The Nebelhorn

From Oberstdorf the cable car climbs in stages to a summit station at 2224 metres, ending on a ridge with the Allgau and Tyrolean peaks stacked to the south and the flat green of the Iller valley falling away north. The Nordwandsteig runs off the summit terrace and out across the north face, a steel walkway pinned to the rock with a long drop underneath; it is short, needs no equipment and does the job. From the top station the Hindelanger via ferrata heads along the ridge for those with the kit, and walkers can descend on foot past the Gaisalp lakes to Oberstdorf, which takes most of a day and several thousand steps of knee work. In winter the same lift serves a ski area.

What you actually see

• The Nordwandsteig - a steel walkway pinned across the north face below the summit.
• The summit ridge - Allgau and Tyrolean peaks to the south, the Iller valley north.
• The via ferrata start - the Hindelanger route leaving directly from the top station.
• The walk down - a long descent past the Gaisalp lakes into Oberstdorf.

When to go

June to early October for walking, with the alpine flowers at their best in late June and July. Go up on the first lifts: cloud typically builds through the morning and the summit is often clear only early. Check the webcam before buying a ticket. The ski season runs roughly December to April, when the top station is a lift hub rather than a viewpoint.

Honest expectations

The ticket is expensive by any measure, and cloud can sit on the summit for days with no refund. It is cold and windy at 2224 metres even in August, and people step out of the cabin in shorts and turn straight round. Queues at the valley station build from mid-morning, the last descent is earlier than most assume, and the walk down is hard on the knees.

Nearby

Oberstdorf, the Breitachklamm gorge and the Fellhorn cable car on the next ridge.