| Tennen Mountains | |
|---|---|
 Southwest view | |
| Highestย point | |
| Peak | Raucheck |
| Elevation | 2,430ย m (7,970ย ft) |
| Dimensions | |
| Length | 15ย km (9.3ย mi) |
| Geography | |
.png) Tennen Mountains (in red) within the Alps. The borders of the range according to Alpine Club classification of the Eastern Alps | |
| Location | Northern Limestone Alps, Salzburg, Austria |
Country | Austria |
Range coordinates | 47ยฐ30โฒN 13ยฐ14โฒE๏ปฟ / ๏ปฟ47.500ยฐN 13.233ยฐE |
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The Tennen Mountains[1][2][3][4][5] (German: Tennengebirge) is a small, but rugged, mountain range in the Northern Limestone Alps, which lies in front of the Eastern Alps for its entire length. It is a very heavily karstified high plateau, about 60ย kmยฒ in area, with many caves. The range is located in Austria in the district of Salzburg near Bischofshofen.
Some 37 square kilometres of the Tennen plateau are above the 2,000 metre line and that part of the range within the state of Salzburg was turned into a nature reserve in 1982.
Extent and neighbouring ranges
editThe outline of the Tennen range is formed:[6]
- in the west by the Hagen Mountains, a part of the Berchtesgaden Alps, separated by the Salzach river. Here, at the northern end of the Lueg Pass, is the narrowest point of the Salzachรถfen Gorge through the Limestone Alps.
- in the north and northeast by the River Lammer as far as the Ruรbach stream, which descends from the Gschรผtt Pass. Beyond the Lammer is the Osterhorn Group (Salzkammergut Mountains)
- in the east by the Lammer valley as far as Lungรถtz, separating it from the Dachstein Mountains
- in the south it borders on part of the Salzburg Slate Alps right of the Salzach (Hochgrรผndeck, Roรbrand) along the line from Karbach to St. Martinย โ Fritzbachย โ Salzach to Bischofshofen
Valley settlements
edit- Werfen
- Pfarrwerfen
- Werfenweng
- Sankt Martin am Tennengebirge
- Annaberg-Lungรถtz
- Abtenau
- Scheffau am Tennengebirge
- Golling
Summit
edit
The highest mountains in the Tennen are Raucheck (2,430ย mย above sea level (AA)) in the west and Bleikogel (2,412ย mย above sea level (AA)) in the east. The highest points all rise on the southern edge of the plateau, which falls away to the north. The most important peaks are:
- Raucheck (2,430 m)
- Lehnender Stein (2,402 m)
- Pfaffenleitnkopf (2,370 m)
- Werfener Hochthron (2,363 m)
- Fritzerkogel (2,360 m)
- Streitmandl (2,360 m)
- Schubbรผhel (2,334 m)
- Tiroler Kogel (2,324 m)
- Eiskogel (2,321 m)
- Brietkogel (2,316 m)
- Wieselstein (2,300 m)
- Scheiblingkogel (2,290 m)
- Hochkogel (2,283 m)
- Fieberhorn (2,278 m)
- Tauernkogel (2,247 m)
- Knallstein (2,234 m)
- Hochkarfelderkopf (2,219 m)
- Breitstein (2,161 m)
- Tagweide (2,128 m)
- Edelweiรkogel (2,030 m)
Geology
edit
The Tennen is a heavily karstified massif, composed mainly of Dachstein limestone lying on a foundation of Ramsau Dolomite.
Its southern foothills, along the line LungรถtzโWerfenwengโWerfen, belong to an imbricate zone (Schuppenzone). This zone, made of Werfen Formation from the Lower Triassic and middle triadic dolomites (Anisian, Ladinian), is called the Werfen-St.-Martin Schuppen Zone.[7]
Caves
editThere are numerous caves in the Tennen Mountains.[8]
- The most famous is the Eisriesenwelt near Werfen, which is about 42ย km long and is the largest ice cave in the world. Its ice section is open to the public as a show cave.
- The best-known caves near valley level are the Brunnecker Cave on Lueg Pass, the Winnerfall Cave near Oberscheffau and the Trickl Cave near Abtenau. These are active water caves which can become flooded during snowmelt or other periods of high water level.
- Another important cave system is the Platteneckeis CaveโBerger CaveโBierloch system in the northwest of the mountain block. This system drains towards the Brunnecker Cave, dropping through a height of over 1,000ย metres.
- Other important caves are the Schneeloch on the Kuchelbergalm
- and the Eiskogel Cave, which crosses the mountain of the same name on the southern edge of the Tennen
The Tennen Mountains are a preferred research region for the State Cave Research Association in Salzburg, which collects and publishes results of its research. New caves are continually being found, but even old, well-known caves sometimes reveal new secrets.
Knowledge of the caves, and the routes that water takes through them, is important, particularly in terms of future water supply for the population and the protection of water resources.
Walking and climbing
editBeing a high plateau, the Tennen has numerous trails for the Alpine hiker. However, walkers need to be aware of the lack of water in the karst terrain and the dangers of getting lost in mist or fog. Alpine experience and a good level of fitness are basic pre-requisites, even though there are many mountain huts available. The precipices on the edge of the plateau offer the climber a wide scope of climbing options. The faces on the southern edge of the range, especially around the Werfener Hut and above Dr. Heinrich Hackel Hut are very popular due to their easy accessibility. In winter there are various ski touring routes, mainly crossing the plateau, but also extreme ski routes in some places.
Huts
edit- Anton Proksch House (1,590 m)
- Dr. Friedrich Oedl House (1,575 m)
- Dr. Heinrich Hackel Hut (1,530 m)
- Edelweiรer Hut (2,350 m)
- Elmaualm (1,520 m)
- Freilassing Hut (1,550 m)
- Gsengalm Hut (1,450 m)
- Gwechenberg Hut (1,365 m)
- Laufen Hut (1,725 m)
- Leopold Happisch House (1,925 m)
- Mahdegg Alm (1,200 m)
- Rossberghรผtte (1,000 m)
- Stefan Schatzl Hut (1,340 m)
- Werfen Hut (1,970 m)
Long distance trails
editThe European long-distance trailย E4/North Alpine Wayย 01/Via Alpina (Violet Trail Stageย A34/35) runs through the southern Tennen, from Lungรถtz to Werfen via the Dr. Heinrich Hackel Hut.
In addition Salzburg's Arno Way runs along the west of the group (Sectionย 6 Kalkberge Ost, Stageย 52 Annaberg Laufener Hut andย 53 to Abtenau).[9]
References
edit- ^ Kรคร, Werner and Behrens, Horst (1992). Tracing Technique in Geohydrology, Gebrรผder Borntraeger Verlagsbuchhandlung, Berlin/Stuttgart, p. 404. ISBNย 3-443-01013-X.
- ^ Arnold, Rosemarie and Taylor, Robert (2012). Austria, Baedeker, p. 571. ISBNย 978-3-8297-6613-5.
- ^ Bernhard, Thomas (1979). Correction, Knopf, p. 233. ISBNย 978-0-3944-1141-5.
- ^ Hammond Atlas of the World, 5th ed., Hammond World Atlas Corp., 2008. ISBNย 978-0-8437-0967-4.
- ^ Mutton, Alice Florence Adelaide (1961). Central Europe: a regional and human geography, Longmans.
- ^ Alpenvereinseinteilung der Ostalpen
- ^ Herbert Weingartner: Die geologischen Situation Archived 2011-07-06 at the Wayback Machine. In: Erhaltung, Chancen und Weiterentwicklung des Tourismus zur Sicherung einer nachhaltigen Entwicklung in der Region "Sรผdliches Tennengebirge". Institut fรผr Geographie und angewandte Geoinformatik, Salzburg (as at: 9ย Octoberย 2000)
- ^ Audra, Philippe. "Premiรจres observations morphologiques et spรฉlรฉologiques sur le karst haut-alpin du Tennengebirge (Salzburg, Autriche)". ISSNย 0751-7688.
- ^ "Abschnitt 6 - Kalkberge Ost". Der Arnoweg. SalzburgerLand. Archived from the original on 7 July 2011. Retrieved 14 May 2010.
