The region was formed in the early Triassic period (about 230 million years ago) as a coral reef in a shallow tropical sea.

Hard limestone was able to form on the outside of the reef, whilst the rock in the interior remained brittle and was quickly eroded away following the uplifting of the range.

This left a garland of mountains which, in a clockwise direction, are the Langkofel, Langkofeleck, Fünffingerspitze, Grohmannspitze, Innerkoflerturm, Zahnkofel and Plattkofel.

In Summer a gondola lift runs from Sellajoch up to the col of Langkofelscharte and the Toni Demetz refuge hut.

Between the Langkofel and the Sellajoch is the area of rockslides known as the "Rocky Town" (Steinernen Stadt), notable especially for its rich flora.