overthrust of the rocks may be observed. Thus,

6314-685: The south consist of flysch . This is the more northerly of the two flysch zones in the Allgäu Alps. The mountains have a more gentle, rounded shape. As a result, they are a popular area in winter for ski and snowshoe tours. The best known mountain of this flysch zone is the Riedberger Horn, which is easy to climb from the Riedberg Pass. The so-called "horns" ( Hörner ) - the Ofterschwanger Horn, Sigiswanger Horn , Rangiswanger Horn and Bolsterlanger Horn - also belong to

6396-416: The steep grass-covered sides of grass mountains requires a special type of climbing known as grass climbing ( Grasklettern ). Topography Topography is the study of the forms and features of land surfaces . The topography of an area may refer to the land forms and features themselves, or a description or depiction in maps. Topography is a field of geoscience and planetary science and

6478-652: The summits of the Rosszahn Group which scarcely receive any visitors. The Rauhhorn ridge is the eastern spur of the Allgäu main chain east of Bad Hindelang . With its numerous summits the mountain ridge runs roughly from south to north. Its western slopes rise above the valley of the Ostrach . To the east runs the long valley of the Schwarzwasser from the foot of the Sattelköpfe and which empties into

6560-584: The total area and coincides to a large extent with the catchment area of the River Iller. The Baden-Württemberg portion comprises only the extreme northwest of the Allgäu Alps, in its broader sense, by the Adelegg. The Tyrolean portion largely comprises the Lech river and its tributaries and the Vorarlberg part centres on the catchment area of Bregenzer Ach. At one point, the three states of Bavaria, Tyrol and Vorarlberg meet. This tripoint ( Dreiländerpunkt )

6642-468: The western side of the watershed. Conversely, the Kleines Walsertal belonging to Vorarlberg is on the eastern side of the watershed. The border between Bavaria and Tyrol generally follows the main chain of the Allgäu Alps, however. The Bavarian part of the Allgäu Alps is located entirely within the province of Swabia . The county of Oberallgäu incorporates the central area around the Iller;

6724-513: Was common. Only later was it considered part of the Allgäu Alps. The highest mountain is the Köllenspitze , 2,238 m above NN . The broad Tannheim valley clearly separates the Tannheim Mountains from the rest of the Allgäu Alps. There are geological differences too. Whilst large areas of the Allgäu Alps are made of brittle main dolomite or Jurassic rocks of the Allgäu Beds which must also be carefully handled, Wetterstein limestone,

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