The 7 Most Amazing Peaks around Ellefeld

The rock formation is visible from afar. And from the top, you also have a great view. It's a bit more difficult to climb the rock in cycling shoes, as it's quite smooth and drops steeply to one side. Once at the top, you'll find a station of the Royal Saxon Triangulation Survey. "The Royal Saxon Triangulation (here with its historical proper name) is a national survey carried out between 1862 and 1890 on the territory of the Kingdom of Saxony, with the simultaneous creation of a trigonometric network. The goal was to record the territory with scientific and geodetic precision and, by establishing permanently marked reference points, to create the basis for the production of accurate maps." - https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/K%C3%B6niglich-S%C3%A4chsische_Triangulirung The triangulation network created by August Nagel was considered one of the most precise surveying networks in the world at the time. The Nagel columns are now preserved as technical monuments. From station 152 Wendelstein, the stations Marienhöhe, Schönheide, Kiel, Schöneck, Lottengrün, and Wilhelmshöhe were sighted.

The Wendelstein (734 m) is part of a long chain of rocky cliffs that jut sharply out of the earth. This striking rock formation begins at the "Hoher Stein" (Czech Republic), continues via the "Alter Söll" (Schöneck), the "Rehhübel," "Rinnelstein," "Großer Affenstein," "Kleiner Affenstein," "Genesenstein," "Wendelstein," and "Schwarzer Stein" (all Grünbach) to the "Bendelstein" near Auerbach. The Wendelstein, like all the others, is composed of greywacke quartzite. This is a dark gray, mostly highly consolidated sandstone composed of feldspar, chlorite, and mica, with a high proportion of slate and quartzite. About 500 million years ago, the Vogtland region was covered by a shallow sea. Sand and mud settled on the bottom, which subsequently solidified into sandstone and slate, the sedimentary rock, due to climate change and landslide. Forced upwards under enormous heat and pressure, phyllite and quartzite were formed. (https://www.gruenbach.de/freizeit_aktiv)

The Wendelstein has been protected as a geological natural monument since November 5, 1938. A triangulation column dated 1864 was erected on the highest part of the rock, representing a second-order survey point in the course of the historic Saxon national survey. The Wendelstein is 734 m above sea level and is part of a long chain of rocky cliffs that jut steeply out of the earth. This striking rock formation begins at the "Hoher Stein" (Czech Republic), continues via the "Alter Söll" (Schöneck), the "Rehhübel," "Rinnelstein," the "Großer Affenstein" and "Kleiner Affenstein," the "Genesenstein," "Wendelstein," and the "Schwarzer Stein" (all Grünbach) to the "Bendelstein" near Auerbach. (https://www.gruenbach.de/freizeit_aktiv/gehenswertes_rund_um_gruenbach-muldenberg/wendelstein/index.php)

There is a small hut and a few benches here. Ideal for a short rest.

The last third of the route is very bad and in places very rough.

Beautiful rock. It's worth a detour.

At the top of the Wendelstein there is a historic triangulation column and a summit cross.

To get there you should be sure-footed. I would advise against climbing when it is wet.