The Karnischer Hohenweg Gallery

01. Climbing up the ridge between the start at Thorl Maglern (out of picture to the right) and Göriacher Alm (out of picture to the left). this is the view looking NW down to the Gailtal valley and the voillaghes of Feistritz and Notsch each side of the Gail River

02. The view from Goriacher Alm, circa 1650m, looking ESE towards the Julian Alps in Slovenia. On the right Mangrt, 2679m, and right in the middle is Prisojnik, 2547m blocking the view to Triglav behind it, the highest of the Julian alps at 2864m. Thorl Maglern is unseen in the valley in the photo’s middle

03. A Tawny owl in the woods at Bartlosattel (Bartlo saddle) 1173m before the long climb up to Achomitzer Alm, about 1800m.

04. Achomitzer Alm, circa 1800m, comprised of 5 houses and a large barn. These houses probably belonged to the farming families in the hamlet of Achomitz in the Gailtal valley to the north

05. Between Achomitzer Alm and Feistritzer Alm was a pastoral hill with the chaple Maria Schnee (Maria of the snows). It is just visible on top of the lower ridge on the left.

06. The wonderful Gortschacher Alm, circa 1700m, was on the north side of the main Karnischer ridge on the Austrian side. The green pyramid hill to the west is Poludnig, 1999m, and Egger Alm is on the otherside of it. The rocky mountains are further west on the main Karnischer ridge beyond the Nassfeld Pass.

07. One of the alm houses at Gortschacher Alm. There were 10 such houses and they probably belonged to farmers in the hamlet of Gortschach in the Gailtal valley, and had done so for centuries.

08. Looking east from Starhand hill, 1965m, near Gortschacher Alm towards the Julian Alps. The prominent peak in the middle is Skrlatica, 2740m, some 35 kilometres away.

09. The lovely Egger Alm which lay at about 1400m altitude in a pastoral valley had about 40 alm houses, 2 guesthouses a dairy and a small chapel. It was a very active alm with a strong community cooperation and thriving cheese dairy.

10. Watching the 50 odd cows being escorted down to the milking parlour beside the dairy and cheese production. The cattle were milked twice a day at 0500 and 1700 and their milk turned into cheese and butter almost immeadiately, as it has always been.

11. Climbing up past Garnitzenalm under the south face of Gartnerkofel mountain, 2195m, to go over a pass and descend to the road as Nassfeld Pass where there is a ski resort.

12, Vibrant meadows, full of buttercups, just above Garnitzenalm enroute to Nassfeld Pass

13. Looking down Valle di Aip on the Italian (South) side of the Karnischer Ridge during a brief lull in the torrential rain and thunder.

14. Walking round the south side of Trogkofel, 2280m. It rose steeply to the right (north) from this path.

15 Straniger Alm, circa 1500m, is a working alm making cheese from both goats and cows. It has a good guesthouse attached to the dairy where the cheese is made. Pictured is the alms milking parlour

16. Goats were also kept at Straniger Alm and some of the cheese produced were a mix of cows and gosts milk.

17. Looking back down to Straniger Alm with the dairy and guesthouse visible and the milking barn mostly hidden by trees

18. The idyllic Zollnersee lake at 1766m. The mountain lodge lies just beyond it. The mountains in the distance are the ones to cross tomorrow and lie the other side of the deep Kronhograbben gorge like valley.

19. One of the goats at Rosseralm which also offers accommodation and lies near Zollnerseehutte mountain lodge

20 On the way from Zollnerseehutte down into the deep Kronhofgraben valley we passed the beautiful old Obere Bischofalm, which did not have a working dairy.

21. The sides and floor of the Kronhofgraben were covered in wild flowers including many of these, called Phyteuma nigrum or black rampion,

22. The climb up the west side of Kronhofgraben was across lush hillsides covered in wildflowers and small shrubs. It was on a good path and led up to a small halfway hunters cabin just visible centre right

23. The hunter’s cabin with Koderkopf mountain, 2167m, behind it. We stopped here before the climb up this mountain.

24. At the top of Koderkopf we came across a ptarmigan with 9 chicks. They were well camoflaged on the path, but broke cover as we approached as we did not see them until the last minute.

25. In the more rocky places around the ruined Obere Tschintemunt alm there were many Mountain Houseleeks, Sempervivum montanum.

26. Looking back to the steep and tricky route from Koderkopf from above the riuned Obere Tschintemunt Alm. The route descended from thje saddle to the left.

27. The tremendous walls on the south side of the Valentintal valley which led up to the highest mountains in the Karnischer Alps namely Hohe Warte, 2780m and the adjacent Kellerspitzen, 2774m.

28. The floor of Valentintal valley was perhaps the richest botanically of the entire trip with hundreds of spieces of flowers. Here is one the Lilium martagon, the martagon lily or Turk’s cap lily,

29. Heading up Valentintal valley towards the Valentintorl pass, 2138m. The mountain to the left is Hohe Warte. 2780m.

30. Loking back down Valentintal valley to the east where we came. Beyond the Plockenpass in the deep valley photo’s middle rises the steep Polinik. 2332m, mountain which we skirted to the south (right) of yesterday.

31. Loking down the top of Valentintal valley from Valentintorl pass. The big mountain on the right is Kellerspitzen, 2774m.

32. Looking down the west side from Valentintorl to Wolayer See lake and then the rocky tower of Seekopf, 2554m, rising beyond it.

33. The easy descent on the snowfield from the pass of Valentintorl, picture behind, down to Wolayer see lake

34. The flowers on the east side of Wolayer See lake were thrinving on the limestone rich rock and silt. In the background is the renovated the Wolayerseehutte mountain lodge, 1967m.

35. There were a lot of marmots on the grassland at Valentintorl pass. They were fattening up for the winter and playing in the sun.

36. Looking SE from the dormitory window of Wolayerseehutte, 1967m, across the lake and towards the huge tower of Seewarte, 2595m, which is a spur on the west ridhe of the even higher Hohe Warte just behind

37. Wolayerseehutte mountain lodge can sleep about 70 guests. They sleep mostly in dormitories with about 8-10 to a dorm. The beds are on two levels with 4 to 6 below and the same above. The beds are frequently seperated by small barriers. You sleep in your own sleeping bag liner and use their blankets.

38. The absolutely idyllic Obere Wolayer Alm at 1700m, where Johannes lived for the summer looking after a herd of 80 cows, which belonged to a collection of farmers in the valley.

39. Looking back to Obere Wolayer Alm where Johannes lived. Beyond it is a small saddle where Wolayer See Lake is and then the huge spire of Hohe Warte beyond on the left.

40. Looking SW from the Giramond Pass at 2000m on the Austrian-Italian border towards Lago Bordaglia on the Italian side of the Karnischer Alps

41. The stunning alpine dairy house at Casera Fleons di Sotto, just in Italy, was once a thriving dairy and is now being restored so animals can return for the summer months

42. Zwolferspitz, 2592m, appeared above the small tarn by Luggauer Torl pass, 2232m. While this mountain was an outlier to the main ridge it had the same craggy character.

43. After a few hours of scrambling along the south side of Steinkarspitz, 2524m, sometimes using cables, the route descended the south ridge of Hochspitz to a grassy saddle.

44. Despite the damp overcast weather and inhospitable terrain there were still flowers on this ardous section also called the “Kings Stage” on account of its length. Here is the flower Alpine Toadflax, Linaria alpina.

45. More marmots this time at the Winklerjoch towards the end of the long “Kings Stage” day. The marmot fatten up on grass all summer and then hibernate in burrows under the snow until it melts in June and they reappear.

46. The final mountain of the “Kings stage” on the longest day. This mountain is called Barenbadegg, 2431m. After it there is a long descent to Tilliacher Joch pass and the Neue Porzehutte mountain lodge, 1942m.

47. On some of the rocky sections of Barenbadegg mountain there were clumps of Livelong Saxifrage, Saxifraga paniculata.

48, The final part of the ridge up to Barenbadegg was taxing on tired legs. Here is the view to Barenbadegg, 2431m, from Kesselscharte, 2293m.

49. The view north from Heretriegel pass, 2170m down past Untere Stuckensee and the alpine meadows around it and down Leitertal valley where the mist obscures the view.

50. Looking east back down to Obstansersee hutte and the lake around it from the climb up to the highest point of the entire trail at Eisenreich, 2665m, on the last day

51. The view to the SE back along the main ridge of the Karnischer Alps. This should habe been a tremendous view for 30 kilometres but the mist obscured the vista after about 5 kilometres

52. As we neared Sillianerhutte the paths got bigger and busier. Here the path near Hollbruker Spitze, 2580m, pictured behind.

53. After Sillianerhutte the route continued towards Helm but then veered off to the north to descend through Alpen Rose. Rhododendron ferrugineum, initially before entering the forest

54. On the descent from Sillianerhutte on the ridge to the small town of Sillian in the valley the path went into the forest which was waist deep in flowers.

55. The small town of Sillian is typically Tyrolean with a massive solid church and balconies and windows covered in flower boxes. It was the end of the Karnischer Hohenweg journey of 11 days.

002. Looking west from Poludnig over Eggeralm summer farm on the right and down the main ridge of the Karnischer Alps which is 100 km long. The big valley to the right is Gailtal which runs east-west and forms the northern edge of the Karnischer Alps. The cheese dairy at Eggeralm is our accomodation for the second night

001. Map of the route of the Karnischer Hohenweg from Thorl=Maglern in the east to Sillian in the west

000. An overview of the Karnischer Alps, (Carnic Alps) which form the border between Italian province of Fruili and The Austrial province of East Tyrol. It is a little more than 100 km

The Karnischer Hohenweg / Gallery