Hochgründeck - Mountain splitting

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The Hochgründeck (1,1827 m) is the highest elevation of the greywacke zone in the Alps UNESCO Global Geopark and the ridge shows one of the most important geological-tectonic-geomorphological phenomena. The stretch from the Kiener Haus to the summit of the Hochgründeck runs along a wide crest characterized by a double ridge. This is the indication of a "mountain rift" in the landscape. Mountain splitting with double ridges are characteristic formations in the soft, landslide-prone shales and phyllites of the greywacke zone.

The term "mountain splitting" refers to a two-phase tectonic event in which the rock breaks up or tears open at "relaxation fissures".

This is followed by the sagging of the loosened rock masses under the influence of gravity. Here, the abutment was lost after the Ice Age glacier melted, so the mountain sagged due to pressure relief on both sides, and the double ridge was formed. This process gives the area a "fractured appearance" with temporary water-filled pools and bumpy meadows between the two ridges.