Originally the mountain was known locally as the Metzenarsch, but when in 1854 Marie Frederica of Prussia visited the hunting lodge on the Tegelberg and was having the surrounding peaks pointed out, they called it after In der Kelle, the name of a strip of land at the foot of the mountain, because its original name referred to a Matz, in other words a prostitute, and seemed inappropriate.

The Tannheim Mountains are part of the Northern Limestone Alps, whose folding began during the Alpide orogeny in the Lower Cretaceous about 140 million years ago and has not quite finished even today.

The summit and northern mountainside consist of Wetterstein limestone, whilst the southern flank comprises soft marl of the so-called Partnach beds .

From the hut the ascent heads steeply uphill to the north across the scree slopes of the Gimpelkar cirque to the col, then right and upwards requiring climbing at UIAA grade I and, in places II.

From the opposite side, a route runs from the Otto Mayr Hut in the north up to the same col, taking a good four hours to the top of the Kellenspitze.