In Holzgau, follow the signposts to Café Uta. The path leads you past the Gasthof Bären inn to the left and then immediately right on a slight uphill course. The path is covered in asphalt until the wooden bridge, after which it becomes a gravel roadway, which has been cut into the rock higher up. The path leads past the impressive Simms waterfalls and is somewhat steeper in this section. Soon, however, the way becomes flat again and you will already be able to see Café Uta nestled among the thick valley vegetation. Walk for approx. 45 min to the café from the centre of Holzgau. From the café, a wide hiking path leads along the stream, in and out of shady woods on a gentle climb to the Lower Roßgumpenalm meadow, which likewise invites you to take a rest for something to eat and drink (approx. 40min). It is only at the Roßgumpenalm meadow that the track branches off to the Kemptner Hut. It leads steeply upwards to the right. Start off through light mixed mountain woodland, later passing increasingly through mountain pines and across open spaces strewn with alpine flowers and alpine rose. The Mädelejoch pass rises up at the valley head, as does the impressive Krottenkopf, standing at an altitude of 2,656m. Climbing the Mädelejoch that also forms the border between Austria and Germany entails an almost two-hour climb. On the other side, the trail then leads gently downwards to the Kemptner Hut.

(Christina Schwann, OeAV)

The supple force of water has in recent times caused a post Ice Age adjustment: the river levels are being rearranged. As in almost all alpine valleys, the River Lech in the Lechtal valley had dug its bed out so deeply from Steeg that it was soon filled in after its retreat. The meadows around the River Lech are therefore situated on a valley filling of loose river gravel. These meadows, as is particularly evident in the Holzgau area, are very fertile. In order to escape the risk of flooding however, settlements were mainly established on higher ground. Holzgau is situated on the alluvial fan of the Höhenbach stream, along which the Via Alpina leads to the Roßgumpenalm meadow. Much older even than Holzgau, however, is the “Schiggen” settlement situated on the slope. On the walk to Café Uta, you will come across the raging and roaring "Simms waterfalls". The waterfalls have an explosion ordered by Frederick R. Simms at the turn of the century to thank for their appearance today. But even before that, the Höhenbach stream tumbled over this rock edge into the valleys. Over time, however, it dug itself ever deeper into the rock until it no longer flowed over the edge and therefore sought itself out another bed. The former outlet was opened up again by the explosion. Nowadays, the water is channelled into both stream beds as this is thought to ensure an optimal contribution to nature.
(Christina Schwann, OeAV, with the kind support of Matthias Hill, DAV-Sekt. Allgäu-Immenstadt)