Karnische Höhenweg, September 2021

by Kevin Thomas

The first AAC(UK) summer hut-to-hut for two years nearly did not happen. The all too familiar pandemic cancellations looked like claiming this one too, except the Austrian government decided to green-light UK visitors midway through August. So when Ben Clayton-Jolly, the tour leader, onfirmed the hut bookings in late August, I was able to commit. However, Covid was to intrude directly during the trek, as explained later.

The Karnische Höhenweg (KHW 403) traces the Austria-Italy border along a largely limestone (karst) mountain ridge which overlooks the eastern Dolomites. Harder to reach from the UK than the Tirol or Höhe Tauern, the Karnische/Carnic ridge is well served by mountain huts on both sides of the border. The path is quite lofty, mainly lying between 2000 and 2500 metres, and is higher at the western end overlooking the Dolomites. Our trek led us over this western end of the ridge, overnighting six times and walking for nearly seven days.

Our party started from the bus stop at Kartitsch and finished at the bus stop in St Daniel im Gailtal, all of us using the excellent integrated Austrian bus and train system to travel from Vienna, with the aid of the ÖBB phone app. There were six of us, four members of Sektion Britannia and two of Sektion Wien (one of whom was English), ages ranging from 40ish to 70ish, which was enough to form a well-functioning tour party which developed a strong sense of Bergkameradschaft (thanks to Damien for that useful word). The normal starting point for the KWH, the Sillianer Hütte, was fully booked so our first overnight was in the Obstanserseehütte, nearly 1000 metres up from the start. The next day we walked along the wonderful ridge path for about 8 hours, enjoying fabulous views of the Dolomites, to the newly modernised Porzehütte. Halfway to the Porzehütte we stopped for lunch at the sehr gemütlich Standschützenhütte, which would make an attractive overnight stop if you were taking it easy.

The next stretch of the KHW was due to be the longest and most spectacular, according to the very useful Cicerone guidebook by John Hayes, and it is often hiked as part of a short ‘highlights’ outing, but it provided an unexpected challenge. At breakfast it was announced that due to a Covid test our destination hut, the Hochweißsteinhaus, was closed. What was meant to be a 9+ hours hike without a Jausenstation now became a logistics exercise involving a valley hotel and a lengthy taxi ride. You might say the Bergkameradschaft kicked in here as we huddled around smartphones and maps, investigating all the options ahead of us. Ben’s foreknowledge of the KWH and its variants proved especially useful. The option most popular with other hiking groups was to take a long snaking military track down the Italian slope of the ridge, but we worked out a way to stick closely to the planned route. Importantly, we did not miss out any of that day’s ridge walk but were able to take a taxi along forest tracks from quite close to the Hochweißsteinhaus.

The sauna and hot tub in our more luxurious than expected hotel were closed so we managed to extract ourselves early next morning for the biggest ascent of the week, 1600 metres up and across the border to Italy via the Wolayerseehütte. After lunch at the hut came an invigorating via ferrata section with 300m of ascent, part of Sentiero Spinotti, then on to Rifugio Marinelli. The Marinelli has a great reputation for its food and hospitality which proved to be well deserved. Catarina, her staff and the dog made us feel very welcome.

The Rifugio is at the foot of the highest peak on the KHW, Monte Coglians/Hohe Warte (2789m), which we could not resist on the morning of day 4, and after 2+ hours of extensive scree slopes and karst scrambling we got our reward of excellent views over both countries. Our overnight stay was in the shabby but welcoming Albergo in the Plöcken Pass, once an important border customs and crossing point as well as a focal point for conflict in WW1.

The next day we walked through the largely restored First World War military emplacements on the Kleiner Pal. The remains of military barracks, roads and trenches are a feature of the KHW; in fact, a common name for the route is the Friedensweg or Peace Trail. Many remains have been restored in recent years and museums and memorials created. The privations of the soldiers during the winters at 2000m or so during these military stalemates are hard to imagine but the restorations helped us to sympathise with them. One of our crew, Kevin Crawshaw, went on to visit the evidently very worthwhile WW1 Museum at nearby Kötschach-Mauthen. (If you want to know more, the excellent book ‘The White War’ by Mark Thompson explains the WW1 conflict in northern Italy well – ed.)

After several dry days the weather was turning. Low cloud obscured much of the Kleiner Pal from view and steady rain descended for the last 3 or 4 hours of our hike to our final overnight, Malga Pramosio. We arrived liked drowned rats, thoroughly soaked and cold, but were greeted at this active dairy farm with a generously stacked open log fire surrounded by hooks and hangers to dry all our boots, clothes and rucksacks. Our last night in the mountains was memorable for another Italian welcome, more great food, free hot showers, countless shots of grappa and, in the morning, the farm shop for cheese-based souvenirs. Our last leg involved re-crossing the KHW ridge and a long descent of rain-gouged paths, followed by gentler forest tracks descending the Kronhofgraben, trying not to squash the many glistening black salamanders, and a few fire salamanders, on the trail down to the bus stop in St Daniel.

The KHW was spectacular and very enjoyable. Ben’s local knowledge and thorough research into the route was an important element alongside ‘the crack’ we had as a friendly team of former strangers. Don’t be put off by the relative remoteness of this region of Austria when you are planning your next Alpine outing. It is well worth exploring.

Looking East along the Karnische Höhenweg
Photo by Kevin Thomas

Heading back to the karst ridge
Photo by Kevin Thomas

Hikers and crew at Rifugio Martinelli
Photo by Ben Clayton-Jolly

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