Two alpine pastures tour over the Ponten - Allgäu Alps

On a hot May 31st, we parked at the hall in Hinterstein and hiked a very steep path toward the Willersalpe. There, we quickly refilled our underestimated drink supplies and then began the veeeery, very steep climb up the Ponten. After 1,000 meters of elevation gain, we reached a wonderful ridge path with views of the mountains and Alpine foothills. The hike to both peaks is not for the inexperienced; there's no lift ;) But no matter which direction you take the circular route, you'll be rewarded with an alpine hut and cold drinks about every third of the way up. My muscles ached from the steep descent.

Sturdy shoes and surefootedness are essential. More like a morning tour in summer as everything is in full sun. Also no shady places to rest. Very nice, don't forget Grödel in spring. June was still snow in it. When dismounting, don't forget to stop in the newly converted hut.

Parked as in the last tour in town for €5. Then along the Willersbach to the rustic Willersalpe, which unfortunately only opens from 11 a.m. Made about 560m in 1h. Next we went to Zirleseck (again approx. 320 m), then over the ridge path to Ponten. Thanks Father's Day rel. a lot going on, you have to pull together at the summit cross. On the way to the Bscheisser, two small snowfields have to be crossed. After that it's all downhill. A short break at the Zipfelsalpe to take a foot bath at the Zipfelsbach Falls just before Hinterstein.

Something completely different was planned for this weekend. But when you go to bed with stomach problems on Wednesday (my favorite) and then I go to bed on Friday, things turn out differently than you expect. I recovered quickly, too, or so I thought, and so we tackled a tour that had been on my to-do list for a while.

Made a tour again after a long time. The tour went to the Allgäu Alps, which I haven't done a tour there yet. The tour started in Hinterstein at the parking lot. The day parking ticket costs €10. Valid from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Start of the tour at 8.15am. From the parking lot we went in the direction of Willersalpe. Shortly before half past nine this happened. From the Willersalpe it went steeply uphill in zigzags to the Zirleseck at 1872m, where the border between Austria and Germany runs. There I first took a break on the boundary stone and unpacked my snack. After the refreshment and the great view of Austria towards Ponten, I unfortunately had to skip the summit because a thunderstorm was brewing behind me. The signpost indicated 3h45min to Zipfelsalp. We continued over the Bschiesser at 2080m, short photo at the summit cross because it was still thundering and it started to drip slightly. The descent to the Zipfelsalb was slightly slippery and rocky but arrived safely. On the Zipfelsalpe there was a break with Spezi and relaxation of the muscles. (There were great snack plates) A curious chicken that ran back and forth between the tables, which I didn't see at first, pecked at my calf. Then the weather cleared up and the sun shone again. After the break, he continued downhill over the Zipfelsbach. On the way I met a couple with sneakers without proper equipment and information about the trail/tour who wanted to know how long it is to the Zipfelsalpe. In front of waterfalls and great views of the village of Hinterstein. Before just before the parking lot, a bench invited us to linger a little longer. Then to the parking lot to start the way home again.

A fantastically beautiful tour. From Hinterstein to Zipfelsalpe the climb is easy to walk but very steep with roots and scree. The tour can easily be extended with a climb to the “Ponten” and/or “Rohnenspitze”. Plus minus 45-60min and approx. 100m On the Willersalpe there is cheese made in-house. 👍🥾⛰️

Hinterstein -> Zipfelsalpe -> Bschießer (Bscheißer) -> Ponten -> Rohnenspitze -> Zirleseck - Willersalpe -> Hinterstein After many years again a tour in the Allgäu. The 2 hiking car parks in Hinterstein may only be used from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. and cost EUR 10 (without comment). There are also private (cheaper) parking spaces in town. The paths are beautifully laid out. The ascent to the Bschießer (in Austria "Bscheißer") can be mastered without any problems. When pontooning, you should be sure-footed when ascending and descending. If you want to reach the summit cross, you need a head for heights. A head for heights and surefootedness are required to reach the Rohnenspitze. In addition, the hands are often required. The rope insured piece is not too difficult. All in all a highly recommended tour.

Instead of a moderate introductory tour, I let myself be tempted by a brochure last night and pushed the elevation gain away. Well, my lungs were whistling accordingly 🤪. I set off at 6:30 a.m. to be at the top when the heat really hit, and it wasn't until just before Zirleseck that a little cloud came over the mountain. Until then, it was nice and shady with a gentle breeze. The first view from there over into the Tannhäuser Valley was simply magnificent. 🌄 Then I climbed a little way up to the summit of Ponten, where I took a long rest. I didn't even know which way to turn, the panoramic view was so beautiful. 😍 We continued along the beautiful ridge path over to the Bscheisser (as the Austrians say, the Germans reverse the two letters 😁) Shortly before 12 o'clock, we began the descent to the already visible Zipfelsalpe (where carrot cake was waiting for me), initially through gravelly terrain, later through mountain pine forest and hilly meadows. Unfortunately, my hopes for some delicious buttermilk were in vain.