The Gimpel is a peak in the Tannheim Mountains, a sub-range of the Allgäu Alps. It is 2,173 m high.
The name is derived from the "Gimpelalpe" alp in der "hollow" ("Mulde") (Celtic "comba" = English "coombe"). The Gimpel is made of Wetterstein limestone.
Location.
The arête of the "Judenscharte" links the Gimpel with the Rote Flüh; the Schäfer (2,060 m), also called the "Little Gimpel" ("kleiner Gimpel") with the Kellenspitze.
Alpinism.
There are several climbing tours on the Gimpel, ranging from alpine, classic routes like the West Arête (first climbed by J. Bachschmid and E. Christa in 1896, UIAA grade III+) to the top-sport climb of "Primavera" (first ascended by Baldo Pazzaglia in 1992, UIAA grade IX−).
Even the normal route up the South Face and the East Arête is only possible by negotiating grade II sections.
In 1990 Toni Freudig discovered a cave system in the South Face (the Gimpel Labyrinth).
In 1999 the Gimpel was one of the first mountains in the Allgäu, whose most popular routes were fitted with climbing bolts after a three people in a roped team from Oy/Mittelberg were killed on the neighbouring Rote Flüh when the rope broke causing the team to fall.