KH Day 01. 28 June. Thorl Maglern to Refugio Nordio Deffar. 20 km. 9 hours. 1790m up. 1060m down. We set off just before 0800 after a superb stay at The Pension Galle in Unterthorl. We ate a good breakfast as the first part of the day was a near 1000 metre climb without respite and there was another 800 metres later in the day also. It was sunny, warm and windstill when we walked through the beautiful hamlet of Unterthorl which merged into Oberthorl. It was even more quaint with a huge hay barn with a large overhanging roof covering all the racks where hay would hang in a month or two once it was cut. 

The route followed the track for a km or so as it left the fields and went into the warm beech forest. As the track zig-zagged the route initially followed the track, but it soon cut across a zig-zag through the forest on a small overgrown path. As we climbed into the beech the path cut across more and more until in the end it was purely on the path. It was small and sometimes faint but there were always the characteristic blazes on the trees to indicate where it went. It was a relentless climb with no respite. The day was warm and humid and I was soon sweating. On and on the path climbed through the tall straight beech whose shade was a mercy. 

After a good hour the path met a track and followed it to a great view point where the mountains to the south and east rose like huge grey tombstones. The Carnic Prealps to the south in Friuli were perhaps the most jagged and spectacular but the Julian Alps in Slovenia just 10 km away were larger and there were a few glaciers here. We followed the track for a bit climbing less steeply now and in conifers which I think were firs but did not look closely. In the glades there was a riot of summer alpine flowers and it was nice to see them again, like old friends. The route occasionally followed a track but essentially it was on a path through the forest. However whatever the path went through it was always up. As we climbed more onto the spine of the ridge we got some great views down into the Gailtal valley to the north of the Main Carnic Alps ridge, which we were now following. It was peppered with small hamlets and looked like very good agricultural land, nourished by the silt of the river. 

After 3 hours we eventually burst out of the forest and onto an alp where some horses were shading under trees. There were some alm houses further up and we had hoped to have lunch here. We passed a couple of small ponds and then climbed the grassy meadows to reach the small quaint alm houses of the summer farms. There were 8 houses where families would have come for centuries to oversee their animals and do dairy tasks. Most of the houses were in good condition and very quaint. The alm, or alp, was called Goraicher Alm and it was idyllic with great views over the Julian Alps in particular. In the middle of the houses was a large table which could seat perhaps 20 with benches on each side. I have seen them before with the whole alm and its families eating a seasonal feast. Beside it was a great church bell and a small spring of cold fresh water. There was only one family here I think and so we sat at the table and ate our modest lunch. 

After lunch we left at 1200 and continued west. Initially our route took us down a newly made track into the fir forest again, We followed it for a few kilometres as it traversed the hillside on the south side of the main ridge before crossing to the north side. It was not particularly scenic in the trees but we occasionally caught glimpses south into Italy and north across the Gailtal valley to range after range. Eventually the easy track came to an end and we started a long 600 metre descent to a very deep saddle on the ridge. It was disheartening to go down knowing we had to climb back up again, The descent was steep and relentless and was mostly on small paths through the forest. Initially it was dry and dusty between small firs, but as we descended the firs got bigger and bigger, each one growing straight up to try and get its canopy into the direct sunlight. Soon the firs gave way to the beech and which were much more comforting to walk through. It was soft underfoot here and we continued down for well over an hour in all until we reached the Bartolo Saddle. 

We crossed a track and then started up the west side of the Bartolo Saddle. Suddenly I saw a large owl and then another silently follow each other through the trees until they settled on one near us. They had large round faces and one sat still long enough for me to photograph it. It was one of the highlights of the day. It was not a steep climb initially and the cool of the beech forest helped so we soon reached a small cabin on the edge of a meadow. We had a second lunch here to fortify us for the final push up the hill. There was a spring marked on the map but we could not find it. 

At about 1500 we left in the middle of the afternoon heat to slog up the final slopes. The route was largely along the border of Italy and Austria as it wove between fir trees. It climbed steeply and it was a hard slog up these metres for an hour and a half without respite until we could see the alm houses of Achomitzer alm. Soon we hauled ourselves out of the flower-filled forest onto the meadow of the alm. There was a spring here so we filled our bottles and then climbed up to the 5 houses and the dairy. There was no one here but it was a lovely calm place and the large mixed herd of cattle and horses gently grazed the meadow as we passed. 

There was still one more climb but it was mercifully small. Initially we had to drop down 100 metres or so to a saddle on a small alm track. It was an easy descent and we cut across the meadow between the bends of the road. After 20 minutes we reached the saddle and started the final climb of the day up to a small chapel which we could see on the descent. The climb was pleasant but tiring at the end of the long day. It was called the Almkapelle Maria Schnee  (Madonna of the Snow). It was a nice place to rest with a large table beside it. 

From here it was a short walk down the track to the north across close cropped meadows to the large Feistritzer alm at about 1700 metres. This alm had about 20 houses and a large house with a menu and tables outside. It looked like a mountain hut but it was difficult to see if it was open or not. There was nothing on the internet to say it was previously, so I had already decided to not risk it and push on for another 45 minutes to Refugio Nordio Deffar. However if the Mountain Lodge at Feistritzer alm was open it would have been a great place to stay as there was a real dairy culture here with some 50  cows and also 50 horses grazing nearby. A few of the horses had foals. 

We did not stop here but continued down the easy path across the meadows and into the forest. The path got steeper and steeper as it went through the fir forest and in a few places it needed caution as the track was damaged by a small landslide. After dropping nearly 300 metres we crossed a stream and reached the new Rifugio Nordio Deffar after the old one had burnt down a few years ago. I hoped it would be quiet but it was busy and our room was a bunk room with 8 beds and 6 were already taken. It was a bit of a disappointment after the long day as the manager had said we would be the only ones when I booked. It was now busy and there was no option. However the food was delicious and plentiful and the staff were very friendly and chatty. We sat inside while everybody else ate on the terrace. We had had enough sun for the day. After supper I wrote the blog while Fiona read before going up to the crowded room.  

KH Day 02. 29 June. Rifugio Nordio Deffar to Eggeralm . 13 km. 5.5 hours. 700m up. 710m down. Like most refuges the food was much better than the sleeping arrangements and Nordio Deffar provided a generous breakfast. As everyone was chatting on the terrace getting ready to go, two of our roommates from Germany said they had a friend in Edinburgh. It turned out she was also a friend of mine and we had a lively 10 minutes chat about that before taking a photo of the two of us to send to her. The Germans were on a 3 week hike from Salzburg to the Adriatic, which is getting well known. We all set off in different directions, the Germans south to Tarviso, others east to Thorl Maglern and us northwards to Dolinza alm.

It was a short hike north up the track for about 15 minutes climbing slowly and gently until we reached the saddle and the border with Austria again and burst out onto the open pastures. The sun was shining on the west side of the pastures but where the 15-odd alm houses were in an orderly line it was still in the shade. There was a gasthaus here but it was completely closed save a chalk menu on the outside. I think the gasthaus house was only open at the weekends in the high season, when it was worth their while. We wandered through the alm as the sun chased the shade off the two rows of orderly old log alm houses with their wooden shingle roofs. 

The route now started to climb westwards in earnest. It went steeply up through the fir and spruce forest on small zigzags. The path was not well marked and often quite faint but it followed the obvious course up the north side of a ravine. The forest floor was full of flowers, especially geranium and buttercup species. As we climbed the forest became thinner and the spruce disappeared to be replaced by fir and larch. The ground cover now was largely Alpenrose, a short Rhododendron which was still in flower. After climbing past the last of the trees the path reached a saddle on the north side of the lower hill of Sagran, which was our highpoint of the day. It was warm and wind still and the sky was clear blue with the occasional hazy sky so the views over to the Julian and Carnic Prealps in Slovenia and Friulian Italy were spectacular. They were immensely jagged mountain ranges. 

We now started the long descent to the valley floor. It was initially very pleasant through the upper larch and fir forest, which was quite thin. Cows were grazing here, heads down chomping on the lush grass and tails swishing to keep the flies at bay. It was an idyllic setting. As we continued down we reached Gortschacher Alm which was about 10 houses, again in a line and all pretty much the same build. There was very little life here at the moment and I guess the cows in the vicinity were not milk cows. Just before we reached the alm we came across a family of young marmots who must have been this year’s kits. They were small and relatively fearless and just scurried into their burrows at the last minute.  They had yet to learn of the dangers overhead. 

After Gortschacher Alm the route followed the track down into the side valley on a long series of zig-zags until even these were not steep enough so it left the track and continued down through the forest steeply until it got to the small river on the side valley floor. We wanted to stop for lunch here as we had been going 3 hours but there was nowhere great so we carried on down this side stream for another half hour through the forest. We descended into mixed woods until we got to the main side valley with the Seebach stream where we found a log to sit on beside the stream. 

We now had to make one more climb but it was only 200 metres or so. However the hillside was not only steep but the forest had been harvested some 5 years ago and the route was quite overgrown with the first phase of coloniser plants. They often covered the path which must be little used despite it being on a few longer and well known walking routes. The climb was very hot and it was a joy to reach the shade of trees again when the overgrown route met a forest track. A short half hour down the track we reached a large alm called Dellacher alm. Its 30 odd houses were arranged on each side of a track and surrounded by a large pasture. There were some signs of dairy work here but not much and I think most of the alm houses were holiday homes and some even rented out for a week at a time. There was a small restaurant here and as we were parched we went down to it and had a soft drink each.  The other clients all seemed local from the alm houses. 

Refreshed, we continued west for the last leg of the day. We followed the small alm road for a good kilometre until we reached the reed fringed Eggeralm See, which was a small lake. Here we thought going round the roadless side of it on the path would have been nicer so we left the track and quickly found the path. There was a large mixed herd of cows and horses here with at least 100 animals in it. Many of the horses were huge and strong. I am not sure why there are so many horses in these alms and assume they are for the table eventually. Past this herd we met the shores of the lake and flushed a few ducks from the reeds which mostly swam to deeper water, but some took flight. It was a lovely walk across the meadows with occasional giant silver fir standing alone and proud with their huge branches drooping down to the ground. At the west end of the lake was another large herd of cows and horses again with about 100 healthy large beasts. We rejoined the road soon after and then followed its level course across the open valley floor to Eggeralm. 

Eggeralm was large with about 40 houses and a chapel. It also had a guest house and a diary. Most of the houses were log and timber with pretty balconies. The houses usually sat on a stone or concrete basement which would have once been the diary. However it seemed many of the houses were now holiday homes, often for the original families which owned them. There were two guesthouses here and we had booked into to the nicer of the two “Zum alten Kaseri” which was right opposite the cheese dairy. The owners took us upstairs to the upper floor where there was a long corridor with 3-4 rooms on each side and a big balcony adorned with young geraniums along the edge. It was idyllic. We were shown a room with two old wooden beds next to the balcony. There was a shower and we soon had one and hung the washed clothes out to dry. Thereafter we went down for a drink at the pub, or stube, underneath. 

The dairy opposite had a shop so we went in to enquire about the cheese and butter it made to try and find out more. The 40 cows were milked at the far end of the building and then their milk went into the middle part of the dairy where it was made into butter and cheese. The ladies in here showed us the vast stainless steel vat where the cheese was curdled and formed, and then the press which had 4 large truckles in it wrapped in cloth where the whey was squeezed out and the cheeses were set. At the end nearest the gasthaus was a small shop where the camembert-type cheese, butter and other local dairy products were sold. It was a fascinating place but my German was just too clumsy for us to have anything but an awkward conversation and I was worried we might be a nuisance so left.  We learnt the cows were milked at 1700 and 0500 so hoped to find out more then. However when the 40 cows were driven down the hill to the dairy we could just watch them. I tried to initiate a conversation in the hope we might get invited in to watch but they were too busy to bother with us. 

Dinner was early at 1800 and we both had a large plate for food. I think Austrian hospitality is the most generous in the Alps and this place did not disappoint. The menu was full of local specialities and dumpling varieties. Nobody in an Austrian guesthouse goes hungry. As we ate the wind picked up and the skies which had been getting darker all day were now a dark grey. It seemed the weather might change and the forecast was not great for tomorrow. We went upstairs after the meal where I wrote the blog on the balcony overlooking the busy alm. It seemed a very sociable place and everybody greeted everyone else. It seemed everyone here was involved in the dairy to some extent. I wish I could have found out more but the language barrier prevented me asking even if the cows were individually owned or part of a collective, and if the former, were the profits distributed accordingly. It had been a very nice day and it was a perfect evening at the quaint and interesting Eggeralm.  

KH Day 03. 30 June. Eggeralm to Nassfield. 14 km. 5 hours. 640m up. 530m down. We both had a long undisturbed sleep in the dark pine panelled room in the lovely Gasthaus. Breakfast was also a sumptuous affair with a board of cured meats and a selection of cheeses all on dark heavy bread which filled one up. In my experience Austrian hospitality is the best in the Alps and better than the French or Italians. The Swiss are the worst with parsimonious servings at exorbitant prices. They need to take a lesson from the generous Austrians. We ate outside under grey skies with a good breeze blowing. However it was still warm even though we were at 1400 metres. 

We set off at 0900 and followed a gravel track as it contoured across the hillside through forest on the north and the west side of Planja mountain, 1720m, a forested knoll in the alpine scale. It was an easy and pleasant 3 km and we covered the ground quickly. There was a carpet of flowers in the glades between the fir trees. However after these 3 km we reached a saddle, the Stallen Sattel 1496m, on the main ridge, and the border with Italy, and then started to descend. The descent was rich in flowers as the landscape was less densely covered in trees as it was south facing and dry. As we descended there was the occasional section of path which had been washed away in Biblical rainstorms over the last 20 years and here the path was narrow, loose and exposed for 10-20 metres. To our south there were frequent steep gravel slopes where small landslides had scoured the hillside. On three occasions there were old metal cables to hold onto as we crossed the rim of the landslide on a narrow shelf. This section went on for a good two kilometres but it felt much longer. As we traversed down the steep hillside the valley, called Vallone de Rio Blanco on account of the small stones which had been washed down, came up to meet us and the terrain eased off. We seemed to be walking along an old military road as along the steeper more precarious bits on the steep dry pine clad rocky valley side and also the gentler section through the beech forest there was once a narrow track perhaps for horse and cart. Generally the track was OK but where the deluges had damaged it in rocky ravines and swept away the terraces or bridges in the last 50 years no repair was done. When we reached the floor of the Vallone de Rio Blanco we headed west again up a better track to a saddle on the main ridge and the Austrian border. The saddle was called the Stutenboden sattel, 1440m. Just before it we passed a herd of beige bullocks chomping the grass in the glades of the forest and I took a photo. 

After the saddle we passed over a small alm with a single house and climbed slowly on a track on the north side of the main ridge and high above a deep wooded valley with the Garnitzenbach stream. Across from this on the other side of the valley rose the very imposing Gartnerkofel mountain, 2195m. It was the highest and most alpine of all the mountains on the ridge so far and looked like it was from the Dolomites with its sheer light grey walls rising up to jagged inaccessible peaks. Below the walls were fields of steep  scree much of which were covered in the dwarf pine, Mugo mugo. As we walked up the fir lined road two ladies drove up and stopped. They were local farmers and had lost their cows. I showed them a photo to confirm they were the ones they were looking for and they were delighted. I told them they were in the woods half a kilometre into Italy. 

The track soon ended and then we had to stumble along a path through the woods for nearly a km until we got to a green open ski piste, which was well grazed in the summer. We crossed the piste and climbed up to a large hut with a terrace wrapped round it. It was called the Garnitzeralm and it was open so we went in to have a soft drink and bread and cheese. The hosts were very friendly and it seems there were rooms available here also. However it was only an hour away from the fleshpots and bright lights of Nassfield, which is where we were heading. However there was still a good 300 metre climb up past a water pond and through the woods beside the piste to the top of top of the pass on the south side of Gartnerkofel mountain. The water pond was artificial and it used to make snow in November and December to extend the ski season. 

At the top of the pass, 1856m, Nassfield appeared some 300 metres below us on a major crossing over the main Karnischer Alps ridge. This pass was called the Nassfield or Pramollo Pass depending on language. It was a ski resort in the winter and there were loads of dormant hotels which were closed, waiting for the snows to return. However there were also many hotels which were open for hikers, cyclists and motorists. We had chosen the Wulfenia da Livio which had a restaurant also. It was beside a small lake on the Italian side and away from the sprawl of the ski resort which was mostly on the Austrian side half a kilometre away. 

The walk down was both on the piste and in the woods beside it. It was raining now and some of the bare rocks were greasy and slippery in the forest and we had to take care. The rain continued all the way to Watschiger Alm where there was a chairlift at the end of a road. The chairlift was running for summer visitors and hikers. We bypassed this slightly industrial complex and walked 2 km down the road to a chapel on the border with an Italian flag on the south side of it, and an Austrian flag on the north side. We went down a track on the Italian side to the lake and our hotel. We had a great room with a large balcony and a view over the lake and tomorrow’s mountains. However it was still raining and the mountains were covered in mist. After a shower we went down for a second lunch of a salad and then I wrote the blog before dinner. The hotel restaurant was closed for dinner but the owner’s daughter had a pizzeria some 200 metres away which had some of the best pizzas I have tasted. During the walk to this pizzeria the rain stopped and blue sky appeared but the forecast for tomorrow was wet.

KH Day 04. 01 July. Nassfeld to Straniger Alm.  17 km. 7 hours. 850m up. 860m down. It was still dry in the morning but the mist was low and covered pretty much everything. We could not even see across the small lake. Breakfast was at 0800 and it was a buffet. It was not well prepared and there was no one about except the owner’s daughter and she was on her phone. So we helped ourselves and then made up a couple of rolls and boiled some eggs for lunchtime. By the time we eventually set off it was 0900 and the air felt very damp. 

We walked round the lake to the dormant borderpost at the pass. Here we left the road just at a large hotel complex with about 6 adjacent modern wooden blocks which were all part of a ski hotel. We initially walked up the piste climbing slowly in the mist until the expected rain finally arrived. It was heavy with large droplets splashing off our jackets and rivulets running down the path. It stayed with us all the way up to the top of the piste when it eased and then stopped.

At the top of the piste was a curious set of water features, a small lake and play area, which all seemed to celebrate that this once war torn area was now at peace. We dropped down through it and then continued down towards the base of some ski lifts. I was worried we were losing too much height and that we should have taken a higher path but then the mist cleared to reveal Rosskofel mountain, 2240m. The other path I wondered about went over the ridge of this large jagged mountain above the huge cliffs which were now obvious. It would have been a much longer alternative. The route took us down the piste but before it got to the bottom a path branched off to the west. We took it and wove between outcrops and larch trees beneath the large cliffs and scree slopes on the north side of Rosskofel mountain. 

After half an hour of weaving through boulders and trees the path started to climb. The rain started again as we began the climb and it was very heavy. Rivulets were streaming down the outcrops and flowing down the path. There was the odd clap of distant thunder. The further up we climbed the more the path became obvious as it must have been a 100 year old military construction to move soldiers or supplies. However as we climbed the rain continued to pummel us, and the thunder was more frequent and loud with some violent claps occasionally. After an hour, and some 2.5 hours after leaving Nassfeld, we reached Rudnigsattel, 1945m. I thought this would be the end of the climb and the more awkward part, but there was a lot more to come. 

Instead of dropping down the otherside of the pass into the lovely Valle di Aip on the Italian side with its characteristic red bivouac shed with 9 cramped beds, it continued to climb along a ridge. This ridge was a narrow crest between two bowls, the one we had just ascended and the Valle di Aip. Occasionally we had to clamber over a outcrop while the rain continued to fall and the thunder roared overhead.  Half way along the rain stopped and the skies cleared to reveal a massive mountain we were walking towards called Trogkofel, 2280m. As soon as the rain stopped the choughs came out to play, soaring along the ridge. 

Once we reached the base of Trogkofel the route veered west along the base of the cliffs. We picked our way along this rocky path, which was covered in interesting flowers which must have enjoyed the south facing aspect. The path went on for much longer than I thought as it undulated across the scree. Half way along the rain and thunder started again and it was heavy, with some hail mixed in. Rivulets started to cascade down Trogkofel and also on the mountain on the south side of the Valle di Aip, called Creta di Rio Secco. At the west end of Trogkofel I thought surely we must go down now but it continued to traverse round the shoulder for another half hour before we started to descend. We dropped down through the dwarf pine to a junction of paths at the east end of a long scrub covered ridge called the Rotterndorfer Schneid. We had been going for 4.5 hours without stopping, so in a brief lull in the rain and with atmospheric mists swirling around the jagged peaks we stopped for a late lunch. 

We set off again a little after 1400 and walked along the low scrub covered Rottendorfer Scheid for a good hour. Although the slopes were gentle the path was rocky and slow and we had to be careful as we pushed through the scrub. By now it was raining again I could feel my feet getting wet as we had to slosh through large puddles. There were many salamanders out and about on the track, perhaps 50 altogether today and we had to take care not to step on them as they were slow and clumsy. Slowly we climbed up the gentle rocky ridge to a shallow pass and then crossed over into Italy. Down in the bowl below the ridge was a beautiful Magla, or dairy, called Cordin Grande. It had 3 buildings one of which was the alp house and one the dairy. The whole complex looked like a Victorian romantic painting with the mist hanging over the trees and meadows. As we circled around the bowl which the dairy sat in we came back to the border again and a fence. Crossing the fence to Austria we then started the final descent. 

Initially it was on a lovely path which was wide and even as we dropped into the larch and then fir trees. Soon we could hear cow bells and knew that we were back in the safety of the forest. It was an easy path and despite the rain there was relief to be back in the conifers again with the usual flowers. One which we saw a lot of was a tall white geranium. After an easy hour walking down the path we finally met a track. This track led us all the way to Straniger Alm through the tall fir trees. The wind which blew the rain into our faces earlier in the day on the higher paths was now completely gone. It was a very easy track to follow with just the right gradient to keep the momentum going. After a T junction we rounded a corner and reached a herd of some 50 cattle being driven down the track for the evening milking. We followed them for 100 metres to reach the main building of Straniger Alm which was the Gasthaus. We went in, dripping wet, to a fire and great reception. 

We were given a lovely room with 3 beds and were shown the shower. After sorting ourselves out we went down to the small stube (living room) with the fire where there were another 6 hikers. It was quite cosy. We all ate together from a selection of local dishes, with many of them featuring the cheese the alm made in the dairy, which was the other half of the gasthaus building. When we finished I wrote the blog. The only downside was that just before 2000 some 25 Austrians arrived by car. They had already booked but the stube was taken over by them and we were all squeezed into a corner. I feared they would be noisy later but they were not. 

KH Day 05. 02 July. Straniger Alm to Zollner See Hutte. 6 km. 3 hours. 450m up. 220m down. Everyone was surprisingly quiet in the night and there were no disturbances from the group of 25. Breakfast was served at 0700 and was good. It included 2 mature cheeses, a soft cheese and a quark type soft cheese, all made at Straniger Alm. The mature cheeses were from last year and had overwintered in the valley before being brought up again. The two mature cheeses were a mix of 50/50 and 90/10 cows milk and goats milk. Even the butter was made in the dairy next door. There was also smoked meats, muesli, yoghurt and buttermilk with the dairy products being inhouse. It was a great breakfast. We said goodbye to the other hikers who were heading to Nassfeld and then went down to the milking barn where the goats were all penned in waiting to be milked. From here the route went west up the hill.

It was an easy climb through the fir and then larch forest to the treeline at around 1750-1800 metres. The weather was improving and the morning mist was clearing quickly. Soon there were large patches of blue sky and these soon merged together so the clouds were isolated. It was a far cry from yesterday. Near the top of the trees I saw a couple of goshawks. They were about the size of buzzards and predominantly white underneath. They were gliding into the wind and had their wing elbows thrust forwards as if in a dive.  We passed a local repairing a fence to keep his cattle from staying out of his pastures. He was older and dressed with a typical Tyrolean hat made of felt. Above these pastures we continued up through a knee high forest of the alpine Rhododendron, alpenrose, which were at their prime giving the whole hillside a purple hue. Well over an hour after leaving Straniger Alm we reached the top of the 400 metre climb at a watershed by Lodingtorl and half the day was already done. 

For the second half of the day we contoured the steep slope on the north side of the craggy Findenigkofel, 2016m. The path was quite small in places and there were steeper drops below across the scrub covered scree. It was not exposed but occasionally awkward. Above us the much steeper bare rock slabs rose up to the craggy ridge. As it was north facing it was slightly damper and yet in the summer months the sun still shone here so the entire 2-3 kilometre hike was ablaze with flowers. There were every type here and some very unusual ones with arnica, sow thistles, geraniums, lilies, louseworts to name a few and they formed a waist high forest. Occasionally there were also thickets of willow. The whole hillside was stunning and ablaze with colours. It was also teeming with insects which were feeding on the wildflowers and these in turn were being fed on by squadrons of passerine type birds, like chiffchaffs and Blackcaps. It was a slow walk however, on account of the rockier terrain and small path. 

As we traversed across on this flower filled balcony path we passed over two alms, each of which had a herd of cows nearby. If the alms did not make cheese themselves I am sure a small truck would have collected the milk once a day and taken it down to a collective cheese dairy in the valley. This eastern half of the Karnischer Alps is renowned for its cheese dairies. After we passed the second dairy, called Achornach Alm, the narrow balcony shelf became broader and more heathlike with less flowers and more low scrub of juniper and rhododendron. There was the occasional marsh, which was a lake once which had silted up completely over the last 5000 years since the ice left. Far down in the deep U shaped valley we could see the green fields on the floor of the Gailtal valley. There was a village here too called Dellach. 

The wide undulating shelf, now on the westside of Findenigkofel, rose up to a saddle on the main Karnischer ridgeline before the next craggy mountain rose up called Hoher Trieb. We did not climb to the saddle but continued to contour westwards reaching a lovely reed fringed lake called Zollner See.  It was about 300 metres long and 100 metres wide and was refreshing to see as the sun was now almost unobstructed by any cloud and the day was warm. Just after the lake the path descended slightly down to a bowl on the northside of Hoher Trieb where the Zollner See Hutte stood at about 1750 metres on the treeline. Beside it was a peace chapel to commemorate all those who died in the First World War. We made our way to it past a bulging marsh, also a silted up lake, and a small pond full of tadpole and juvenile Alpine Newts. It was just after 1200 and the day was done. 

I had booked a dormitory bed as everything else was taken, however they had had a cancellation and to Fiona’s delight we could upgrade to a small room with a bunk bed. We were soon ensconced and then went outside to sit on the benches in the sun and eat lunch. One of the region’s specialities was cheese dumpling soup which Fiona tried. We also chatted with a very fit young French sportsman from Annecy, who was half running and half walking the entire Alps from Ljubljana in Slovenia to Nice in France. After lunch we went for a short walk to the neighbouring Rosseralm where there were some goats. Later I wrote the blog while Fiona sat in the sun and painted. By 1800 we were done and could relax over dinner and chat with other hikers, all of whom were coming in the opposite direction down the Karnischer Alp ridge, having started in the higher craggier west.    

KH Day 06. 03 July. Zollner See Hutte to Untere Valentinalm.  19 km. 9.5  hours. 1050m up. 1580m down. The hut warden at Zollner See hutte was a very easy going and relaxed man and he said we should just make our pack lunches at breakfast. We knew we had a long day so we made double lunch packs, and had a good breakfast too. We were pretty much ready to go at 0730. There was rain forecast for later in the day and we hoped to be over the narrower more slippery sections before it arrived. 

From the hut we went over a shallow saddle, just to the west of the hut, on the north side of Hoher Trieb and then started the first of a few descents. The first took us down through the larch and first trees on a narrow path. It was quite steep and occasionally overgrown, however the route was obvious. After a short hour we approached the cow bells in the Obere Bischofalm. The alm itself consisted of the chalet type house which was in good condition and had the flag of Karnten province hanging limply outside in the yard. I think it occasionally served food and there was beer in a water trough and an honesty box. Beside it was a barn also in good condition. I don’t think there was any milking here and all the cows were bollocks or cows not in milk. There were perhaps 30 and also 20 horses. The farm was really perched in a high inaccessible bowl and the only track up to it was from Untere Bischofalm far below in the deep Kronhof Graben valley which was almost like a gorge. 

From the alm we now followed the track down zig-zags to the valley. The hillside was steep and the track was a godsend but it was short lived as after a good half hour and well above the valley floor our route branched off and started to traverse up the side of the valley on the east flank. The path here was narrow and the hillside steep but it was covered in scrub which made it safe. There were a few outcrops to cross but these were quite easy really. After rounding a spur the whole upper part of the valley revealed itself. It was a great smooth bowl, the rim of which was the Italian border. At the saddle it was relatively low but on each side the mountains rose up into the mists. We walked up to the centre of this bowl pushing our way through the deep and lush vegetation of waist high wildflowers. It was a very fertile area and the flowers were dense. 

In the centre of the bowl there was a path which continued up to the saddle and over to Italy, but our path continued to circle round the bowl and started to climb up the west flank. It rose up above the crags which lined the bottom of the gorge-like valley on a diagonal path, which eventually climbed to a shelf where there was a hunters cabin. We had been going for nearly 3 hours so we stopped outside this cabin for our first lunch looking over the deep valley and the Obere Bischofalm on the other side. It was not far away as the crow flies and we could hear the cow bells from here. 

As we ate lunch the mist came and went and came again but by and large the mist just remained on the summits over 2000 metres. It was up one of these summits, Koderkopf 2167m, which we now had to go to. The path climbed steeply from the cabin and entered a shallow valley which rose steeply up the side of the mountain. The slopes were covered in alpenrose rhododendron and much of the hillside was ablaze with patches of deep red. Slowly but surely we gained on the summit and alerted a number of marmot sentries whose shrill whistle warned the rest of the colony that there was danger about and it was best to head back to the burrows. At the very top there was a brief view back over the route we had taken and even Zollner See hutte was just visible. On the west side of Koderkopf the view to the mountains was impressive as this was the higher end of the Karnischer Alps ridge, but the mist soon obscured it. Near the top Fiona spotted a ptarmigan with about 10 chicks which scattered into the short grasses and bushes as we approached. 

We heard the descent down the otherside was on a wider path and relatively easy, however it was not. It took a good 3 hours to follow the small rocky path down dropping some 7-800 metres. The path was narrow, rocky and sometimes a little slippery, although there was no great danger. We had to walk carefully and virtually place every step. Occasionally the path traversed across the hillside into a small stream bed but then dropped again. As we dropped down and traversed west we passed over a forested valley far below us with scattered alms in it and distant cow bells echoing across the valley sides. Far to the west was a huge mountain, the most easterly of the big mountains in the Karnischer Alps and it rose very steeply with a sheer north wall to nearly 2800 metres. It was called Hohe Warte and we would walk under it tomorrow. At last we came to a derelict alm which was built in 1932, probably as part of a socio-economic project like the nearby Italian ones from the same era which Mussolini built. This alm was called Obere Tschintemunt alm. From here the path became much wider as it was constructed nearly 100 years ago to serve the alm. 

We traversed up the wider grassy path which contoured round the open valley climbing slightly. It was a welcome relief to be able to stride out and we could relax a bit at last. It took us a couple of kilometres to a small modern wooden hut, called Obere Speilbodenalm, on a prow which had a great view. It also had a bench outside it so we had our second lunch here. We knew there was a long descent to follow but we were lulled into a false hope by a track to serve the wooden hut. However when we set off again we discovered that the route did not go down the track but on a small path through the forest. 

It was a long and tiring descent and it seemed to go on for ages, nearly 2 hours, during which we dropped a further 700 metres. The only respite was an open pasture where we had to weave through a herd of bullocks and cows not in milk. The path was never very steep as it zigzagged a lot, not was it very exposed or dangerous but it was occasionally slippery, especially now the predicted rain had started to fall. At last we rolled out of the woods onto the side valley floor where there was a small lake, called Grunsee. It marked the end of the descent, but by now our legs were tired. 

We walked round the north side of the lake and down a track passing another large working Alm with cattle outside and then reached the road over Plockenpass, the main pass over the Karnischer Alps between Gailtal in Austria and Friuli in Italy. There was an old gasthaus and restaurant here which was boarded up having seen better days many decades ago. We crossed the road and started the very last section of the day. We had to climb over a small spur some 100 metres high and then walk up the side of the Valentin valley for a couple of kilometres to reach our Gasthaus for the night. It was a lovely walk in deciduous forest, mostly beech. The shallow track down the other side of the spur was covered in many wild flowers, and some I had never seen before like a giant blue gentian and bright lilies. With tired legs we crossed the stream which came down the valley under the very imposing north wall of Hohe Warte, which loomed above us, and walked up to the Gasthaus at Untere Valentinalm. We got there just as the rain started in earnest and rushed through the door as it started to pour. 

It was busy inside with hikers and diners. Eventually we were shown a small double room, the shower room and told to take our time and relax before coming down. It was already 1900 but they said the kitchen would stay open for us. After a great shower and clothes wash, we went down at nearly 2000 for our meal. It was large and unhealthy but we had earned it. After the meal I found an empty room upstairs to write the blog and where I could charge all the gadgets and was eventually done by 2300 after a long hard day.

KH Day 07. 04 July. Untere Valentinalm to Wolayersee hutte. 6 km. 3.5 hours. 950m up. 190m down. It poured in the night and it was cosy to lie in bed and hear the rain battering off the zinc roof outside. By the morning it had stopped, but mist hung over the valley and everything was dripping wet. There was no rush today as we only had a 6 km hike with 1000 metre climb which should take 3 hours, so we started breakfast a bit later at 0730. It was a very good buffet style breakfast with heavy bread flavoured with caraway seeds and cheeses, meats and jams to make it more palatable. I managed to upload the blog after breakfast and so we did not set off until 0930 by which time the sun had started to burn off the mist. 

We initially followed the track up the valley. It was very deep and U-shaped at the bottom of a slot with the enormous Hohe Warte on the south side and Gamskofel on the north. There was a huge wall, perhaps 7-800 metres of vertical face which rose up towards Hohe Warte, which must be a climber’s paradise. As we walked up the track deeper into the slot the sides of the valley squeezed together and the gradient became steeper. It was very spectacular. However what was also very impressive was the wild flowers. I have hiked in much of the Alps in different seasons but have never quite seen flowers like this. There was such a variety and they were so densely packed together it almost looked like a herbaceous border at a botanical garden. Soon the track started to zig-zag and a path cut across the bends through the woods making the route shorter. After a quick hour we emerged from the woods onto the track again just by the new and well maintained Obere Valentinalm. This alm had about 40 cows around it and was near the treeline. 

Above the cows the track vanished and a rocky path started across the scrub covered hillside. There were lots of marmots here and none sounded the alarm when hikers went past so they must have been used to hikers. The valley split now with an open steep grassy slope heading up to a high saddle to the NW and the deep slot with snowfields to the SW. We had to take the latter and were forced to cross a few shallow snowfields which lingered. They were here because it is where the winter avalanches left them. The snow however was deep and firm and easy to walk across. 

The higher we walked up this deep valley the more impressive it got, especially the massive walls on the south side leading up to Hohe Warte, which I discovered was the highest mountain in the Karnischer Alps. There were more snowfields and I walked up them as they were firm and shallow, while Fiona clambered up the rocky path. This valley ended in a bowl with just a single pass to escape out of the circle of rock walls. The climb up to the pass was relatively easy and the path was good. It crossed a few small snowfields but so many people had walked across them there was a shallow trench. At the top was a grassy saddle called Valentintorl at 2138 m. 

The pass was actually a superb viewpoint with the main ridge of the Karnischer Alps just to our south, but way above us some 3-500 metres higher up where there was a string of very jagged and totally inaccessible peaks, all a top vast walls of a lighter coloured limestone type rock. The route we walked up was spectacular, but to the west the descent was also immensely impressive with sheer sided mountains.  We could see down the valley we had to take to the light blue Wolayersee lake below. This valley was full of snow but it was shallow and there were tracks across it. At the saddle there was a small group of marmot on the grass. Their burrows were nearby and they made no effort to hurry to them as we approached. Instead two adults actually started to play wrestle with each other. 

After a good pause to take in the surroundings we set off down the path on the west side of the pass. After a short descent down a headwall there was a continuous snowfield which went all the way down to the lake. I took it as it was fast and easy on the knees, while Fiona came down the path beside it occasionally crossing the snow when the path did. It took a quick half hour to reach the lake which was fringed with a green and then turquoise hue when the sun shone on it. It was quite busy at the lake as there was a track to the Wolayersee hutte which now appeared at the north end of the lake. We had to clamber over limestone type rock slabs with crevices filled with gravel and silt, and now a mass of flowers, especially geraniums. This rugged path was not long but took time and it led us to the lodge which looked newly refurbished and well cared for. 

It was 1400 when we arrived and got a hearty welcome from the lively hut warden. He told us our room number which was a dormitory as we expected. It had 8 beds in it, 4 below and 4 on top with a divider in between the middle beds, so there were two mattresses on each side. The room was very new and clean and had a great view onto the NW ridge of Hohe Warte which rose up nearly vertically just across the lake for 600 metres. After we unpacked we went down to the dining room with the same spectacular view out of the large glass windows for lunch. We sat at a table with a cowherd, called Johannes, who had just dropped in for a meal. He was looking after cows for 9 families and had 80 beasts to keep an eye on all summer. He had a chalet house beside the path we would pass tomorrow and invited us in for a coffee when we passed tomorrow.  After lunch I wrote the blog while Fiona went to explore and look at the flowers and view near the hut. I was done by 1630 and intended to relax and socialise for the rest of the day.  

KH Day 08. 05 July. Wolayerseehütte to Hochweisssteinhaus. 6 km. 3.5 hours. 950m up. 190m down. It was a beautiful day when we woke up at 0600. There were another 4 people in our room and we all got up at the same time so it was a bit congested getting ready. Breakfast was buffet style and we took enough for a packed lunch also, which we paid extra for. By 0730 we were ready to go and said goodbye to the 4 young Germans from Dusseldorf who were on their first hike and were loving it. As soon as we left the congested hut and the outside dining area we were alone again. 

Initially we dropped down the track, which served the hut, for half an hour cutting the zig zags occasionally. It spilled us into a high valley right on the tree line where about 20 cows were gathered round a salt lick. There was a small shed here but we thought it was too small for the cowherd who we met yesterday so we carried on down along a mixture of track or forest path for another half hour until the roof of Obere Woyaler Alm appeared through the treetops. 5 minutes later we arrived at the lovely traditional chalet house with a small barn beside it. It was at the end of a long meadow which had a further 40 cows on it. It was a stunning setting with a wall of cliffs surrounding the meadow but far enough away so as not to make it feel claustrophobic, or impede the sun. There was the sound of wood chopping coming from the barn so we went in and found Johannes in there. 

Johannes was delighted to see us and offered us a coffee in his chalet. It had a surprisingly modern kitchen with a very new and efficient looking wood burning stove. We then went outside and sat in the sun. Johannes was a very bright and learned man who was quoting Shakespeare to us.. His English was great and he said he had been a businessman once. It was a far cry from his current role in life as a carefree shepherd in the mountains. It was a summer job and in the winter he worked at Kitzbuhel ski resort. He was supremely fit and healthy looking and was 41 years old. We chatted for a good hour and could have chatted all day were it not for the fact we had another 6-7 hours to go.  He gave us a small stone with a smiley face on it which he asked all hikers to take, and then we shook hands heartily. It was a great visit for us to see some of the local transhumant culture which still exists in the Alps. We wandered down the pasture where the cows were and saw the old 15 year old which Johannes said he massaged as her hips were arthritic.

At the end of the meadow I noticed some wispy clouds were forming but the day was now warm. We left the north west end of the meadow and entered a path traversing across the forest with the valley below the meadow dropping away from us. This traverse through the dry rocky woods was about a kilometre and it took us to the foot of a grassy slope which was the only chink in the rampart of cliffs which surrounded the valley. It was a short sharp climb of 400 metres up the grassy slope to reach the top. The slog was eased by the abundance of wild flowers here which were terrific. At the top there was a shallow high valley which led us across grassy mounds filled with marmot burrows. After a kilometre of this we reached Giramondopass, 2005m, which was an old First World War battle ground. It was now on the border between Italy and Austria. As we rested an eagle flew overhead circling on the thermals. It was only 200 metres above us initially and we took some OK photos. No doubt the marmot sentries in the valley we just walk up would be whistling alerts as it was spotted. 

From Giramondopass the route now crossed across a vast scree slope which was about 35 degrees. However there was a wide and stable path beaten across it by thousands of hikers. It skirted the south side of the Creta de Bordaglia mountain, which is where all the scree had come from over the centuries. It took a good half hour to shuffle along this path to gain firmer ground again passing a couple of small tarns filled with tadpoles and newts to the grassy Sella Sissanis pass, 1987m. We had been going for over 3 hours so stopped and had lunch here on a large grassy mound on top of the ridge. The meadow here was covered in buttercups. 

By now the sky had almost completely clouded over and the massive mountains to the south of the Karnisher Alps had their summits in the mist. I realised that these mountains were the Carnic Prealps to the south of Sapada and they were only 15 kilometres away as the eagle flies. Our route however had to continue west along the southern flank of the Karnischer Alps but on the Italian side. Unfortunately we had to drop down the Sissanis valley for 600 metres and then climb up Val Fleons for 600 metres. However the valleys were beautiful and full of interest. At the bottom of each in the larch woods were old Malga dairies which were built in the 1930’s and had now largely fallen into disrepair. There was still some sheep at one of them and another was being done up by some older Italians who were working on it. It had a stunning old alm house made of logs which had a bay window under the apex of the large solid overhanging roof. From here the climb up to the pass, 600 metres above us, was taxing. However it was cool in the overcast afternoon and we pressed on through the rest of the forest and onto the open heath covered hillside to reach the Ofner Joch pass, 2011m. Here a grand new vista opened up for us which would be tomorrow’s project but immediately we could see Hochweisssteinhaus hutte just below us some 15 minutes away. It was a quick and easy descent to get there and we reached it at about 1600. 

We got a warm welcome and were shown a room with 16 beds. We took two lower ones with partitions forming a small compartment. We then washed a bit and went downstairs to the dining room. It was a lovely character filled wood lined with 5 big tables. We sat at one and the room slowly filled up as hikers arrived. Most had done the “Kings Stage” of the Karnischer Hohenweg and had high spirits and the glint of victory in their eyes. It soon became very jovial and convivial and the noise of conservation soon rose to a crescendo. We were joined at our table by Christa and Gernot who were two bright, intelligent Austrians from Vienna. They were great company and we chatted and played games with them through the delicious supper and later in the evening until 2200 when the lively hut suddenly started to go to bed. It was a great hike followed by a lovely sociable evening in a mountain hut, exactly what one hoped for when you set off after breakfast in the Alps. 

KH Day 09. 06 July. Hochweißsteinhaus to Pofzehutte. 18 km. 9.5 hours. 1310m up. 1240m down. We had a long day today. It was the longest stretch in the entire trip; the so-called “Kings Stage”. So we woke early at 0600 and packed up ready to go down to breakfast at 0630. It was a good buffet breakfast and despite already having ordered packed lunches we made up a couple more rolls as inevitably we would need two stops. We were finished by 0730 and off after saying good bye to Christa and Gernot. The mist was coming and going but generally it was overcast with a grey sky and the tops all in the mist. As soon as we had gone 50 metres from the Hutte we were in the quiet of the mountains again.

There were two ways from the hut to Thorkopf some 2 km away and roughly on the same altitude as the hut. One way dropped some 200 metres down into the valley and then climbed up again while the other traversed across the hillside climbing and descending over a range of obstacles. The hardest of these was two snowfields. The first was covered in so much debris that the snow was almost hidden, however the way to get from the path to the snowfield and up to the path again on the other side was awkward. The second snowfield was much shorter but quite steep. In retrospect it would have been easier to drop the 200 metres rather than struggle over the snow and other obstacles like ravines and small ridges. After a good hour and a half we eventually reached Thorkopf and then climbed up beside the small stream to Luggauer Torl, where there was a small tarn and a flock of long legged sheep which a shepherd was rounding up.

It was clearing slightly and some of the tops were visible now but it was still completely overcast. From the pond we continued to climb to the main ridge on an easy path. It took us up to the main ridge with Italy on the south side and Austria on the north. There were lots of old fortifications and trenches here from the First World War when this was the front line. It seemed slightly easier to walk along the path on the Italian side of the border rather than the Austrian side although they were just 20 metres apart. However there was a misty wind on the Italian side while the Austrian path was clear and had a view over a great pastoral bowl. After half an hour the two paths met again just by the mountain of Steinkarspitz, 2534m, which was the highpoint of the day. We stopped here for our first lunch as we had been going for 3 hours. As we ate the mist lifted and the ridge we had to continue along appeared. It looked craggy. 

The next stage was between Steinkarspitz and Hochspitz, 2584m. It was very craggy and the path was slow and demanding. After descending for half an hour towards a pass we reached a more difficult section which had a cable across it. They were needed really to cross the slab safely otherwise it would have been precarious. Immediately after this was another cable to descend a ravine for 10 metres and it was also necessary. The climb back up had some more areas with cables but these were not so necessary, but nice to hold onto as a handrail. It was during this section that we passed about 30 people coming towards us going the other way. We did not have to go over Hochspitz but went over its south ridge and then descended very steeply down the west side of it, again on a series of cables well anchored into the rock. It led us down to a saddle called Hochspitzsenke, 2314m. which was a welcome respite as it was flat and grassy To the south well below us was a white gravel track contouring across the hillside connecting a string of somme 4-5 alms which had both cows and sheep. The track looked enviably easy compared to the main ridge.

From this saddle the path generally stayed on the south side contouring across the grassy slopes which were sometimes quite steep. The mist had cleared enough now so there was a great view across the valley to the tremendous spires of the Carnic Prealps. We continued west climbing and descending over grassy ridges which came down from the main Karnischer Alps ridge. There were ruins of trench warfare here and marmots galore, fattening up on the lush grass. We stopped for our second lunch here crossing over to the Austrian side at a grass pass to get out of the wind. before continuing west again now with weary legs.

We still had a lot to do and the first task was to climb almost to the top of Reiterkarspitze, 2422m. There was the odd tricky bit of path here but by and large it was OK. From here we then had a sensational and airy walk between Reiterkarspitze and Barenbadegg, 2431m. This 2 km ridge dropped down to a saddle with a series of rocky crags along it. The path went up and down each of the crags which were never exposed or steep but quite varied and with great views down the steep north side and the shallower pastoral south side to the white track connecting the alms. The final climb up to Barenbadegg was a good 100 metre ascent and at the end of this day it made its incline felt. However, at last we reached the summit and could start the final descent.

This descent in all was about 500 metres and was easier than I feared. There were just 2 areas with cables and these were reasonably easy. However, the path was frequently rocky and these rocks were a little slippery having been polished by many boots. Down and down we went descending the west ridge of Barenbadegg and it took up a good hour to get to the Tilliacher Joch saddle at 2094m. Here we met a good path which came up from the Austrian side which had been used 110 years ago to supply troops at this important stronghold. We followed it down to the large new wooden lodge called Pofzehutte and got there 15 minutes later at the end of a very long day. 

The hut was busy and all the tables were full so I knew we would have a poor sleeping area as it was late and supper was already being served at 1800. Unfortunately we did get top bunks in a full room. I would be sleeping right next to someone so I took my mattress and put it on the floor. Fiona had a single mattress in a perch near the window which would be quiet. We then went down for a good meal and a chat with our table mates all of whom were Czech. After dinner we cleaned up a bit and then I wrote the blog at a large table while Fiona chatted to yet more Czechs about the route tomorrow. It did not seem nearly so arduous and there was a lodge halfway after 2.5-3 hours. However, there was rain forecast which would make it more difficult. 

KH Day 10. 07 July. Pofzehutte to Obstanerseehutte. 11 km. 6.5 hours. 1080m up. 730m down. The rain came earlier than forecast and there were a few times in the early morning I woke with it battering off the roofs and even splashing through the open window onto me. We were early for breakfast which was a good thing as the buffet was in a tiny area and the queue moved through it at a snail’s pace. This was a very new and clean hut but I think the architect had too much of a free rein and there was too much design over function. We finished breakfast at 0730 and set off soon after by which time the rain had stopped. There were about 6 people going in our direction, Claude and an older eccentric Frenchman who was doing a longer trek. An Older Czech couple and two single Germans who teamed up for the crossing. We all set off about the same time. 

The first part of the walk was west through dripping flowers. Occasionally a shower came through and we had to don waterproofs and it became obvious soon it was best to leave them on. The path climbed to go under power lines and enter a large bowl with a wall of cliffs around it. We just walked across the lip of the bowl climbing slightly to a ridge on the NW side of it. There was a great view here down to a very pastoral valley, called Leiter Tal with many haylofts and a few small farmers’ chalets dotted about it. There were a couple of lakes in the valley also, further down the valley the mist covered the forest and blocked the view down to the main valley with the Gail river. We had to go down into the valley on a zig-zag path and then halfway down the slope traversed west up the valley descending slightly until the Leiter Tal valley came up to meet us at the Oberer Stuckensee. I got a glimpse of the Standschultzhutte here high up on the main ridge. It was a sustained, consistent and quite easy climb up to it and the whole time the mist remained absent so we could get a view down the valley and up to the high ramparts. At last we reached the hut after 3 hours and decided to have lunch here. Inside the hut was tiny and it was like going into someone’s sitting room. However the hut was very cosy, the hut warden was great and the food was excellent. The older Czech couple walked on but the two Germans also came in for a meal.

When we emerged an hour later the mist was back and enveloped everything. There was also a wind and it was not pleasant as we walked on an easy path up to the nearby saddle on the border. Here we crossed into Italy and went on the south side of the ridge where we had to skirt the south side of Grosser Kinigat, 2689m, one of the largest mountains in the Karnischer Alps. There was a path which skirted the south flank of the mountain so we did not have to go over it luckily. However the path traversed a steep scree slope for about a kilometre which in the mist seemed relatively exposed and the slopes just vanished into the mist beneath us. The path also had a camber on it which sloped downwards and was occasionally narrow, so Fiona was cautious with every step. Occasionally there were hazards like a washed out ravine where a torrent had come down but these were few. At the end of the traverse we reached firmer ground as we clambered up Kleiner Kinigat, 2674m. This ascent was frequently a clamber up little crags and across small grassy paths. There were frequent simple fortifications and trenches here from WW1. It was quite unbelievable the front line was here in these alpine mountains. At last we reached the summit. 

From here we had one more saddle to cross and a mountain to climb. There were many bits to clamber over and the going was very slow. It took nearly an hour to do a kilometre. The mist was dense and rain came and went as we slowly picked our way forwards. The rain meant the rocks were wet, and as such not too greasy, but we still had to take care. The wind was also quite strong and buffeted us. At last we got to the saddle and then started the long ascent to the final mountain called Pfanspitze 2678m. It took a while to climb and we frequently had to clamber up rock crags and spurs which came down from the main ridge. There were a few false tops but at last the summit cross appeared out of the mist and it signalled the start of the descent to the hut.

The descent was initially quite slow as we had to come down the steep rocky ridge, losing a good 100 metres in height. It was airy in places and we had to take care here too. There was one exposed ledge with a long drop on the northside of one spur we crossed. After a good half hour we reached the Obstanser Saddle 2462m. Here we left the main ridge and headed down a forming valley on the north side. The terrain was now much easier and it was quicker underfoot. Soon the floor of the burgeoning valley was covered in snowfields and it was easy to stomp down them without care and attention as they were shallow. It led us to a small spur where the path re emerged from the snowpack and went down the true left side of the valley. It zig-zagged for a good half hour until the Obstansersee Lake and Hutte came into view just 15 minutes below us. It was an easy descent now and a relief to finally reach the cow pastures at the side of the lake where the hut was. 

It was quite busy in the hut with about 40 guests. We got a great welcome and then were shown a room with just 5 beds none of which were taken. We took two and hoped no one else would be assigned the other 3. In the afternoon the rain returned with a vengeance and the hut seemed especially cosy. We sat at a table with the Frenchman and the two Germans who had done the same trip, and a German girl called Anke and reminisced about today’s hike. It was a great shame the visibility was so poor as this section would have had sensational views, perhaps the best of the trip, and we saw nothing. I wrote the blog before supper and was done by 1800. The 6 of us round the table tried out various schnapps the hutte had. The gentian was bitter and left a bad taste but the pine cone one was sweet and delicious. Unfortunately our room filled up so there were 5 of us in the room now. 

KH Day 11. 09 July. Obstanerseehutte to Sillian. 17 km. 8 hours. 630m up. 1870m down. Breakfast was at 0645 and it was the usual bun fight with 70 odd people all weaving in and out of each other to get to the various plates of hams and meats, cheese, museli’s, fruit yoghurt, coffee, and bread. People loaded up their plates and then returned to the table to come back for orange juice. It was not silver table service by any means but it did mean we could eat our fill and take a couple of snacks for the day if it was a long one. Today was not a long day and we had a hut, called Sillianer Hutte after about 4 hours where we could have lunch. We eventually set off at 0830 with the mist clearing and the forecast promising.

There were about 8 of us walking to Sillianer hutte this morning, against the flow as most people went west to east. We were the last to leave but most were just up the trail from the hut climbing up out of the bowl where the hut sat beside the lake. The mist was coming and going lower down but the tops were all covered. It would be a great shame if the sun did not come out as this morning was the last of the really spectacular sections and the other two had been plagued by mist, wind and rain. As we climbed the mist started to lift a bit and soon we could see down to the valley where we would eventually be going. The hut really was in quite a cosy bowl with just a small lip in the cirque where the stream left the lake so plummet down the side valley. We soon reached the main ridge where we could look down into the Sexten Valley on the Italian side. Beyond the Sexten Valley were the Dolomites which rose sheer above fields of white scree which looked like snowfields. However the top of the spires were covered in mist. From here we veered north a bit and climbed without difficulty to the summit of Eisenreich, 2665m, the highest we had been on the entire trip. 

We should have got a great view from here back along where we had been for the last 4 days since Hohe Warte but much of it was obscured. However I thought I could make out all but the last 400 metres of Hohe Warte.  For the next 2 hours we headed west along the main ridge from summit to saddle to summit again. Most of the summits were either just in the mist or had occasional mist swirling around them, but the saddles were clear and we could see down each side and also back along parts of the ridge and also the steep rocky spurs which came off the peaks. Generally the path was quite good but occasionally near the peaks there was the odd section we had to clamber up or down. The ups were quite easy but the downs required more attention. There were three groups which passed up and all seemed to have walking guides. The groups were mostly middle aged people and many were out of shape. Everyone had new boots that were really too heavy for the trip. These guides were going to have to earn their wage shepherding their teams of 7-8 clients over the craggier bits over their next few days. 

By most of the peaks there were the remains of old First World War garrisons on the ridge, many trenches and look out posts for defence and even a concrete turret where snipers could repel any Italian attack which might come up the steep slope. It must have been miserable here in the summer months and unbelievably harsh in the winter when everything was covered in snow. I had heard that in all 100,000 people died on this battle front and I am sure many would have been from the cold. Just after one top, Demut La Mura, where the still intact snipers turret was. lay a small lake with a memorial beside it to fallen soldiers in both German and Italian. We passed a couple more tops after the lake and then noticed things starting to get busy with day trippers. 

At the last top, Hornischegg, 2550m, which the path skirted round, there were more and more bicycles appearing. Nearly all were electric. They were the first signs that we were approaching civilization and after another 15 minutes we came round the corner and saw it. It was Sillianer Hutte, a mountain lodge which was now besieged by bright lycra clad day trippers like bees to a hive. We walked down to it hoping to have lunch inside. However it was full of day trippers who had taken the chairlift up to get the mountain views and then gorge themselves on traditional fare. There were 4 dining rooms each with 7 to 10 tables and not one was free. We sat outside in the cold wind waiting service at a table watching a fashion show of barely used outdoor gear go past draped on portly urban models.  Eventually the very efficient manager took our order and we ordered something simple so it would come fast, and it did. As we ate Anke arrived. She had been at our table in Obstansersee Hutte and had been the most lively conversationalist and also spoke perfect English. We chatted with her as we ate and then left her as she was spending the night here. 

We however still had about 4 hours to do and it was all down. We had to descend some 1400 metres to reach the village of Sillianer and the end of our trail. The first half hour was on a large path out towards a prominent building on the last mountain in the range called the Helm, 2433m. On the other side of it was a cable car which ferried the day trippers and electric bicycles up and down. Well before the gentle climb up to the Helm where the vast majority of people went we branched off to the north on a small marked path. 

It went down for 20 minutes across heath and scrub covered in flowers. The alpenrose was especially bright and it was in its prime, with both sides and the floor of the little side valley we were descending, covered in large contiguous patches of red flowers. The other flowers were also rich here, especially beside the small beck which was forming with every step down until it was a small stream. There was a strong smell of cows here and dung everywhere but we did not see them or even hear their bells. 

As the path descended it went through the full range of climates and ecosystems. At the top it was like arctic tundra with just smaller coloniser plants and flowers growing in the stones and gravel. It then passed into the upper tree zone with scattered larches and alpine flowers. The larches eventually merged into a forest and soon some Silver firs started to appear. The path became very steep at times and I feared for my knees at some points. The descent was relentless with small zig-zags which were plagued by slippery tree roots and bedrock. However after a good half hour of this very we dropped some 300 metres and the steep path eventually reached a track. 

At this track the official Karnischer Hohenweg, which is track number 403 headed off to the west to begin a series of gentle hairpins down to the village of Arnbach. However it made much more sense to leave path 403 and continue on path 473 which kept to the east of the Frauenbach stream, as opposed to the 403 which went to the west of it. Our new path descended much more gently on a comfortable surface but it was still steep enough to lose height quickly. We dropped some further 700 metres on it as it went past a cabin called Forcher Kuser. Below this it was a very rough track which was no longer suitable for vehicles but great to walk down. It got warmer and warmer and the weather improved. The flowers changed constantly as we went through different zones and towards the bottom there were thousands of tall thistles in flower. Bee and beetles were crawling all over the flowers and many aphid colonies were on the stems with ants milking the sap they produced, and in turn protecting them. 

At last the forest cleared a bit and we were thrust out into the warm sunlight on the edge of the village. We walked down over the railway line and then followed a preplanned GPX through the village under the massive traditional Tyrolese church with its onion shaped spire into the centre of the large village. We hoped to pass a shop to get a drink but before we knew it we reached the Gasthof Sprenger where we were booked in. We got a perfunctory, professional welcome with no charm but were given a great room with a south facing balcony and a bath. My stinking clothes were soon soaking in the bath so I would have something to wear tomorrow on the train. I followed them in and washed them then hung them on the balcony. There was a restaurant downstairs with a reasonably priced menu and we decided to eat here rather than wander off to a pizzeria 5 minutes away. The food was great and we drank 4 litres of fizzy water and no alcohol to try and rehydrate. By 2200 we were already sleepy having been conditioned by the mountain huts go go to bed early. I was tired but wrote the blog and was done by 2300 before we fell into bed with clean sheets, no one else in the room and an en suite toilet. All now luxuries after the mountain huts. The trip had been more challenging than we thought, especially after Hochweisssteinhaus, and I am not sure if doing it the other way round, which 95% of people do, would have made it any easier. It was enjoyable and varied but the bad weather at the most spectacular parts was a disappointment but we had not wavered and taken the easy option. 

 

 

 

 

 

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