Mountain route over the Gottesacker plateau
Tour description
This unique mountain route is shaped by the steeply falling north face of the Hoher Ifen and the Gottesacker plateau, a geologically and botanically extraordinary karst landscape at the foot of the Hoher Ifen. From the starting point of the route at the valley station of the Ifenbahn, a natural hiking trail leads through the forest to the middle station of the Ifenbahn / Ifen hut. Alternatively, you can take the Ifenbahn up to this point. From there, a wide hiking trail leads in serpentine bends up a moderately steep path into the Ifen hollow and along the impressive, steeply falling walls of the Ifen plateau up to the summit of the Hahnenköpfle. Here begins the Gottesacker plateau, a wildly rugged karst landscape - an absolute must for geology and botany enthusiasts. The marked hiking trail leads over the Gottesacker plateau to the Gottesacker alpine pasture, over the Torkopfscharte and the Windeck saddle. From here, follow the hiking trail downhill through the Mahdtal, which passes the Hölloch, a large underground cave system. The end point of the route is at the Mahdtal house.
Hirschegg, Valley station Ifenbahn
Riezlern, Mahdtal house
Route description
Valley station of the Ifenbahn - Middle station of the Ifenbahn / Ifen hut - Ifen hollow - Hahnenköpfle - Gottesacker plateau - Gottesacker alpine pasture - Torkopfscharte - Windeck saddle - Mahdtal - Mahdtal house
Recommended equipment
EMERGENCY CALL:144 Alpine Emergencies Vorarlberg112 European emergency number (works with any phone/network)
The Gottesacker plateau should only be crossed with clear visibility, as it is very easy to lose orientation in fog!
Sturdy footwear and hiking poles. Weatherproof clothing recommended.
Further info & links
Tips
For this long route be sure to take enough drinks and a snack; from the Ifen hut / Ifenbahn middle station there are no more places to stop for refreshments.
At the dilapidated Gottesacker alpine pastures a hiking trail leads down through the Kürental. This trail offers the possibility to shorten the route by about 1.5 hours.
Further links
Directly on the hiking trail descending through the Mahdtal is the approximately 80-meter deep entrance to the Hölloch: a cave system with a total length of nearly 13 km and an elevation difference of over 400 meters.
Nature experience map, scale 1:12,000. Available for purchase at the tourist information office in the Walserhaus
Limitless hiking in the Kleinwalsertal. Hiking and route map with guide and panorama, scale 1:25,000. Available for purchase at the tourist information office in the Walserhaus
Alpine club map Bavarian Alps, Kleinwalsertal BY2, scale 1:25,000
