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THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 

SANTA  BARBARA 

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Balls  Alpine   Guides 


CENTEAL   TYEOL 


INCLrDIXG 


THE    GEOSS    GLOCKNER 


BY 


JOHN  BALL,  F.E.S.,  ME.LA.,  F.L.S.,  &c. 


LATE  PRESIDEXT  OF  THE  ALPINE  GLUE 


LONDON 

LONGMANS,     GEEEN,     AND     CO. 

1873 


LIST  OF  MAPS. 


Key  Map      ....         To  he  2)aslecl  inside  the  c^'Ver  at  the  beginning 
Thk  Easti^kx  Alps— Gen t-ral  I\Iap        ....  To  face  title-page 

Paxoeama  fuom  the  KiTTKEKHOKX     ....  To  fuce  po.ge  173 

Th£  Gross  Glockxee  and  its  viciuity  ....  „  223 


ABBIIEVIATIOXS   AND   EXPLAXATIOXS. 

The  ioUowiug  are  the  chief  abbreviations  used  in  this  work : — 

hrs.,  m. — for  hours  and  raiinites.  When  used  as  a  measure  of  distance,  one 
hour  is  meant  tu  indicate  the  distance  which  a  tolerably  good  walker  will  traverse 
in  an  hour,  clear  of  halts,  and  having  regard  to  the  diihculty  of  the  ground. 
I:;  eases  where  there  is  a  considerable  diiierence  of  height,  the  measure  given  is 
intended  as  a  mean  between  the  time  employed  in  ascending  and  descending, 
being  greater  in  the  one  case  and  less  in  the  other. 

ft.,  yds. — for  feet  and  yards.  The  heights  of  mountains,  &c.,  are  given  in 
English  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea,  and  are  generally  indicated  in  the 
manner  usual  in  scientific  books,  by  the  figures  being  enclosed  in  brackets, 
with  a  short  stroke. 

m. — for  mile.  Unless  otherwise  expressed,  distances  are  given  in  English 
statute  miles. 

rt.,  1. — for  right  and  left.  The  right  side  of  a  valley,  stream,  or  glacier,  is 
that  lying  on  the  right  hand  of  a  person  following  the  downward  coarse  of  the 
stream. 

The  point:?  of  the  compass  are  indicated  in  the  usual  way. 

Names  of  places  are  referred  in  the  Index  to  the  pages  where  some  useful 
information  respecting  them  is  to  be  found. 

Throughout  this  work  the  reader  is  freqiiently  referred  for  furtlier  information 
to  the  Section  and  Eoute  where  this  is  to  be  fouu'l.  When  the  reference  is 
made  to  a  passage  occurring  in  the  same  Section,  the  Eoute  alone  is  mentioned. 


139 

CHAPTER  XIV. 
CENTRAL  TYEOL  ALPS. 


Section  48. 

oetzthax  disteict, 

Ronte  A — Landeck  to  Meran  and  Botzen 
Route  B  —  Imst  to  Meran,  by  the  Oetzthal 

and  Timbler  Joch 
Route  C  —  Sblden  to  the  Vintschgau,  by 

the  Fenderthal     . 
Route  D  —  Solden  to  Meran,  or  Natums, 

by  the  Gurglthal 
Route  E  —  Landeck  to  Feud,  by  the  Kauu- 

Bcrthal  and  Gebatsch  Joch  . 
Route F  —Imst  to  Fend,  by  the  Pitzthal 
Route  G— Tour  of    the  Oetzthal    Alps. 

Lengenfeld,  or  Sblden,   to 

St.   Leonhard  in  the  Pas- 

eeyerthal      .... 

Section  49. 

SrCBAY  DISTRICT. 
Innsbruck  to  Botzen,  over  the 

Brenner  Pass,  by  road 
Innsbruck  to  Botzen,  over  the 

Brenner  Pass,  by  railway    . 
Innsbruck  to  Imst,  or  Oetz,  by 

the  Selrainerthal 
Selraih  to  Lengenfeld  in  the 

Oetzthal       .... 
Innsbruck  to  Lengenfeld,  by 

the  Stubaythal.    Ascent  of 

the  Schrankogl  . 
Neustift  to  Sblden.   Ascent  of 

the  Wilder  Pf afE . 
Neustift  to  Sterzing 
Fend,  or  Gurgl,  to  the  Brenner 


Route  A  — 
Route  B  — 
Ronte  C  — 
Route  D  — 
Route  E  — 

Route  F  — 

Route  G  — 
Route  H  — 

Route  I  - 

Route  K- 


Route  A  • 
Route  B  - 
Route  C  - 
Route  D- 
Route  E  - 
Route  F  - 

Route  G  - 
Route  H  - 

C  T, 


-Sterzing   to   Meran,   by    the 

JaufenPass. 
-Botzen  to  Sterzing,  through 

the  Samthal 

Section  50. 
zillebtfal  district. 
-Innsbruck    to    Lend,   by  the 
Zillerthal  and  Pinzgau 

-  Zell  to  Sterzing,  by  the  Pfits- 

cher  Joch    .... 

-Zell  to  Stafflach,  by  the  Tuxer- 

thal      ..... 

-  Imisbruck  to  Mayrhofen  by  the 

Tuxer  Gebirge     . 
-Zell     to     Bruneck,     by    tiie 
Krimmler  Taueni 

-  Zell  to  the  Ahrenthal,  by  the 

Zillergrund,  or  Sonder- 
grund  

-Taufers  to  Ginzling,  by  the 
Miihhvalderthal  , 

-St.  Jakob  in  Pfitsch  to  the 
Pusterthal,  by  the  Pfunde- 
rerthal         .... 


Route  I  —  Kematen  in  Pfitsch  to  Brixen, 

by  the  Valserthal        .        .    222 

Section  51. 
geossglockner  district. 


Route  A— Brixen   to    Villach,    by   the 

Pusterthal  ....    2l'6 

Route  B  —  Lienz  to  Heiligenblut,    Ascent 

of  the  Grossglockner  .        .     234 

Route  C  —  Eruck.  in  Pinzgau,  to  Heili- 
genblut, by  the  Fuscherthal. 
Ascent  of  the  Vischbaclihona 

Route  D  —  Kaprun    to    Heiligenblut,    by 

the  Riffelthor      .        .        .    250 

Route  E  —  Lienz  to  Mittersill,  in  Pinzgau, 
by  the  Iselthal  and  Velber 
Tauem        ....    253 

Route  F  —  Windisch-Matrey  to  Neu- 
ktrchen,  or  Wald,  in  Pinz- 
gau. Ascent  of  the  Gross- 
168  venediger    .        .        .        .257 

RouteG  — "Windisch-Matrey  to  Krimml, 

174  by  the  Virgenthal       .        .     263 
Route  H  —  Lienz  to  Uttendorf ,  or  Bruck, 

175  in  Pinzgau,  by  the  Kalser- 
thal  and  Stubachthal  .        ,    269 

177  Route  I  —  Heiligenblut    to     Windisch- 
Matrey         .        .        .        .274 

Route  K  —  Lienz  to  St.  Valentin,  by  the 

178  Defereggenthal   ._       .        .    27-5 
Route  L  —  Bruneck  to  Hopfgarten  .        .    277 

183     Route  M  — Taufers  to  St.   Jakob  in  De- 
186  fereggen,  by  the  Rainthal  .    279 

Route  N  —  Sillian  to  Hopfgarten,  by  the 
188  Villgrattenthal    .        .        .    281 

191  Section  52. 

192  GASTEIN   district. 

Route  A  —  Salzburg  to  Bad  Gastein.   Ex- 
cursions from  Gastein         .    283 
Route  B— Lend    to     Heiligenblut,     by 

Rauris,  or  Hof  Gastein       .     287 
Route  C  —  Bad  Gaste-n  to  Spittal  on  the 

Drave,  by  Mallnitz      .        .291 

201  j  Route  D  — Bad  Gastein  to  Ober-Vellach 

I  by  the  Zirknitzthal,  or  Fra- 

207  I  gantthal       ....     296 

;  Route  E  —  St.  Johann  in  Pongau  to  Til- 

.     210  ;  lach,    by    the    Radstadter 

I  Tauem         ....     298 

213  '  Route  F  — St.    Johann     in    Pongau    to 

j  Gmllnd,  by  the  Arlscharte  .    30i 

;  Route  G  —  Gmiind  to  Bad  Gastein  by  the 
218  !  Kleine  Elend       .        .        .    304 

!  RouteH  —  Gmund  to  Ober-Vellach.    As- 

220  i  cent  of  the  Hochalpenspitz    30G 
j  Route  I  —St.  Johann  in  Pongau,  to  St. 

Michael  in  Lungau.     The 

221  I  Hafnereck    .        .        .        .    3U 


["] 


140 


CENTRAL    TYROL   ALPS. 


The  geological  map  of  the  Alps,  east  of 
the  Adige,  shows  a  broad  band  of  crys- 
talline rocks  extending  from  "W.  to  E., 
and  flanked  to  the  N.  and  S.  by  a  zone 
of  stdimentan'  rocks,  chiefly  of  Jurassic 
and  triassic  age.  It  has  been  seen  in 
the  preceding  chapters  that  on  the  N. 
side  the  geological  boundary  almost 
exactly  coincides  with  a  great  line  of 
valley  running  parallel  to  the  main 
chain.  On  the  S.  side  the  boundary  is 
equally  well  defined,  though  somewhat 
mor-^  sinuous.  At  the  W.  end  the  con- 
V'^^rging  branches  of  the  Adige  that 
meet  at  Botzen  di-\4de  the  central  range 
from  the  Orteler  group  and  the  dolo- 
mite Alps,  while  towards  the  E.  the 
valleys  of  the  Eienz  and  the  Drare 
form  a  continuous  line  of  depression, 
nearly  corresponding  to  the  S.  limit  of 
the  crystalline  rocks.  The  central 
range  reaches  its  culminating  point  in 
the  G-rossglockner,  but  about  25  m. 
east  of  that  peak  begins  to  subside  to 
a  much  lower  level,  while  at  the  same 
time  it  forks  into  two  parallel  branches, 
■which  are  divided  by  the  valley  of  the 
Mur  running  parallel  to  the  direction 
of  the  main  chain. 

Austrian  writers  commonly  designate 
the  entire  range  of  crystalline  rocks, 
from  the  Adige  to  the  Schneeberg,  as 
the  '  Central  Alps.'  But  in  a  general 
arrangement  of  the  entire  Alpine  chain, 
this  term  cannot  be  applied  to  a  sub- 
division of  the  Eastern  Alps,  and  it  is 
no<:  easy  to  suggest  any  other  suitable 
collective  name.  In  the  present  chap- 
ter we  include  only  the  higher  western 
division  of  the  range,  for  which  the 
most  fitting  designation  seems  to  be 
that  of  Central  Tyrol  Alps,  It  is 
true  that  the  province  of  Tyrol  includes 
jwrtions  of  the  northern  and  southern 
ranges  lying  beyond  the  limit-s  of  the 
centVal  chain,  and  that  the  latter  at  its 
eastern  extremity  extends  into  Carin- 
thia  and  the  province  of  Salzburg ;  yet 
it  remains  true  that  the  range,  as  here 
defined,  may  be  called,  par  excellence, 
the  main  chain  of  the  Tyrol  Alps.  It 
is  bounded  to  the  iN^,  by  the  Inn  and 
thf  Salza,  to  the  W.  by  the  Adige  from 


its  source  to  Botzen,  to  the  S.  by  the 
Eisack  and  Rienz,  and  then  by  the 
valley  of  the  Drave.  The  eastern  limit 
is  not  quite  so  well  marked.  Oro- 
graphically  the  most  natural  boundary 
is  that  indicated  by  the  valleys  lying 
between  St.  Johann  im  Pongau  and 
Spital  on  the  Drave — the  Gross  Arlthal, 
Maltathal,  and  Lieserthal;  but  for  the 
purposes  of  this  work  it  is  more  con- 
venient to  fix  as  the  eastern  limit  the 
high  road  from  Radstadt  to  Spital, 
crossing  the  two  low  passes  of  the  Rad- 
stadter  Tauern  and  the  Katschberg.  Al- 
though this  road  enters  the  valleys  of  the 
Enns  and  the  Mur  near  the  sources  of 
those  rivers,  it  does  not  cross  the  W. 
boundary  of  Styria,  and  for  all  practical 
purposes  is  the  direct  line  of  communi- 
cation between  Salzburg  and  the  upper 
valley  of  the  Drave.  The  range  in- 
cluded within  these  limits  is  divided 
into  two  very  distinct  portions  by  the 
deep  depression  leading  on  either  side 
to  the  Brenner  Pass,  the  lowest  in  the 
entire  range  of  the  Alps.  To  the  west 
of  that  limit  the  peaks  are  collected  in 
groups  and  short  ridges  not  forming  a 
continuous  range ;  while  on  the  E,  side 
the  chain  extending  from  the  Wild 
Kreuzspitze  to  the  Hochalpen-Sp.  is 
one  of  the  best  defined  and  most  con- 
tinuous in  the  Alps.  In  a  distance  of 
nearly  100  miles  there  is  no  pass  below 
8,000  ft.  in  height,  and  there  are  but 
four  that  do  not  much  surpass  that 
limit. 

Most  strangers  who  visit  the  Tyro- 
lese  Alps  keep  to  the  main  valleys, 
where  they  find  the  conveniences  of 
carriage  roads  and  good  inns ;  and 
comparatively  few  have  explored  the 
remoter  valleys  that  penetrate  the  re- 
cesses of  the  higher  mountains.  What- 
ever other  advantages  the  common 
method  may  offer,  it  certainly  cannot 
lead  to  much  acquaintance  with  the 
Alpine  region  of  Tyrol.  In  Switzerland, 
and  on  the  Italian  side  of  the  Alps,  it  is 
easy  to  enjoy  most  of  the  finest  scenery 
by  keeping  to  beaten  paths,  and  in 
manv  places  carriage  roads  lead  near  to 
the  base  of  the  highest  peaks,  but  such 


§  48.    OETZTHAL    DISTRICT. 


141 


is  by  no  means  the  case  in  Tyrol.  Al- 
though the  country  has  been  pretty 
thoroughly  explored  by  German  moun- 
taineers and  men  of  science,  the  afflu- 
ence of  strangers  is  not  such  as  to  bring 
about  much  local  provision  for  their 
comfort.  Amidst  the  far  more  civilised 
population  of  this  region  there  is  no 
risk  of  encountering  the  filth  and  misery 
of  Dauphine,  or  the  unfrequented  parts 
of  the  Valais,  but  the  traveller  who 
would  enjoy  the  finest  scenery  of  the 
high  Alps  of  Tyrol  must  put  up  with 
rough  accommodation  and  indifferent 
food. 


SECTION  48. 

OETZTHAL    DISTRICT. 

The  western  portion  of  the  Tyrolese 
chain  is  a  high  mountain  mass  sur- 
rounded on  two  sides  by  the  upper 
course  of  the  Adige,  which  at  first  flows 
southward  for  several  miles,  and  then 
bends  to  the  eastward,  and  follows  that 
direction  as  far  as  Meran.  The  streams 
bearing  part  of  the  drainage  of  this 
mass  to  the  Adige  diverge  from  it  in 
various  directions,  and  no  one  of  them 
drains  a  large  svu'face.  The  case  is 
otherwise  on  the  NE.  side.  The  high- 
est summits  of  the  group  enclose  the 
head  of  the  Eenderthal  and  Grurglthal, 
and  several  large  glaciers  pour  their 
streams  into  those  two  glens  which 
unite  at  the  head  of  the  Oetzthal.  The 
torrent  from  that  considerable  valley, 
reinforced  by  tributaries  from  the  Stu- 
bay  Alps,  flows  northward  to  join  the 
Inn  below  Imst. 

The  best  mode  for  forming  an  idea 
of  the  somewhat  complicated  orography 
of  this  district  is  to  fix  attention  on  the 
"Weisskugel  (r2,277')>  the  second  in 
height  of  its  peaks,  which  rises  a  few 
miles  E.  of  the  sources  of  the  Adige, 
and  very  near  the  watershed  between 


that  stream  and  the  Inn.  The  highest 
peaks  of  the  group  lie  in  two  ranges 
that  diverge  from  that  mountain — the 
one  about  due  E.,  the  other  to  NE. 
The  former  is  the  dividing  range  that 
parts  the  waters  flowing  to  the  Inn 
from  the  basin  of  the  Adige ;  but  the 
latter  surpasses  it  in  height,  including 
the  highest  peaks  and  the  greatest  gla- 
ciers. From  the  latter  three  lofty 
ridges  run  due  N.,  parallel  to  the  Oetz- 
thal, towards  the  Inn,  and  between 
them  lie  two  Alpine  valleys,  too  long 
neglected  by  travellers,  the  Kaunser- 
thal  and  Pitzthal.  Including  some 
accessory  ridges  of  considerable  height, 
these  ranges  make  up  the  group  of  the 
Oetzthal  Alps.  With  this  is  nearly 
connected  the  smaller  group  of  the  Stu- 
bay  Alps,  lying  between  the  Oetzthal 
and  the  Brenner  Pass.  In  a  general 
arrangement  of  the  Eastern  Alps  these 
are  usually  placed  together,  inasmuch 
as  the  Stubay  group  has  more  relations 
with  the  Oetzthal  Alps  than  with  the 
range,  extending  from  the  Brenner 
to  the  Maltathal  in  Carinthia.  But  as 
the  principal  valleys  of  the  Stubay 
group  descend  towards  the  E.  in  the 
direction  of  the  Brenner  road,  it  has  ap- 
peared a  matter  of  obvious  convenience 
to  describe  them  in  a  separate  sec- 
tion. Although  the  Oetzthal  Alps  are 
s\irpassed  in  height  by  many  groups 
described  in  the  preceding  portions  of 
this  work,  they  are  deservedly  reckoned 
by  German  writers  amongst  the  most 
considerable  of  the  subdivisions  of  the 
great  chain.  The  large  number  of  high 
peaks,  and,  still  more,  the  height  of  the 
passes  in  this  district,  show  that  it  is 
one  of  those  in  which  the  largest  mass 
of  matter  has  been  raised  to  the  great- 
est height  above  the  level  of  the  conti- 
nent. Within  an  area  of  921  square 
miles  we  find  14  peaks  surpassing 
11,000  Vienna  feet  (11,408  Eng.  ft.), 
and  at  least  60  that  fall  between  10,000 
and  11,000  Vienna  ft.  (10,371  and 
11,408  Eng.  ft.),  while  the  lowest  pass 
OA-er  the  main  ranges  enclosing  the  val- 
leys of  Fend  and  Gurgi  is  9,514  ft. 
in  height.     Fully  three-fourths  of  the 


142 


CEN'TRAL    TYROL    ALPS.       §    48.    OETZTHAL    DISTRICT. 


entire  space  surpasses  the  limit  of 
6,000  ft.,  and  164  square  miles  lie 
within  the  snow-region.  If  the  solid 
mass  were  spread  out  uniformly,  it 
would  form  a  plateau  8,332  ft.  above 
the  sea-level.  If  we  add  that  the  group 
includes  over  230  glaciers,  several  of 
which  are  amongst  the  most  consider- 
able in  the  Alps,  it  becomes  evident 
that  the  region  here  described  is  not 
only  important  to  the  physical  geogra- 
pher, but  must  offer  many  inducements 
to  the  lover  of  high  Alpine  scenery. 
Much  of  this  may  be  enjoyed  by  ordi- 
nary tourists  who  arrive  without  the 
slightest  difficulty  at  the  central  points 
— Fend  and  Gurgl ;  but  it  is  reserved 
for  the  active  mountaineer  to  make  a 
thorough  acquaintance  with  the  district. 
There  are  good  inns  in  the  Oetzthal, 
and  fair  quarters  at  Unser  Liebe  Frau 
and  St.  Leonhard  in  Passeyerthal,  but 
in  the  higher  valleys  it  is  necessary  to 
apply  for  entertainment  to  the  village 
clergymen,  it  being  understood  that  a 
reasonable  charge  is  made  at  the  tra- 
veller's departure. 

Ample  information  respecting  the 
orography  of  this  district  is  given  in 
Karl  V.  Sonklar's  elaborate  work  on 
the  Oetzthal  Alps,  referred  to  in  the 
preliminary  notes  to  this  volume  ;  and 
further  particulars  useful  to  the  moun- 
taineer may  be  gleaned  from  several 
papers  in  the  annual  volumes  of  the 
Vienna  Alpine  Club. 

It  is  convenient  to  include  in  this 
section  the  description  of  the  great  road 
through  the  upper  valley  of  the  Adige 
from  Landeck  to  Botzen,  which  marks 
the  western  boundary  of  this  district, 
and  the  great  line  of  depression  be- 
tween the  Central  and  the  Eastern 
Alps. 


EoUTE  A. 

lAKDECK 

TO   aiERAX   A^D    BOTZEN. 

Anstrian      Eng. 

miles        mileg 

Eied 

2                   9^ 

Pfunds     . 

2                   91 

Nauders  . 

2                   9^ 

Mais 

3i                16i 

Eyers 

2                   91 

ScWanders 

H                  7 

Xatums  . 

2i           in 

Meran 

2                    9| 

Tilpian    . 
Botzen     . 

2                 H 
If               s| 

21i  lOOi 

In  preceding  portions  of  this  work,  it 
has  been  seen  that  several  of  the  chief 
roads  of  Northern  Tyrol  converge  at 
Landeck,  in  the  upper  valley  of  the 
Inn.  That  leading  from  Bregenz,  on 
the  1.  of  Constance,  through  the  Vorarl- 
berg,  is  described  in  §  34,  Ete.  A.  The 
roads  from  Bavaria  by  Immenstadt,  or 
Fiissen,  andEeutte,  and  that  from  Inns- 
bruck through  the  Innthal,  are  de- 
scribed in  Sections  41  and  42.  The 
road  described  in  the  present  Ete.  is 
one  of  the  main  lines  of  communication 
from  the  north  to  the  south  side  of  the 
Alps,  being  very  nearly  a  slow  as  the  more 
frequented  line  of  the  Brenner,  but  less 
direct.  The  distance  from  Innsbruck 
to  Botzen  by  Landeck  is  nearly  double 
that  by  the  Brenner  (§  49,  Ete.  A),  but 
the  road  is  in  aU  respects  more  inte- 
i  resting. 

I      This   road    has    frequently   suffered 
j  from  inundations,  but  has  of  late  been 
in   good    condition.      There    are   good 
!  inns    at    Meran   and    Schlanders,   and 
i  tolerable  ones  in  most  of  the  villages 
;  on   the  road.       A   post-carriage   plies 
I  daily    throughout    the   year    between 
j  Landeck    and   Botzen.   and   besides   a 
j  country  carriage,  or  Stellwagen,    runs 
between  Meran  and  Mais.     In  summer 
additional  Stellwagen  ply  daily  between 
Landeck  and  Mais,  and  Mais  and  Meran, 
and  twice  a  day  between   Meran    and 
Botzen.     They  travel  slowly,  and.  ex- 
cept from  the   front  seats,  little  of  the 
countrv  can  be  seen. 


ROUTE   A. DEFILE    OF    FJNSTERMtJNZ. 


143 


Above  Landeck,  the  valley  of  the 
Inn  becomes  a  narrow  defile,  and  turns 
sharply  to  the  E.  for  a  distance  of  5  or 
6  m.  The  high-road  is  carried  along 
the  rt.  bank  to  the  bridge  of  Pontlatz, 
famous  in  T}-rolese  history,  for  the  de- 
struction of  a  Bavarian  force  that  at- 
tempted to  force  the  passage  in  1703, 
and  that  of  a  still  larger  body  of 
French  and  Bavai'ians  in  1809.  Here 
the  road  crosses  to  the  1.  bank,  and  the 
vaUey  widens  out  as  it  resumes  its 
normal  direction  towards  SW.  [The 
pedestrian  going  from  Innsbruck  to  the 
Finstcrmiinz  may  shorten  the  way  by 
leaving  the  high  road  a  mile  below 
Imst,  and  following  the  track  along  the 
W.  side  of  the  Pitzthal  for  about  5  m. 
A  path  then  turns  out  of  the  main 
valley,  mounts  SW.  to  the  hamlet  of 
Piller,and  crosses  the  Fillerjoch  (4,621'), 
a  low  and  easy  pass,  whence  one  path 
descends  to  the  Pontlatz  bridge,  and 
another  keeps  to  the  1.  and  leads  di- 
rectly to  Prutz.  The  mountain  lying 
between  the  Pillerjoch  and  Landeck, 
round  whose  base  the  Inn  follows  so 
circuitous  a  course,  is  the  Venctberg 
(8,233').  It  commands  a  fine  view  of 
the  neighbouring  valleys,  and  the 
snowy  range  to  the  S.]  The  road  re- 
turns to  tlae  rt.  bank  of  the  Inn  at 
Pni.tz  (2,719'),  Avith  a  village  inn  (Rose), 
standing  at  the  opening  of  the  Kaun- 
serthal  (Rte.  E),  which  leads  into  the 
heart  of  the  glacier  region.  On  the 
opposite  side  of  the  river,  at  some 
height  above  the  valley,  are  the  baths  of 

Obladis  (3,920'),  said  to  be  amongst  the 
best  managed  in  Tyrol.  A  handsome 
building,  belonging  to  a  company,  ac- 
commodates visitors  at  very  moderate 
prices.  Light  carriages  can  go  from 
Ried  as  far  as  the  village  of  Ladis,  half 
an  hour  below  the  Baths.  The  salt 
spring  is  used  internally  as  well  as  for 
baths.  The  high-road  passes  under  the 
rock  whereon  stand  the  ruins  of  the 
very  ancient  castle  of  Landeck,  and  in 
about  2  m.  from  Prutz  reaches  the 
post  station  of  Ekd  (Inns  :Post,  Adler  ; 
both  indiiferent),  a  pretty  village,  2,887 
feet  above  the  sea,  picturesquely  placed 


below  the  castle  of  Sigmundsried,  at  the 
opening  of  the  Ftnddserthal ,  a  short 
glen  leading  to  a  low  pass  into  the 
Kaunserthal.  After  passing  Tosens, 
the  road  once  more  crosses  to  the  1.  bank 
of  the  Inn,  nearly  opposite  the  opening 
of  the  TsclmiypacMlial,  and  follows  the 
same  side  of  the  valley  to 

Pfunds.  The  post-station  with  an 
inn  (Post)  is  in  the  hamlet  of  Stuben, 
on  the  1.  bank,  where  there  is  an  inte- 
resting old  church  with  a  carved  wood 
altar.  The  modern  church  is  in  the 
principal  village  (Inn :  Traube)  on  the 
rt.  bank  of  the  stream,  at  the  opening 
of  the  Eadurschclthal,  a  wild  and  some- 
what dreary  Alpine  glen,  running  SE. 
to  the  base  of  the  Huchglockt^ithurm 
(10,997')-  By  the  N.  side  of  that  peak, 
two  passes  lead  to  the  head  of  the 
Kaimserthal ;  while  there  is  an  easier 
track,  W.  of  the  peak,  to  Mallag,  in  the 
Langtauferer  Thai. 

A  short  distance  beyond  Prutz,  the 
valley  of  the  Inn  gradually  narrows, 
and  we  enter  the  famous  defile  of  Fin- 
stermunz.  The  old  road  was  carried 
for  several  miles  along  the  1.  bank,  but 
this  has  been  superseded  by  the  very 
remarkable  line  of  road  which  was 
completed  in  1855.  Crossing  the  Inn, 
for  the  last  time,  about  \\  m.  above 
Pfunds,  it  ascends  gradually  along  the 
face  of  a  range  of  nearly  vertical  cliffs 
of  secondary  limestone.  In  most  places 
a  shelf  has  been  formed  for  the  road  by 
blasting  the  face  of  the  rock,  but  there 
are  3  tunnels  and  2  galleries  formed 
artificially  for  protection  from  ava- 
lanches and  falling  stones.  At  a  spot 
called  Hoch  Finstermunz,  where  the 
rocks  form  a  small  platform,  room  has 
been  found  for  two  or  three  houses,  one 
of  which  is  a  fair  country  inn,  com- 
manding a  remarkable  view.  .  Many 
hundred  feet  below  is  seen  the  tower 
and  the  ancient  bridge  of  Finstermiinz 
(3,152'),  whence  the  old  and  steep  road 
climbed  the  rocks  on  the  rt.  bank  lead- 
ing to  the  gap  through  which  it  escaped 
from  the  valley  of  the  Inn  to  the  upland 
valley  of  Nauders.  This  point,  fortified 
as    early     as    the     11th    century    by 


114 


CENTRAL    TYROL    ALPS.       §    48.    OETZTHAL    DISTRICT. 


the  German  invaders  of  Italy,  is  de- 
fended by  a  new  fort  -whose  guns  sweep 
all  the  approaches.  Beware  of  sketch- 
ing near  here.  Por  the  pedestrian,  the 
old  road,  no  longer  passable  for  vehicles, 
is  on  the  whole  more  interesting  than 
the  new  one.  The  abrupt  contrast  be- 
tween the  gloom  that  dwells  in  the 
depth  of  the  defile,  and  the  broad  day- 
light of  the  summit  of  the  pass,  is  lost 
by  the  new  road.  Travellers  entering 
Tyr.ol  from  the  Engadine  do  well  to  send 
their  luggage  from  Martinsbruck  to 
Nauders.  They  shoidd  walk  from  the 
former  village  by  the  narrow  track  on 
the  1.  bank  of  the  Inn  ( §  36,  Ete.  A)  to 
the  old  bridge  of  Finstermiinz,  and  then 
ascend  by  the  old  road  to  Nauders. 

On  escaping  from  the  defile,  the  road 
continues  to  ascend  for  some  two  miles 
farther  to 

Nauders  (Inns  :  Post,  good  and  reason- 
able country  quarters ;  Mondschein, 
old-fashioned,  cheap).  The  Tillage, 
with  its  old  castle,  stands  4,356  ft. 
above  the  sea,  near  the  summit  of  the 
plateau,  dividing  the  basin  of  the  Inn 
from  that  of  the  Adige.  Those  who 
halt  here  should  take  a  short  and 
pleasant  stroll  on  the  S.  side  of  the  road, 
leading  hence  to  Martinsbruck,  to  the 
summit  of  the  ridge  dividing  the  little 
upland  valley  from  the  Engadine.  The 
ridge  in  question  here  forms  the  fron- 
tier of  Switzerland,  and  commands  a 
pleasing  view  of  the  lower  Engadine, 
and  the  range  dividing  it  from  the 
Patznaunthal. 

The  road  to  Italy  ascends  gently  from 
Nauders  along  the  little  stream  of  the 
Stilkbach,  and  in  about  4  m.  reaches  the 
height  of  land  where  the  waters  begin  to 
fall  towards  the  Adi-iatic.  A  small 
lake,  or  pool,  lies  very  near  the  summit 
ot  the  plateau,  which  is  4,596  ft.  above 
the  sea,  and  is  called  Beschen-SchddecJc, 
from  the  village  of  Eeschen,  lying  near 
the  lake.  Excepting  the  Brenner,  which 
is  lower  by  8  ft.,  this  is  the  lowest  de- 
pression in  the  chain  of  the  Alps  divi- 
ding Italy  from  the  rest  of  Europe. 
The  traveller  has  scarcely  attained  the 
eummit-level  when  a  noble  view  of  the 


Orteler    and    its    attendant    peaks    is 
opened  due  S.,  and  reappears  at  inter- 
vals,   inviting  the  traveller  to  a  closer 
acquaintance  with  the  grand  scenery  of 
Trafoi  and  Sulden,  and  the  Laaserthal, 
whose  peaks  are  seen  to  the   1.  of  the 
j  Orteler.     The  infant  Adige,  or  Etsch, 
after  issuing  from  the  Beschensee  flows 
I  through  two  other  lakes — Mittersee  and 
I  Heidersec,  between  which  is  the  hamlet 
i  of  St.  Valentin  (Inn:  Post),  where  the 
I  diligence  changes  horses,  2  Austrian  m. 
i  from  Xauders,  Ij  m.  from  Mais.     The 
j  upper  end  of  the  valley  below  the  last^ 
I  named  village  is  locally  known  as  Mal- 
i  ser-Heidc,  and  was  the  scene  of  a  signal 
!  victory  gained  by  the  Grisons  Swiss,  in 
j  1499,  over  a  superior  force  of  Austrian 
i  troops.     The  course  of  the  Adige  con- 
j  tinues  due  S.  as  far  as 

Mais  (Inns :  Post,  or  Adler ;  Hirsch), 
I  and  then  bends  to  SE.,  soon  assuming 
I  the  due  easterly  direction  which  it  main- 
tains as  far  as  Meran.     The  high-road 
j  keeps  to  the  1.  bank  of  the  stream,  leav- 
:  ing  on   the  opposite   side   the  ancient 
'  town  of  Glurns  (3,176'),  at  the  opening  of 
Yal  Mustair  (§37,  Ete.  L),  the  upper 
part  of  which  belongs  to  Switzerland.  A 
pedestrian  wishing  to  visit  the  Stelvio 
i  Pass  may  go  to  Santa   Maria   in  that 
j  valley,  thence  ascend  by  the  Wormser 
Joch  to  the  Italian  side  of  the  Stelvio, 
;  cross  that  pass,  and  return  to  the  high- 
'  road  of  the  Adige  by  Trafoi. 
i       From  Mais  to  near  Meran  the  valley 
of  the  Adige  is  called  Vintschgau,  which 
is  the  Germanised  form  of  the  Italian 
Val  Venosta.    That  name  is  derived  from 
a  Ehsetian  tribe,  said  to  have  inhabited 
the  valley,  and  has  been  preserved  as 
the  surname  of  a  distinguished  family 
in  Val  Tellina.    Numerous  castles  mark 
the   former   importance   of    the   upper 
Yintschgau  as  one  of  the  chief  routes 
into  Italy.  After  passing  Schlv.derns,  at 
the  opening  of  the  MatsdierthaLth.^  peak 
of  the  Orteler  again  comes  into  view  at 
Spondinig,  where  the  road  of  the  Stelvio, 
having  issued  from  the  Stilfserthal  at 
Prad  i§  37,  Ete.  A),  joins    our  route. 
Those  who  do  not  make  a  longer  excur- 
sion should  go  as  far  as  Trafoi,  at  the 


ROUTE   A. VINTSCIIGAU. 


145 


foot  of  the  Orteler  Spitze.  Little  more 
than  1  ni.  bt'vond  Spondinig  is  the  post- 
station  at 

£(/ers  (lnr\:  Post,  tolerable, dear).  A 
post-carriage  runs  daily  to  Bormio. 
The  main  valley  hpre  is  rather  bare  and 
little  interesting,  except  when  some  of 
the  high  peaks  on  the  S.  side  of  the 
valley  come  into  view.  This  is  the  case 
at  Laas,  a  poor  village  nearly  destroyed 
by  fire  in  1861,  standing  opposite  the 
opening  of  the  Laaserthal  (§  37,  Rte. 
E).  The  scenery  improves  on  approach- 
ing the  next  post-station. 

Schlanders  {Iim:  Post,  good  and  clean). 
The  landlord  herp  is  acquainted  with  the 
neighbouring  valleys,  and  can  give  use- 
ful information.  A  table  is  hung  up  in 
the  inn  containing  many  particulars  re- 
specting the  high  passes  leading  into 
the Vintschgau,  which  maybe  consulted 
with  advantage  by  mountaineers.  The 
following  are  the  distances  there  given 
for  the  passes  connected  with  the  Mar- 
tellthal,  and  the  rates  charged  by  the 
guide  Sebastian  (doubtless  S.  Janiger 
mentioned  in  §  37,  Ete.  C) : 

Marten  to  Eabbi,  by  TJlten.  11  Stunden,  6  fl. 
„  „  by  Soilendfemer,  10  St.,  6  fl. 

„  to  Val  di  Sole,  by  tbe  Hohenf emer,  8  fl. 
„  to  Sulden,  by  the  Madritschberg,  5  fl. 
„   to  Bormio,  over  the  Cevalfemer, 

12  Stunden.        .        .        .        10  fl. 

The  scenery  hereabouts  is  interesting. 
To  theN.  a  narrow  cleft  in  the  mountains 
is  the  opening  of  the  ScMandernaunthal 
(Ete.  C).  The  rock  is  a  coarse  red 
sandstone  (verrucano?),  and  produces  a 
peculiar  vegetation.  The  culture  of  the 
vine  commences  here,  and  several  wild 
plants  of  the  warm  region  show  them- 
selves, while  various  Alpine  species,  such 
as  Oxytropis  Halhri,  descend  near  to 
the  village.  A  short  distance  below 
Schlanders  the  road  passes  to  the  rt. 
bank  nearly  opposite  the  opening  of  the 
Martellthal  (§  37,  Ete.  C).  Moun- 
taineers approaching  the  Orteler  district 
from  the  S.  cannot  do  better  than  ascend 
that  fme  valley,  and  cross  one  or  other 
of  the  glacier  passes  leading  from  it  to 
Stilden  or  to  Sta.  Catarina.     After  pass- 

C.T.  * 


ing  Lat!<th  (Inn  :  Hirsch),  the  road  re- 
crosses  the  Adige,  which  is  here  a  sluggish 
stream,  often  overflowing  the  valley,  and 
causing  unhealthy  swamps.  On  a  rock 
above  the  road  is  Castelhcll,  an  ancient 
stronghold,  nearly  destroyed  by  a  fire 
some  years  ago.  Seseli  varium  has  been 
found  on  the  rocks  here,  and  Euphorbia 
Gerardiana  and  Achiiha  tomcatosa  are 
common  in  gravelly  places.  A  few  miles 
farther  is  the  opening  of  the  Schnaher- 
thal  (Ete.  B),  one  of  those  that  on  the 
S.  side  penetrate  most  deeply  into  the 
mass  of  the  Oetzthal  Alps.  That  valley 
may  be  entered  by  a  path  from  Staben 
on  the  rt.  bank  of  the  torrent,  or  from 
the  larger  village  and  post-station  of 

Nuturns  (Inn :  Post),  lying  ^  m.  below 
the  opening,  1,697  ft.  above  the  sea.  The 
Vintschgau  here  has  a  somewhat  bare 
and  dreary  aspect,  the  soil  being  formed 
of  debris  from  the  stirrounding  moun- 
tains. Below  Eabland  the  valley  is 
contracted,  and  a  barrier  of  rock,  called 
the  Toll,  which  is  cut  through  by  the  river, 
seems  to  close  the  way.  The  high-road 
here  crosses  to  the  rt.  bank,  and  ascends 
about  200  ft.  to  the  summit  of  the  ridge, 
when  a  very  beautiful  scene  is  unexpec- 
tedly opened  before  the  traveller.  Up  to 
this  point  the  course  of  the  Adige  from 
Mais  has  been  a  continuous,  but  very  gra- 
dual, descent  of  about  1,500  ft.  in  35  m., 
and  for  half  that  distance  it  has  flowed 
along  the  N.  base  of  the  ridge  that  on  the 
opposite  side  bounds  the  Ultenthal. 
Here  that  ridge  ceases  abruptly,  and  the 
river  bends  at  a  right  angle  to  SSE,, 
while  the  level  of  the  valley  falls  sud- 
denly by  about  700  ft.  The  Toll  form? 
the  E.  limit  of  the  Vintschgau,  and 
the  lower  reach  of  the  valley  of  the 
Adige  from  hence  to  Botzen  is  known  to 
the  German  inhabitants  as  Etschland. 
The  broad  floor  of  this  rich  valley, 
crowded  with  villages  and  hamlets, 
whose  spires  rise  amid  the  rich  foliage 
of  the  chestnut  and  walnut,  is  girdled 
by  vine-planted  hills,  beyond  which  rise 
the  higher  mountains  on  ei<'her  si{le.  A 
rather  rapid  descent  carries  the  traveller 
down  to  the  rt,  bank  of  the  Etseh,  and 
after  crossing  a  bridge,  he  turns  away 


146 


CENTRAL   TYROL  ALPS. 


from  the  river  to  reach  the  ancient  capi- 
tal of  Tyrol, 

'Sleran  (Inns  :  Erzherzog  Johann,  or 
Post ;  Graf  von  Meran  ;  both  large  and 
good  hotels;  there  are  several  second- 
class  houses:  Eossel ;  "Weisses  Kreuz  ; 
Sonne,  &c.).  This  place  is  famous  for 
the  mildness  of  its  climate,  being  some- 
times intolerably  hot  in  summer,  but 
much  frequented  in  spring,  and  espe- 
cially in  autumn,  when  the  hotels  are 
full,  and  many  visitors  are  accommo- 
dated in  pensions,  paying  from  2^  to  3^ 
florins  a  day.  The  town  contains  toler- 
able shops  and  cafes,  and  a  theatre  is 
sometimes  open  in  September  during  the 
full  season.  Meran  occupies  the  site  of 
a  Eoman  station,  said  to  have  been  de- 
stroyed by  a  Bergfall  at  the  beginning 
of  the  9th  century  ;  and  its  early  history 
is  that  of  the  Counts  of  Tyrol,  under 
whom  it  enjoyed  many  privileges.  It 
stands  1,114  ft.  above  the  sea,  close  to 
the  opening  of  the  Passeyerthal  (Ete.  B\ 
whose  torrent,  the  Passer,  has  often 
caused  destructive  inundations.  A  mas- 
sive dyke,  erected  to  save  the  town 
from  its  encroachments,  is  a  favourite 
promenade  of  its  inhabitants.  The  chief 
street  traversing  the  town  from"W.  toE. 
has  covered  arcades  on  either  side,  and 
the  foot- way  is  floored  with  wooden 
boards.  The  Pfarrkirche,  dating  from 
the  first  half  of  the  l-ith  century,  con- 
tains some  tolerable  pictures  and  statues 
by  Tyrolese  artists,  and  several  ancient 
monuments.  The  lofty  tower  commands 
an  admirable  view.  The  Spitalldrche, 
with  curious  ancient  wood  carving,  also 
deserves  a  visit.  The  neighbouring  slopes 
produce  fair  wine,  and  this  is  one  of  rhe 
places  especially  resorted  to  by  believers 
in  the  grape-cure.  Other  invalids  follow 
the  Molkenkur  (whey-cure\  which  is 
practised  here  from  April  to  October. 
Hot  and  cold  baths  are  found  in  the  town. 

The  neicrhbourhood  of  Meran  is  re- 
markable for  numerous  castles,  most  of 
them  now  in  ruins.  The  most  interest- 
ing of  these  is  Schloss  Tyrol,  which 
gave  its  name  to  several  successive  rul- 
ing families,  and,  through  them,  to  the 
entire  territory  lying  between  the  Bava- 


§  48.    OETZTHAL   DISTRICT. 

•  I  rian  frontier  and  the  states  of  the  Ve- 
netian republic.  The  castle  stands  X,  of 
the  town,  and  1,081  ft.  above  it.  com- 
manding an  admirable  view  over  the  ad- 
joining valleys.  It  contains  some  very 
curious  ancient  stone-carving.  There  is 
a  tolerably  direct  way  from  3Ieran  by  a 
bridle-path  passing  the  village  of  Tyrol, 
and  a  more  circuitous  char-road  (very 
rough).  Those  who  take  the  latter  way 
may  with  little  loss  of  time  visit  two 
other  castles — Zenoburg  and  Brunnen- 
burg— originally  dependencies,  of  the 
chief  stronghold. 

Many  agreeable  walks  may  be  made 
in  the  neighbourhood  of  Meran,  as  well 
as  longer  excursions  amongst  the  high 
mountains  that  enclose  the  Ultenthal 
and  the  Passeyerthal. 

The  road  from  Meran  to  Botzen  lies 
all  the  way  through  agreeable  scenery. 
The  post-road  is  carried  along  the  1. 
bank,  but  there  is  a  country  road,  longer, 
but  more  agreeable  to  a  pedestrian, 
running  along  the  base  of  the  mountain 
on  the  opposite  side  of  the  valley. 
Several  ancient  castles  stand  at  either 
side  of  the  entrance  to  the  Ultenthal. 
One  of  the  largest  of  these  (that  of 
Lehenherg)  was  rebuilt  about  fifty  years 
ago.  The  garden  interests  travellers 
from  the  north  entering  Italy  for  the 
fijst  time.  The  pomegranate,  oleander, 
agave,  and  orange  here  live  in  the  open 
air,  the  winter  temperature  being  milder 
than  that  of  the  plain  of  -Lombardy. 
Another  still  inhabited  castle,  called 
Fragshurg,  is  perched  on  a  rock  at  a 
great  height  above  the  valley.  One 
path  to  Pondo  in  Val  di  Non  (§  37, 
Kte.  I),  leaves  the  valley  of  the  Adige  at 
Lana,  another  at  Andrian.  several  miles 
farther  down  the  valley.  There  are  not 
many  objects  of  interest  near  the  main 
road.  The  valley  is  flat,  and  in  places 
swampy,  probably  unhealthy.  Near  the 
post-station  of  Vilpian  the  pale  grey 
pinnacles  of  the  dolomite  range  of  the 
Rosengarten,  SE.  of  Botzen,  come  intx) 
view.  The  ch.aracter  of  the  vegetation 
assumes  a  more  and  more  Italian  cha- 
racter, as  after  passing  Terlan,  famous 
for  its   excellent  wine,  the   road  turns 


ROUTE   B. OETZTHAL. 


147 


away  from  the  Adige,  and  runs  along 
the  base  of  the  hills  to 

Botzen  (Inns:  Kaiserkrone,  a  large 
handsome  house,  with  a  cafe  on  the 
ground  floor  ;  of  less  pretensions  are 
the  following,  Mondschein  ;  Schwarzer 
Adler;  Goldener  Hirsch),  described  in 
§  49,  Ete.  A,  one  of  the  chief  stations  on 
the  rly.  between  Innsbruck  and  Verona. 


EOUTE  B. 

mST    TO     MERAN,    BY  THE   GETZTHAT. 
AND    TlilBLER   JOCH. 

Hrs.  walking    Eng.  miles 

Oetz        ...  4  12 

Umhausen      .        .  2  6 

Lengenfeld     .        .  2|  7 

Solden   ...  3  %\ 

Zwieselstein    .        .  1  3 

Moos       .        .        .  7i  17 

St.  Leonhard .        .  2  6 

Meran    ...  4  12 


26 


71i 


Carriage-road  to  Umhausen ;  the  rough 
char-road  to  S51den  was  partly  carried  away  in 
1865,  but  is  probably  now  repaired;  bridle- 
path from  Solden  to  ileran. 

The  chief  valley  of  this  district,  and 
the  most  considerable  of  the  tributaries 
of  the  Upper  Innthal,  is  the  Oetzthal. 
As  mentioned  in  the  introduction,  it  is 
enclosed  at  its  head  by  the  two  main 
ridges  of  the  Oetzthal  Alps,  and  on  the 
E.  side  by  the  rival  group  of  the  Stubay 
Alps.  Glacier  passes  of  more  or  less 
difficulty  lead  across  those  ranges  to 
the  adjoining  valleys,  and  the  only  pass 
not  guarded  by  glacier  is  that  of  the 
Timbler  Joch,  here  described,  which  is 
the  lowest  depression  between  the  Oetz- 


thal and  Stubay  groups.  Most  strangers, 
even  though  they  should  not  attempt 
the  higher  passes,  will  not  omit  to  visit 
Fend  or  Gurgl  (Rtes.  C  and  D),  and 
but  few  will  keep  to  the  direct  path 
described  in  the  present  Ete.  There 
are  inns  at  Umhausen  (good),  Lengen- 
feld (fair),  Solden  (improved),  Schonau 
(very  poor),  Moos  (poor),  and  St.  Leon- 
hard  (fair).  It  is  scarcely  possible  to 
accomplish  the  distance  in  two  days. 

Travellers  approaching  the  Oetzthal 
from  the  side  of  Innsbruck  should  turn 
aside  from  the  high-road  at  a  chapel 
near  Haimingen,  a  little  W.  of  Silz, 
and  follow  a  char- road,  passing  chiefly 
through  forest  round  the  base  of  the 
mountain,  which  leads  in  3  hrs.  from 
that  place  to  Oetz.  A  pretty  waterfall 
of  the  torrent  issuing  from  the  Stuibeth' 
thai  is  passed  on  the  1.  hand. 

The  traveller,  entering  the  Oetzthal 
from  the  side  of  Landeck  or  Imst,  fol- 
lows the  high-road  for  some  way  beyond 
the  latter  village,  and  then  turns  aside 
and  crosses  a  bridge  over  the  Inn  to 
Eoppen.  Thence  a  very  hilly  road  crosses 
the  projecting  spurs  at  the  N.  base  of  the 
WildgratJcogl  (9,744'),  and  descends  to 
Sautens,  a  \allage  near  the  opening  of 
the  Oetzthal,  on  the  1.  bank  of  the  Ache, 
by  which  generic  name  the  torrent  drain- 
ing the  great  glacier  region  at  its  head  is 
designated.  Crossing  the  stream  by  a 
wooden  bridge,  the  road  in  ^  hr.  more 
reaches 

Oetz  (2,518'),  a  pretty  village,  with  a 
neat  country  inn  (beim  Cassian),  in  a 
sheltered  basin,  where  good  crops  of 
maize  are  still  raised  at  the  base  of  the 
Achenkogl  (9,866').  Above  this  village 
the  chief  product  is  flax,  of  which  large 
quantities  are  annually  sent  over  the 
Timbler  Joch  to  the  Passeyerthal.  The 
first  step  in  the  ascent  of  the  valley  is  a 
short  distance  above  Oetz,  where  the 
Ache  rushes  between  gneiss  rocks 
through  a  narrow  defile.  The  road 
crosses  to  the  1.  bank,  and  soon  returns 
to  the  opposite  side,  when  it  enters  the 
rather  extensive  basin  wherein  stands 

Umhausen  (3,399').  The  inn  (beim 
Marberger)  is  an  excellent  specimen  of 
2 


CENTRAL  TYROL   ALPS.       §  48.    OETZTHAL    DISTRICT. 


148 


Tyrolese    country    quarters    kept    by  ; 
obliging  people.    It  is  prudent  to  lay  in 
supplies  of  white  bread  and  cold  meat  ; 
here.      The  host's    brother  (or  son  ?),  I 
Anton  Marbei-ger,  is  recommended  as  a  ' 
guide,  as  are  also  F.  and  A.  Schopf,  who  '' 
Hve   in   the   village.      The   great   rock  I 
rising  above  the  valley  by  Umhausen  is  I 
called  Engelswand,  the  name  being  ex-  | 
plained  by  a  pious  legend,  one  of  many  ' 
still  current  in  the  valley.     Above  the 
village,  on  the  E.  side  of  the  valley,  is 
the  G-rosse  Stuibenfall,  a  verj' picturesque 
waterfall  of  the  Hairlachbach,  including 
an    upper    and   lower    cascade,    whose 
united    height   is    490  ft.     [Following 
the  path  that  mounts  beside  the  water- 
fall, and  leads  to  the  village  of  Xkder- 
the>^  in  the  Hairlackthal,  the  traveller 
may  ascend  to  the  Gleirscher  Joch,  and 
descend  thence,  through  the  G-leirscher- 
thal,  to  St.  Sigismund,  in  the  Selrainer- 
thal  (§  49,  Ete.  D).     The  same  pass  may 
be  reached  from  a  point  about  midway 
between  Umhausen  and  Lengenfeld,  and 
is  the  most  direct  way  from   either  of 
those  places  to  Innsbruck.] 

Above  Umhausen  the  road  is  very 
rough,  and  fit  only  for  country-carts. 
In  rainy  weather  it  is  liable  to  be 
covered  over  or  carried  away  by  torrents 
charged  with  mud  and  gravel  that  issue 
from  narrow  clefts  in  the  mountain. 
The  entrance  to  the  defile  of  3Iaui-ach  is 
partly  barred  by  a  great  mound,  pro- 
bably an  ancient  moraine.  The  defile 
is  wild  and  pictiu-esque :  the  track 
twice  crosses  and  recrosses  the  stream 
by  bridges  whose  construction  cost  the 
lives  of  many  workmen.  Amid  scattered 
larches,  and  pines  rooted  in  crevices  of 
the  rock,  the  track  ascends  to  the  next 
step  {Thalstufe)  in  the  valley,  a  green 
plain  4  or  5  m.  in  length.  Lengenfeld 
is  a  collective  name  for  several  ham- 
lets scattered  over  this  space,  but  is 
commonly  applied  to  the  hamlet  of 
Fischbach  nf-ar  its  S.  end,  where  the 
church  (3,886')  with  a  sharp  spire,  painted 
bright  green,  and  the  principal  inn 
(Oberwirth,  very  fair)  are  found.  There 
is  another  inn  (Unterwirth"),  but  nei- 
ther is  as  good  as  that  at  Umhausen. 


Nicholas  Etschmann  is  said  to  be  the 
best  guide  here.  There  is  a  rough  but 
not  difficult  pass  to  Trenkwald  in  the 
Pitzthal  by  the  Bradler  Joch,  and  an- 
other more  arduous  over  the  Eanach- 
ferner  to  St.  Leonhard  in  the  same 
valley.  In  the  opposite  direction  the 
Fischbach  issues  from  the  Suhthal, 
running  deep  into  the  recesses  of  the 
Stubay  Alps,  and  to  the  E.  base  of  the 
Schrankogl,  the  second  peak  of  that 
group.     See  §  49,  Ete.  E. 

The  scenery  above  Lengenfeld  con- 
stantly increases  in  savage  grandeur  as 
after  advancing  for  nearly  1  hr.  under 
the  precipices  of  the  Burgstein,  to  Hube, 
from  which  place  a  pass  (said  to  be 
difficult)  leads  to  Mittelberg  in  the 
Pitzthal  by  the  Gschrahkoglgletschcr, 
the  track  enters  another  defile  where 
massive  hornblende  rocks  close  to- 
gether, barely  leaving  space  for  the 
torrent  and  the  rough  cart-track.  At 
Brand,  the  Ache  is  crossed  to  the  L 
bank,  the  valley  opens  a  little,  and  the 
track  mounts  to  some  height  above  the 
torrent,  and  after  traversing  a  larch 
wood  descends  into  the  basin  of 

Sblden  (4.442').  There  is  a  small,  but 
clean  inn  (beim  Karlinger).  Alois  En- 
nemoser,  one  of  the  best  guides  for  this 
district,  and  Ferdinand  Platter  live 
here,  but  are  often  at  Fend  in  sum- 
mer. The  landlord's  son  is  also  well 
spoken  of.  At  Solden  the  valley  ai>- 
sumes  the  characteristic  aspect  of  the 
central  recesses  of  the  Alps.  A  few 
patches  of  rice,  oats,  and  potatoes,  ;ire 
hemmed  in  by  pine  forest,  above  which 
rise  steep  slopes  of  rock  and  Alpine 
pasture,  surmounted  by  the  peaks  of  the 
snowy  range.  The  most  prominent  of 
these  is  the  Hsbdcrkogl  (10,375'),  crown- 
ing the  ridge  that  divides  the  valleys  of 
Fend  and  Gurgl.  The  iU-famed  Biid- 
stockl  pass,  over  the  Winacherfemer, 
leads  in  12  hrs.  to  Neustift  in  Stubay. 
F.  Platter,  wh.->  knows  it  well,  expects 
8  fl.  Another  less  difficult  pass  leads 
to  the  head  of  the  Pitzthal  by  the 
Pitzthaler-Jbchl  (9,806').     See  Ete.  G. 

Above  Solden  the  bridle-track  enters 
another  ravine,  the  wildest  and  grandt.st 


ROUTE   B. PASSEYERTHAL. 


149 


of  the  entire  valley.  Throughout  its 
entire  length,  but  especially  here,  nu- 
merous M-ayside  pictures  and  votive 
tablets  commemorate  accidents  to  life 
or  limb  due  to  avalanches,  floods,  falling 
rocks,  and  the  varied  chances  of  man's 
life  in  the  Alps.  In  1  hr.  steady 
walking,  the  traveller  reaches  Zioiesel- 
stein  (two  inns,  the  new  one  not  bad), 
standing,  as  the  name  implies,  at  the 
bifurcatiun  of  the  main  valley,  4,791  ft. 
above  the  sea.  The  branch  mounting 
due  S.  is  called  Gurglthal  (Ete.  D), 
while  the  longer  branch,  mounting 
SW.,  is  the  Fenderthal  (Ete.  C).  The 
way  to  the  Timbler  Joch  ascends  for  a 
short  distance  through  the  Gurglthal 
on  the  rt.  bank  of  the  torrent,  but  soon 
turns  to  the  1.  into  a  short  lateral  glen 
called  TimhUhal.  The  rough  path, 
which  is  passable  for  laden  mules, 
crosses  to  the  1.  bank  of  the  torrent 
through  this  glen,  returning  to  the 
opposite  side  about  \  hr.  below  the  top. 
In  3  hrs.  from  Zwiesel stein  the 
traveller  attains  the  Timbler  Joch 
(8,298'),  the  lowest  pass  between  the 
Reschen-Seheideck  and  the  Brenner, 
and  the  only  one  well  fitted  for  four- 
footed  beasts.  The  pass  may  be  reached 
from  Gurgl  by  the  Angerer  Alp,  and 
thence  by  a  narrow  path  carried  along 
the  face  of  precipitous  rocks.  In  fine 
weather  a  guide  is  not  necessary,  but 
when  clouds  lie  on  the  pass,  it  is  quite 
possible  to  miss  the  way,  as  the  track  is 
in  places  ill  marked.  The  distance  from 
the  summit  to  Moos  in  the  Passeyer- 
thal  is  counted  5|  hrs.,  but  in  descend- 
ing 4  hrs.  amply  suffice.  The  way  is 
steep  for  about  20  min.,  but  thence- 
forward the  descent  is  gentle,  keeping  a 
SE.  direction  to  &Ao?2aM  (5,042'),  a  mi- 
serable hamlet,  with  an  inn  which  would 
be  resorted  to  only  in  case  of  necessity. 
Here  the  track  bears  to  the  rt.,  and 
crosses  the  torrent  before  reaching  Ba- 
bensttin{4:A9o').  From  this  northernmost 
branch  of  the  Passeyerthal,  several  j 
passes  lead  to  Sterzing  by  the  Eidnaun-  j 
thai  and  the  Eatschingerthal  (§  49,  i 
Ete.  H).  At  the  beginning  of  the  fif-  i 
teenth  centur}'  a  Bergfall  in  the  lower  ! 


part  of  the  valley  leading  to  Moos 
barred  the  course  of  the  Passer,  and  led 
to  the  formation  of  a  lake  that  extended 
nearly  to  Eabenstein.  The  partial 
yielding  of  the  barrier  thus  formed  led 
to  several  inundations  that  spread 
havoc  through  the  valley  even  to  Meran, 
till  about  1790  a  channel  was  opened 
that  finally  drained  the  lake,  whose  bed 
is  now  a  green  basin.  A  very  poor  inn 
(Seehaus)  stands  here,  about  2  m.  below 
Eabenstein.  The  path  thence  descends 
steeply,  and  follows  the  stony  slopes, 
first  along  the  rt.  bank,  then  by  the 
opposite  side  to  Moos  (3,183'),  a  village 
standing  at  tlie  junction  of  the  Pfelder- 
thal  with  the  main  branch  of  the  Pas- 
seyerthal. The  streams  meet  at  rt. 
angles,  and  their  united  torrents  fiow  a 
little  S.  of  AV.  from  hence  to  St.  Leon- 
hard.  The  inn  is  poor,  but  better  than 
those  higher  up  the  valley.  The  scenery 
here  is  very  fine.  There  are  two  paths 
descending  the  valley  from  Moos,  of 
which  the  more  direct  is  that  by  the 
1.  bank.  The  longer  but  more  pictu- 
resque way  mounts  to  the  village  of 
Piatt,  and  thence  follows  the  rt.  bank. 
The  distance  is  commonly  counted  2^ 
hrs.,  but  in  descending  it  is  easy  to  go 
in  little  more  than  ]  ^  hr.  from  Moos  to 

St.  Leonhard  (Inns  :  Weisses  Eoss, 
beim  Strobl,  good;  and  two  others), 
the  chief  village  of  the  Passeyerthal, 
2,273  ft.  above  the  sea.  The  valley 
here  bends  shai-ply  at  a  rt.  angle,  a 
little  W.  of  S.,  and  the  higher  peaks  are 
lost  to  view.  The  scenery  is  compara- 
tively tame  throughout  the  descent  to 
Meran,  but  the  traveller  familiar  with 
the  story  of  the  heroic  resistance  of  the 
TjTolese  to  the  French  and  Bavarian 
invasion  in  1809,  will  visit  with  interest 
the  home  of  Ilofer,  the  leader  of  the 
national  struggle  and  its  foremost 
victim.  The  church  and  cemetery  of 
St.  Leonhard,  which  had  been  occupied 
as  a  military  position  by  the  French, 
were  taken  by  storm  by  the  Tyrol  fse. 
About  ^  hr.  below  St.  Leonhard  the 
track  which  keeps  to  the  1.  bank  of  the 
Passer  passes  the  wayside  inn — Wirths- 
liaus  am  Sand— once  kept  by  Andreas 


150 


CENTRAL    TYROL    ALPS.       §  48.    OETZTHAL   DISTRICT. 


HoftT,  who  derived  from  it  the  common 
desitrnation  '  der  Sandvvirth.'  The  house 
is  still  an  inn,  and  contains  several 
memorials  of  the  popular  hero.  The 
hut  where  he  lay  concealed,  until  be- 
trayed to  the  French  in  January  1810, 
is  about  1^  hr.  distant,  on  the  ridge 
SE.  of  his  home.  It  may  be  taken  on 
the  way  to  Botzen,  as  a  track  leads 
thence  across  the  ridge  into  the  Penser- 
th:il,  or  NW.  branch  of  the  Sarenthal. 
PJelow  the  next  village  of  St.  Martin 
the  path  traverses  a  spot  called  Keller- 
lahn,  where,  after  heavy  rain,  a  slowly 
moving  stream  of  mud  descends  from 
the  mountain  side,  crosses  the  track,  and 
finally  falls  into  the  Passer.  Men 
attempting  to  cross  this  treacherous 
current  have  found  it  impossible  to  ex- 
tricate themselves  ;  and  some  lives  have 
thus  been  lost.  The  remainder  of  the 
walk  to  Meran  is  hot,  and  not  very  in- 
teresting, till  that  town  is  approached. 
The  track  by  the  1.  bank  passes  the 
castle  of  Schonna,  near  which  is  the 
very  ancient  church  of  St.  George.  The 
shorter  way  by  the  rt.  bank  traverses 
Saltans  (inn  kept  by  uncivil  people)  and 
Kuens.  The  last  pai'ish  priest  of  the 
latter  village  acquired  reputation  as  a 
poet  and  antiquary.  The  priest's  house 
commands  a  very  fine  view.  The  castle 
of  Tyrol  (Ete.  A)  may  be  taken  on  the 
way  from  hence  to  Meran,  but  the 
direct  road  enters  the  town  through  the 
Passej^erthor. 


ROTJTE  C. 

SOLDEN     TO     THE   VINTSCHGAU,  BY   THB 
FENDEETHAL. 

As  was  mentioned  in  the  last  Ete., 
the  main  branch  of  the  Oetzthal,  and 
that  which  penetrates  most  deeply  into 
the  heart  of  the  snowy  Alps,  is  the 
Fenderthal,  which  unites  its  torrent  with 
that  of  the  Grurglthal  at  Zwieselstein. 
The  path  from  Solden  to  Fend  (also 
written  Vent)  turns  to  the  rt.,  and  crosses 
the  Ache  before  it  reaches  the  first  houses 
of  Zwieselstein,  but  there  is  another  way, 
shorter,  but  rougher,  which  crosses  the 
shoulder  of  the  mountain,  and  avoids 
the  junction  of  the  two  valleys.  The 
path  keeps  to  the  1.  side  of  the  valley, 
for  the  most  part  at  a  great  height 
above  the  torrent,  which  rushes  through 
a  deep  chasm,  sometimes  lost  to  view. 
At  Freistabl,  the  first  group  of  houses, 
the  defile  widens  a  little,  but  contracts 
again  before  the  traveller  reaches  HcUi- 
genkrcuz  (5,378'),  where  wine  and  an 
omelette,  and,  in  case  of  need,  one  or 
two  beds,  may  be  found  at  the  house 
of  the  curate.  A  bridge,  thrown  at  a 
great  height  above  the  torrent,  here  leads 
to  the  opposite  side  of  the  valley,  above 
which  rises  the  peak  of  the  Uamolkogl 
(11, .527'),  but  the  traveller  keeps  to  the 
1.  bank,  and  in  5  hrs.  from  Solden 
reaches 

.  i^tJirfCSjl  68').  now  often  written  Vent, 
one  of  the  highest  villages  in  the  Alps, 
a  small  group  of  houses  beside  a  church. 
As  it  first  comes  into  view,  backed  by 
the  glaciers  at  the  head  of  the  Kofenthal 
and  Spieglerthal,  which  are  divided  by 
the  peak  of  the  Thakitsspitz  (II.  172'),  it 
forms  a  striking  picture.  The  inn  is 
very  poor,  and  all  strangers  apply  to 
the  parish  priest,  that  excellent  mount- 
aineer, Herr  Senn,  who  can  accommo- 
date 16  or  18  persons.  His  house- 
keeper makes  a  moderate  charge  accord- 
ing to  the  supplies  furnished.     These 


ROUTE  C. — EXCURSIONS  FROM  FEND. 


151 


include  meat,  eggs,  -svine,  coffee,  milk, 
butter,  wliite  bread,  and  chickens.  Cy- 
prian Granbichler,  the  best  guide  here, 
■was  lost  in  1870.  Ignaz  Schoj^f  now 
ranks  first.  Nicodemus  Klotz,  of  Rofen, 
once  famous,  has  retired,  but  he  has 
four  younger  brothers,  of  "whom  Leander 
is  said  to  be  the  boldest.  Josef  Gstrein 
is  probably  second  best.  Save  the  first, 
none  of  these  are  comparable  as  ice-men 
to  the  good  Swiss  and  Savoy  guides,  but 
they  are  competent  to  lead  strangers 
over  the  known  passes.  Josef  Scheiber 
is  said  to  be  much  improved.  A  tariff 
of  charges  has  been  established,  mostly 
reasonable. 

As  Fend  lies  in  the  centre  of  an 
almost  complete  circle  of  high  peaks, 
it  offers  very  attractive  quarters  to  the 
mountaineer.  It  is  said  that  no  fewer 
than  twenty  glaciers  are  drained  into  the 
valley,  most  of  which  are  accessible  with 
more  or  less  diflSculty.  Of  the  numer- 
ous glacier  passes  those  leading  to  the 
Vintschgau  are  described  in  the  present 
Rte.  Of  these,  two  leading  to  Natums, 
through  the  Schnalserthal,  are  mode- 
rately easy.  The  others  here  mentioned 
are  mountaineers'  passes,  rarely  used 
even  by  the  native  hunters.  Full  in- 
formation respecting  most  of  them  is 
contained  in  the  valuable  work  of  von 
Sonklar  already  referred  to. 

Ex-cursioiis  from  Fend,  The  moun- 
taineer undertaking  excursions  from 
Fend  must  recollect  that  the  guides  of 
this  district  are  not  as  well  up  to  ice- 
work  as  the  best  Swiss  and  Savoy  guides, 
nor  equally  familiar  with  the  necessary 
precautions.  He  should  therefore  per- 
sonally look  to  the  sufficiency  and 
solidity  of  the  rope,  and  will  do  well 
to  carry  his  own  ice-axe  if  he  has  ac- 
quired some  practice  with  that  weapon. 

The  ascent  which  will  most  tempt 
mountaineers  is  that  of  the  WiJdspitz 
(1 2,390'),  the  highest  point  in  this  region. 
The  ascent  was  made  in  1865  by  Messrs. 
Tuckett,  Fox,  and  Freshfield,  taking 
nearly  the  same  course  followed  by  Herr 
Specht  of  Vienna  in  1 857.  This  in  part 
followed  a  projecting  buttress  of  the 
mountain  called  Urkund.    Mr.  Tuckett 


advises  future  travellers  to  go  right  up  the 
Eotenkahr  Kees,  keeping  at  some  dis- 
tance below  ti)e  ridge  of  the  Urkund, 
until  they  reach  a  Suttel,  or  col.  between 
that  and  the  final  slopes  of  the  Wildspitz. 
From  that  point  the  peak  was  attained 
in  1  hr..  and  in  subsequent  ascents  5 
hours  of  actual  walking  have  sufficed  to 
reach  the  top.  Tariff — t\AO  guides  at 
5  fl.  each.  For  the  way  to  the  Pitztlial 
see  Rte.  F. 

The  view  from  the  Weisskugel.  or  Hi  ti- 
ter Wilde  EisspHz{]2,277'),h  decidedly 
finer  than  that  from  the  Wildspitz,  as 
it  overlooks  many  of  the  neighbouring 
valleys.  It  is  accessible  from  the  Hin- 
tereis  Joch  (see  beiow),  which  may  be 
reached  from  Fend,  and  in  rather  less 
time  from  Kurzras  at  the  head  of  ihe 
Sehnalserthal.  The  guides,  who  once 
asked  20  fl.  each,  are  now  satisfied  with 
10  fl. 

The  Similavn  (11,810')  is  easily 
reached  from  the  ^Niederjoch  (see  be- 
low), or  direct  from  Unser  Frau  by  the 
ridge  E.  of  the  Tissenalpthal,  to  a 
point  called  Kasererwarterl,  and  finally 
by  the  eastern  arete  after  crossing  the 
neve  of  the  Grafferner.  The  summit 
commands  an  admirable  view. 

The  Ramolkogel  (11,527').  called  by 
Sonklar  Anich  Spitze,  with  one  of  the 
finest  panoramic  views  in  this  district, 
is  easily  reached  in  5  hrs.  from  Fend. 

The  Kreuzsintz{\\,A  lO')  is,  however, 
now  preferred  by  most  visitors  to  Fend 
as  affording  one  of  the  best  panoramic 
views,  and  being  easily  accessible  even 
to  ladies  since  a  path  has  been  com- 
pleted nearly  to  the  top.  It  turns  to 
the  rt.  from  the  way  to  the  Niederjoch 
(see  below)  at  the  somarhiitte.  Of 
nearer  points  of  view  one  of  the  best  is 
the  Mutboden,  rising  Js.  of  Fend,  and 
reached  in  2  hrs. 

1.  To  the  Schnalserthal  and  Natums, 
by  the  Nieder  Joch  (9.847').  6  hrs. 
from  Fend  to  Unser  Frau ;  4  hrs.  thence 
to  Staben,  or  A\  hrs.  to  Natums.  This 
was  long  supposed  to  be  the  lowest,  as 
it  is  the  most  direct  way  to  the  Schnal- 
serthal; but  is  in  fact  higher,  rather  more 
laborious,  and  more  difficult  than  the 


152 


CENTRAL   TYROL   ALPS.       §  48.    OETZTHAL   DISTRICT, 


Hoch  Jocli,  next  described.  Two  moun-  I 
taineers  vrith  a  rope  may  perhaps  dispense  | 
witli  a  guide  in  settled  fine  weather,  but,  I 
although  the  writer  has  gone  alone  this  I 
way  in  one  day,  from  Fend  to  Meran,  he  i 
strongly  advises  travellers  not  to  follow  I 
his  example.  It  is  a  far  better  plan  to  1 
halt  at  Unser  Frau,  and  employ  the  | 
spare  time  in  the  ascent  of  the  Similaun,  | 

Less  than  a  mile  above  Fend  two  gla- 
cier sto-eams  issuing  from  two  glens  or 
ncesses  in  the  icy  chain  join  their 
waters.  The  easternmost  of  these,  flow- 
iu^^  nearly  due  N.,  issue.s  from  the  Spieg- 
lerthal,  also  called  ykchrthal,  and  leads 
to  the  Nieder  Joch.  The  -way  keeps  at 
first  to  the  "W.  side  of  the  torrent.  On 
the  opposite  side  rises  the  snowy  range 
that  separates  Fend  from  Grurgl,  ■whose 
chief  summits  are  the  Ra/nolkogl 
1^11  .'S27'),  Firmianspitz  (11,275),  and 
Schcdfkogl  {11,562'). 

In  about  1^  hr.  from  F"'end  the  tra- 
veller reaches  the  base  of  the  Marzoll 
Glacier,  which  descends  laterally  from 
tlie  S.  into  the  glen,  and  bridges  over 
the  stream  -which  issues  higher  up  from 
tht  Nitderjochferrier.  The  v/ay  lies  along 
the  moraine  of  tiie  Marzoll  Glacier,  to 
a  ruined  hut  called  S»  marhiitte,  and 
thence  up  rough  slopt'S,  till  in  about 
3  hrs.  from  Fend  it  enters  on  the  ice  of 
tue  Niederjochferner.  The  true  direction 
is  indicated  by  little  pyramids  of  stone 
heaped  up  on  the  ice.  As  the  traveller 
rises,  he  obtains  wider  views  of  the  sur- 
rounding peaks.  Before  him  rises  the 
white  pyramidal  summit  of  the  Similaun 
(11,810'),  which  is  attainable  without 
difficulty  in  2^  hours  from  the  upper 
plateau  near  the  pass.  The  descent 
should  be  made  by  the  head  of  the 
Graflferner,  and  the  Kasererwarterl  (see 
above).  Near  the  latter  point  is  a 
curious  mass  of  seemingly  erratic  blocks 
of  porphyry  and  various  other  rocks. 
The  Fend  guides  expect  five  florins  for 
the  ascent  from  the  Nieder  Joch  side. 

The  Finailspitz  (about  11,600'), 
rising  between  this  and  the  Hoch  Joch, 
is  easily  ascended  from  this  side,  and 
also,  but  less  easily,  from  the  iloch 
Joch. 


On  reaching  the  Nieder  Joch,  at  the 
lowest  point  of  the  ridge,  the  glacier 
comes  abruptly  to  an  end,  and  a  single 
step  on  the  rock  suffices  to  bring  the  tra- 
veller to  the  verge  of  the  very  steep  range 
enclosing  a  wild  glen  called  Tissendp- 
thal.  At  the  first  moment  the  descent 
appears  formidably  steep,  almost  a 
precipice  ;  but  on  looking  down  the  tra- 
veller will  see  indications  of  a  faintly 
marked  trac-k  carried  up  the  broken  face 
of  the  rocks,  and  in  point  of  fact,  the 
descent  is  not  difficult.  Keeping  some- 
what to  the  rt.,  he  reaches  a  slope  of 
debris  at  the  base  of  the  rocks  leading 
dowTi  into  the  wild  and  dreary  hollow 
which  soon  opens  into  the  head  of  the 
Schnalserthal,  near  a  group  of  huts 
called  Oliervernagt  (5,600').  Amid  very 
grand  scenery  the  path  descends  by  the 
1.  bank  in  ^  hr.  more  to 

Unser  Liebe  Fran  (5,314').  There  is 
a  very  fair  country-inn  here,  with  4  beds, 
kept  by  Joh.  Spektenhauser(der  Unter- 
wirth  j,  and  another  nearer  the  church — 
not  bad — (beim  Suuter).  Gabriel  Spek- 
tenhauser (first-rate)  and  Urban  Griscli 
are  the  best  guides  here.  As  at  most 
places  in  Tyrol,  a  tariff  for  guides  has 
been  established.  Many  interesting 
passes,  most  of  which  are  noticed  helow, 
may  be  taken  from  this  as  a  starting 
point. 

The  walk  from  Unser  Frau  through 
the  Schnalserthal  is  ver}- interesting,  the 
scenery  being  throufrhout  of  a  high  order. 
The  path  lies  at  first  along  the  1.  bank 
of  the  Schnahe,  also  called  Tschernin' 
hack,  then  crosses  to  the  rt.  bank,  and  in 
1  hr.  reaches  Karthaiis  (4,793'),  a  vil- 
lage with  a  country  inn  standing  on  an 
eminence  high  above  the  torrent.  Nearly 
opposite  is  the  Pfossenthal  {B.te.  D  i,  one 
of  the  most  savage  recesses  of  the  Tvro- 
lese  Alps.  Below  Karthaus  the  path 
keeps  to  the  rt.  bank,  usually  at  a  great 
height  above  the  stream.  Some  of 
the  grandest  larches  in  Tyrol  (or  in 
Europe)  formerly  adorned  this  valley, 
and  a  few  very  fine  trees  still  remain 
near  the  track.  On  the  opposite  side 
of  the  valley  the  village  of  Si.  Catha- 
rina  (4,063')  also  stands  on  a  point  very 


ROUTE  C. HOCH    JOCH. 


153 


high  above  the  torrent.  About  1  hr. 
below  Ivarthaus  is  liatieis,  a  group  of 
houses,  with  au  inn.  The  most  pictu- 
resque point  on  the  way  is  1^  hr.  below 
Ratteis,  where  the  path  passes  the  ruined 
castle  of  Ji/fahl,  commanding  a  noble 
view  of  the  Schnalserthal,  the  adjoining 
portion  of  the  Viutschgau,  and  the  sur- 
rounding mountains.  In  ^  hr.  the  path 
descends  thence  to  Staben  on  the  high- 
road a  little  W.  of  the  opening  of  the 
valley.  At  the  very  fair  inn  in  that 
rilliige  it  is  often  possible  to  procure  a 
vehicle  for  Meran  or  Schlanders;  but 
the  prospect  is  more  secure  at  the  Post  at 
Naturns  (Rte.  A).  Charge  for  a  char 
{dnsjjdnniger  Wagen)  to  Meran,  about 
3  fl.  In  going  to  Naturns  the  traveller 
should  take  a  path  that  turns  to  the  1., 
about  I  m.  above  the  castle  of  Jufahl, 
and  reaches  the  level  of  the  Vintschgau 
about  ^  hr.  west  of  Naturns  by  a  very 
steep  descent.  At  the  lower  end  of  its 
course  the  Schnalse  has  cut  a  very  deep 
cleft,  forming  an  impassable  defile, 
through  which  it  rushes  into  the  valley 
of  the  Adige. 

2.  To  the  Schnalserthal  by  the  Hoch 
Jock  (9,0 15').  7  hrs.  from  Fend  to 
Unser  Frau.  A  new  path  has  been 
constructed  at  the  instance  of  the  ac- 
tive parish  priest  of  Fend,  and  two 
mules  are  available  at  each  side  of  the 
pass  for  the  benefit  of  tourists.  This 
way  is  fully  an  hour  longer  than  that 
by  the  Nieder  Joch,  but  it  is  more  used, 
and  the  scenery,  on  the  whole,  is  finer. 
Following  the  western  branch  of  the 
valley  where  it  forks  above  Fend,  a 
walk  of  rather  more  than  2  m.  leads  to 
Rofen  (6,705').  The  shortest  path  is 
that  by  the  1.  bank  of  the  torrent. 
Since  the  Stelvio  road  has  ceased  to  be 
maintained  at  government  expense,  this 
is  probably  the  highest  spot  in  the 
German  Alps  which  is  inhabited  through- 
out the  year.  A  Steinbock  (bouquetm) 
carved  in  stone  upon  an  ancient  house 
commemorates  the  heraldic  device  and 
privileges  of  nobility  granted  to  the 
former  owner  by  Frederick  of  the 
Empty  Purse,  when  he  here,  at  the  foot 
of  the  glaciers,  found  a  secure  refuge 


from  his  enemies.  Hofen  is  the  dwell- 
ing place  of  the  Klorz  family,  reputed 
the  best  guides  in  the  valley.  From 
this  spot  the  branch  of  the  valley  de- 
rives its  name,  Eofenthal.  It  is  en- 
closed by  several  of  the  highest  summits 
of  the  Oetzthal  Alps.  Immediately 
N.  of  Rofen  rises  the  Wildsjpitz 
(12,390'),  followed  towards  the  W. 
by  the  Prochkogl  (11,926'),  Plat- 
trykogl  (11,056'),  Langtav.fererspits 
(11,629'),  Weisskugel  {12,277'),  and  on 
the  opposite  side  by  the  FineUspitz, 
Kreuzspitz  {11,4:10'),  and  Thaleitsspitz 
(11,172').  From  a  cleft  on  the  W.  side 
of  the  Platteykogl  the  Vernagt  Glacier 
descends  into  the  valley.  The  oscilla- 
tions of  this  glacier,  as  it  alternately 
advances  and  recedes,  have  caused 
disasters  nearly  as  extensive  as  .the 
better  known  inundations  of  the  Dranse 
near  Martigny.  Thrice  in  the  17th 
century  it  so  completely  barred  across 
the  valley  above  Rofen  as  to  form  a 
large  lake,  which  finally  burst  the  ice- 
barrier,  and  caused  floods,  which  were 
much  more  destructive  in  the  lower 
Oetzthal  than  in  the  immediate  neigh- 
bourhood of  the  glacier.  Similar  acci- 
dents have  been  repeated  on  a  smaller 
scale  in  the  present  century,  for  the 
last  time  in  1848.  The  new  path  keeps 
to  the  slope  above  the  rt.  hank  of  the 
torrent,  and  then  crosses  the  debris  left 
by  the  Vernagt  Glacier  in  order  to 
reach  the  upper  slopes  intervening  be- 
tween that  and  the  three  great  ice- 
streams  which  converge  towards  the 
head  of  the  valley.  From  the  NW. 
descends  the  KesseJwand-Gletscher, 
which  joins  the  more  extensive  Hin- 
tereis-Gletscher,  flowing  eastward  from 
the  Weisskugel  and  the  Innere  Quell- 
spitz  ;  while  the  HucIijoc/ifer7ier  descends 
from  the  ridge  to  the  S.  and  SW., 
approaching  very  near  the  Hintereis- 
Gietscher  in  the  lower  part  of  its  course. 
A  mountain  inn.  supplying  refreshments 
and  beds  in  case  of  need,  has  been 
opened  here.  The  way  lies  for  ^  hr. 
over  moraine,  and  then  for  1^  hr.  over 
the  glacier,  till  the  Hoch  Joch  (9,515') 
is  attained  in  about  4  hrs.  from  Fend. 


154 


CENTRAL  TYROL    ALPS.       §  48.    OETZTHAL    DISTRICT. 


The  views  on  either  side  of  the 
Dunierous  peaks,  rising  out  of  a  vast  ex- 
tent of  surrounding  glacier,  are  very 
striking.  Although  the  glaciers  of  this 
region  lie  very  near  to  each  other,  and  are 
sometimes  divided  only  by  snow-covered 
ridges,  they  are  generally  iormed  in 
distinct  basins,  and  it  is  not  correct  to 
describe  them,  as  some  writers  have 
done,  as  though  they  were  outlets  from 
a  single  continuous  ice-reservoir. 

The  descent  from  the  Hoch  Jock  is, 
for  some  distance,  over  snow  slopes 
steep  enough  to  allow  of  glissading. 
Before  long  the  traveller  reaches  the 
rocks  that  enclose  the  head  of  the 
Schnalserthal.  The  way  formerly  lay 
to  the  1.,  but  a  new  and  improved  path 
to  the  rt.  is  now  complete.  1  hr.  suf- 
fices to  reach  Kurzras  (6,637') ;  a  group 
of  huts  offer  refreshments  and,  in  case 
of  need,  three  beds.  The  landlord 
of  the  huts  (der  Bauer)  is  said  to  be 
a  good  guide  for  some  of  the  neigh- 
bouring peaks.  The  walk  from  hence 
to  Unser  Frau  is  extremely  enjoyable. 
The  way  lies  partly  over  meadows, 
partly  through  larch  forest,  and  the 
surrounding  scenery  is  grand  and 
beautiful.  After  joining  the  path  from 
the  Nieder  Joch,  the  traveller,  in  about 
3  hrs.  from  the  summit,  reaches  Unser 
Frau. 

3.  To  Schlanders  by  the  TascU  JocU. 
About  12  hrs.  from  Fend.  The  travel- 
ler who  has  crossed  the  Hoch  Joch,  and 
descended  thence  to  Kurzras  (see  above), 
may  reach  Schlanders  on  the  same  day, 
by  crossing  a  pass  called  Taschl  Jochl, 
leading  from  the  latter  place  to  the 
head  of  the  Schlandernaunthal.  The 
Bummit  (9,067')  commands  a  remark- 
able view  of  the  snowy  range  of  the 
Oetzthal  Alps  on  one  side,  and  that  of 
the  Orteler  on  the  other.  In  descend- 
ing on  the  S.  side,  the  way  passes  some 
small  lakes,  and  thence  to  an  AJpine 
pasture  h"ing  at  the  head  of  the  Schlan- 
dernminthal,  which  is  a  wild  hollow, 
inhabited  only  in  summer  when  herds- 
men visit  the  head  of  the  glen.  It  is  a 
walk  of  3  hrs.  from  the  Alp  to  Schlan- 
ders (Rte.  A),  ending  by  a  ver)-  steep 


j  descent,  as  the  path  avoids  the  gorgb 
I  through   which   the   torrent   rushes  to 
i  enter  the  Vintschgau.     This  is  a  long 
day's  walk,  requiring  fully  12  hrs.,  ex- 
clusive of  halts.     A  curious  little  Lap- 
I  land  plant,  Ravunculus  pygviceiis,  was 
I  first  found  in  Tyrol  near  a  small  glacier 
i  above  the  pass  here  described.   Starting 
I  from  Unser  Frau,  the  most  direct  way  to 
{  the  Sehlandernauxithal  is  by  the  Mast- 
I  aunscharte,  at    the    head    of  a    short 
j  glen  called  Mastaunthal,  opening  SW. 
t  of  the  village.     The  pass  (about  9,645') 
j  commands  a  noble  view  on  both  sides. 
;  It  li«s  on  the  X.  side    of  the  Mastaun- 
:  spitz  (10,488'),  and  not  to  the  S.,  as  laid 
,  down  on  Sonklar's  and  other  maps. 
I       4.   To  Mais    by  the  Langgrub    Joch 
I  (10,005')  ayid  Matscherthal.      Fend  to 
I  Unser  Frau  7  hrs. ;  thence  to  Mais  10 
'  hrs.     The  Matscherthal  is  counted  as 
\  one  of  the  most  beautiful  of  the  lateral 
i  valleys  of  the  Vintschgau.     Well  culti- 
1  rated  at  its  lower  end,  and  producing 
'  excellent  crops,  its  Alpine  pastures  are 
i  reckoned  among  the  richest  in  T}to1. 
!  The  beauty  of  its  herds,  and  the  nu- 
merous wolves  that  wage  war  against 
them,    are    equally    proverbial.       The 
moimtaineer  will  be  still  more  attracted 
by  the  grandeur  of  the  peaks  and  gla- 
ciers that  enclose  its  head.     The  names 
of  the  chief  summits,   commencing  on 
the  SE.  side  of  the  valley,  are  the  Rem,' 
spitz   (10,512'),    Salurnspitz  (11,260'), 
Hintereisspitz  (10,721'),  Innere    Quell- 
spitze   (10,889'j,    Weisskugel  (12,277'), 
and  Fuvtlesspitz.     Until  very  lately  the 
only  known  pass  leading  into  the  head 
of  the  valley  was  that  named  on  the 
government   map   Langgrub  Joch,   but 
known  as  Matscher  Joch,  in  the  Schnal- 
serthal and   Upper  Vintschgau.      The 
traveller  taking  this  route  from  Fend 
should,  on  the  first  day,  proceed  to  Un- 
ser  Frau   (either    by   the  Nieder-    or 
Hoch   Joch),    and    will   there    find   in 
Urban  Grisch  a  competent  guide.     No 
particulars    respecting   the   pass   have 
reached  the  editor. 

5.  To  Mais  by  the  Hinterei-s  Joch  and 
Matscherthal.  About  13  hrs.  from  Fend. 
In    1865    Messrs.   Tuckett,   Fox,   and 


r.OUTE    C— LAKGTAUFErEE    JOCH. 


155 


Freshfit'ld,  with  F.  Devouassoud  of 
Chamouni,  and  P.  Michel  of  Grindel- 
wald,  having  reached  the  Langrauferer 
Joch  (see  below)  in  5if  hrs.  from  Fend, 
turned  to  the  1.,  and  ascended  the 
Langtaufererspitz  (11,626')  by  its  N. 
arete,  and  descended  thence  southward 
to  the  upper  part  of  the  Hintereis  Gla- 
cier. They  then  mounted  to  a  snow 
col  on  the  S.  side  of  the  Weisskugel, 
about  11,400  ft.  above  the  sea,  now 
known  as  the  Hhitereis  Joch.  From 
the  summit  of  the  pass  the  Weisskugel 
was  climbed  without  difficulty  in  1  hr., 
and  the  return  to  the  pass  effected  in 
25  min.  The  descent  into  the  head  of 
the  Matscherthal  was  very  steep. 

'  Keeping  first  to  the  S.,  beneath  the 
cliffs  that  "extend  SE.  from  the  pass, 
and  to  the  1.  of  a  rocky  point  protruding 
from  and  dividing  the  upper  neve  of  the 
Matscber  Glacier,  they  then  bent  round 
to  thert.,  and  having  reached  the  brow 
of  the  lofty  and  magnificent  ice-fall,  cut 
their  way  diagonally  across  its  upper 
and  less  dislocated  portion  to  the  rt. 
lateral  moraine,  reached  in  l^-hr.  Fol- 
lowing this,  or  the  slopes  of  rock  and 
turf,  the  end  of  the  glacier  was  passed 
in  20  min.,  the  highest  chalets  reached 
in  I  hr.,  Matsch  in  if  hrs.,  and  Schlu- 
derns  in  1  hr.  more.'  Throughout  the 
lower  part  of  the  valley  the  main  tor- 
rent, Klammbach,  has  cut  a  deep  trench, 
which  at  length  becomes  an  impass- 
able defile,  and  the  lateral  torrents  de- 
scending from  the  mountains  on  either 
side  have  also  cut  deep  ravines.  There 
is  here  a  choice  of  paths.  The  way  by 
Schluderns  is  rougher  but  more  pic- 
turesque. Some  way  below  the  village 
of  Matsch,  on  a  high  promontory  in  the 
angle  formed  by  such  a  ravine  and  the 
main  stream,  stand  the  ruins  of  two 
castles.  Unter-Matsch  and  Ober- 
Matsch,  once  belonging  to  the  power- 
ful Counts  of  Matsch.  The  way  to 
Tartsch  and  Metis,  which  stand  in  the 
open  valley  a  little  above  the  opening 
of  the  Matscherthal,  is  by  a  cart-road 
along  the  sh.pes  on  the  NW.  side  of  the 
valley.  This  gradually  turns  to  the 
W.   as   it  descends    by  the    rounded 


shoulder  of  the  mountain,  to  Tartsrh 
(Rte.  A).  'J'he  course  taken  by  Mr. 
Tuckett's  party  from  Fend  to  the 
Hintereis  Joch  obviously  involvc-d  a 
considerable  detour.  There  is  no  doubt 
that  the  most  direct  way  from  Fend  is 
by  the  Rofenthal  up  to  the  foot  of  the 
Hintereis  Glacier  and  then  by  its  main 
branch  ascending  in  a  directiDU  rather 
S.  of  W.  An  alternative  coarse  was 
discovered  by  ]\Ir.  Holzmaun  in  1868 
more  suited  for  a  traveller  whose  guide 
was  unused  to  ice-work.  Starting  from 
the  Glieshof,  near  the  head  of  the 
Matscherthal,  the  Weisskugel  was 
climbed,  partly  by  the  Matscher 
Glacier,  partly  by  steep-looking  rocks 
on  the  S.  face  of  the  peak.  Thence  he 
descended  to  the  Hintereis  Joch,  and 
crossed  the  ridge  to  the  rt.,  separating 
the  Hintereis  from  the  Steinschlag 
Glacier,  wliich  occupies  the  extreme 
uppermost  end  of  the  Schnalserthal. 
The  way  lies  to  the  I.,  keeping  near  the 
ridge  that  bounds  the  glacier,  and  it  is 
then  easy  to  descend  to  Kurzras.  or  to 
reach  the  path  over  the  Hoch  Joch  a 
few  minutes  below  the  summit.  By 
this  route  the  summit  of  the  Weisskugel 
has  since  been  reached  in  less  than 
5  hrs.  actual  walking  from  Kurzras. 

6.  To  Reschen,  or  St.  Valentin,  by  the 
Langtaufcrer  Joch  (IO,.'-).35')  and  Lang- 
tau/ererthal,  11  to  12  hrs.  from  Fend. 
The  ascent  to  the  Langtauferer  Joch 
lies  about  due  W.  from  the  foot  of  the 
Hintereis  Glacier.  Care  must  be  taken 
to  avoid  the  branch  of  that  glacier  that 
descends  from  the  Hintereis  Joch  at  the  S. 
foot  of  the  Weisskugel,  and  to  keep  a  toler- 
ably direct  course  along  the  base  of  the 
Hoch  Vernagtwand.  The  descent  on  the 
W.  side  of  the  pass  lies  over  the  Langtau- 
fcrer Ferner,  which  is  less  steep  than 
most  of  the  glaciers  lying  on  the  outer 
declivities  of  this  group.  At  its  head 
the  main  branch  of  the  Langtaufererthal 
descends  to  WNW.  as  far  as  the  first 
group ofhouses,  called  J/a//aa, belonging 
to  the  village  of  Hinterkiich.  Two 
glacier  passes  lead  from  hence  into  the 
Kaunserthal  (Rte.  E).  That  best  known 
is  the   Weisse  See  Juch  (9,657') ;  the 


156 


CENTRAL   TYROL   ALPS.       §  48.    OETZTHAL  DISTRICT. 


Other  keeps  nearer  to  the  base  of  the  j 


Hoch  Glockenthurm  (10,997')-  A  little 
bc4ow  Maliag  another  path,  keeping 
a  little  W.  of  N.,  and  passing  over  the 
Tscheycr  Scharte  to  the  1.  of  the  last- 
named  peak,  leads  into  the  head  of  the 
Hadurschelthal.  This  is  a  rarely  tra- 
versed Alpine  glen,  inhabited  only  by 
herdsmen  in  summer,  whose  torrent 
joins  the  Inn  a  few  miles  below  the 
defile  of  Finstermiinz  (Ete.  A).  A 
traveller  bent  on  exploring  the  least 
known  valleys  of  this  district  might  \ 
accomplish  the  passage  of  the  Tscheyer  [ 
Scharte,  and  then  cross  a  second  pass  on  j 
the  N.  side  of  a  summit  called  Kaiser- 
joch  (10,198'),  leading  through  a  lateral 
glen  (Kaiserbergerthal)  from  the  Ead- 
urschelthal  to  the  Kaunserthal.  i 

It  is  a  walk  of  3|-  hrs.  through  the 
Langtav.ferertkal  from  Maliag  to  G-rann, 
on  the  high  road  a  short  way  S.  of  the 
Eeachen-Scheideck  (Ete.  A),  where  the  \ 
Carlinbach  issues  to  join  the  infant  | 
Adige.  Having  regard  to  the  quantity 
of  water  which  it  bears  down  from  the 
glaciers  at  the  head  of  the  valley,  this* 
may  be  considered  the  chief  source  of 
the  Adige.  Several  hamlets  are  passed 
between  Hinterkirch  and  Pedross,  which 
is  the  chief  place  near  the  opening  of 
the  valley.  About  half-way  two  narrow 
glens  are  seen  to  open  on  the  S.  side. 
One  of  these  passes  to  the  E.,  the  other 
to  the  W.  of  the  Danzewell  (10,311'). 
Both  glens  lead  to  practicable  cols  over 
the  ridge  dividing  the  Langtaufererthal 
from  the  Planailthal.  The  latter  wild 
glen  lies  between  the  first  and  the 
Matscherthal,  but  does  not  penetrate  so 
deeply  into  the  snowy  range  as  do  the 
neighbouring  valleys. 

On  reaching  Graun  the  traveller  may 
either  turn  northward  to  Nauders,  or,  if 
his  course  be  down  the  Vintschgau,  he 
will  find  a  less  attractive  inn  at  the 
post-station  at  St.  Valentin. 


EOUTE  D. 

SOLDEN  TO  MEEAN   (OE  NATXJENs)  BY  THE 
GUEGLTHAX. 

In  describing  the  interior  recesses  of 
the  Oetzthal  Alps,  we  have  hitherto 
omitted  to  notice  the  branch  of  the 
valley  whose  opening  was  seen  S.  of 
Zwieselstein.  The  G-urglthal  is  not  in- 
ferior to  the  Fenderthal  in  attractions 
for  the  moimtaineer,  except  that  it  does 
not  offer  so  great  a  variety  of  expeditions 
to  his  choice. 

The  best  way  from  Zwieselstein  to 
Gurgl  is  by  a  path  that  mounts  rather 
steeply  through  forest  on  the  1.  bank  of 
the  main  torrent,  till,  above  the  opening 
of  the  Timblthal  (Ete.  B),  it  crosses  to 
the  rt.  bank  near  a  waterfall  formed  by 
the  torrent  from  that  glen.  The  valley 
here  opens  and  fairly  enters  the  Alpine 
region,  leaving  that  of  coniferous  trees, 
none  but  scattered  arollas  (Siberian 
pines)  being  henceforward  seen.  In 
about  1  hr.  from  the  bridge  the  traveller 
reaches  Pill,  the  lowest  hamlet  of  Gurgl. 
Several  small  groups  of  houses  are  passed 
in  succession,  and  as  the  surrounding 
peaks  appear  to  close  round  the  head  of 
the  valley,  and  the  traveller  thinks  him- 
self approaching  close  to  the  foot  of  the 
glaciers,  a  turn  of  the  path  round  an 
intervening  green  hillock  discloses  the 
church  and  small  village  of  Ghirgl 
(6,238'),  the  higliest  in  the  Eastern  Alps. 
There  is  no  inn,  but  strangers  are  kindly 
received  by  the  parish-priest,  and  find 
very  fair  quarters,  for  so  remote  a  spot, 
when  the  house  is  not  overcrowded,  as 
sometimes  happens  in  summer.  The 
former  parish-priest,  Herr  Trientl,  lately 
removed  to  Gries,  near  Lengenfeld,  has 
given  an  interesting  account  of  the  valley 


ROUTE  D. — EISSEE,    NEAR   GUEGL. 


157 


in  the  second  annual  volume  of  the  Aus-  j 
trian  Alpine  Club.  i 

The  traveller  who  wishes  to  enjoy  the  | 
scenery  of  this  district  cannot  do  better 
than  make  his  first   halt  in  the  upper  \ 
Oetzthal  at  Gurgl,  and  after  devoting  a  j 
day  or  two  to  the  neighbourhood,  go  from  i 
hence  to  Fend  by  the  Ramol  Joch  ;  but  ! 
those  who  have  already  seen  the  Fender-  | 
thai  may  take  Gurgl  on  the  way  to  the 
valley  of  the  Adige,  crossing  one  or  other 
of  the  passes  njeiiiioned  below.  The  best 
guides  here  are  Blasius  Griiner,  Peter 
Paul  Gstrein,  and  Rupert  Scheiber.    A 
tariff  of  charges  has  been  established, 
considerably  higher  than  formerly.  For 
thehigher  peaks  the  rateis  from  4  fl.  to6 
fl. ;  and  in  many  cases  two  guides  are  con- 
sidered necessary  for  a  single  traveller. 

The  indispensable  exciu-sion  for  the 
visitor  to  Gurgl  is  that  to  the  Eissee  and 
Great  Oetzthahr  Glacier.  There  is  a 
path  by  the  1.  bank  of  the  torrent ;  but  it 
is  steep  and  difficult,  and  that  by  the 
opposite  side  of  the  valley  is  preferred. 
About  20  min,  above  the  village  the 
latter  track  reaches  the  Gaisbriicke,  a 
bridge  crossing  the  torrent  from  a  lateral 
glen  called  Gaisberg,  rarely  visited  by 
tourists,  but  interesting  to  the  naturalist 
and  geologist.  At  its  head  is  a  rather 
considerable  glacier  which  may  be  visited 
by  a  detour  from  the  path  to  the  Eissee, 
but  deserves  more  leisurely  examination. 
Above  it  rise  the  peaks  of  the  Granaten- 
kogl  (10,783')  and  the  Kirchenkogl 
(10,790').  The  first  derives  its  name 
from  the  abundance  of  large  garnets 
found  in  the  mica  slate.  As  they  have 
been  much  sought  after,  good  specimens 
are  not  now  easily  found.  On  the  oppo- 
site or  S.  side  of  the  glacier,  the  mica 
slate  passes  into  a  micaceous  clay  slate, 
with  veins  (or  alternating  layers  ?)  of 
erygtalline  limestone,  connected  with  a 
large  cont'guous  mass  of  dolomite.  Fine 
specimens  of  quartz  crj^stals  have  been 
found  on  the  S,  lateral  moraine  of  the 
glacier. 

Continuing  his  course  up  the  main 
branch  of  the  Gurglthal  from  the  Gais- 
briicke, the  traveller  in  1  hr.  reaches  the 
opening  of  the  Rothmoosthal,  a  lateral 


glen  parallel  to  the  Gaisberg,  also  lead- 
ing to  a  large  glacier  lying  between  the 
Kirchenkogl  audBoik?/tOoskogel\  1 0,772'). 
H.  Trientl  narrates  an  accident  that 
befell  a  guide  from  Pf elders  who  accom- 
panied two  English  travellers  across  this 
glacier  to  Gurgl  in  1863.  His  life  was 
saved  after  falling  to  a  depth  of  nearly 
70  feet  into  a  crevasse. 

Crossing  the  torrent  from  the  Both- 
moosferner,  the  traveller  follows  the  path 
about  SSW.  to  Schonwies,  where  sheep 
and  goats  are  pastured  in  summer.  A 
rather  steep  ascent  follows,  but  the  path 
has  been  lately  improved,  and  on  tuniing 
a  corner  of  rock  the  traveller  suddenly 
finds  himself  face  to  face  with  the  great 
glacier,  appropriately  named  Grosse 
Oetzthaler  Ferner,  as  it  is  seen  in  the 
back  ground  from  the  lower  part  of  ttie 
main  valley.  In  the  early  summer  the 
attention  of  the  traveller  will  be  at  once 
arrested  by  the  Eissee,  or  Gurgler  Lake, 
This  is  formed  in  the  same  manner  as 
other  small  glacier-lakes  in  Switzerland 
and  Tyrol,  but,  when  full,  is  on  a  larger 
scale  than  any  of  them.  The  torrent 
from  the  Langthaler  Ferner  which  flows 
from  due  S.  into  the  head  of  the  Gurgl- 
tlial  is  arrested  by  the  larger  glacier, 
which  fills  the  trough  of  the  valley.  In 
the  spring  and  early  summer,  when  the 
Langthaler  torrent  is  much  increased  in 
volume,  the  waters  accumulate  till  they 
fill  the  entire  space  between  the  two 
glaciers,  forming  a  lake  about  1  nu  in 
length,  nearly  ^  m.  broad,  and  400  ft. 
deep  at  the  lower  end  where  it  abuts 
against  the  lower  glacier.  Large  ma-sses 
of  floating  ice  form  miniature  ice-bergs 
on  its  sui-face,  and  the  conditions  which 
have  caused  the  disastrous  inundations 
in  the  neighbouring  Eofenthal  (Rte.  C) 
seem  to  be  repeated.  In  fact,  some 
damage  was  done  in  the  early  part  of 
the  last  century  by  the  rapid  outflo-w 
from  the  lake,  but,  as  an  ordinary  rule, 
the  accumulation  stops  when  the  stream 
has  reached  the  level  of  the  lower  glacier 
on  its  W,  bank.  Mainly  by  a  process 
well  explained  by  Sonklar,  the  water  ex- 
cavates a  passage  under  the  ice  dam, 
while  at  the  sometime  a  stream  near  the 


158 


CENTRAL    TYROL   ALPS.       §  48.    OETZTHAL    DISTRICT. 


bank  gradually  deepens  its  bed,  and  so 
the  lake  is  drained  without  a  dangerous 
outburst  of  the  pent-up  waters.  A  small 
grove  of  arollus  is  seen  near  the  base  of 
the  Grosse  Ferner  at  the  unusual  height 
of  about  7,100  ft. 

The  mountaineer  should  ascend  the 
northern  peak  of  the  Schicurzenspitz 
(9,761'),  between  the  two  great  glaciers 
of  the  valley.  It  commands  a  noble  view. 

The  easiest  pass  from  Gurgl  to 
Fend  is  doubtless  that  by  the  Ramol 
Jock  (10.537),  Iving  between  the 
Hamolkoyel  (11  ,6do)  and  the  Stoiterhorn 
(11,2.57').  A  path  has  been  constructed 
of  late  years,  and  6  hours  steady  walk- 
ing fully  suffice  for  the  passage.  Fol- 
lowing the  steep  path  by  the  1.  side  of 
the  torrent,  the  summit  is  attained  by 
the  slopes  W.  of  the  great  glacier,  and 
the  descent  lies  over  the  Spiegelfemer, 
whose  torrent  runs  into  the  lower  part 
of  the  Niederthal  (Rte.  C)  about  1  hr: 
above  Fend.  It  appears  easy  to  combine 
the  ascent  of  the  Stotterhorn  with  the 
passage  of  the  Joch  ;  but  that  of  the 
Ramolkogel  costs  more  time.  A  more 
direct  way  from  Gurgl  to  Fend  lies  over 
the  Fallferner  (6  to  7  hrs.).  This  course 
is  interesting  chiefly  for  the  prodigious 
development  of  the  ancient  moraines  on 
the  \V.  side  of  the  Gurghhal.  It  is  said 
that  from  60  to  80  parallel  moraines  may 
in  some  places  be  traced  on  the  slope 
extending  from  the  bottom  of  the  valley 
to  a  height  of  2,600  ft.  The  ascent  of 
the  NoderkoglOQ.Zlo),  the  summit  of 
which  is  easily  reached  in  5  hrs.  from 
Gurgl,  may  also  be  taken  on  the  way 
from  that  village  to  Fend. 

Passes  from  Gurgl  to  Meran.  The 
easiest  way  from  Gurgl  to  3Ieran  is  the 
circuitous  course  by  the  Timbler  Joch 
noticed  in  Ete.  B.  It  is  a  very  long 
day's  walk.  A  shorter  way  to  Kaben- 
Btein  in  the  upper  Passeyerthalisby  the 
Ko7iigsthal,  a  short  glen,  whose  torrent 
falls  into  the  Gurglthal  at  Sagemiihle, 
about  ^  hr.  below  the  village.  The 
pass,  called  Saber  Joch,  is  said  to  be 
very  rough,  rather  difficult,  and  to  cost 
as  much  time  as  the  way  by  the  Timbler 
Joch.     The  most  direct  way  to  Plan  in 


the  Pfeldersthal  is  by  the  Bothmoosfer' 
ner  (see  last  page).      This  glacier  rises 
by  successive  steep  slopes  alternating 
with  nearly  level  terraces.    Some  wide 
transverse  crevasses  are  difficult  to  pass 
when  not  covered  by  solid  snow  bridges. 
The  S.  side  is  easy,  and  Plan  is  reached 
in   b\  hrs.  from  Giirgl.     The  ordinary 
way  to  the  Pfeldersthal  is  by  the  Lang- 
thaler  Joch  (9,939').    This  pass,  reached 
in    4^   hrs.  from   Gurgl,    lies   to    the 
E.  of  the  Hochwildspitz  (11,410'),  one 
of  the   highest   summits   in   the   main 
range    S.    of    Gurgl — the   corner-stone 
whereat  meet  the  Gurglthal,  Pfelders- 
thal, and  Pfossenthal.    The  ascent  is  by 
the  Langthalerferner,  which  is  divided 
from  the  Grosse  Ferner  by  the  ridge  of 
,  the  Schwarzenspitz,     The  glacier  comes 
!  to  an  end  at  the  summit,  and  a  steep, 
!  but  not  very  difficult,  rock  descent  leads 
i  down  to  Lazins  at  the  head  of  the  Pfel- 
I  dersthal.    The  way  being  lono^,  an  early 
I  start   is    expedient.     The  view,  which 
'  extends  eastward  to  the  snowy  peaks  of 
I  the  Tauern  Alps,  and  southward  to  the 
j  dolomite  mountains  of  Fassa  and  Ca- 
:  dore,  is  magnificent. 

In  descending  from  the  Langthaler 
1  Joch,  the  traveller  has  a  choice  between 
three  diffi-rent  courses.  He  may  bear 
to  the  rt.  in  order  to  cross  the  Gruben 
Joch  (9,548'),  which  leads  from  the  head 
of  the  Pfeldersthal  to  that  of  the  Pfos- 
senthal, passing  between  the  Hochwild- 
spitz to  the  N.  and  the  Hochweissspitz 
(about  10,370'  ?)  to  the  S.  This  would 
lead  to  Karthaus  in  the  Schnalserthal, 
but  the  shortest  and  most  interesting 
way  to  that  place  is  by  the  Gurgl  Joch 
(see  below). 

The  second  course  offered  to  the  moun- 
taineer is  to  bear  to  the  1.  and  descend 
the  Pfeldersthal  to  Flan  ( 5,341'),  the  chief 
village  of  the  valley,  and  on  that  account 
often  called  Pfelders.  It  is  reached  in 
3^  hrs.  from  the  summit  of  the  pass. 
There  are  now  two  inns  at  Plan,  and  it 
is  no  longer  necessary  to  seek  hospitality 
at  the  priest's  house.  2  hrs.  lower 
do-wn,  near  the  opening  of  the  valley,  is 
the  village  of  Piatt.  The  Pfeldersthal 
is  a  lateral  glen  which  joins  the  main 


ROUTE    D. — PFOSSENTHAL. 


159 


branch  of  the  Passeyerthal  at  Moos  { 
(Rto.  B),  but,  as  its  level  is  much 
higher,  the  path  descends  rapidly  from 
Piatt,  and  the  torrent,  after  passing 
through  a  ravine,  issues  in  a  fine  water- 
fall— the  Platter  Fall — a  short  distance 
from  Moos. 

As  the  Pfeldersthal  descends  nearly 
due  KE.  from  its  head  to  its  junction 
with  the  upper  Passeyerthal — i.e.  in  a 
direction  nearly  exactly  opposite  to  that 
of  the  lower  part  of  the  valley  between 
St.  Leonhard  andMeran,  the  course  last 
described  is  very  circuitous,  involving 
fully  11  hrs.  steady  walking  from  the 
Langthaler  Joch  to  Meran.  A  much 
more  interesting  way,  rougher,  but 
scarcely  half  as  far  in  actual  distance,  is 
by  the  Spronscr  Joch.  To  reach  this  the 
traveller,  after  descending  to  Lazins,  a 
group  of  huts  near  the  head  of  the  Pfel- 
dersthal, merely  crosses  the  latter  valley, 
and  begins  to  '■mount,  nearly  due  S., 
through  a  lateral  glen  called  Lazinser- 
thal,  which  leads  to  the  pass  (8,440' 
ft.  high).  The  view  of  the  range  of 
snowy  peaks  on  the  opposite  side  of  the 
Pfeldersthal  is  said  to  be  very  fine.  On 
tlie  S.  side  of  the  Spronser  Joch  the  path 
lies  for  a  considerable  distance  through 
an  upland  valley  containing  five  or  six 
small  lakes,  whence  a  rapid  descent  leads 
into  the  Spronserthal,  a  wild  glen  en- 
closed between  steep  walls  of  rock.  The 
traveller  may  follow  this  down  to  its 
junction  with  the  Passeyerthal  near 
Meran,  or  he  may  take  a  rather  more 
direct  way,  passing  by  Schloss  Tyrol 
(Ete.  A\  and  descending  by  the  path 
from  thence  to  the  town.  In  this  way 
Meran  may  be  reached  in  10  hrs.  steady 
walking  from  Grurgl.  A  guide  is  required, 
not  only  for  the  passage  of  the  Lang- 
thaler Joch,  but  also  for  the  way  fi-om 
Lazins  to  the  lower  part  of  the  Spron- 
serthal. 

Girrgl  to  Natur7is  hy  the  Gurgl  Joch 
and  Ffossenthal.      The  pass  over  the  ] 
head  of  the   great  Oetzthaler  Glacier,  i 
and  the  descent  through   the  Pfosson-  '• 
thai  to  Karthaus  in  the  Schnalserthal,  is 
very  rarely  eifected,  though  one  of  the 
most  interesting  excursions  in  this  dis- 


trict. An  ascent  of  2  hrs.  from  the 
Eissee,  partly  over  the  glacier,  partly 
by  steep  slope  ■  on  the  E.  bank,  leads 
to  the  Steiuerne  Tisch  (9,560'),  a  huge 
block  lying  close  to  the  edge  of  the 
ice.  Here  begins  the  neve,  and  of  course 
the  rope  should  be  put  on.  A  Dr. 
Blirstenbinder  from  Berlin,  refusing  to 
adopt  that  precaution,  was  hauled  up  a 
corpse  from  a  crevasse  into  which  he  had 
fallen.  In  1|-  hr.  from  the  Steinerne 
Tisch,  or  less  if  the  snow  be  in  good 
order,  the  traveller  reaches  the  summit 
of  the  Gurgler  Joch  (9,956'),  lying  be- 
tween the  Hochwildspitz  (11,410')  and 
the  Karlesintz  (11,256').  Although  the 
descent  into  the  Pfossenthal  is  at  first 
extremely  steep,  the  people  of  the 
Schnalserthal  annually  send  a  large 
flock  of  sheep  this  way  to  the  pastures 
above  Grurgl.  Many  accidents  are.  re- 
corded. In  June  1844,  the  flock  was 
surprised  by  a  snow  storm  on  the  gla- 
cier, and  more  than  200  sheep,  with  one 
of  the  shepherds,  were  frozen  to  death. 

At  Eishof  (6,790'),  a  large  stone  house 
at  the  head  of  the  Pfossenthal,  the  tra- 
veller joins  the  path  leading  from  the 
Pfeldersthal  over  the  Gruben  Joch, 
and  then  descends,  at  first  due  W., 
through  this  wild  valley,  one  of  the 
deepest  and  most  savage  in  Tyrol,  but 
rarely  traversed  by  the  foot  of  a  stranger. 
From  Mitterkaser,  where  the  Pfossenthal 
bends  to  the  S.,a  path  leads  to  St.  Katha- 
rina,  on  the  E.  side  of  the  Schnalser- 
thal. If  the  traveller  be  bound  for 
Naturns  he  may  keep  to  the  track  on 
the  1.  side  of  the  valley.  Should  he  de- 
sign to  return  to  Fend,  or  traverse  any 
of  the  passes  described  in  Hie.  C,  he  will 
cross  the  main  valley  to  Karthaus  (10 
hrs.  from  Gurgl).  and  seek  night- quar- 
ters there,  or  at  the  better  inn  at  Unser 
Liebe  Frau. 

The  passaae  of  the  Gurgl  Joch  may- 
be combined  with  the  ascent  of  the 
Xar/e*/)//r(  11,256'),  commanding  a  very 
fine  view  of  the  surrounding  peaks  and 
glaciers.  This  is  effected  by  a  steep 
climb  along  a  rocky  ridge  that  extends 
southward  from  the  summit.  Instead  of 
returning  the  same  way  and  descending 


ICO 


CENTRAL    TYROL    ALPS,       §  48.    OETZTHAL   DISTRICT. 


to  the   Pfossenthal,  the  travelLr  may  I  pass  connecting  this  great  glacier  with 


descend  to  Fend  across  a  great  basin  of 
liCvc  above  tlie  head  of  the  Schatferner, 
which  falls  into  the  Nit-derthal  close  to 
the  lower  end  of  tbe  Maizott  Glacier. 
In  3  hrs.  (fast  going;  the  path  in  the 
Niederthal  is  reached  from  the  sunimit. 

Another  route  sometimes  taken  from 
Gurgl  to  Fend  lies  over  the  sunimit  of 
the  SchaI//ioyel(l\M'2')  ;  this  is  shorter 
than  the  way  by  the  Karlespitz,  but  the 
view  is  said  [o  be  less  interesting. 

The  -writer  has  seen  no  notice  of  the 
ascent  of  the  Rotkbergspitz  (11,904') — 
called  Rothenspitz  on  Sonklar's  map — 
next  to_  the  Weis^kugel.  the  highest 
summit  in  the  range  dividing  the  Adige 
from  the  Inn.  It  rises  NW.  of  Mitter- 
kaser  in  the  Pfossenthal  and  outtops 
the  Similaun  by  94  feet. 


Fend,  recently  called  Gebatsch  Joch, 
offers  a  sample  of  the  strange  effects  of 
vague  rumour  in  exaggerating  the  perils 
of  Alpine  adventure.  The  pass  appears 
to  have  been  at  one  time  frequently 
uskI  by  the  natives  of  Fend,  who  passed 
that  way  to  the  pilgrimage  church  of 
Kaltenbrunn  in  the  Kaunserthal.  Of 
late  it  has  been  rarely  used,  and  has 
acquired  the  name  of  a  dangerous  pass. 
Even  in  a  work  so  generally  accurate 
as  the  second  edition  of  Schaubach, 
published  in  1866,  it  is  alluded  to  as 
only  to  be  attempted  '  at  peril  of  life, 
and  probably  impracticable  since  Nico- 
demus  IClotz  no  longer  undertakes  to 
act  as  guide.'  The  '  Jahrbuch  of  the 
Austrian  Alpine  Club,'  however,  con- 
tains two  accounts  of  the  pass  which 
was  traversed  early  in  July  1860  by 
Herr  "Weilenmann,  and  about  six  weeks 
later  by  Dr.  A.  v.  Kuthner.  As  in  all 
similar  expeditions  the  constant  use  of 
the  rope  is  indispensable,  and  when 
there  is  little  snow  on  the  upper  part  of 
the  Gebatschferner,  the  crevasses  may 
give  some  trouble,  but  in  their  ordinary 
condition  the  glaciers  on  both  sides  seem 
to  be  singularly  free  from  difficulty,  as 
may  be  inferred  from  the  fact  that  Herr 
Weilenmann  reached  the  pastures  of  the 
Platteyberg  above  Eofen  in  5  hrs.  from 
the  Gebatschalp  in  the  KaunserthaL 
The  confusion  existing  as  to  the  true 
names  of  many  of  the  peaks  and  glaciers 
in  this  district,  and  the  want  of  agree- 
darj-  ridges  that  stretch  northward  from  j  ment  between  the  beet  maps,  makes  it 


Eoui-E  E. 

1A^-DECK    TO   KEXD,    BY   THE   KAtJNSEE- 
THAT.  AXD  GEBATSCH  JOCH. 

It  was  remarked  in  the  introduction 
to  this  section  that  the  Fenderthal,  or 
main  branch  of  the  Upper  Oetzthal,  is 
walled  in  on  the  NW.  side  by  the  high- 
est of  the  ridges  making  up  the  group 
of  the  Oetzthal  Alps.  This,  which  has 
by  Sonklar  been  collectively  called 
Weisskamm,  contains  the  three  highest 
summits  of  the  entire  group,  and  no- 
where sinks  below  the  level  of  about 
10,400   ft.      The  three  parallel  secon- 


the  Weisskamm  towards  the  Innthal 
enclose  two  valleys,  the  Kaunserthal  to 
the  W.,  and  Pitzthal  to  the  E.,  that 
deserve  far  more  attention  than  they 
have  received  from  travellers.  Glaciers 
of  the  grandest  character  enclose  each 
valley  at  the  upper  end,  and  very  in- 
teresting passes  afford  to  the  moun- 
taineer a  choice  of  agreeable  routes  for 
approaching  Fend,  or  travelling  thence 
to  the  Innthal.     The  greatest  of  these 


diificult  to  follow  the  narratives  above 
alluded  to  without  risk  of  error. 

The  Kaunserthal  was  referred  to  in 
Ete.  A,  as  the  post-road  to  the  Finster- 
miinz  passes  the  opening  of  the  valley 
at  Prutz,  about  3  hrs.  above  Landeck. 
From  the  foot  of  the  Gebatsch  Glacier 
to  near  Kaltenbrunn  (5  hrs.  walk)  the 
valley  descends  due  N.,  but  then  turns 
westward,  and  for  2  hrs.  more  keeps  a 
course   but   little   N.  of  W.  to  Prutz. 


glaciers,  the  longest  in  the  Alps  E.  of  I  The  range  on  the  W.  side  of  the  valley 


the  Adige,  is  the  Gelatschferner,  also 
written  Gepaatschferner,  which  falls 
into  tlie  head  of  the  Kaimserthal.     The 


includes  the  following  principal  sum- 
mits, some  of  which  are  liable  to  be 
confounded   with    others  of  the    same 


ROUTE    E. — KAUNSEKTHAL. 


161 


name  in  this  district.  Karls-sjpitz 
( 10,253'),  Zirmes-spitz  (9,652'),  Glork- 
haus  (10,159'),  Kaiserjoeh  (10,198'), 
Glockenthurm  (10,998'),  and  lastly  the 
Weissseespitz  (11,618'),  rising  nbove 
the  W.  side  of  the  Gebatsch  Glacier, 
and  joining  the  main  range  of  the  Weiss- 
kamm.  In  the  range  dividing  the 
Kaunser  and  Pitz  valleys  the  main 
summits  in  ascending  from  N.  towards 
S.  are  the  Aif^^ispitz  (8,403').  PdscheJ- 
kopf(9,bWi  Watzekopf{9,o51'),  Blick- 
spitz  (11,047'),  and  the  range  is  linked 
to  the  Weisskamm  by  the  Oelgruhcnspitz 
(about  11,000'). 

As  happens  in  nearly  all  the  valleys 
radiating  from  the  snowy  group  of  the 
Oetztha-1  Alps,  the  Faggenhach,  which 
drains  the  Kuunserthal,  has  at  the 
opening  of  the  valley  cut  a  very  deep 
cleft,  through  which  it  issues  to  join  the 
Inn  at  Prutz.  A  sharp  ascent  of  more 
than  800  ft.  leads  from  that  village  to 
Kauns  (3,557'),  a  thriving  village,  with 
an  ancient  castle  (Bareneck),  repaired 
and  modernised  by  its  present  owner. 
Overlooking  in  some  places  the  deep 
gorge  of  the  Faggenbach,  the  path  along 
the  rt.  bank  leads  in  2  hrs.  from  Prutz 
to 

Kaltenbrunn  (4,181').  A  large  and 
handsome  church,  with  but  half  a  dozen 
houses,  one  of  which  is  a  rough  but 
tolerable  inn,  marks  a  spot  much  re- 
sorted to  by  pilgrims  from  the  neigh- 
bouring valleys.  The  name  is  ap- 
parently derived  from  a  jet  of  very 
pure  and  cold  water  that  is  made  to 
issue  from  a  crucifix  of  life  size  opposite 
the  church  porch.  In  approaching  this 
place  from  the  Innthal  below  Imst,  the 
shortest  way  is  by  the  lower  part  of  the 
Pitzthal,  and  the  path  of  the  Piller 
Joch,  then  following  a  track  leading 
along  the  W.  base  of  the  Aifenspitz  to 
Kauns.  In  approaching  Kaltenbrunn, 
the  stranger  might  suppose  himself 
near  the  head  of  the  valley,  as  above  it 
the  mountains  seem  to  close  together, 
but  a  short  distance  farther  on  an 
abrupt  bend  in  the  course  of  the  stream 
opens  before  the  traveller  the  long  reach 
of  the  upper  valley,  extending  without 

C.  T.  * 


a  break  to  the  foot  of  the  Gebatsch 
Glacier.  The  scenery  is  somewhat 
monotonous,  the  more  so  as  the  higher 
summits  are  often  shut  out  from  view. 
The  valley  is  very  subject  to  avalanches 
in  winter  and  spring,  no  less  than 
36  habitual  avalanche-channels  being 
pointed  out  on  the  slopes  on  either  side. 
Further  peril  and  loss  to  the  natives  of 
the  valley  is  caused  by  the  impetuous 
torrent  of  the  Faggenbach,  which  often 
overflows  its  channel,  bearing  do^vn 
masses  of  sand  and  gravel  over  the 
pastures  and  fields.  The  destruction 
of  the  forests  is,  as  usual,  tlie  main 
source  of  mischief  The  only  village  i.s 
Fcvckten  (4,325'),  a  very  small  place, 
with  a  rough  but  tolerably  clean  inn, 
kept  by  Gfall.  Near  at  hand  is  tlie 
Gsollbtichfull,a.  waterfall  of  much  local 
repute.  It  is  formed  by  the  Gsollbach, 
a  torrent  descending  from  the  Disten- 
kopf,  which  springs  over  nine  successive 
ledges  of  rock,  in  as  many  cascades, 
whose  united  lieightis  1,375  ft.  Four  of 
these  are  visible  from  the  ordinary  path, 
but  the  supply  of  water  is  often  insuffi- 
cient. The  Brunigbach  iail,  higher  up 
in  tiie  valley,  which  descends  498  ft.  in 
a  single  bound,  is  more  picturesque. 
Several  pa.^ses,  noticed  in  lUe.  G,  lead 
from  the  lower  part  of  the  Kaunserilial 
tc  the  adjoining  valleys.  Another 
pass  leads  westward  from  Feuchten  to 
the  Innthal  through  the  Christinathal. 
The  higher  of  the  VerpeUsiiitzen,  two 
very  steep  (supposed  inaccessible)  obe- 
lisks of  rock  that  projectfrom  the  snowy 
range  E.  of  Feuchten,  has  been  twice 
climbed  by  travellers,  each  time  under 
the  guidance  of  Gabriel  Spekteu- 
hauser.  On  the  secf  nd  occasion  the 
descent  was  made  to  Feuchten. 

'There  are  several  scattered  groups  of 
houses  above  Feuchten,  at  one  of  which, 
called  Eifenhof,  dwell  the  brothers 
Auer,  of  whom  the  younger,  named 
Johann,  is  counted  the  best  guide  in  the 
valley.  He  accompanied  M.  Weilen- 
mann,  and  other  subsequent  travellers, 
over  the  pass  to  Fend.  An  avalancho 
of  mud,  gravel,  and  stones,  poured  down 
through  a  cleft  on  the  E.  side  of  tha 


162 


CENTRAL    TYRf)L    ALPS.       §    48.    OETZTHAL    DISTRICT. 


valley  in  1862,  has  ruined  the  best 
pasturages  in  the  valley,  and  reduced 
the  few  inhabitants  to  poverty.  Four 
hrs.  from  Feuchten,  or  o^  hrs.  from 
Kaltenbrunn,  the  traveller  reaches  the 
Gebatschalp  (6,225') — also  called  Oel- 
grubenalp — with  the  last  huts,  close  to 
the  foot  of  the  great  glacier.  Connected 
with  the  Pitzthal  by  the  Oelgruben 
J(;ch  (Rte.  G),  and  with  the  Lang- 
taufererthal  by  the  Weisse  See  Joch, 
and  close  to  the  largest  glacier  of  the 
Eastern  Alps,  this  spot  may  serve  as  a 
centre  for  many  interesting  excursions, 
and  the  German  Alpine  Club  has  ju- 
diciously built  at  a  place  some  20  min. 
above  the  chief  hiitten  a  place  of  refuge 
for  travelkrs.  For  a  general  view  the 
best  point  is  the  Wonnetierg  (9,625'),  a 
western  outlyerfrom  the  Oelgrubenspitz. 
commanding  an  admirable  view  of  the 
Gebatsch  Glacier. 

This  great  ice-stream  is  divided  at  its 
lower  end  by  the  BauchJcopf  (9,796'), 
a  massive  island  of  rock,  round  whose 
eastern  side  the  larger  arm  of  the 
glacier  falls  in  a  rather  steep  ice-fall, 
while  the  narrower  branch  descends  on 
the  W.  side.  The  easiest  way  to  reach 
the  upper  plateau  of  the  glacier  is  to 
climb  the  rocks  of  the  Klein  Rauchkopf, 
lying  E.  of  the  main  mass,  and  sepa- 
rated from  it  by  an  ice-couloir.  On 
reaching  the  summit,  the  Hochnagel- 
warid  (11,623')  is  seen  due  S.,  while  a 
range  of  dark  rocks  called  Schwarae 
Wand  encloses  the  glacier  on  the  SE. 
side.  The  pass  to  Rofen  and  Fend  lies 
on  the  E.  side  of  the  first-named  ridge. 
It  is  said  that  the  upper  part  of  the 
Gebatsch  Glacier  is  very  difficult  when 
the  n^v6  is  so  far  melted  as  to  leave 
exposed  the  great  crevasses  by  which  it 
is  intersected,  but  no  such  difficulty 
.was  encountered  by  either  of  the  tra- 
vellers who  have  given  an  account  of 
the  pass,  and  Mr.  Weilenmann  reached 
the  summit  in  3^  hrs.from  the  Gebatsch- 
alp. The  height  of  the  Gebatsch  Jcch 
has  not  been  measured,  but  has  been 
estimated  by  Mr.  Tuckett  at  about 
10,800  ft. 

The  next  high  sununit  to  the  E.  is  the 


I  ProchJcogl  (11,926'),  beyond  which  the 
I  Wildspitz  asserts  its  .supremacy  over  all 
j  the  surrounding  peaks.  Contrary  to 
'  the  current  belief  on  the  subject,  the 
Gebatsch  Joch  leads  to  the  NW.  branch 
of  the  Hoch  Vernagtferner,  and  not 
to  the  Kesselwand  GL,  or  N.  branch  of 
the  Hintereis  Glacier.  In  descending 
it  is  expedient  to  bear  to  the  1.  down 
the  gentle  elopes  of  neve  that  lead  to 
the  point  where  the  Eofenthalfemer 
joins  the  main  stream.  No  difficulty  is 
found  in  leaving  the  glacier  on  its  £. 
bank,  near  to  the  highest  pastures  of 
the  Piatt eyberg  above  Rofen,  which  is 
easily  reached  in  another  hour.  See 
Rte.  C. 

ROITTE   F. 
IMST    TO    FEKD,    BY    THE    PITZTHAL. 

Although  the  majority  of  travellers 
will  naturally  choose  the  easy  route 
from  the  valley  of  the  Inn  to  Fend  or 
Gurgl,  through  the  Oetzthal  (Rte.  B), 
not  a  few  momitaineers  may  be  tempted 
to  prefer  the  way  through  the  Pitzthal, 
here  briefly  described.  There  is  a  choice 
between  three  rather  difficult  glacier- 
passes  leading  directly  to  Fend,  and  the 
less  arduous  passes  noticed  in  the  next 
Rte.,  connecting  th.^  head  of  the  valley 
with  Solden  or  the  Kaunserthal. 

Not  taking  into  account  the  lateral 
glen  of  the  Taschachthal,  the  head  of 
the  Pitzthal  descends  from  S.  to  N.  for 
about  9  m.  parallel  to  the  Kaunserthal, 
till,  at  St.  Leonhard,  it  bends  to  the  1., 
and  for  about  the  same  distance  follows 
a  NW.  direction  to  Kreith,  where  it 
unites  with  the  little  glen  descending 
from  the  Pillerjoch,  turns  to  NE.,  and 
joins  the  valley  of  the  Inn  a  little  below 
Imst.  The  distance  from  the  opening 
of  the  valley  to  the  Mittelbergalp  near 
the  foot  of  the  great  glacier  is  counted 
as  11  Stunden.  Crossing  the  Inn  by 
the  Langenbriicke  below  Irast,  a  cart- 
track  mounts  to  Arzl,  a  large  scattered 
village,  overlooking  the  junction  of  the 
Gurglthal  (§  42,  Rte.  A\  and  the  Pitz- 
thai  with,  the  Inn.     The  track  thence 


ROUTE    F. PITZTHAL. 


1G3 


inounts  alone:  the  1.  bank  of  the  torrent 
to  Wens  (2,831'),  1^  hr.  aboA-e  Arzl,  a 
thriving  villaae,  with  massive  stone 
houses,  overlooked  by  the  still  inhabited 
castle  of  Hirschberg.  It  will  not  escape 
the  traveller's  notice  that  the  short 
lateral  glen,  opening;  to  SW.,  and  lead- 
ing over  the  low  Pillerjoch  to  Prutz,  is 
the  orographic  continuation  of  the  upper 
valley  of  the  Inn,  and  affords  one  more 
instance  of  the  truth  that  the  direction 
of  the  existing  valleys  and  depressions 
of  the  Alps  is  not  what  should  be  ex- 
pected by  those  who  believe  that  these 
originate  exclusively  in  erosive  action. 
The  path  to  the  Pillerjoch  passes  by 
Kreith,  while  that  leading  up  the  main 
valley  crosses  the  torrent  to  Jerzeus, 
near  to  the  Stuihenfall,  a  fine  waterfall, 
not  to  be  confounded  with  others  of  the 
same  name  in  the  Oetzthal  and  else- 
where. Henceforward  the  slopes  on 
the  E.  side  of  the  valley  are  extremely 
steep,  merely  showing  patches  of  snow 
and  short  tongues  of  glacier  protruding 
through  the  openings  in  the  range.  On 
the  opposite  side  the  slope  is  gentler, 
and  many  short  lateral  glens  lead  up  to 
the  glaciers  that  extend  almost  continu- 
ously along  the  ridge.  Not  less  than 
fifteen  are  said  to  send  their  torrents 
from  that  side  into  the  Pitzthal.  The 
track  which  is  practicable  for  rough 
country  vehicles  as  far  as  St.  Leonhard, 
keeps  to  the  rt.  bank  between  Jerzens 
and  Ritzenried,  soon  after  crosses  to  the 
1.  bank,  but  returns  to  the  opposite  side 
to  Harlach,  ami  in  6|-  hrs.  from  Arzl 
leads  the  traveller  to 

St.  Leonhard  (4,58i').  This  is  the 
chief  place  in  the  valley,  and  might 
serve  as  headquarters  for  a  traveller 
wishing  to  explore  the  fine  ranges  that 
enclose  it  on  either  side.  The  names  of 
the  chief  summits  in  the  Kaunsergrat 
are  enumerated  in  the  last  route.  Those 
of  the  opposite  ridge  between  this 
and  the  Oetzthal  (or  Pitzkamm  of 
Sonklar),  reckoning  from  N.  to  S.,  are  as 
Mlows:—Wildgratkogl  (9,744'),  ^ohe 
Feiler  (10,092'),  FeuerJcogl  (10,100'?). 
Hohe  Gcige  {11,128'),  Puikogl  (10,965'), 
and  Schwarze  KogeU    (10,675').     The 


latter,  said  to  command  an  especially 
fine  view,  is  reached  with  little  dithculty 
from  Mittelberg.  The  passes  over  botli 
these  high  ranges  are  noticed  in  the  next 
Rte.  Passing  on  the  way  the  hamlet  of 
Trenkwaid,  in  3  hrs.  from  St.  Leonhard, 
the  traveller  reaches  Platigeros  (5,464'), 
the  highest  village  in  the  valley,  where 
a  small  inn  (Traube),  kept  by  very 
civil  people,  supplies  lodging  and  enter- 
tainment. Here  trees  become  scarce, 
and  too  few  remain  on  the  slopes  to 
ward  oS"  avalanches  from  the  houses, 
scattered  through  the  upper  valley. 
The  path  passes  three  hamlets  belong- 
ing to  Plangeros — Tieflehn.  Manndorf. 
and  Mittelberg  (5,880').  The  latter  is 
a  mere  group  of  hiltten.  very  near  to  the 
foot  of  the  great  Mittelberg  Glacier, 
whose  ice-fall,  said  to  be  the  grandest 
in  Tyrol,  is  full  in  view.  Here  tbe  main 
valley  comes  to  an  end,  but  a  wild  lateral 
glen,  Taschachthal,  opens  to  the  SW. 
It  is  surrounded  by  high  glaciers,  of 
which  the  Taschach  and  Sechsegerten 
Glaciers  descend  from  the  main  rang-.e 
N.  of  the  Wildspitz,  while  over  the  Oel- 
grubenferner  lies  a  way  to  the  Kaunser- 
thal.  Travellers  may  now  find  good 
shelter  for  the  night  at  the  Taschach- 
hiitte,  lately  built  hy  the  German  Alpine 
Club.  The  best  guides  in  the  valley  are 
'der  Bauer,'  in  Mittelberg,  and  a  man 
(name  unknown"!  at  the  preceding  hamlet 
of  Manndorf.  The  better  guides  of  the 
Oetzthal  (especially  Alois  Ennemoser) 
and  Gabriel  Spektenhauser  of  Unter 
Liehe  Frau,  are  probably  much  more 
useful  than  any  native  of  the  valley. 

The  westernmost  pass,  which  may  be 
called  Taschach  Joch,  was  traversed  by 
Dr.  Ruthner  in  1858.  Mounting  from 
Rofen  by  the  Platteyberg  to  the  upper 
plateau  of  the  Vernagt  Glacier,  as  on 
the  way  to  the  Gebatsch  Joch,  the  pass 
leading  to  the  Taschachferner  was  ap- 
proached by  the  SE.  corner  of  the  pla- 
teau. From  thence  hedescended  through 
the  Taschachthal  to  Mittelberg. 

The  highest  and  most  difficult,  but 
probably  the  finest,  of  the  three  passes 
was  effected  by  Messrs.  Tuckett,  Fresh- 
field,  and  Fox,  in  1865,  ou  the  same  day 


♦m  2 


164 


CE::TRAL    TYROL    ALPS.       §   48.    OETZTHAL   DISTRICT. 


on  which  they  ascended  the  Wildspitz 
(Kte.  C). 

After  descending  eastward  from  the 
Wildspitz  to  the  head  of  the  Ilofen- 
kar-Kees.  and  then  keeping  round  well 
to  the  I.,  they  dropped  down  upon  the 
lowest  point  in  the  ridge  connecting  the 
Wildspitz  with  the  WeisskopJ\\  1,209'), 
often  called  Fender  Weisskugel.  The 
pass,  connecting  the  neve  of  the  Rofen- 
kar  with  that  of  the  Mittelherg  Gi.,  has 
been  called  Mutelberger  Juch,  and,  being 
but  little  below  the  summit  of  the 
Weisskopf,  may  be  estimated  at  about 
1 1 ,000  ft. 

The  descent  was  made  by  'the  east- 
ern of  the  two  great  bays  into  which 
the  Mittelberg  Gl.  is  divided  by  the 
Hochwand,  and  no  diflficuities  were  en- 
countered till  the  brow  of  the  upper  ice- 
fall  was  reached  at  the  point  where  the 
highly  crevassed  Hanyendeferner  comes 
down  from  the  E.  at  rt.  angles  to  the 
main  ice  stream.'  A  passage  through 
the  seracs  was  soon  effected,  and  the 
rt.  lateral  moraine  was  reached  in  2  hrs. 
from  the  pass.  Two  hrs.  more  of  steep 
climbing  were  required  to  reach  the 
terminal  moraine,  whence  the  Hiitlen 
of  the  Mittelbergalp  were  reached  in 
another  ^  hr. 

An  easier  way  for  descending  from 
the  Wildspitz  to  Plangeros  was  dis- 
covered in  1869  by  ^Messrs.  Noon, 
Pendlebury,  and  Berreiter  of  Innsbruck. 
Turning  westward  from  the  summit, 
and  keeping  well  to  the  1.,  they  easily 
reached  the  level  snow-field  at  the 
head  of  the  Taschach  Ghicicr.  Then 
keeping  a  general  NNV.  direction,  and 
passing  some  crevassed  glacier,  their 
course  was  t)arred  by  impassable  cre- 
vasses till  turning  E.  they  found  an 
easy  descent  along  the  lidge  dividing 
the  Taschach  from  the  Mittelberg 
Glacier,  and  finally  completed  the  de- 
scent by  the  former  ice-stream. 

The  pass  of  the  Schuarze  Schneide 
has  proba])ly  been  long  kn'^^n  to  the 
people  of  the  upper  Pitztha.,  out  the 
first  recorded  p;issage  was  by  M.  Ep- 
senhardt,  of  iJerlin,  with  the  curate 
iif  Piangeros,  in  1863.     it  is  described 


by  Herr  Senn,  parish  priest  of  Fend, 
in  the  2nd  annual  volume  of  the 
Austrian  Alpine  Club.  This  route 
to  Fend  involves  two  passes,  of  which 
that  of  the  Schwarze  Schneide  traverses 
the  dividing  ridge  between  the  Pitzthal 
and  Oetzthal,  while  the  Sdter  JochL 
connects  the  Tiefenthal  Gl.  (cr  Seiter- 
ferner)with  the  head  of  the  Rettenbach- 
fenier.  The  way  from  Mittelberg 
mounts,  as  in  the  passage  of  the  Mittel- 
berger  Joch,  by  the  rt.  bank  or  E.  side 
of  ttie  great  lower  ice-fall,  and  in  a 
similar  way  surmounts  the  ice-fall  of  the 
Hangendeferner  by  ascending  the  steep 
western  slopes  of  the  Karleskogl.  It 
dues  not  appear  that  any  serious  diffi- 
culty is  encountered  in  reaching  the 
summit  of  the  pass  which  traverses  the 
ridge  called  Schwarze  Schneide,  probably 
about  10,000  ft.  in  height.  The  view  iu 
both  directions  is  very  striking.  To 
the  E.  descends  the  Retteubachferner,  a 
glacier  of  considerable  extent,  though 
inferior  to  the  great  ice-stream  that  has 
accompanied  the  traveller  during  the 
ascent.  If  followed  by  the  traveller,  it 
would  lead  him  through  the  Rettenbach- 
thal  to  Solden  in  the  Oetzthal.  To  reach 
Fend,  it  is  necessary  to  cross  the  neve  at 
the  head  of  the  Rettenbach  Gl.  in  a  di- 
rection somewhat  W.  of  S.  to  reach  the 
Setter  Jochl{a.hom  9,850'  ?).  a  depression 
in  the  ridge  dividing  that  glacier  from 
the  much  smaller  Tiefenthai  Ghcier. 
There  is  no  difficulty  in  the  descent  from 
the  second  col  to  the  Mutboden  men- 
tioned in  Rte.  C  as  commanding  one  of 
the  finest  views  near  Fend.  From  8  to 
9  hrs.,  exclusive  of  hults.  should  be 
allowed  for  this  way  from  Mittelberg  to 
Fend.  Those  who  do  not  attempt  any- 
one of  these  laborious  glacier  passes 
may  well  make  the  ascent  of  the  Mit- 
tayskoyel  (10,357'),  ovcilooking  the 
Mittelberg  Glacier.  The  view  is  highly 
spoken  of  by  Sonklar.  It  is  impossible 
in  the  present  work  to  do  more  than 
refer  the  reader  to  the  interesting 
observations  on  the  glaciers  of  this 
valley  contained  in  the  \\ork  of  that 
careful  writer. 


KOUTE    G. TUUn    OF    THE    OETZIIIAL    ALPS. 


165 


Route  G, 

tour  of  the  oetzthal  alps.  lengf.n- 
peld,  or  solden,  to  st.  leonhard 
in  the  passeyerthal. 

A  n  enterprising  mountaineer  favoured 
"by  a  run  ot  fine  'wcatlit-rmay  tnjoy  such 
a  series  of  fine  glacier-passes  as  rannot 
be  easily  matched  elsewhere  in  the  Alps, 
by  accomplishing  the  complete  tour  of 
ihe  Oetzthal  Alps  from  the  Oetzihal  to 
the  Passeyerthal,  and  visiting  on  the 
-nay  the  upper  part  of  each  of  the  val- 
leys mentioned  in  the  introduction  to 
this  section  that  radiate  from  the  central 
mass.  In  the  preceding  l^tes.  most  of 
the  passes  that  -would  be  taken  in  this 
tour  have  been  noticed,  but  it  -will  be 
convenient  to  enumerate  them  in  order 
liere. 

Befween  the  Oetzthal  and  Pitzthal, 
and  this  and  the  Kaunserthal,  there  is 
a  choice  among  various  passes,  of  -which 
those  nearest  the  main  chain  here 
obtain  precedence. 

Passes  from  ihe  Oetzthal  to  the  Pitzthal. 
1.  Pitzthaler  Jochl  (9,806').  Leads 
from  Solden  to  Plangeros  in  G  to  6^  hrs. 
The  Editor  has  received  an  account 
of  this  pass,  as  made  from  Plangeros 
to  Solden  by  Mr.  Holzmann  -with 
Tobias  Ennemoser  as  guide.  Ascending 
by  the  rt.  bank  of  the  torrent,  without 
crossing  to  the  Mittelberg  huts,  they 
reached  in  1  hr.  the  end  of  the  Mittfl- 
berg  Gi.  Still  ascending  by  the  rt. 
moraine  for  ^  hr.,  nearly  to  the  loot  of 
the  icefail,  they  then  turned  due  E. 
and  in  .50  min.  reached  a  stone  pyramid 
visible  fro  11  below.  Leaving  the  small 
Schwarzkogel  to  the  rt.  a  further 
ascent  of  I  hr.  leads  to  a  second  stone 
pyramid  which  is  close  to  the  top  of 
the  Polles  Pass.  Turning  to  the  rt., 
and  climbing  a  slightly  projecting  rock 
marked  by  a  pole,  a  few  steps  more 
lead  to  a  third  stone  pyramid  marking 
the  summit  of  the  Pitzthaler  Jochl,  of 
■which  the  height  has  perhaps  been 
exaggerated.  A  short  couloir  leads 
down  to  the  Rettenbach  Glacier,  rather 
steep  but  not  difficult.     In  ascending 


it  may  be  better  to  keep  to  the  s^ope 
above  the  1.  lateral  moraine.  Less 
than  1  hr.  suffices  to  reach  the  oi^ening 
of  the  Rettenbaclithal  from  the  foot  of 
the  glacier,  and  after  crossing  the  main 
torrent  the  traveller  may  reach  SoWen 
in  35  min.  more. 

2.  By  the  Gschrahhngl  -  Gktscher. 
Above  Hube,  in  the  Oetzthal,  between 
Solden  and  Lengenfeld,  a  short  glen 
called  rolh'sthul  leads  to  the  above- 
named  glacier,  also  called  Polles  Giet- 
scher.  'Ihe  pass  at  the  head  of  that 
glacier  is  only  a  few  hundred  ft.  N.  of 
the  Pitzthaler  Jochl,  and  the  descent  is 
by  the  way  above  descrihed. 

3.  By  the  Bradler  Jvch  ( about  9, .500'?). 
This  connects  Lengenfeld  with  the 
Hundstlial,  a  wild  rough  glen  that  joins 
the  Pitzthal  near  Trenkwald.  ashort  way 
below  Plangeros.  This  pass,  which  does 
not  involve  the  passage  of  glacier,  takes 
7. hrs.  exclusive  of  halts.  A  more  diffi- 
cult course irom  Lengenfeld  to  St.  Leon- 
hard  is  sometimes  taken  across  the  Ra- 
nachferner,  but  scarcely  deserves  to  be 
counted  as  a  pass. 

4.  By  the  GriibelJoch  (9,0.50'.?).  A 
tract  mounts  from  Umhausen  through 
the  Lairschthul,  and  alter  passing  close 
under  the  S.  side  of  the  AVildgratkogl, 
turns  southward,  and  again  resumes  its 
westerly  directiim  till  it  reaches  the 
Pitzthal  at  Giilbel,  ^  hr.  above  Ritzen- 
ried. 

Passes  from  the  Pitzthal  to  the  Kaunser- 
thal. 
1,  By  the  Oelyruben  Joch  (9,400'.?). 
This  pass,  which  appears  to  be  easy 
considering  its  height,  is  taken  from 
Mittelberg  at  the  hi  ad  of  the  Pitzthal 
by  mounting  through  the  Tuschnchihal. 
About  7  hrs.  suffice  to  leach  the  Ge- 
batschalpfrom  Plangeros.  In  going fVom 
Plangeros,  it  is  siiorter  to  take  a  path  to 
the  rt.  of  the  Mittelberg  huts,  and  just 
above  the  opening  of  the  Taschach 
valley  to  cross  to  the  rt.  bank  of  the 
torrent,  returning  to  the  1.  bank  about 
\  hr.  farther  on.  After  passing  in  front 
of  the  great  ice-falls  of  the  Taschach 
Glacier  yVihich  seen  from  below  appears 


166 


CENTRAL    TYROL    ALPS.       §   48.    OETZTHAL    DISTRICT. 


to    bar  the  valley,    an  upper  basin  is  ] 
reached  which  is  closed  by  the  Sachs-  j 
eierten  Glacier.     Tiiis  is  reached  in  3 
to  3^  hrs.  steady  walking  from  Plan- 
geros.       The    lower    part    is    crossed 
diagonally  in  order  to  attain  to  the  small 
Oelyrubei'ifenier  and  to  the  summit  of 
the  pass.     The  latter  name  is  given  to 
the  small  glaciers  on  both  sides  of  the 
ridge.      A  long  slope  of   debris    leads 
down  to  the  Lower  Oelgruben  Gl, which 
is  traversed  for  some  way,  keeping  near  j 
the  rt.  lateral  moraine.     Below  this  a  ! 
tract  leads  down  into  the  head  of  the  j 
Kaunserthal;  and  on  reaching  it,  it  is  j 
necessary  to  turn  to  the  1.  and  ascend  ; 
the  valley  (less  than  200  yds.)  to  reach  j 
the  bridge  crossing  the  torrent  to  tiie  i 
Gebaisch    Alp.       The   traveller    may  j 
either  seek  shelter  at  the  Alpine  Club 
hut  (Rte.  E ),  or  go  to  Feuchten  ;  fully 
3  lirs.  descending  the  valley. 

2.  By  the  Verpeil  Joch.  The  tra- 
veller who  has  reached  Trenkwald  from 
Lengenfeld  by  the  Bradler  Joch  (see 
above)  may  on  the  same  day  traverse 
this  pass  between  the  Sonneikogl  and 
Schwahenkogl,  leading  in  6  hrs.,  exclu- 
sive of  halts,  to  Feuchten  (Rte.  E).  The 
way  is  said  to  be  very  rough  and  steep, 
requiring  a  local  guide ;  and  the  diffi- 
culty of  finding  one  would  present  a 
serious  obstacle  to  the  traveller  wishing 
to  effect  both  passes  on  the  same  day. 

3.  By  the  Tiefenthal  Joch  (8,703'). 
This  leads  from  St.Leonhard  to  Kalten- 
brunn,  and  is  easier  than  the  last.  The 
track  passes  under  the  Feischelkoyl 
(9,546'),  and  is  said  to  command  fine 
views. 

4.  BytheNiederJochl{1M^').  This 
is  the  easiest  and  most  frequented  (f 
the  passes  connecting  the  Pitzthal  and 
Kaunserthal.  It  is  best  taken  from 
Harlach(Rie.  F),abouthalfway  between 
St.  Leonhard  and  Hitzenried.  and  by  it 
Kaltenbrunn  is  reached  in  5  hrs.,  ex- 
clusive of  halts. 

Passes  from  the  Kaunserfhal  to  the 

Lanyiaiif ever  thai. 
The  direct  way  from  the  Gebatsohalp, 
at  the  head  of  the   Kaunserthal,   to 


Mallag,  in  the  LanLtaufererthal,  is  by 
the  Weisse  SceJoch  (9,G")7').  'J'he  course 
is  about  due  SW.  to  the  Weisse  See 
(8,273'),  a  small  g:acier-lake.  Thence, 
amid  very  grand  scenery,  the  traveller 
mounts,  bearing  a  little  to  the  1.  to  the 
glacier  that  covers  the  summit  of  the 
pass.  From  6  to  6^  hrs.  suffice  to 
reach  Mallag,  the  highest  hamlet  of 
Langtaufers.  There  is  another  pass, 
or  a  variation  on  the  Weisse  See  Joch, 
as  to  which  the  scant  notices  that  have 
reached  the  writer  are  not  accordant. 
It  is  said  to  pass  close  under  the 
Gluckenihurni  (10.997'),  and  to  be 
longer  than  the  ordinary  route. 

The  traveller  who  would  add  one  more 
to  the  number  of  unfrequented  valleys 
visited  in  the  tour  of  the  Oetzthal  Alps 
may  take  the  head  of  the  Radursehel- 
thal  ou  his  way  to  the  Langtautererthal. 
About  1  hr.  below  the  Gebatschalp  he 
may  follow  a  track  that  mounts  west- 
ward to  the  Kaiser  Joch,  and  descends 
into  the  head  of  the  Radui'schelthal ; 
and  he  may  reach  Mallag  on  the  same 
day  by  turning  about  due  S.,  and 
crossing  the  Tscheyer  Scharte  (Rte. 
C).  Thi>  would  involve  a  very  long 
day's  walk. 

A  Pass  front  Mallag  to  (he  head  of  the 
Matscherthtl,  between  the  Freibrun- 
nisrspitz  (11,719')  and  the  Weisskugel, 
is  mentioned  by  Sonklar  under  the 
name  Matscher  Joch.  It  was  pointed 
out  by  shepherds  at  Mallag,  who  spoke 
of  it  as  dangerous  and  very  rarely  used, 
but  no  traveller  is  known  to  have  pass.-d 
that  way.  As  mentioned  in  Rte.  C, 
there  are  two  passes  leading  from  the 
middle  part  of  the  Langtaufererthal  to 
the  Platiailthal.  It  is  most  likely  that 
the  herdsmen  of  that  valley  are  ac- 
quainted with  some  pass  leading  across 
the  ridge  SW.  of  the  Portlesspitz 
(10,066')  to  the  Matscherthal. 

Pass  from  the  Mat.^tcherthal  to  the 
SchnaUerthal. 

The  only  one  known  is  the  Langyrub 
Joch,  better  known  in  the  Schnalsenhal 
as  Matscher  Joch,  noticed  in  Rte.  C. 
Particulars  as  to  this  pass,  which  lies 


STUBAY    DISTRICT. 


167 


immediately     N.    of   the    Salurnspitz 
(1 1,260'),  are  much  desired. 

Pass  from  the  Schnalserthal  to  the 
Pusseyerthal. 

The  easiest  way  from  Unser  Frau  to 
lloos,  or  St.  Leonhard,  in  the  Passeyer- 
thal,  is  by  the  Pfossenthal  and  the 
(wTuben  Jock  (9,54S')  leading  to  the 
head  of  the  PfVIdersthal  (Rte.  D).  It 
is  worth  remarking  that  the  ascent  of 
the  Siinilaun  might  be  taken  in  the  way 
from  Unser  Frau  to  the  Pfossenthal,  as 
it  is  doubtless  practicable  to  desceud 
from  that  peak  to  Mitterkaser  or  Eishof, 
in  the  latter  valley.  Ildefons  Kohler, 
of  Rableid,  in  the  Pfossenthal,  is  re- 
commended as  guide,  and  Pixner,  inn- 
keeper at  Plan,  can  lead  travellers  from 
the  Pfeidersthal  over  theGruben  Joch. 

The  complete  tour  of  the  Oetzthal 
peaks,  here  suggested,  will  include  six 
passes  with  an  average  height  of  very 
nearly  10,OUO  It. 


SECTION  49. 

STUBAY    DISTRICT. 

The  Brenner  pass,  as  has  been  re- 
marked in  the  introduction  to  this 
chapter,  divides  the  main  chain  of  the 
Tyrol  Alps  into  two  imequal  portions, 
of  which  the  western  division  includes 
the  two  irregular  groups  of  the  Oetz- 
thal and  Stubay  Alps,  while  the  eastern 
division  is  traversed  by  a  nearly  con- 
tinuous range  extending  from  near  Ster- 
zing  to  the  frontiers  of  Styria.  The  line 
of  valley  followed  by  the  road  from 
Innsbruck  to  Brixen  is  thus,  in  an 
orographic  sense,  a  boundary  between 
two  well-marked  di\'isions  of  the  Alpine 
chain.  Of  the  western  division  the  most 
considerable  portion  has  been  described 
inthelast  section,  and  there  remains  only 
a  small  but  lofty  group  of  high  mountains, 
commonly  called  the  Stubay  Alps,  from 
the  name  of  the  chief  valley  which  pene- 
trates deeply  into  their  recesses.     This 


is  to  be  described  in  the  present  section. 
As  the  drainage  of  the  Stubay  valley, 
and  that  of  the  other  principal  valleys 
of  this  group,  is  borne  to  join  the  Inn 
or  the  Eisack  through  the  line  of  de- 
pression traversed  by  the  Brenner  road, 
the  latter  is  also  naturally  to  be  described 
in  this  place. 

Although  little  visited  by  English 
tourists,  the  Stubay  Alps  lie  close  to 
one  of  the  most  frequented  of  alpine 
highways.  Without  quitting  the  rail- 
way carriage  or  the  high  road,  the  tra- 
veller may  gain  a  glimpse  of  several  of 
the  higher  peaks,  but  he  can  form  no 
adequate  idea  of  their  dimensions,  nor 
of  the  glaciers  that  enclose  their  inner 
valleys.  Enclosed  between  the  Oetz- 
thal, the  Inn,  the  Brenner  road,  and 
the  Jaufen  Pass,  the  Stubay  group  fiUs 
an  area  of  about  610  square  miles.  Its 
highest  summit,  the  Wilder  Pfaff, 
attains  11,512  ft.,  and  at  least  thirty- 
three  peaks  exceed  10,000  Vienna  ft. 
(10,371  Eug.  ft.)  in  height.  If  spread 
out  uniformly  over  the  whole  area,  these 
Alps  would  attain  the  height  of  7,164  ft. 
over  the  sea-level. 

The  Stubay  Alps  have  been  thorouglily 
explored  by  MM.  Barth  and  Pxaundler, 
who  have  carefully  measured  the  heights 
of  nearly  all  the  principal  peaks,  and 
have  published  the  results  of  their 
labours,  with  a  detailed  map,  in  whicli 
71  separate  glaciers  are  laid  down,  in 
a  volume  entitled  '  Die  Stubayer  Ge- 
birgsgruppe,'  published  at  Innsbruck, 
in  1865. 

The  best  headquarters  for  the  moun- 
taineer in  this  district  are  at  Neustift, 
in  the  Stubaythal,  and  at  Gschnitz,  but 
some  fine  scenery  is  accessible  in  a 
day's  walk  from  the  inn  at  the  summit 
of  the  Brenner  Pass  or  from  the  town 
of  Sterzing. 

Besides  the  road  of  the  Brenner  and 
the  main  group  of  the  Stubay  Alps,  we 
include  in  the  present  section  the  much 
lower  pastoral  district  of  the  Sarnthal, 
lying  between  the  Passeyerthal  and  the 
Eisack,  which  may  conveniently  bo 
visited  by  the  pedestrian  on  the  Tray 
from  Botzen  to  Sterzing. 


168 


CENTRAL    TYROL    ALPS.       §    49.    STUBAY    DLSTRICT. 


Route  A. 


INNSBRUCK.    TO    BOTZEN,    OVER    THE 
BREXNEU   PASS,    BY    ROAD. 


Austrian 

Eng. 

miles 

miles 

Schbnberg      . 

2 

H 

Steinach 

.     .     u 

7 

Brenner  . 

.     .     n 

H 

Sfcerzin^ 

2 

Oi 

Mittewald       . 

2 

H 

Brixen    . 

2 

H 

Klausen 

.     .     n 

1 

Atzwang 

2 

9* 

Botzen    . 

2 

9| 

16S         79^ 

Eeference  has  been  mafle  in  several 
proceding  portions  of  this  work  to  the 
groat  breach  in  the  continuity  of  the 
chain  of  the  Alps  which  is  marked  by 
the  valley  of  the  Adige.  Following  up 
the  course  of  that  river  from  the  neigh- 
bourhood of  Verona,  wliere  it  issues 
from  the  mountains  through  the  deep 
and  broad  valley  that  extends  in  a 
nearly  straight  line  for  more  than  80  m., 
we  reach  the  point,  less  than  900  ft.  above 
the  sea,  where  the  main  river  is  formed 
''•lose  to  Botzen,  by  the  junction  of  the 
Etsch,  or  upper  Adige,  with  the  Eisack. 
The  road  leading  by  the  Etschthal  from 
Lcindeck  in  the  upper  valley  of  the  Inn 
to  Botzen  was  described  in  the  last  sec- 
tion. The  opening  throusrh  which  that 
road  is  carried  from  the  banks  of  the 
Inn  to  the  lakes  at  the  head  of  the 
Adige  has  orographically  the  charac- 
teristics of  a  true  break  or  gap  in  the 
Alpine  chain,  whereas  that  at  the  head 
of  the  Eisack,  which  forms  the  Brenner 
Pass,  corresponds  rather  to  a  disloca- 
tion in  the  range,  similar  to  that  form- 
ing the  passes  of  the  Simplon  and  Ma- 
loya.  The  Brenner  is,  however,  lower 
by  a  few  feet  than  the  pass  leading  to 
Landeck,  and  it  has  from  the  earliest 
times  had  far  greater  political  impor- 
tance, as  this  offers  a  very  direct,  and  the 
other  only  a  circuitous,  route  from  the 
valley  of  the  Danube  to  the  plains  of 
Northern  Italy.  By  this  road  the  legions 
of  Drusus,  passing  beyond  the  natural 
boundaries  of  the  empire,  established 
the  sway  of  the  Roman   Caesars  over 


the  semibarbarons  tribes  of  the  Rhfeti 
and  the  Alemanni,  and  by  the  same 
passage  the  reflex  flood  of  barbarian  in- 
vasion has  ever  since  continued  to  inun- 
date the  pla.ins  of  Lombardy  and  Vene- 
tia.  It  was  but  natural  that  this  should 
(in  1772)  be  the  first  Alpine  pass 
made  practicable  for  carriages,  and  that 
it  should  be  destined  to  be  the  first 
over  whicli  the  locomotive  draws  its 
load.  As  some  travellers  will  continue 
to  use  the  post-road,  and  pedestrians 
descending  from  the  higher  valleys  may 
traverse  portions  of  it,  it  is  here  de- 
scribed in  the  first  place,  and  a  notice 
of  the  railway  is  added  imder  a  separate 
heading.  The  distances  by  post-road, 
as  given  above,  are  doubtless  somewhat 
overrated. 

After  leaving  the  town  of  Innsbrisek, 
by  the  arch  erected  in  honour  of  Maria 
Theresa,  the  road  traverses  the  suburb 
of  Wiltcn.  The  abbey,  famous  during 
the  middle  ages,  stands  on  the  site  of 
the  Roman  Veldidena,  which  was  levelled 
to  the  ground  by  Attila.  On  leaving 
the  village  of  "Wilten,  the  road  turns 
SW.,  and  at  once  begins  to  ascend  a 
green  hill,  lying  in  the  angle  between 
the  Sill  and  the  Inn.  This  is  the  JBercf 
Isel,  a  spot  famous  in  the  popular 
annals  for  three  victories  gained  by  the 
Tyrolese  peasantry  under  Hofer  and 
Speckbacher,  against  the  French  and 
Bavarian  forces,  in  1809.  After  gaining 
a  very  fine  view  of  Innsbruck  and  its 
neighbourhood,  the  road  turns  south- 
ward, and  enters  the  valley  of  the  Sill,  or 
Unter-Wippthal.  The  old  road  was  in 
places  steep,  and  not  quite  safe,  but  the 
new  road,  laid  out  by  Italian  engineers, 
maintains  a  very  gentle  inclination 
throughout  the  ascent  of  about  2,700  ft. 
to  the  summit  of  the  pass.  In  com- 
mencing the  ascent  along  the  1.  bank 
of  the  Sill,  the  only  prominent  object  is 
the  peak  of  the  Series  or  Waldraster- 
spitz  (8,898'),  rising  boldly  somewhat 
W.  of  S.  Before  long,  the  road  crosses 
the  impetuous  torrent  of  the  Rutzbach, 
issuing  from  the  Stubaythal  (Rte.  E), 
by  a  single  arch  of  wide  span.  Just 
beyond  the   bridge   is   the   hamlet   of 


ROUTE   A. — VALLEY   OF    THE    SILL. 


169 


Vnter-Schbnbcrg  (2,243').  This  stands 
lit  the  N.  end  of  a  high  promontory 
between  the  Sill  and  the  Eutzbach, 
which  is  crowned  by  the  little  village  of 
Ober-Schonberg  (3,271'),  commanding 
a  very  fine  view  of  Innsbruck  and  the 
neighbouring  Innthal,  and  the  moun- 
tains that  guard  it  on  the  N.,  and,  on 
the  other  hand,  of  the  Stubaythal  and 
the  peaks  and  glaoiers  that  enclose  it  to 
the  SW.  The  new  road,  with  much 
advantage  to  the  post-horses,  but  to 
the  loss  of  tourists,  w^nds  along  the 
slopes  above  the  Sill  on  the  E.  side  of 
the  promontory,  avoiding  the  village. 
Tlie  pedestrian  is  strongly  advised  to 
keep  to  the  old  road,  and  those  who 
travel  by  hired  carriages  can  follow  the  ' 
same  course,  leaving  their  vehicles  near 
the  bridge  over  the  Eutzbach,  and  re- 
joining them  an  hour  later,  about  ^  m.  i 
S.  of  Ober-Schonberg. 

The  new  road,  although  it  loses  all  : 
view  of  the  Stubaythal,  is  not  altogether  ; 
devoid  of  objects  of  interest. 

On  the  opposite  side  of  the  Sill  rise  : 
tlie  Giuvgctzcr  (8,781')  and  the  Kreuz- 
joch  (9,141'),  two  summits  commanding 
very   fine  panoramic  views.      Between 
them  is  a  pass  leading  to  Volders,  in  , 
the  lower  Innthal  (§  43,  Ete.  B).  Nearly  ; 
2    leagues    beyond   Schonberg    is    the  j 
thriving  village  of  | 

Matrey {Inns:  Stern;  Krone;  "Weisse  ' 
Rose),  the  chief  place  in  the  valley  of  i 
the  Sill,  3,391  ft.  above  the  sea.     The 
castle,  belonging  to  Prince  Auersberg,  | 
is  picturesquely  placed.   Here  the  high 
road  is  joined  by  a  char-road  from  Hall 


with  a  solitary  church  standing  on  a 
rock  midway  in  the  glen.  Passes  con- 
nect its  head  with  the  Tuxerthal  (§  50, 
Ete.  D),  the  "Wattenserthal,  leading  to 
the  lower  Innthal,  and  the  Schmirnthal." 
About  3  m.  from  Matrey  the  road 
reaches 

Stcinach  (Inns :  Post,  good ;  Stein- 
bock),  a  post-station,  3,651  ft,  above 
the  sea,  rebuilt  since  1853,  when  the 
chui'ch  and  most  of  the  houses  were 
burned  down.  Here  the  Gschnitzthal 
opens  to  WSW.  (Ete.  O),  and  the  tra- 
veller gains  a  glimpse  of  the  Habicht- 
spitz.  A  little  way  beyond  the  village 
the  road  passes  for  the  first  time  to  the 
rt.  bank  of  the  Sill,  and  just  beyond 
Stafflach  (Inn  :  Hirsch,  food  very  good, 
not  cheap)  crosses  a  considerable  torrent 
formed  about  1  m.  E.  of  that  village  by 
the  junction  of  the  streams  from  two 
Alpine  glens.  That  seen  to  ESE.  is 
the  Falscrthal,  also  written  YalserthaJ, 
but  not  to  be  confounded  with  the  Swiss 
valley  of  that  name.  The  other  branch 
is  the  Schmirnthal.  The  path  through 
it  leads  to  the  village  and  church  of 
Schmiryi  (4,542'),  andfarther  on  to Obtrn 
(5,065'),  3|  hrs.  from  StafBach.  Two 
paths,  one  over  the  Ti'.xer  Joch  (j ,&\^'), 
the  other  by  the  Schncebruckkopf,  lead 
to  Lanersbach  in  the  Tuxerthal.  (See 
§  50,  Ete.  C.)  Beyond  Stafflach  the 
high-road  crosses  and  re-crosses  more 
than  once  the  Sill,  here  reduced  to 
a  mere  mountain  stream,  and  passes 
the  little  village  of  Grics  (3,890'),  with 
a  very  fair  country  inn.  Here  opens  to 
SW.    an    extreme'y    picturesque    little 


which  is  carried  along  the  rt.   side  of  1  Alpine  glen  called   Oberhcrg,  which  is 


the  valley,  and  shortens  the  way  to  the 

Brenner  Pass  for  those  approaching  it 

from  the  Lower  Innthal  who  have  no 

occasion   to    pass   through   Innsbruck. 

This  road  leaves  the  Innthal  near  the    mount   thence   nearly 

Ciistle    of    Amras,  and   passes    several 

villages  and  hamlets.     From  Miihlthal 

or  Ellbogen  the  traveller  may    ascend 

the  Olungetzer,  or  traverse   the   Eosen 

Joch  to  the  Voldererthal.  For  a  notice  of 


also  the  name  of  the  village  at  its  head, 
1|-  hr.  from  Gries,  and  4,440  ft.  above 
the  sea.  The  traveller,  who  there  finds 
very  tolerable  night-quarters,  may 
due  W.  to  the 
MvAtenjoch  (8,133'),  leading  to 
Gschnitz,  or  may  reach  Anichen,  in  the 
Pflerschthal  (Ete.  G)  in  4i  hrs.  hy  the 
Grubjoch  (7,021'),  or  else  may  return 
to  the  high-road  at  Gossensass  above 


the  pretty  walk  to  Neustift,  see  Ete.  E.    Sterzing  (see  below)  by  a  pass  (7,052') 
A  little  above  Matrey  the  road  passes  i  between  the  Eothspitz  and  Lorenzen- 
opposite  to  the  opening  of  the  Navisthal,  |  berg. 


170 


CENTRAL    TYROL    ALPS.       §    49.    STLTJAY   DISTRICT. 


Above  Grries  the  road  for  the  last 
time  passes  to  the  rt.  bank  of  the  Sill, 
and  soon  readies  the  little  lake,  Bren- 
ti.fr  See  (4,303'),  that  is  counted  as  its 
cliief  source.  The  lake  is  fed  by  two  tor- 
rents— the  Vennabach,  flowing  through 
a  lateral  glen  on  the  E.  side  from  the 
]>ase  of  the  Kraxentrcg  (9,831'),  and  the 
stream  descending  from  the  Brenner 
Pa>s,  which  preserves  the  name  of  Sill. 
A  gentle  ascent  leads  to  the  depression 
forming  the  watershed  between  the 
Danube  and  the  Adige,  where  stands  the  { 

Brenner  Posthcmse  (fair  accommoda- 
tion, not  cheap  for  T-\to1),  4-, 588  ft.  above  i 
the  level  of  the  Adriatic.     It  commands  | 
no  distant  view.     The   streamlet   seen  I 
to  form  a  little  waterfall  on   the  rt.   of  j 
the  road  behind  the  posthouse  is  the 
principal  source  of  the  FAsnck,  which  is 
henceforth  followed  to  its  junction  with 
the  Adige  at  Eotzen.     For  more  than  a 
mile  the  road  is  nearly  level,  till,  after 
passing   the  Brennerhad,  a  small   esta- 
blishment beside  a  warm  mineral  spring, 
it  begins  to  descend  rather  rapidly  to 
SSW.,  crossing  and  re-crossing  several 
times  the  narrow  stream  of  the  Eisack, 
which  here  runs  through  a  narrow  but 
not  Yevy  picturesque  glen.     [From  the 
Brennerbad  a  path  is  carried  SE.  over  j 
the    Schliisseljoch  to   Kematen,  in    tlie  I 
Plitschthal,    whence    the   Zillerthal    is  I 
reached    by    the    Pfitscherjoch.]       The  i 
valley  of  the  Eisack  opens   a  little  at  | 
Gossnuass  (3,520'),  where  it   is  joined  j 
by  the  Pfierschthal  from  WNW.      As  I 
throughout   the    entire    route,     ruined 
Ciistles  crown  the  heights  on  either  side 
of  the  road.     Below  the  village  the  val- 
ley narrows  for  a  short  distance,  but 
widens  gradually  as  it  approaches 

Sterzivg  (Inns :  Post ;  Krone  ;  both 
good  and  clean),  the  principal  place  in 
the  upper  valley  of  the  Eisack.  This 
is  locally  called  Ober-Wipptka/,  the  Sill 
valley,  through  which  the  traveller 
ascended  from  Innsbruck  to  the  Brenner, 
receiving  the  name  Unter-Wippthal. 
Though  the  position  of  Sterzing  is  not 
very  picturesque,  it  affords  convenient 
lieail-qua'-ters  for  mountain  excursions. 
The  little  town,  3,094  feet  above  the 


sea,  stands  close  to  the  junction  of  the 
Pfitschthal,  through  which  lies  a  highly 
interesting  route  to  the  Zillerthal  (§  50, 
Pte.  B),  while  on  the  opposite  side  the 
Gailbach  bears  down  the  drainage  from 
the  Eidnaunthal  and  the  Ratschingesthal. 
Occupying  the  site  of  the  Roman  sta- 
tion Vipitenum  (Pfitsch  ?),  Sterzing 
long  derived  wealth  and  importance 
from  the  silver  mines  worked  in  the 
neighbouring  valley  of  Ridnaun.  The 
modern  name  is  probably  derived  from 
the  Sesterces  coined  here.  For  some 
miles  below  the  town  extends  the 
marshy  flat  called  Sterzinger  Moos,  the 
filled-up  bed  of  an  ancient  aake.  Here 
the  Eisack,  which  had  hitherto  kept  a 
course  somewhat  W.  of  S.,  turns  to  SE., 
and  at  the  lower  end  of  the  Moos,  near 
Mauls  (good  country-inn,  beim  Nagele) 
enters  a  defile  extending  to  the  post- 
station  (2,611  ft.  above  the  sea)  at 

Mittewcild  (Inn :  Po^t,  good,  but  rather 
dear).  The  valley  between  this  and 
Sterzing  is  famous  in  Tyrolese  annals 
for  the  heroic  exploits  of  her  sons.  Here 
the  Elector  of  Bavaria  was  driven  back 
with  heavy  loss  in  1703  ;  and  the  French 
under  Joubert  retreated  in  1797.  More 
memorable  still  was  the  campaign  of 
1809.  Marshal  Lefevre  had  despatched 
from  Innsbruck  a  force  of  Bavarian  and 
Saxon  troops  to  force  their  way  over  the 
Brenner,  and  effect  a  junction  with  the 
larger  French  army,  which  was  ad- 
vancing from  Carinthia  through  the 
Pusterthal.  When  the  allied  troops  had 
been  driven  back  with  heavy  loss,  the 
Saxons  being  all  killed  or  taken  pri- 
soners, the  French  general  advanced  in 
person  with  a  larger  force,  chiefly  French. 
Met  in  front  by  the  Capuchin  Has- 
pinger,  and  attacked  on  both  flanks  by 
Speckbacher  and  Hofer,  his  men  were 
thrown  into  utter  confusion,  and  a  hur- 
ried retreat  to  Innsbruck,  with  the  loss 
of  cannon  and  ammunition,  was  the 
invader's  only  resource. 

Several  passes  lead  from  this  part  of 
the  valley.  The  most  frequented  is  the 
Pfvser  Joch  (7,340'),  by  which  the  pe- 
destrian may  reai-h  Eotzen  from  Mauls, 
or  from  Stilfs,  on  the  opposite  side  of  the 


ROUTE    A. BRIXEN. 


171 


main  valley,  through  the  Samthal.  The  | 
pass  is  ou  this  side  called  Stilfser  Joch, 
from  the  above-named  village,  but  the 
name  is  inconvenient,  as  it  is  theTyrolese 
name  for  the  far  better  known  pass  of 
the  Steh-io. 

The  opening  of  the  defile  of  the 
Eisuck  into  the  broad  valley  above 
Brixen  is  guarded  by  the  strong  fortress 
oi  FranzensJ'este  (2,418'),  mounting  137 
guns,  and  commanding  the  road  into 
Carinthia  by  Brunecken  as  well  as  the 
pass  into  Northern  Tyrol.  The  road 
passes  through  the  outworks  of  the 
fortress,  and  immediately  after  reaches 
Untcrau,  where  there  is  a  good  country- 
inn.  While  the  main  road  descends 
the  slopes  above  the  rt.  bank  of  the 
Eisack  to  Brixen,  another  crosses  that 
stream  by  the  Ladritscher  Briioke,  and 
is  carried  somewhat  X.  of  E.  to  Miihl- 
bach  on  the  Eienz,  there  joining  the 
main  line  from  Brixen  to  Villach  in 
Carinthia.  From  this  point  the  traveller 
overlooks  the  junction  of  the  Eisack 
with  the  more  considerable  stream  of 
the  Rienz,  which,  having  flowed  nearly 
due  W.  as  far  as  jMuhlbach,  there  turns 
a,bruptly  to  the  S.,  and  merges  its  name 
in  that  of  the  lesser  stream.  On  the 
tongue  of  land  dividing  the  streams 
above  the  junction  stands  the  wealthy 
monastery  of  Neustift.  The  vegetation 
assumes  a  southern  character,  and  the 
traveller  from  the  N.  greets  the  chestnut, 
which  here  begins  to  predominate  over 
other  deciduous  trees.  Passing  the  open- 
ing of  the  Schalderei-thal,  which,  leads  by 
some  mineral  baths  of  local  repute  and 
the  Schalderer  Jock  to  Diirnholz,  in  the 
Sarnthal,  the  high-road  runs  due  S.  to 

Brixen  (Inns  :  Elephant,  ill-managed 
and  dirty,  in  1865;  Sonne,  second-class, 
cheap  ;  Goldenes  Kreuz).  This  ancient 
and  dull  place,  1,934  ft.  above  the  sea- 
level,  claims  the  rank  of  a  city,  be- 
ing the  see  of  a  bishop  who  for  m-.ny 
centuries  ruled  a  temporal  principality. 
His  palace  or  castle  is  conspicuous  at 
the  SW.  end  of  the  town.  The  cathe- 
dral is  modern,  but  the  cloisters  are 
ancient  and  curious.  Constant  inter- 
course  with  Italy  has  given  a   some- 


what Italian  character  to  the  town,  which 
in  the  language  of  the  South  is  called. 
Bressanone. 

A  new  line  of  railway  from  hence  to 
Villach,  connecting  the  S.  Tyrol  with 
Styria,  and  with  Trieste,  is  already 
commenced.  Meantime  a  diligence  goes 
daily  from  Brixen  to  Villach  (§  52, 
Rte.  A),  in  26 i  hrs.,  and  a  Stellwagen 
rtms  as  far  as  Bruneck.  From  hence 
to  Botzen  the  scenery  is  far  more  pictur- 
esque than  throughout  the  way  from 
Innsbruck.  A  few  miles  below  Brixen 
the  valley  of  the  Eisack  is  narrowed  to  a 
defile,  which  extends  in  a  SSW.  direc- 
tion most  of  the  way  to  Botzen,  the  road 
being  carried  along  the  rt.  bank  of  the 
river.  The  vegetation,  assimiing  a 
more  and  more  southern  character,  adds 
much  to  the  beauty  of  the  scenery,  and 
at  intervals  the  singular  forms  of  the 
dolomite  peaks  seen  through  the  glens 
that  open  on  the  E.  side  of  the  valley 
aiford  a  striking  contrast  to  the  mas- 
sive porphyritic  rocks  that  rise  on  either 
hand.  After  passing  on  the  rt.  hand 
the  pretty  waterfall  called  Schrambach- 
fall,  the  road  reaches  the  first  post- 
station  at 

Klausen  (Inns  :  Gans ;  Eossel).  The 
defile  of  the  Eisack  is  here  extremely 
confined,  barely  leaving  room  for  a 
narrow  street.  Opposite  the  village 
opens  the  Villnbsihal  (§  60,  Rte.  G),"^a 
valley  interesting  to  geologists.  Its  lower 
end  is  enclosed  by  mountains  formed  of 
hornblende  rock  and  porphyry,  but  at 
its  head  it  is  separated  from  the  Grod- 
nerthal  to  the  S.,  and  the  Gaderthal  to 
the  E.,  by  a  range  formed  of  sandstone 
and  dolomite.  On  a  projecting  rock 
above  Elausen  stands  the  convent  of 
Seben,  commanding  a  remarkable  view. 
It  is  said  to  occupy  the  site  of  a  Rha&tian 
stronghold,  afterwards  occupied  by  the 
Romans,  who  erected  on  the  spot  a 
temple  to  Isis.  A  monumental  crucifix 
commemorates  the  fate  of  a  nun  who  in 
1809  sprang  from  a  window  overlooking 
the  precipice  to  avoid  the  violence  of  the 
French  soldiery.  The  road  from  Klausen 
to  Botzen  is  locally  called  Kuntersweg, 
after  Heinrich  Kunter,  a  private  citizen 


172 


CENTRAL    TYROL    ALPS. 


40,    STUBAY    DISTRICT. 


of  Botzen,  who  constructed  the  first  road 
through  the  defile  of  the  Eisack  early  in 
the  1-lth  century.  Before  that  time  the 
communication  between  Brixen  and 
Botzen  was  carried  on  by  circuitous  paths 
over  the  mountains  on  either  side.  At 
Kollmann  {1,716')  the  torrent  from  the 
Grodnerthal  joins  the  Adige,  and  the 
Trosthurg,  one  of  the  numerous  castles 
belonging  to  Couu*}  "Wolkenstein,  stands 
in  a  commanding  position  at  the  entrance 
to  that  very  picturesque  valley.  There 
is  here  a  tolerable  country-inn  (Kreuz). 
A  path  to  Castelruth  and  the  Seisser  Alp 
diverges  from  the  main  valley  at  Koll- 
mann,  and  another  rather  steeper  track 
mounts  thither  from  Torkele,  an  inn  by 
the  roadside,  about  ^  hi',  lower  down. 
The  road  descends,  though  not  steeply, 
all  the  way  from  Kollmann  to  the  post- 
station  at 

Atzwang  (Inn  :  Post),  1,452  ft.  above 
the  sea.  Here  the  pedestrian  may  ascend 
through  the  glen  of  the  Finsterbach  to 
the  'earth  pyramids'  near  Lengmoos, 
and  descend  thence  to  Botzen  by  Klo- 
benstein  and  Oberbotzen  (see  below), 
the  tour  requiring  about  5  hrs.,  exclu- 
sive of  halts.  The  finest  part  of  the 
defile  of  the  Eisack  is  between  Atzwang 
and  Karneid.  The  dark  red  porphyry 
rocks  rise  very  steeply  on  either  side  of 
the  river,  which  follows  a  sinuous  course 
through  the  deep  cleft.  Here  the  rail- 
way engineers  have  encountered  the  chief 
difficulties  in  the  construction  of  the  line 
between  Botzen  and  Innsbruck,  and 
have  had  to  tunnel  through  several  pro- 
jecting corners  of  rock.  Hard  as  it  is, 
the  porphyry  rock  is  rapidly  disinte- 
grated by  the  weather,  and  masses  have 
from  time  to  time  fallen  on  the  road. 
At  one  point  below  Atzwang  a  consider- 
able Bergfall  occurred  in  18-io,  and  huge 
fallen  blocks  still  lie  on  either  side  of 
the  roadway.  At  St  eg  a  frequented  track 
crosses  the  river,  and  mounts  to  Vols 
and  Seiss  (§  60,  Kte.  C).  Here  the  pin- 
nacles of  the  Schleren  are  seen  from  the 
road  towering  above  the  nearer  slopes. 
The  road  for  the  first  time  crosses  to  the 
1.  bank  at  Blumau,  arnd  the  valley  turns 
due  W.  at  the  junction  of  the  Gannen- 


bach,  which  here  issues  from  the  ravine 
leading  to  Tiers.  Of  the  numerous  cas- 
tles that  crown  the  neighbouring  heights, 
mostly  out  of  sight  of  the  road,  the  most 
considerable  is  that  of  Karneid,  still 
inhabited,  which  guards  the  entrance  to 
the  Karneidthal.  The  wonderful  scenery 
of  the  road  loading  that  way  to  Welschen- 
ofen  is  noticed  in  §  60,  Rte.  D.  On  re- 
crossing  to  the  rt.  bank  of  the  Eisack  at 
Kardaun,  the  road  emerges  from  the 
defile  through  which  it  has  been  carried 
for  fully  15  m.  The  gentler  slopes  on 
the  N.  side  of  the  valley  are  covered 
with  vineyards,  producing  the  excellent 
wine  of  Botzen,  while  on  the  opposite 
side  noble  chestnut-trees  descend  to  the 
level  of  the  valley.  The  grey  foliage  of 
the  olive,  which  here  reaches  its  northern 
limit,  the  shrill  note  of  the  cicala,  and 
the  intense  heat  which  commonly  pre- 
vails here  in  summer,  still  farther  com- 
pletes the  southern  character  of  the 
scene  as  the  traveller  enters  the  ancient 
town  of 

Botzen  (Inns :  Kaiserkrone,  a  large 
handsome  house,  with  a  cafe  on  the 
ground  floor,  charges  not  unreasonable; 
of  less  pretensions  are  the  following — 
Mondschein,  or  Mezza  Luna ;  Schwarzer 
Adler  ;  Goldener  Hirsch).  The  eastern 
windows  of  the  two  hotels  first  named 
command  a  \'iew  of  the  dolomite  peaks 
of  the  Eosengarten.  Standing  only  859 
ft.  above  the  sea,  close  to  the  head  of  the 
main  valley  of  the  Adige,  and  sheltered 
from  the  N.  wind  by  steep  mountains, 
this  place  enjoys  a  milder  winter  climate 
than  the  plain  of  Northei'n  Italy,  and 
though  the  spring  is  more  backward,  the 
summer  heat  is  intense  ;  the  thermo- 
meter in  the  shade  often  ranging  from 
90<^  to  95'^  Fahr.  On  this  account  the 
citizens  retire  in  summer  either  to  the 
little  country-inns  or  mineral  baths  in 
the  surrounding  mountain  valleys,  or 
else  to  small  country-houses  {Sommer- 
frischhduser)  on  the  adjoining  plateau 
of  the  Eitten.  Though  the  German  ele- 
ment predominates,  a  large  portion  of 
the  population  is  Italian,  and  that  lan- 
guage is  spoken  in  many  of  the  shops. 
The  Italian  name  of  the  town  is  Bolzano. 


PANORAMA   Fao:M   the   RITTNEE   HORN 


^ 


ROUTE    A. BOTZEN. 


173 


It  stands  at  the  junction  of  the  Talfer 
torrent,  issuing  from  the  Sarnthal  (Ete. 
3v),  with  the  Eisack.  A  massive  dam  is 
constructed  to  resist  the  inundations  of 
the  Talfer,  which  has  often  borue  de- 
struction into  the  town,  and  another 
dyke,  carried  alon2  the  Eisack,  protects 
the  railway  and  the  lower  part  of  the 
town  from  its  floods.  The  architecture 
and  general  appearance  partakes  some- 
what of  the.styles  of  Germany  and  Italy, 
which  may  be  said  to  meet  here.  The 
principal  houses  have  singular  projec- 
tions from  the  roof  (Dachhauben)  in- 
tended to  admit  air  into  the  iipper  part, 
and  protect  them  from  the  summer  heat. 
Streams  of  water  are  conducted  through 
most  of  the  streets.  The  principal 
church,  built  of  red  sandstone,  offers  a 
combination  of  the  German  Gothic  and 
Lombard  styles,  and  is  worth  a  visit. 
The  gardens  of  Count  Sarnthein  and 
Herr  JNIoser  will  interest  the  traveller 
from  the  north  of  the  Alps,  unused  to 
such  luxuriant  growth  of  the  fig,  vine, 
pomegranate,  and  oleander.  Oranges 
and  lemons  are  common  here,  but  the 
trees  require  protection  in  winter.  The 
neighbourhood  of  Botzen  is  of  extreme 
interest  to  the  botanist,  and  may  be  said 
to  embrace  three  distinct  floras,  including 
within  a  space  less  than  half  of  an 
English  county  no  less  than  1,720  flower- 
ing plants.  The  flora  of  the  main  valley 
of  the  Adige  includes  many  curious 
paludose  species  ;  e.g.,  Ahhovanda  vesi- 
culosa, Alisyna  pariiassifolium,  Sturmia 
Laeselii,  Cyperus  glomerulus,  and  C. 
Monti.  That  of  the  lower  mountains, 
chiefly  composed  of  porphyry  and  sand- 
stone, is  further  noticed  in  connexion 
with  the  ascent  of  the  Kitten  (see  below), 
and  that  of  the  dolomite  region  (inclu- 
ding the  Seisser  Alp)  is  described  in  §  60. 
An  agreeable  view  of  Botzen  and  the 
neighbourhood  is  gained  from  the  Cal- 
varienberg,  on  the  1.  bank  of  the  Eisack. 
The  coloured  groups  in  carved  wood  or 
stucco,  intended  to  represent  the  events 
of  the  Passion,  appear  grotesque  to  the 
northern  eye.  To  see  the  dolomite  range 
of  the  Eosengarten  to  advantage,  the 
traveller  should  go  as  far  as  the  Talfer- 


briicke,  at  the  W.  end  of  the  town.     An 
excursion  of  some  interest  is  that  to  the 
castle  of  Sigmundskmn,  standing  on  a 
projecting  rock  on  the  W.  side  of  the 
;  Adige,  about  3  m.  from  Botzen.     But  a 
\  single  tower,  used  as  a  powder  magazine, 
j  now  remains  of  an  extensive  pile  that 
j  once  cro-mied  this  point.     It  commands 
j  a  very  fine  view  of  the  dolomite  range. 
I       The  most  interesting  excursions  from 
i  Botzen  are  undoubtedly  those  that  lead 
:  the   traveller    into     the   heart    of    the 
grand  and  beautiful  scenery  of  the  dolo- 
mite Alps  desci-ibed  in   §  60,  but  the 
ascent  of  the  Rittmrhorn  is  an  expedi- 
tion which  has  lately  become  popular  for 
the  sake  of  the  very  fine  panoramic  view 
gained  from  the  summit,  and  the  singular 
eaath-pyramids  seen  on  the  way.     The 
excursion  may  be  taken    on  the  way 
from    Botzen  to    Sterzing  through  the 
Sarnthal  (Ete.  K);  or  may  be  combined 
I  with  a  visit  to  the  Seisser  Alp,  or  the 
Grodnerthal,  by  descending   from   the 
Kitten  into  the  valley  of  the  Eisack  at 
Atzwang  or  Kollmann.     The  way  is  by 
a  country-road,  or   a   path   leading   to 
the  village  of  Oherbotzen  (4,1-43'),  lying 
at  the  S\V.  end  of   the   rather   exten- 
sive tract  between  the  Talfer  and  the 
Eisack  which  is  collectively  known  as 
]  the  Bitten.     It  may  be  described  as  a 
broken   and    irregular    plateau,  rising 
gradually  from  S.  to  N.,  and  culminating 
in  the  Eittnerhorn.     It  is  the  chief  re- 
fuge of  the  citizens  of  Botzen  in  the  hot 
season,  and  a  stranger  is  struck  by  the 
amoimt  of  substantial  comfort  implied 
in  the  fact  that  so  small  a  town  should 
furnish  owners  to  the  large  number  of 
separate  dwellings  scattered   over  this 
I  tract.     Many  of  these  are  grouped  about 
:  Oberbotzen,  but  the  chief  centre  of  the 
j  Sommerfrisch  life  is   found  at  Klohen- 
i  stein  (3,955'),  reached  by  turning  east- 
'  ward  from  the  road   to    the    Sarnthal. 
I  This  is  quite  a  gay  residence  during  the 
!  hot  season,  and  numerous  pic-nic  parties 
are   often  to  be   met  on  the   adjoining 
;  slopes,  or  at  some  point  commanding  a 
;  fine  view.  There  is  here  a  good  country- 
;  iun,  and  it  affords  a  convenient  centre 
i  for  several  agreeable  walks.     The  chief 


174 


CENTRAL  TYROL  ALPS. 


§   49. 


objects  of  interest  for  strangers  are  the 
earth-pyramids.  Having  traversed  the 
villaijeof  Levgmoos,  the  traveller  follows 
a  path  leading  NW.  to  the  glen  of  the 
Finstorbach  which  descends  from  the 
plateau  of  the  Hitten  towards  the  defile 
of  the  Eisack.  There  is  here  a  vast 
accumulation  of  friable  clay  formed  by 
the  decomposition  of  the  porphyry  rock, 
and  the  action  of  the  weather  and  the 
surface  drainage  have  cut  deep  trenches 
in  the  soil,  which  have  intersected  each 
other  in  such  a  way  as  to  leave  standing 
a  iarge  number  of  columns  or  obelisks, 
each  capped  by  a  large  stone,  or,  more 
commonly,  by  a  tree.  Whenever  one  of 
these  obelisks  loses  this  covering,  the 
weather  exerts  its  action,  and  it  soon 
crumbles  away. 

The  ascent  of  the Riftnerhnrn  (8,0'64') 
is  very  easily  made  from  Klobenstein, 
and  there  seems  to  be  no  reason  why 
ladies  should  not  ride  nearly  to  the  top. 
The  annexed  plate  will  give  some  idea 
of  the  extent  of  the  panorama  visible 
from  the  summit. 

The  flora  of  the  Ritten  is  very  rich. 
It  has  been  carefully  studied  by  Tyro- 
lese  botanists,  especially  by  Baron 
Hausmaun,  a  resident  in  Botzen,  and 
the  author  of  an  excellent  Flora  of 
Tyrol.  One  of  the  most  interesting 
habitats  is  a  shallow  pool  called  Wo[fs- 
grubersec,  on  whose  margin  has  been 
found  the  very  rare  and  curious  little 
grass — Cohanthus  subtilis,  besides  Li- 
mosella  aquatica,  Centuncuhis  minimus, 
&e.  In  the  lower  part  of  the  ascent 
from  Botzen  are  seen  Onosma  stellvJa- 
tum,  Avcna  rapiU.aris,  Panicum  undula- 
tifolium,  NothochlcBna  marantce,  and 
other  uncommon  plants.  Among  the 
species  interesting  to  the  northern  bo- 
tanist in  the  neighbourhood  of  Botzen 
is  Colutea  arborescens,  common  on  warm 
slopes.  It  is  often  infested  with  the 
parsisitic  Cuscuta  planiflora. 


STUBAY    DISTRICT. 


Route  B. 


I  INNSBRUCK  TO   BOTZEN,  OVER  THE   BHEN' 
I  NEE  PASS,  BY  RAILWAY. 


Stations 

Kilometres 

Eng.  miles 

Pat=ch     . 

.      SJ 

H 

Matrei     . 

.      9i 

H 

Steinach  . 

•       4| 

3 

Gries 

.     H 

6 

Brermer  . 

•    ^'i 

3 

Schelleberg 

.       8 

5 

Go>.-enpa3s 

.       fii 

5 

StPrzing  , 

•       5^ 

3 

Freienfeld 

.       5 

3 

Grasstein 

•       ^2 

4 

Franzensfeste 

4 

Brixen     . 

:  loj 

Klaiisen  . 

.     10 

6 
3 

"Waidbruck 

•       5| 

Atzwang 

.      8 

5 

Blumau  . 

.      6i 

4 

Botzen     . 

.     vf 

4J 

126  79 

The  opening  of  the  first  line  of  railway 
across  the  main  chain  of  the  Alps  was 
an  event  the  importance  of  which  has 
scarcely,  as  yet,  been  duly  felt,  either 
by  the  European  public  or  by  the  rail- 
way directors  themselves.  On  the  com- 
pletion of  this  essential  link  in  the  chain 
of  communication  between  the  North  and 
the  South  of  Europe,  it  might  have  been 
expected  that  requisite  arrangements 
would  have  been  made  to  satisfy  the 
general  demand  for  rapid  communication 
between  the  North  and  South,  and  that 
by  the  widest  publicity  travellers  would 
have  been  invited  to  profit  by  the  new 
facilities  thus  provided.  Instead  of 
this,  the  really  important  event  of  the 
opening  for  traffic  of  the  railway  over 
the  Brenner  took  place  on  the  24th  Aug., 
1867,  with  scarcely  a  passing  notice  in 
the  public  papers.  The  arrangements 
for  passengers  from  England,  France, 
and  North  Germany,  who  all  arrive  via 
Munich,  are  still  imperfect,  and  though 
there  is  now  daily  a  direct  train,  with 
but  one  change  of  carriage  for  first- 
class  pa  .«engers,  from  Cologne  to 
Verona  in  32  hrs.,  much  time  is  lost 
by  the  way.  The  construction  of  the 
line,  favoured  no  doubt  by  the  nature  of 
the  ground,  which  offers  less  difficulties 
than  anj  mountain  railway  has  hitherto 


ROUTE    C. SELRAIN. 


175 


encountered,  reflects  great  credit  on  all 
concerned.  The  skill  of  the  engineers 
"was  exercised  in  avoiding— rather  than 
in  devising — gigantic  works.  The  tun- 
nels are  17  in  number,  and  their  col- 
lective length  not  quite  3  miles ;  and 
between  Innsbruck  and  Botzen  the  line 
has  been  carried  over  only  11  bridges. 
Those  familiar  with  the  scandalous  job- 
bery and  wasteful  extravagance  of  Eng- 
lish railway  management  will  learn  witli 
surprise  that  this  first  railway  across 
the  Alps  was  completed  for  less  than 
2y  millions  sterling,  or  at  the  rate  of 
about  28,000/.  a  mile. 

The  chief  difhculty  encountered  in 
laying  out  the  line  arose  from  the  steep- 
ness of  the  ascent  from  Gossensass, 
above  Sterzing,to  the  summit  of  the  pass. 
Fortunately  the  former  village  stands 
at  the  opening  of  the  Pflerschthal,  a  glen 
whose  floor  mounts  to  the  westward  for 
some  miles  with  a  very  moderate  slope. 
Near  the  village  of  Ast,  about  2^  m.  from 
G-ossensass,  the  railway  enters  a  tunnel 
very  nearly  ^  m.  long,  in  which  it  de- 
scribes a  curve  not  much  less  than  a 
semicircle.  The  traveller  who  enters 
the  tunnel  in  the  bottom  of  the  valley 
travelling  eastward  is  astonished  to  find, 
on  issuing  from  it,  that  he  is  moving  in 
the  opposite  direction,  and  already  at 
gome  height,  above  the  stream ;  and,  on 
returning  to  the  valley  of  the  Eisack, 
within  a  few  hundred  yards  of  the  point 
where  he  left  it,  he  finds  that  he  has 
gained  an  elevation  of  about  oOO  feet. 
In  a  similar  manner  the  steepness  of 
the  slope  of  the  Sill  valley,  between 
Steinach  and  Gries,  is  much  reduced  by 
a  lateral  deviation  at  Stafflach.  where 
the  road  enters  the  opening  of  the  Eal- 
serthal,  and  returns  to  the  Sill  at  a 
higher  level. 

The  traveller  should  endeavour  to 
place  himself  on  the  rt.  hand  side  of  the 
carriage  in  going  from  Innsbruck  to  Bot- 
zen, and  on  the  1.  hand  when  proceeding 
from  Botzen  to  Innsbruck.  Very  little, 
however,  is  seen  of  the  remarkable  en- 
gineering works  connected  with  the  line. 
Besides  the  tunnel  in  the  Pflerschthal, 
already  mentioned,  the  most  remarkable 


works  are  near  Matrei,  where  the  former 
bed  of  the  Sill  has  been  made  use  of  for 
the  passage  of  the  railway,  while  the 
torrent  has  been  turned  aside  through  a 
tunnel,  from  which  it  issues  lower  down 
in  a  pretty  waterfall,  and  near  Gos- 
sensass,  where  another  tunnel  has  been 
constructed  to  serve  as  a  channel  for  the 
waters  of  the  Eisack. 

Negotiations  are  said  to  be  pending 
between  the  railway  companies  con- 
cerned for  an  express  train  from  Ostend 
to  Brindisi,  via  Cologne,  Munich,  the 
Brenner,  and  Verona,  by  which  passen- 
gers for  and  from  the  East  may  travel 
without  change  of  carriage,  and  without 
needless  delay. 

EorTE  C. 

INNSBRUCK  TO  IMST,  OR  OETZ,  BY  THE 
SELEAINERTHAL. 

The  pedestrian  going  from  Innsbruck 
to  the  Oetzthal,  or  to  the  upper  valley  of 
the  Inn,  may  take  a  course  little  longer 
than  the  high-road,  and  avoid  heat  and 
dust,  by  following  the  Selrainerthal, 
which  runs  nearly  parallel  to  the  Inn, 
and  is  connected  by  a  low  pass  with  the 
lower  end  of  the  Oetzthal.  The  scenery 
is  extremely  pleasing,  and  from  several 
points  fine  ^iews  are  obtained  of  the 
snowy  peaks  of  the  Stubay  Alps. 

Starting  from  Innsbruck,  the  traveller 
may  choose  between  the  country-road 
running  along  the  S.  side  of  the  Inn, 
from  Wilten  to  Vols,  and  thence 
mounting  to  Ober-Perfus,  or  take  a 
rougher  track,  that  turns  westward  from 
the  Brenner  road  about  2  m.  above 
Wilten,  and  traverses  the  villages  of 
Natters,  Gbtzens  (2,837'),  and  Axains. 
Either  of  these  courses  leads  in  about 
3  hrs.  from  Innsbruck  to  Selrain 
(2,958'),  the  chief  place  in  the  valley  to 
which  it  gives  its  name.  It  stands  on 
the  rt.  bank  of  the  torrent  which,  having 
flowed  eastward  to  this  point,  now 
turns  to  NE.,  and  soon  joins  the  Inn  a 
little  below  Zirl,  which  is  reached  from 
hence  in  1^  hr.  The  village  is  locally 
called  Rothenbrunn,  from  the  red  coloiu 
of  the  water  of  a  mineral  spring  near  at 


176 


CENTRAL    TYROL    ALPS.       §    49.    STUEAT    DISTRICT. 


hand.  The  arrangements  for  water- 
drinkers  are  on  a  poor  scale,  but  there 
is  a  tolerable  inn  often  visited  in  sum- 
mer by  parties  from  Innsbruck.  Avery 
steep  path  climbs  the  hill  N.  of  Selrain. 
to  the  ancient  church  of  St.  Quirinus, 
commanding  a  fine  view  of  the  Stubay 
Alps.  S.  of  the  village  is  the  opening 
of  an  uninhabited  glen  called  Fatscher- 
thal,  which  leads  up  to  the  base  of  the 
Hoke  nil fr spitz  (10,141').  It  is  pro- 
bably not  difficult  to  reach  Neustift  in 
the  Stubaythal  by  traversing  the  ridge 
connecting  that  summit  with  the  Eoih 
Wandspitz  (9,218'). 

About  1^  hr.  above  Selrain  is  Gries 
(3,824')  (svith  a  small  inn),  the  chief 
place  in  the  upper  Selrain erthal,  at  the 
E.  base  of  the  Freihut  (8,581'),  a  coni- 
cal peak,  bright  with  green  pastures 
that  stands  in  the  fork  of  the  valley. 
The  summit  commands  a  fine  view 
of  the  Stubay  Alps.  The  southern 
branch,  called  Lisenzerthal,  is  described 
in  the  next  Rte.  The  western  branch, 
or  Oberthal,  opens  on  the  N.  side  of  the 
Freilitit.  The  path  ascends  somewhat 
N.  of  "W.  on  the  1.  bank  of  the  torrent 
to  St.  Sigismund  (4,924'),  about  1^  hr. 
above  Gries.  There  is  here  a  poor  inn. 
The  hamlet  stands  at  the  junction  of 
the  Gleirscherthal  with  the  main  valley. 
See  next  Rte.  At  Haggen  (5,279'), 'a 
group  of  houses  ^  hr.  above  St.  Sigis- 
mund,  another  wild  glen,  the  Kras- 
pesthal,  sends  a  torrent  northward  from 
the  Kraspesferner  to  join  the  stream. 
An  easy  ascent  of  about  If  hr.  leads 
from  Haggen  to  the  nameless  pass  that 
forms  the  western  extremit}'  of  the  Sel- 
rainerthal.  [On  the  way  another  path 
mounts  NE.  to  the  much  hiarher  rido-e 
connecting  the  Scharfl  grspiiz  (9,3-30') 
with  the  Kreuzjoch  (8,773').  On  the  X. 
side  it  descends  into  the  head  of  the 
Kanzthal,  and,  passing  by  the  eastern 
base  of  the  HochefUrspitz  (9,152'), 
enters  the  valley  of  tlie  Inn  at  Flauer- 
ling,  about  1  hr.  E.  of  Telfs.] 

The  track  from  Selrain  to  Oetz  soon 
reaches  a  larcre  herdsman's  chalet  called 
Kiihthei  (6,352'),  only  a  few  feet  below 
the  summit  of  the  pass.      Eefreshment, 


and  night-quarters  in  case  of  need,  may 
be  found  here,  and  the  neighbouring 
scenery  has  attractions  for  the  moun- 
taineer. On  the  N.  side  the  Birkkopl 
(9,281')  oiFers  a  noble  view,  which  con;- 
bines  the  Oetzthal  and  Stubay  Alps, 
with  the  ZuGTspitz  and  the  other  high 
limestone  peaks  N.  of  the  Innthal.  On 
the  S.  side  the  traveller  should  not  fail 
to  visit  a  short  glen,  called  Finstcrthal, 
whose  torrent  issues  from  the  Kilh- 
theier  Seen,  two  lakes,  the  lower  and 
larger  of  which  is  7,421  ft.  above  th« 
sea.  They  lie  in  the  centre  of  an 
amphitheatre  of  peaks  that  approach  to, 
but  do  not  quite  attain,  10,000  ft.  in 
height,  and  are  fed  by  three  small 
hanging  glaciers.  The  torrents  that 
unite  below  Kiihthei  descend  to  the 
Oetzthal  through  the  Stuibenthal.  In 
2  hrs.  the  path,  which  keeps  all  the 
way  to  the  rt.  bank  of  the  Stuibenbach, 
reaches 

Ochsdigarten  (5,170'),  the  only  vil- 
lage in  this  very  poor  glen,  whose  in- 
habitants suffer  at  times  severely  from 
t}'phus  fever.  There  is  no  inn,  but  the 
priest  supplies  refreshment,  and  has 
three  beds  available  for  travellers.  A 
path  crossing  the  ridge  to  the  N.  leads 
from  hence  to  Sils.  The  Stuibenbach, 
on  entering  the  Oetzthal  about  2  m. 
from  its  junction  with  the  Inn,  forms 
the  picturesque  waterfall  that  is  ad- 
mired by  travellers  going  from  Sils  to 
Oetz  (§  48,  Ete.  B)  ;  but  the  shortest 
way  to  the  latter  village  avoids  the 
waterfall  by  crossing  the  torrent  some 
way  higher  up,  and  follows  a  track  that 
winds  southward  round  the  shoulder  of 
the  mountain.  Taking  that  course,  the 
tra.veller  in  2  hrs.  from  Ochsengarten 
descends  to  Oetz.  If  bound  for  Imst^ 
his  shortest  way  is  to  follow  the  path 
from  Ochsengarten  to  Sils,  and  there 
hire  a  vehicle ;  but  if  he  would  avoid 
the  dusty  hiffh-road,  he  may  take  the 
road  from  Oetz  to  Roppen,  noticed  in 
§  48,  Rte.  B.  An  active  walker  will  not 
employ  more  than  Ih  hrs.,  exclusive  of 
halts,  on  the  way  from  Selrain  to  Oetz. 
which  is  thus  reached  in  a  long  day 
from  Innsbruck. 


ROUTE   D. GKIES   JOCH. 


177 


Route  D. 

seleain  to  lexgexfeld  in  the 
oetzthat,. 

A  more  direct,  but  more  arduo\is, 
course  from  Innsbruck  to  the  upper  part 
of  the  Oetzthal  than  that  pointed  out  in 
the  hist  Ete.,  is  found  by  turning  aside 
from  the  main  path  of  the  Seh-ainerthal  i 
through  one  or  other  of  the  lateral  val- 
leys that  descend  from  the  higher  peaks 
of  the  Stubay  Alps. 

1.  By  the  Gries  Joch.  9  hrs.  The 
most  direct  and  probably  the  most 
interesting  way  from  Sebain  to  Lengen- 
feld  is  through  the  LisenzerthaJ,  which 
joins  the  main  branch  of  the  Selrainer- 
thal  at  Grries  (see  last  Rte,).  A  constant 
and  rather  steep  ascent  commences  near 
the  latter  village.  The  path  lies  at  first 
on  the  1.  bank  of  the  Mclach  torrent 
(whence  this  lateral  glen  is  sometimes 
called  Melachthal),  but  crosses  to  the 
opposite  bank,  and  after  passing  Kniepes 
(5,102'),  a  cluster  of  Huttcn  near  a 
fine  waterfall,  attains  the  upper  level 
of  the  Lisenzerthal,  a  broad  reach  of 
Alpine  pasture,  backed  by  a  range  of 
high  summits,  of  which  the  most  promi- 
nent is  the  Fernerkogl  (10,704').  This 
shows  on  the  N.  side  as  a  pyramidal 
peak  of  dark  rock  merely  capped  with 
snow  ;  but  on  the  S.  and  E.  sides  its 
flanks  are  laden  with  an  extensive 
glacier,  the  Lisenzerferner.  In  the 
middle  of  the  upper  valley  is  the  Lisen- 
eer  Alp  (2  hrs.  from  Gries).  Here  the 
traveller  finds  a  large  and  substan- 
tial buildinar,  which  serves  not  only  for 
ordinary  dairy  purposes,  but  is  used  as 
a  retreat  in  hot  weather  by  the  canons 
of  Wilten.  "When  not  thus  occupied, 
the  mountaineer  here  finds  good  night- 
quarters.  The  ascent  of  the  Fernerkogl, 
which  has  been  effected  a  few  times 
from  this  side,  passes  for  a  ditficult  and 
even  dangerous  expedition,  owing  to  the 
sharpness  of  the  ice-arete  leading  to  the 
summit,  which  sometimes  forms  an  over- 
hanging cornice.  [A  very  rough  path  to 
the  Stubaythal  crosses  the  range  SSE. 
of  the  Lisenzer  Alp  by  the  Lisinzcr  Joch 


(9,211')— also  called  Horn  Joch  (?).  The 
pass  lies  between  the  Horuspitz  (9,605') 
to  SW.  and  the  Hohe  ViUerapitz  [^  1 0, 141'). 
The  ascent  lies  at  last  up  a  pathless 
slope  covered  with  huge  boulders,requir- 
ing  some  activity  and  caution.  On  the 
opposite  side  the  descent  is  less  trouble- 
some, though  steep,  to  the  Alp  of  Oberiss 
in  the  Alpeiner  branch  of  the  Stubay- 
thal. This  way  is  sometimes  taken  as 
a  detour  from  the  ordinary  route  from 
Innsbruck  to  the  Brenner  by  travellers 
who  wish  in  two  or  three  days  to  form 
some  acquaintijnce  with  the  valleys  of 
the  Stubay  Alps.  The  ascent  of  the 
Hohe  Villerspitz  may  (?)  be  combined 
with  the  passage  of  the  Lisenzer  Joch.] 

About  ^  hr.  above  the  Lisenzer  Alp 
the  Melach  torrent  at  the  foot  of  the 
Fernerkogl  is  joined  by  a  stream  flowing 
eastward  out  of  a  deep  recess  in  the 
mountains  locally  called  Langenthal. 
By  that  way  lies  the  track  to  Lengen- 
feld  in  the  Oetzthal.  Passing  the 
Langenthaler  Alp  (6,507').  the  path 
mounts  due  W.,  by  the  N.  side  of  a 
small  glacier  lying  on  the  NE.  flank  of 
the  Seberkogl  (10,709').  Keeping  close 
under  the  double  summit  of  the  Gries- 
Jcogl,  of  which  the  higher  rises  on  the 
rt.  hand  to  10,638  ft.,  the  traveller 
reaches  in  5  hrs.  the  summit  of  the 
Gries  Joch  (8,652').  From  the  pass 
the  way  at  first  lies  W,  under  rocks 
that  bound  on  the  N.  side  the  ice- 
stream  of  the  Grieaferner,  which 
descends  towards  the  Sulzthal.  On 
reaching  the  lower  end  of  the  glacier 
the  way  turns  S.  towards  a  small  tarn 
that  sends  a  stream  in  successive 
cascades  to  the  Sulzthal.  On  its  rt 
bank  a  path  descends  rather  steeply  to 
Gries  (5,121'),  the  only  village  in  the 
Sulzthal,  in  about  3  hrs.  from  the  pass. 
A  beaten  track  leads  trom  thence  along 
I  the  Fischbacii  torrent  to  Lengenfeld  in 
the  Oetzthal  (see  next  Rte.). 

2.  By  the  Gleirscher  Jbchl.  9  hrs. 
to  Umhausen,  10^  hrs.  to  Lengenfeld. 
This  is  the  shortest  way  from  Selrain 
to  Umhausen,  but  a  rather  longer  route 
to  Lengenfeld  and  the  upper  Oetzthal 
than  that  jusL  described.    As  mentioned 


178 


CENTHAL    TVIIOL    ALPS.        S    49.    STUBAT    DISTRICT. 


in  ihe  last  Rte.,  the  torrent  from  the 
Gleirscherthal  joins  the  main  stream  of 
the  Sflraiuerthal  ac  St.  Sigisuiuucl,  the 
high..-st  viUage  in  the  latter  valley.  A 
track  mounts  thence  along  the  rt.  bank 
of  the  toiTent  through  the  wild  glen  ot 
the  Gleirscherthal,  nut  to  be  confounded 
with  the  Gleirschthal  (§4.3,  Ete.  G), 
from  whence  flows  one  of  the  sources 
of  the  Isar.  After  ascending  for  about 
2  hrs.,  the  traveller  sees  before  him 
to  the  S.  the  head  of  the  glen,  enclosed 
by  a  range  of  snowy  peaks  considerably 
exceeding  10,000  ft.  in  height,  while  a 
tributary  toi-rent  flows  out  of  a  recess  I 
on  the  W.  side  of  the  valley.  Taming! 
nearly  due  W.,  a  rough  track  mounts 
on  the  S.  side  of  this  stream  to  the 
Gleirscher  Jochl  (9,214').  On  the  W. 
side  this  overlooks  the  Zwicselthal,  a 
short  glen  through  which  a  torrent  from 
a  comparatively  large  glacier  flows 
northward,  till  it  meets  nearly  at  the 
same  point  three  other  toiTents,  whose 
united  streams  descend  WSW.  towards 
the  Oetzthal  through  the  Hairlachthal. 
A  path  running  along  the  rt.  bank  of 
the  torrent  through  the  Zwieselthal,  but 
keeping  to  the  1,  bank  in  the  Hairlach- 
thal, leads  to  the  village  of  Kiederthei 
(4,791'),  standing  near  the  point  where] 
the  latter  glen  opens  into  the  Oetzthal. 
From  thence  the  traveller  may  descend  i 


in  about  1   hr.   to   Umhs 


passmg 


close  to  the  Stuiben  waterfall,  men- 
tioned in  §  48,  Rte.  B.  If  bound  for 
Lengenfeld,  he  may  avoid  the  waterfall, 
and  take  a  nearly  direct  path  that  leads 
from  Niederthei  to  Au. 


EOTTTE   E. 

INNSBKUCK  TO  LENGENFELD  BT  THE 
STUBAYTHAL.  ASCENT  OF  THE  SCHEAN- 
KOGL. 

The  Stubay  Alps  derive  their  name 
from  that  of  the  main  valley  wliich  pene- 
trates most  deeply  into  the  central  mass, 
and  round  whose  head  arise  most  of  the 
highest  summits  of  the  group.  The 
Stubaythal  is  thei'efore  the  headquarters 
to  which  the  mountaineer  wishing  to 
explore  this  group  naturally  resorts ; 
and  as  it  is  connected  by  high  glacier- 
passes  with  the  adjoining  valleys  to  the 
S.  and  W.,  there  is  a  considerable  choice 
of  interesting  excursions.  The  beet 
guides  are  Pancraz  GleiDser,of  Fulpmes, 
and  Urbas  Loisl,  of  Neustift. 

However  irregular  may  appear  at  first 
sight  the  disposition  of  the  chief  masses 
constituting  the  Stubay  Alps,  the  paral- 
lelism of  most  of  the  chief  ridges  and 
corresponding  valleys  points  to  the  ac- 
tion of  mechanical  causes  acting  on  an 
extensive  scale.  Sinking  minor  irregu- 
larities, the  main  ridges  run  from  SW. 
to  NE.,  or  at  right  angles  to  that  direc- 
tion. If  we  fix  our  attention  on  the 
Wilder  Pfaff,  the  highest  of  the  group, 
we  fiLud  one  high  ridge,  scarcely  any- 
where subsiding  to  the  level  of  10,000 
ft.,  that  extends  about  10  m.  NW.  to 
the  Leuchtkogl  (9,981'),  while  a  much 
longer,  but  less  loftv,  range  terminates 
to  NE.  in  the  Serlesspitz  (8,898').  On 
the  N.  side,  or  within  the  elbow  thus 
formed,  another  parallel  sy.stem  of  two 
ridges  diverges  from  the  Wildes  Ilinter- 
bergl  (10,925').  The  higher  of  these 
extends  NW.  to  the  Grieskogl,  and  there 
forks  into  diverging  branches  ;  while  at 
rt.  angles  to  it  a  longer  ridge  runs  NE. 
to  the  Saile  (7,884')  near  Innsbruck. 
Some  of  the  highest  summits  of  the 
group  are  inserted  in  the  space  between 
the  central  points  of  these  two  elbow- 
shaped  ranges,  but  these  al.'^o  aiFect  a 
parallel  disposition.  From  the  Euder- 
hofspitz  (11,393')  a  short  ridge  runs 
NW.  to  the  Brunnenkogl,  while  a  NE. 
ridge,  terminating  in  the  Milderauspitz 


ROUTE    E. NEUSTIFT. 


179 


(8.930'\  divides  the  two  main  branches 
of  the  Stubaythal,  and,  in  the  opposite 
direction,  a  SW.  ridge  connects  the  Ru- 
derhofspitz  with  the  Hochspitz  (10,984'). 
The  accessory  ranges  for  the  most  part 
conform  to  tlie  general  plan,  which  is 
seen  in  the  direction  of  the  minor  A^al- 
leys.  By  far  the  larger  part  of  the  drain- 
age of  these  Alps  is  carried  to  the  Inn, 
either  northeastward  through  the  Wipp- 
thal,  or  NW.  through  the  Oetzthal.  It 
is  only  at  the  S.  end  that  a  few  glaciers 
send  their  streams  to  the  Adige  through 
the  Passeyerthal.  or  through  the  Eisack 
to  Brixeu  and  Botzen. 

The  passes  mentioned  in  this  Rte.  are 
all  somewhat  laborious,   and,   excepting 
til  at  fii*st  described,  are  little  known  even  I 
to  the  native  guides.  { 

In  going  from  Innsbruck  to  the  Stu-  I 
bajiihal,   the   traveller  has  a  choice  of  ' 
ways.     Tliat  most  frequently  chosen  is 
to  follow  the  old  Brenner  road  as  far  as 
Ober-Schonberg  (Rte.  A),  and  then  take 
the  track  to  Mieders  (3,132'),  f  hr.  dis- 
tant, a  cheerful  villao-e  standing  just  at 
the  opening  of  the  Stubaythal  at  a  con-  [ 
siderable  height  above  the  rt.  bank  of  ! 
the  Etdzback,  which  has  here  cut  a  deep 
trench  through    the    secondary   rocks. 
The  good  inn  (Blaue  Traube)  was  for- 
merly frequented  in  summer  by  visitors 
from  Innsbruck.     The  ordinary  course 
is  to  cross  the  Rutzbach  a  little  above 
Mipdfrs,  and  follow  its  1.  bank  to 

Fulpmes  (2,970'),  with  a  good  inn 
(Pfurtscheller's).  An  omnibus,  con- 
venient for  luggage,  leaves  this  place 
daily  for  Innsbruck,  returning  in  the 
afternoon.  Instead  of  taking  Fulpmes 
on  the  way,  the  pedestrian  may  follow 
the  track  which  keeps  all  the  way  to 
Neustift  by  the  rt.  bank  of  the  Rutzbach. 

A  more  direct  way  from  Innsbruck  to 
Fulpmes  than  that  by  Mieders  is  to 
follow  a  track  by  the  village  of  Mutters 
(2,666'),  which  lies  on  the  slopes  W.  of 
the  Sill  at  the  NE.  base  of  the  Saile. 
The  path  winds  along  the  slopes  above 
the  junction  of  the  Rutzbach  with  the 
Sill,  and  passes  Te/fes  (3,207'),  a  pretty  | 
village  at  some  height  above  the  1.  bank  ' 
of  the  former  stream,  20  m.  from  Fulp-  ! 


mes.  From  the  latter  village  a  path 
leads  to  Axams  in  the  Selrainerthal, 
bearing  a  little  E.  of  N.  over  a  pass  called 
Halsl  (6,583'),  between  the  Ampferstein 
(8,373')  and  the  Saile  (7,884').  The 
latter,  which  is  the  easternmost  summit 
of  the  range  dividing  Selrain  from  Stu- 
bay,  is  sometimes  ascended  for  the  sake 
of  its  fine  view.  Although  the  whole 
zone  between  the  Inn  and  the  Eisack  is 
broadly  described  as  being  composed  of 
crystalline  rocks,  the  rocks  on  either  side 
of  the  lower  Stubaythal  are  of  triassic 
age,  and  partly  of  dolomitic  limestone, 
whose  characteristic  forms  will  be  recog- 
nised especially  in  the  peaks  on  the  S.  side 
of  the  valley.  In  1^-  hr.,  steady  walking, 
from  Fulpmes  the  traveller  reaches 

Neustift  (3,210'),  the  highest  village 
in  the  Stubaythal.  Salzburger's  inn 
supplies  good  country  quarters — but  the 
landlord  died  lately.  Urbas  Loisi  ( to 
be  heard  of  in  summer  at  Ranalt  or 
Barenbad)  and  Pancraz  Gle  nser  are 
both  good  guides.  They  expect  8  fl. 
(without  food)  for  the  more  difficult 
glacier  passes.  The  position  of  the  village 
is  fine.  It  is  indeed  rather  distant  from 
the  higher  peaks  at  the  head  of  the  mam 
valley,  but  it  stands  close  to  the  openinp- 
of  two  lateral  glens  which  offer  several 
interesting  exciirsions.  Both  are  formed 
by  ridges  running  parallel  to  the  general 
direction  of  the  valley,  but  the  streams 
that  at  first  keep  the  same  direction  are 
turned  aside,  and  finally  joiii  the  torrent 
of  the  Rutzbach. 

The  less  considerable  of  these  is  the 
Pinneserthcil.  It  lies  between  the  main 
ridge  dividing  Stubay  from  Gschnitz,  and 
a  short  ridge  terminating  near  Neustift 
in  the  Eifferspitz  (8,217').  The  latter 
branches  o\it  from  the  main  ridge  where 
it  reaches  its  highest  point  in  the  fine 
peak  of  the  Habicht.  The  scenery  of 
this  short  glen  is  very  wild  and  striking. 
2  hrs.  from  Neustift  the  ti-aveller  reaches 
the  Pinneser  Alp  (5,012'),  where  those 
who  make  the  ascent  of  the  Habicht  from 
this  side  usually  pass  the  night.  From 
thence  a  path  is  carried  for  seme  distance 
SW.,  and  then  turns  due  S.,  and  mounts 
to  the  Pinneser  Joch  (8,395'),  a  pasB 
2 


180 


CENTRAL    TYROL    ALPS.       §    40.    STUBAY   DISTRICT. 


lying  a  short  distance  E.  of  the  Habicht. 
From  the  summit  the  traveller  may 
descend  into  the  Gschnitzthal  (Ete.  H), 
which  is  reached  a  little  way  above  the 
chief  village.  The  ascent  of  the  Habicht 
(10,746'),  also  called  Hager,  may  be 
made  equally  well  from  Neustift  or  from 
G-schnitz.  as  in  either  case  the  summit 
is  reached  from  the  Pinneser  Joch.  The 
way  is  over  a  glacier  lying  on  the  E. 
slope  of  the  mountain,  and  the  only 
serious  difl&culty  is  in  crossing  a  Bcrg- 
schrwnd,  near  the  summit,  which  has 
sometimes  been  found  troublesome.  The 
panorama  is  especially  remarkable  for 
the  view  of  the  neighbouring  peaks  of 
the  Stubay  Alps,  nearly  all  of  which  are 
in  view.  It  has  been  included  among 
the  illustrations  to  the  above-cited  work 
of  3DI.  Earth  and  Pfaundler. 

The  other  more  considerable  glen 
opening  near  Neustift  is  described  lower 
down.  The  glacier  passes  leading  from 
that  village  to  Lengenfeld  are  now  to  be 
noticed.  They  should  be  undertaken 
only  with  a  good  guide  and  a  solid  rope. 

1.  l^eustift  to  Lengenfeld  by  the  Mut- 
terberger  Joch  {9,893').  11  to  12  hrs. 
This  pass,  chiefly  used  by  the  native 
hunters,  is  approached  through  the 
main  branch  of  the  Stubaythal.  The 
way  lies  for  several  miles  about  due 
SW.,  by  a  track  which  is  passable  for 
rough  country  carts  as  far  as  the 
hamlet  of  Volderau  (3,742'),  about  1^ 
hr.  above  Neustift.  Following  the  track 
by  the  rt.  bank,  the  traveller  reaches 
Falbeson,  W.  of  which  a  torrent  issues 
from  a  deep  recess  in  the  mountains. 
It  is  fed  by  the  Huhe  Mooaferner,  a 
large  glacier  lying  on  the  E.  slope  of 
ihe  nuderhoj'sp'ifz  (11.393'),  and  S.  of 
the  Stespitz  f  11,202').  which  is  acces- 
sible on  this  side.  Above  Falbeson  the 
path  tiirns  for  a  while  nearly  due  S.  to 
RiiiiaU  (4.185'),  the  highe>t  hamlet  in 
the  main  valley,  2\  hrs.  from  Neustift. 
There  is  now  a  very  fair  mountain  inn 
here— no  meat,  but  ei:gs  and  fowls. 
Those  who  do  not  intend  to  attack  the 
peak  of  the  Wilder  Ptatl",  or  to  make  a 
detour  to  the  Sulzenau  (Rte.  F),  may 
enjoy  an  admirable  view  by  mounting  W. 


from  Ranalt  to  the  Pfandler  Alp,  and 
thence  to  a  projecting  point  8,054  feet 
in  height.    About  ^  hr.  above  Eanalt  the 
main   torrent   receives    a    considerable 
tributary  flowing  nearly  due  N.  from  a 
t  short  glen  or  recess  in  the  mountains 
called  Langenthal.     Its  S.  end  is  closed 
by  the  Langenthalferner.   a  large  gla- 
cier, several  miles  in  width,  formed  by 
the  snows  accumulated  on  the  N.  side  of 
the   range  extending   from  the   Wilder 
i  Freiger    (11,253')     to     the    Feueratein 
j  (10,'713').     It  is  further  noticed  in  Ete. 
I  G-.     From  the  jimction  of  the  two  tor- 
,  rents  the  rough  cart-track  runs  westward 
to  the Hiitten  oi  Schbngelair  (4:,5S1'),  and 
^  hr.   farther  reaches    Graha  (4,899'), 
a  chalet  conveniently  placed  for  those 
I  making  the  ascent  of  the  Wilder  PfaflF 
I  by  the  Sukenau  Glacier.   Following  the 
I  main  valley,  nearly  due  E.,  the  traveller 
I  reaches  the  Mutttrberger  Alp  ( 1 1  hr.  from 
Ranalt),  whence   a  steep  ascent  leads 
■to  the  Oberleger   (6,219'),  the  highest 
'  group    of  hiiiten  in  the    valley,  about 
I  44  hrs.  from  Neustift.     This  lies  at  the 
I  lower   end   of  the  Glamergrube,  as  is 
I  locally   called   the   uppermost    trough- 
;  shaped  depression  forming  the  head  of 
!  the  Stubaythal.      A  very  steep  ascent 
I  leads  to  the  last  basin  at  the  foot  of  the 
:  pass,     Iving     between    the    Bauvkogl 
:  (10,561')  and  the  Bockkogl  (11,120').  A 
short  way  to  the  rt.  of  the  track  the 
traveller  may  visit  the  Mutterberger  See, 
'  a   little  lake  almndantly  stocked  w^th 
fish  at  the  unusual  height  of  8,250  ft. 
Amid  huge  blocks  of  gneiss  the  traveller 
1  reaches  the  last  steep  declivity  by  which, 
after  crossing  a  neve-slope  for  ^  hr.,  he 
attains  in  4  hrs.  from  Graba  the  sum- 
■  mit  of  the  Mutterberger  Joch  (9.893'). 
'  It    commands     a     fine    view    of    the 
I  Wilder  Pfaff,  but  in  other  directions  the 
prospect   is    limited.     The    descent   is 
\  commenced,    through   a    steep   couloir, 
'  which  leads  down  to  a  slope  of  rotigh 
debris  set  at  a  high  angle,  and  requiring 
caution ;  and   it    is    only  after   a   con- 
siderable part  of  the  way  has  been  thus 
'  accomplished  that  the  traveller  finally 
\  lands   upon  the  Sidzthalfcrner,   a  fine 
glacier  filling  the   upper  end    of    the 


ROUTE    E. — ALPEINERTHAL. 


181 


Sulzthal.  This  is  traversed  diagonally 
from  the  rt,  to  the  1.  bank,  and  the  level 
of  the  valley  below  the  glacier  is  at- 
tained at  the  SW.  base  of  the  Schrankogl, 
the  second  in  height  of  the  peaks  of  this 
group.  Anotlier  considerable  glacier, 
the  Schwarzcrbcrgferner,  falls  into  the 
head  of  the  valley  a  short  way  W.  of  the 
track.  The  descent  is  at  first  gentle, 
then  much  more  rapid ;  two  very  poor 
chalets  are  passed,  and  in  1^  hr.  from  the 
foot  of  the  glacier,  the  traveller,  keeping 
due  NW.  along  the  Fischbach,  reaches 

Gries  (5,121'),  a  very  poor  village, 
where  the  mountaineer  now  finds  a 
friendly  welcome  at  the  house  of  Herr 
Trientl,  formerly  parish-priest  of  Grurgl, 
whose  interesting  account  of  that  district 
is  published  in  the  first  annual  volume 
of  the  Austrian  Alpine  Club.  The  name 
Gries  recurs  very  frequently  among  the 
valleys  of  the  Tyrol  Alps,  and  in  this 
district  there  are  two  other  villages  of 
the  same  name,  one  near  the  Brenner 
Pass  (Rte.  A),  the  other  in  Selrain  (Kte. 
C).  If  the  mountaineer  should  not  be 
satisfied  with  the  long  day's  walk,  and 
the  noble  scenerywhieh  he  has  traversed, 
he  may  descend  in  |  hr.  from  Gries  to 
Lenqenfeld,  and  find  good  quarters  at 
the'village-inn  (§  48,  Rte.  B). 

2.  Neustift  to  Lengevfeld  throKgh  the 
Alpeinerthal.  Allusion  has  already  been 
made  to  a  glen  parallel  to  the  Stubay- 
thal,  enclosed  at  its  head  by  several  of 
the  highest  summits  of  this  district, 
whose  torrent,  after  running  for  several 
miles  from  SW.  to  NE.,  turns  to  the  rt., 
and  descends  somewhat  S.  of  E,  into 
the  Stubaythal  a  little  above  Neustift. 
This  is  the  Alpeinerthal,  known  at 
Neustift  as  the  Oberberg,  but  not  to  be 
confounded  with  the  glen  of  that  name 
near  the  Brenner  Pass.  The  torrent 
issues  from  the  Alpeinerferner,  one  of 
the  greatest  glaciers  of  this  district, 
whose  main  southern  branch  is  locally 
called  Thalferner.  The  beaten  track 
mounts  from  near  Neustift  by  the  1. 
bank  of  the  Alpemerbach,  but  it  is 
nearly  as  short  a  course  to  follow 
the  opposite  bank  and  pass  Bdrenbad 
(4,125'),  a  rough  but  cleau  establishment, 


visited  for  the  sake  of  its  mineral  waters 
by  peasants  from  the  adjoining  valleys. 
From  hence  or  from  Neustift  the  traveller 
is  recommended  to  ascend  the  Hoher 
Burgstall  (8,563'),  a  projecting  peak 
commanding  a  vei-y  fine  view  of  the 
surrounding  Alps.  Of  two  summits, 
that  to  the  SE.  is  the  higher  by  a  few 
feet.  The  right  path  to  it  is  easily  missed. 
The  valley  path  on  the  1.  bank  passes 
some  clusters  of  stone  huts,  scarcely  to 
be  distinguished  at  a  distance  from  the 
masses  of  rock  fallen  from  the  sur- 
romiding  peaks  that  give  a  savage 
aspect  to  the  scenery.  This  is  scarcely 
relieved  by  the  masses  of  dark  pine 
forest  that  here  and  there  clothe  the 
slopes.  The  upper  level  of  the  glen  ia 
fairly  entered  at  the  Alp  of  Seduck 
(4,752').  The  path  now  keeps  to  the  rt. 
bank,  chiefly  through  pine  forest,  with 
the  snowy  peaks  at  the  head  of  the  glen 
gleaming  here  and  there  through  the 
branches.  On  the  rt.  hand  the  foaming 
torrent  springs  from  ledge  to  ledge  over 
successive  steps  of  mica  slate-rock,  com- 
pleting a  thoroughly  characteristic 
picture  of  high  Alpine  scener}'.  Crossing 
to  the  1.  bank,  the  path  mounts  in 
3  hrs.  from  Neustift  to  the  Ober-Iss  Alp 
(5,659'),  standing  on  a  gentle  slope  of 
upland  pasture  at  the  foot  of  the  Hohe 
Villerspitz.  From  hence  diverges  the 
path  leading  to  the  Lisenzerthal  over 
the  ridge  SW.  of  that  peak  (Rte.  D).  At 
one  of  the  huts  the  stranger  finds 
shelter  and  refreshment— wine,  coffee, 
eggs,  and  sometimes  bread.  The 
Alpeinerbach  flows  in  a  deep  channel  to 
the  1.,  and  a  column  of  cloudlike  spray 
marks  from  a  distance  the  site  of  a  fine 
waterfall.  A  steep  ascent  by  the  1.  hauic 
leads  in  f  hr.  to  the  highest  chalets, 
called  Alpeiner  Alp  (6,702),  at  no 
great  distance  from  the  waterfall.  Above 
this  point  the  valley  seems  to  be  barred 
across  by  a  ridge  of  rock,  but  this  is 
surmounted  by  a  frequented  cattle- 
track,  and  on  reaching  the  summit  the 
stranger  gains  a  grand  view  of  the 
noble  amphitheatre  of  snowy  peaks 
that  enclose  the  head  of  the  valley. 
This  ia  still  more  fully  enjoyed  when, 


182 


CENTRAL    TYROL    ALPS.        §    49.    STUBAY    DISTRICT. 


after  passing  a  solitary  unoccupied  stone 
hut,  he  reaches  the  foot  of  the  glacier, 
found  by  MM.  Baxth  and  Pfaundler  to  be 
7,307  ft,  above  the  sea.  The  surrounding 
rang'33  form  a  quadrangle  open  to  the 
XE.,  -whose  highest  summits  may  be 
noticed  in  the  following  order,  beginning 
about  due  8.  and  turning  round  to  W, 
and  N. :  Krdlspitz  (11,01 2'),  Secspitz 
(11,202'),  Ruderhofspitz  (11,393'), 
S-hwarzirherg,  Hocheisspitz  (10,837'X 
Verborgener  Berg  (11,120'),  Wilder 
Thurm  (10,963'),  Wildes  Hinterhergl 
(10.924'),  and  Brunnenlcogl  (10,901'). 
Between  the  Seespitz  and  Wilder  Thurm 
all  the  snows  of  this  great  enclosure  are 
finally  united  in  the  great  ice-stream  of 
the  Alpeinerferner,  and  the  usual  object 
of  travellers  who  reach  its  lower  end  is 
to  make  a  short  excursion  on  its  surface, 
and  enjoy  its  grand  scenery.  The  pass 
of  the  Schwarztrberger  Joch  (10,09-i) 
lies  at  the  uppermost  SW.  extremity  of 
the  neve  feeding  the  glacier,  at  the  S. 
side  of  the  Hocheisspitz,  and  between  that 
and  the  Schwarzerberg.  It  has  been 
called  difficult  and  dangerous,  but  those 
epithets  apply  to  most  high  glacier 
passes  when  undertaken  by  inexpe- 
rienced persons,  and  without  proper  ap- 
pliances. In  1864  Dr.  Ruthner  traversed 
the  pass,  having  on  the  same  day  made 
the  first  ascent  of  the  Ruderhofspitz. 
That  peak,  '  commanding  one  of  the 
finest  views  in  this  district'  [R.  P  ]. 
may  be  reached  without  much  difficulty 
trom  the  Alpeinerferner,  and  a  steep 
des^cent  effected  by  the  Muttenberger 
Alp  to  Ranalt.  From  the  summit  of 
the  Schwarzerbergev  Joch  the  peak  of 
the  Schnnikogl  (1 1,474'),  the  chief  rival 
cf  the  Wilder  Piatt,  is  seen  rising 
beyond  the  upper  neve-basin  of  the 
fSchwarzerbergferner,  somewhat  re- 
sembling, on  a  rather  smaller  scale,  the 
peak  of  the  Grivola  as  seen  from  Les 
Poussets  above  Gogne,  In  June,  1866, 
I\Iessrs.  F.  F.  Tuckett  and  F.  A.  Brown 
reached  the  summit  by  the  E.  arete  in 
1  ^  hr.  from  the  summit  of  the  Schv\arz- 
erbt  rger  Joch.  The  descent  from  the 
la'ter  to  the  head  of  the  Sulzthal  is 
effected  mainly  by  the  rt,,  or  northern, 


l)ank  of  the  Schwarzerbergferner,  and 
I  the  track  from  the  Muttenberger  Joch 
\  (see  aliove)  is  joined  a  short  way  below 
!  the  lower  e^d  of  the  Suiz'hal  Glacier. 
1      The  writer  has  received    from   Mr. 
Holzmann  an  account  of  the   passage 
of     the      Hmterbergler      Joch     (about 
10,5.50').  which  he  effected  from  Ones, 
in  the  Sulzthal,  to  Neustift,  partly  in 
company  with  a  chamois  hunter  from 
Gries,   and   par'ly    alone   and   in    bad 
i  weather.     Ascending  the  ISulzthal  for 
I  about  1^  hr.  from  Gries,  he  turned  to 
!the  1.  up  the  E.  slope  of  the  valley,  and 
[in  J  hr.  reached  the  opening  of  a  wild 
glen — called   Schraukor,  lying  on  the 
[  NW.  Bide  of  the  Scl}rankogl.     Mount- 
ing eastward  for  another   ^  hr,,  they 
I  then  turned  to   the  "N    from   a  rocky 
'  plateau  where  there  is  a  small  tarn,  and 
in  1  hr.  20  m.  more  attained  the  ridge 
connecting  the  Brunnenkogl  with  the 
i  Winnebachkogl,  and   overlooking  the 
I  head  of  the  Langenthal,  towards  which 
j  the  descent  seems  practicable.    Turning 
j  E.  over  the  neve  close  to  the  ridge  they 
climbed  a  couloir  that  descends  from 
;  near   the  summit   of   the   Bruinietikogl 
\  (10,901'),  and  in   |  hr.   more  attained 
{  the  crest  connecting  that  peak  with  the 
I  Hinterb-rgl  and  looking  down  on  the 
I  head  of  the  Alpeinerthal.     There  is  a 
lower  point  in   the  same  ridge    lying 
more  to  the  rt.,  but    the    higher    one 
seems  preferable.     The  summit  of  the 
'  Brunnenkogl — only  351  ft.  above  the 
pass — was    gained    in    25    min.      The 
]  btrgsclirund  below  the  pass  being  im- 
j  practicable,  it  is  necessary  to  keep  to 
I  the  1,   over  rocks,  and  descend   by   a 
1  couloir  on   the  E.  face  of  the  peak  to 
the  neve-basin  below.     This  is  a  true 
ice  lake,  or  closed   reservoir,   wherein 
the  snow  has  accumulated  until  it  par- 
tially overflows  in  one  direction  towards 
the   I^isenzerferner.  and   in  the    other 
towards  the  Stubaythal,  towards  which 
it  descends  eastward  in  a  steep  ice-fall. 
'I  heie  is  a  practicable  couloir  close  to 
tne  I.  bank,  down  which  a  steep  descent 
may  be  effected.     The  stream  from  the 
ice-fall  disappears  under  the  1.  moraine 
of  the   Berglesferner,  and  the   easiest 


ROUTE    F. BILDSTOCKL    PASS. 


183 


way  is  to  traverse  that  glacier,  below 
which  a  track  on  the  \.  bank  of  the 
torrent  leads  down  to  the  Alpeiner  Alp 
— less  than  3  hrs.  from  the  sumrnit  of 
the  pass.  2^  hrs.  (descending  the 
valley)  suffice  to  reach  Neustift. 

In  approaching  the  Stubaythal  from 
Matrei  on  the  Brenner  road  (Rte.  A.), 
the  traveller  may  ascend  easily  by  an 
agreeable  path  to  Waldrast,  a  pretty 
inn  frequented  by  excursionists  from 
Innsbruck,  and  then  descend  to  Fulpmes, 
o:  else  follow  another  rather  shorter 
track  leading  to  Neustift  by  Medraz. 


Route  F. 

neustift  to  soldex.    ascent  of  the 
wilder  pfaff. 

A  pass  leading  from  the  head  of  the 
Stubaythal  to  the  Winacherthal,  which 
opens  into  the  Oetzthal  at  Solden,  has 
long  been  known  to  the  nadve  chamois- 
hunters.  The  bad  reputation  acquired 
bv  previous  fatal  accidents  was  con- 
firmed in  1860  by  the  unfortunate  fate 
of  the  Rev.  W.  G.  Watson,  who,  in 
descending  on  the  SW.  side,  accom- 
panied by  a  friend,  and  a  guide  named 
MuUer,  of  Neustift,  was  lost  in  a  con- 
cealed crevasse.  The  behaviour  of  the 
guide  on  that  occasion  created  an  un- 
favourable prepossession,  which  was 
perhaps  unjustly  extended  to  Tyrolese 
guides  in  general.  It  must  be  remem- 
i>ered  that  a  guide  in  Tyrol  means  a 
man  who  shows  the  way,  but  who  is  in 
no  way  responsible  for  the  traveller's 
safety. 

The  way  from  Neustift  to  Solden 
foliows  the  main  branch  of  the  Stubay- 
thal, described  in  the  last  Rte.,  as  far  as 
the  Mutterberger  Alp  ;  but  a  short  way 
above  it  the  path  to  the  Mutterberger 
J,)ch  is  left  on  the  rt.  hand,  and  a  path 
turns  oflf  to  SSW.,  and  ascends  through 
a  ravine  called  Wildgrube,  along  a  tor- 
rent that  is  fed  by  the  Schuu/elfemer 


and  Fernauferner — two  adjoining  gla- 
ciers that  descend  into  a  recess  on  the 
SW.  of  the  valley.  The  Wildgrube  leads 
to  a  little  basin  called  ['Uter-Fernau, 
and  then  by  another  short  and  steep 
ascent  the  traveller  reaches  the  Ober- 
Fernau.  a  grassy  plain,  bright  with 
Alpine  flowers,  just  below  the  end  of  the 
Fernau  Glacier.  From  thence  the  track 
runs  westward  along  the  base  of  the 
Egqesengrat  (8.632'),  the  summit  of 
which  commands  a  fine  view  of  the  sur- 
rounding peaks.  The  way  to  the  pass 
keeps  to  the  N.  side,  or  1.  moraine,  of 
the  Schaufelferner,  above  which,  on  the 
opposite  side,  rises  the  peak  of  the 
Schaufelspitz  (10,924'),  ascended  in 
1862  ijy  Herr  Specht  with  Urbas  Loisl. 
Keeping  a  westerly  course  the  traveller 
in  2  hrs.  from  the  Mutterberger  Alp 
attains  to  the  moraine  of  the  Bildstockl 
Glacier,  which  appears  to  be  the  local 
name  for  the  upper  part  of  the  large 
glacier  named  Daunkoglferner  on  Earth 
and  Pfaundler's  map.  Turning  SW.  an 
ascent  of  2  hrs.  more  leads  to  the  summit 
of  the  Bildstockl  Pass  (about  9,750'), 
which  is  marked  with  a  cross.  S.  of 
the  cross  is  a  small  pool,  often  frozen 
over.  The  pass  lies  about  half-way 
between  the  Wi7iacherspitz  (\0,9oS')  and 
the  Schaufelspitz.  The  descent  by  the 
Winacherferner  is  steeper  than  the 
ascent.  Some  guides  preler  to  descend 
by  the  E.  side,  others  to  keep  as  much 
as  possible  to  the  rt.,  but  all  agree  that 
the  course  marked  on  Earth  and 
Pfaundler's  map,  running  down  the 
middle  of  the  ice  stream,  is  utterly  ob- 
jectionable. The  best  course  is  ap- 
parently that  bearing  to  the  rt.  side  of 
the  glacier.  Very  near  to  the  pool,  just 
below  the  summit,  are  rocks  which  lead 
down  to  the  neve  of  the  upper  part  of 
the  Winacherferner.  Crossing  this  in 
a  direction  but  little  W.  of  due  S.  the 
traveller  returns  to  the  rocks  above  the 
rt.  bank,  through  which  a  ratlier  steep 
descent  avoids  the  most  difficult  part  of 
the  ice-fall.  Eelow  this  the  course  is 
over  the  glacier,  keeping  close  to  the  rt. 
bank  to  avoid  crevasses,  until  the  ice 
is  left  near  a  little  level  space  where  a 


184 


CENTRAL    TYROL   ALPS.       §    49.    STUBAT   DISTRICT. 


faint  track  is  found  that  lea  is  down  to 
the  Winacherthal,  iieeping  near  a  small 
torrent  that  falls  over  the  steep  slope 
on  its  N.  side.  The  level  of  the  Wina- 
cherthal, a  short  and  wild  glen  visited 
by  herdsmen  in  summer,  is  reached 
about  20  min.  above  the  Karlinger  Alp, 
whence  Solden  is  reached  in  1^  hr. 
The  distance  between  tliat  place  and  tlie 
Mutterberger  Alp  is  counted  as  7  hrs., 
exclusive  of  halts,  and  1  ^  hr.  more  must 
be  allowed  between  the  Alp  and  Raualt. 
It  is  reckoned  a  d;iy's  work  of  10  hrs., 
including  halts.  The  guides  ask  8  florins 
for  leading  strangers  across  this  pass. 

MM.  Earth  and  Pfaundler  have 
pointed  out  the  existence  of  another  pass 
on  the  SE.  side  of  the  f^chaufelspitz, 
about  midway  between  that  peak  and 
the  Aperer  Pfaff.  It  is  higher  but 
seemingly  more  direct  than  the  Bild- 
stockl.  This,  which  may  be  called 
Fernau  Jock,  is  10,041  ft.  in  height; 
it  was  reached  by  the  above-named 
travellers  by  the  strip  of  rock  and 
moraine  separating  the  Schaufel  Glacier 
from  the  Fernau  Glacier,  in  their  ascent 
of  the  Wilder  Pfaff,  but  it  does  not  ap- 
pear that  the  descent  into  the  Winacher- 
thal has  yet  been  effected.  This  would 
lie  over  the  NW.  branch  of  the  Pfaffen- 
ferner,  which  is  much  crevassed,  and 
should  bsundertaken  only  by  experienced 
ice-men.  The  statements  of  MM.  Earth 
and  Pfaundler  and  other  travellers 
respecting  this  and  the  Eildstockl  Pass 
are  not  quite  reconcilable  with  the  map 
published  by  those  writers.  Further 
discrepancies  between  the  rrtap  and  the 
text  may  be  noted  in  the  upper  part  of 
the  Sulzenau  Glacier. 

The  most  interesting  route  for  the 
adventurous  mountaineer  between  Neu- 
etift  and  the  upper  Oetzthal  is  doubtless 
that  by  the  Pfafen  Jock  (about  10,600', 
F.F.T.),  first  traversed  in  1865  by 
Messrs.  Tuckett,  Backhouse,  Fox,  and 
Freshfield,  with  which  may  be  combined 
the  ascent  of  the  Wilder  Pfaf  {11,512'), 
the  highest  peak  of  the  Stubay  Alps. 
To  this  peak  the  name  Schau'felspitz, 
properly  belonging  to  the  much  lower 
summit  overlooking  the  Eildstockl  Pass, 


was  formerly  given.  The  designation 
now  commonly  adopted  originates  in 
the  popular  legend  of  a  parson  led  away 
by  his  passion  for  the  chase,  who,  with 
his  curate,  deserted  his  church  and  his 
flock  on  a  holiday,  preferring  to  hunt 
the  chamois  on  the  high  glaciers.  Bi^- 
wildered  amidst  the  crevasses,  the  faith- 
less pastors  never  returned  to  the 
village;  and  on  a  stormy  day  their 
shades  may  sometimes  be  descried,  still 
seeking  in  vain  for  an  outlet  from  their 
icy  prison. 

The  principal  peak,  lying  exactly  in 
the  axis  of  the  main  branch  of  the 
Stubaythal,  has  a  double  summit,  of 
which  the  eastern  (locally  called  Zv.cker- 
hutl)  is  higher  by  18  ft.  It  is  flanked 
on  the  E.  and  W.  by  two  dependent 
peaks,  of  which  the  Oesilicher  Pfaf 
measures  11,376  ft.,  while  the  western 
point  of  bare  rock  is  the  Aperer  Pfaff 
(10,981'),  To  the  SE.  of  the  highest 
peak  is  the  Sonklarspitz  (11,410'),  ard 
NE.  of  this,  or  about  due  E.  of  the 
Oestlicher  Pfaff,  is  the  Wilder  Freigcr 
(11,253').  It  is  now  ascertained  that 
the  watershed  runs  directly  between  t:ie 
last-named  summits,  and  that  a  trans- 
verse ridge  connects  the  former  with 
the  Sonklarspitz.  It  is  less  certain  whe- 
ther or  not  there  may  be  a  continuous 
ridge  connecting  the  Oestlicher  Pfaff  with 
the  Aperer Freiger  (10,67 o'),  and  dividing 
the  neve  of  the  Sulzenauferner  from  that 
of  the  Griinauferner.  Five  large  glaciers 
diverge  from  the  mountain.  On  the  N.  side 
is  the  Sxdzenauferner,  and  on  the  NE., 
the  Grunauferner ;  to  the  W.,  the  Pfaf'en- 
ferner ;  to  the  S.,  the  Hohlferner ;  and 
it  now  appears  certain  that  the  great 
Uehlethalferner  (Rte.  G)  extends  to  the 
SE.  base  of  the  Oestlicher  Pfaff. 

The  first  ascent,  by  MM.  Earth  and 
Pfaundler,  was  made  from  the  Mutter- 
berger  Alp.  Having  reached  the  above- 
mentioned  pass  of  the  Fernau  Joch, 
between  the  Schaufelspitz  and  the 
Aperer  Pfaff,  they  passed  along  the  S. 
face  of  the  latter  till  they  reached  the 
depression  or  pass— subsequently  named 
Pfaffen  Joch — between  the  Aperer  and 
Wilder  Pfaff.      From    hence  the  latter 


ROUTE    F. ASCENT    OF    THE    WILDER    PFAFF. 


185 


shows  as  a  ven-  sharp  snow  pyramid 
about  900  ft.  in  height.  Though  not 
very  steep,  the  arete  is  excessively  sharp. 
Careful  step-cutting  and  perfect  steadi- 
ness on  the  part  of  all  the  travellers  are 
indispensable. 

In  the  second  ascent,  ilr.  Tuckett 
and  his  companions  took  a  more  direct 
and  more  interesting  course  by  the  Sid- 
zenau.  As  mentioned  in  Kte.  E,  a 
copious  torrent  descends  from  the  S.  in 
a  very  fine  waterfall,  and  enters  the 
main  branch  of  the  Stubaythal  at  the 
Graba  Alp.  A  track  mounts  by  the  W. 
side  of  the  waterfall,  and  in  less  than 
1  hr.  from  the  Alp  reaches  a  grassy 
plain,  the  fiUed-up  bed  of  a  lake, 
6,063  ft.  above  the  sea,  surrounded  by 
several  of  the  highest  peaks  of  this  dis- 
trict. It  well  deserves  a  visit  even  by 
those  who  do  not  intend  going  farther. 
This  basin  is  walled  in  on  the  S.  side 
by  a  range  of  steep  rocks  about  1,000  ft. 
in  height.  Down  the  face  of  these 
rocks  the  streams  from  the  Sulzenau  and 
Griiuau  Glaciers  descend  in  cascades 
that  have  cut  a  deep  channel,  and 
are  seen  full  in  front  below  the  ridge 
of  the  Aperer  Freiger,  which  separates 
the  above-named  glaciers.  A  faintly 
marked  track  leads  up  the  rocks  to 
the  base  of  the  Sulzenau  Glacier. 
This  is  divided  into  two  branches 
by  a  high  shelf  of  rock  that  runs 
NNW.  from  the  Oestlicher  Pfaff,  but 
does  not  extend  so  far  as  is  shown 
on  MM.  Barth  and  Pfauxidler's  map. 
The  glacier  is  easily  traversed  as  far  as 
the  base  of  the  lower  ice-fall,  which  is 
surmounted  by  keeping  to  the  rocky 
slope  on  the  right  bank.  Above  this  is 
the  junction  of  the  two  branches  of  the 
glacier,  and  the  uppermost,  or  western, 
branch  is  seen  to  descend  in  a  still 
loftier  ice-fall.  This,  like  the  former,  is 
to  be  climbed  by  the  rocks  on  the  L 
hand  (or  rt.  bank),  forming  the  N.  end 
of  the  ridge  or  shelf  ab  jve  spoken  of. 
Mr.  Tuckett  and  his  compinions  this 
gained  the  summit  of  the  Ffaffen  Joch 
(about  10,600'),  in  less  than  4  hrs.  from 
Graba,  excluding  halts.  Ha^Hng  reached 
the  western  summit  of  the  Wilder  Pfaflf, 


and  returned  to  the  col,  they  descended 
SW.  to  a  basin  of  neve,  at  the  head  of 
the  Pfaflfen  Glacier;  before  long  this 
forms  an  ice-fall,  and  they  were  forced 
to  bt-ar  to  the  rt.  along  its  brow  for  a 
considerable  distance  till  they  were  able 
to  cut  their  way  down  to  some  very 
steep  rocks,  whence  they  succeeded,  but 
not  without  difficulty,  m  getting  down 

i  to  the  head  of  the  Winacherthal,  2  hrs. 
above  Solden.  Future  explorers  may 
try  whether  it  is  not  an  easier  course  to 
keep  due  W.  across  the  upper  part  of 

I  the  PfafFenferner,  and  then  cross  a  ridge 
beyond  which  lies  a  small  tarn  whose 
stream  runs  down  to  the  Winacherthal 
beside    the  path   from   the  Bildstockl 

''  Pass. 

i      In  both  the  ascents  above  described 

'  the  travellers  found  that  time  did  not 

■  allow  them  to  reach  the  highest  point, 
or  Zuckerhiitl,  which  is  connected  with 
the  W.  peak  by  an  extremely  sharp 
arete,  chiefly  formed  of  ice.  The  higher 
point  has  since  been  attained  by  Herr 
Specht,  and  again,  in  1867,  by  Herr 
Stiidl.  The  latter  effected  the  extremely 
steep  and  rather  dangerous  descent 
from  the  summit  to  the  Hohlferner, 
and  so  reached  the  highest  huts  in  the 

j  Winacherthal. 

[Messrs.  R.  and  W.  M.  Pendlebury, 

1  with  Gabriel  Spektenhauser,  with  some 
difficulty  in  the  passnge  of  a  large  berg- 
schrund  succeeded  by  a  steep  ice-wall, 
crossed  the  ridge  connecting  the  Oest- 
licher Pfaff  and  Wilder  Freiger  from 
the  Graba  Alp  to  the  upper  neve  of  the 
Ueblethalferuer.  This  stretches  south- 
ward nearly  at  a  level  for  some  dis- 
tance ;  by  bearing  to  the  1.  close  under 
the  Sonklarspitz,  they  reached  a  second 
col — a  slight  depression  in  the  ridge 
S.  of  that  peak — and  without  further 
difficulty  descended  into  the  head  of 
the  Passeyertlial.  and  so  reached 
Schonau  (§  48,  Rte.  B).  The  course 
followed  was  much  the  same  as  that  of 
Dr.  Ruthner  (Rte,  H).] 


186 


CENTRAL    TYROL    ALPS.       §  49.    STUBAY   DISTRICT. 


Route  G. 


NECSTIFT   TO    STEKZING. 

In  describing  the  high-road  over  the 
Brenner  Pass  (Rte.  A),  reference  -was 
made  to  two  Alpine  valleys,  the  one 
opening  a  few  miles  above  Sterzing,  the 
other  just  below  that  town.  The  active 
mountaineer  may  reach  either  of  those 
valleys  by  fine  glacier  from  the  upper 
end  of  the  Stubaythal,  while  making 
but  a  short  detour  from  the  road  be- 
tween Innsbruck  and  Sterzing. 

It  was  mentioned  in  Rte.  E  that  the 
torrent  issuing  from  a  short  glen,  called 
Laingenthal,  flows  northward  to  join 
the  Rutzbach  above  Ranalt.  This 
issues  from  the  Ldngenthal/erner,  a 
glacier  of  great  breadth  lying  on  the  N. 
slope  of  the  range  connecting  the  Wilder 
Freiger  with  the  Feuerstein  (10,713'). 
It  is  not  to  be  confounded  with  a  much 
smaller  glacier  of  the  same  name  at  the 
head  of  the  Lisenzerthal,  nor  with  the 
Laangenthal  Glacier  near  Gurgl  (§  48, 
Rte.  D).  Over  the  glacier  here  referred 
to  lie  two  Rtes.  to  Sterzing. 

1.  By  the  Pflerscher  Hochjock  (9,7 80'). 
This  pass  was  traversed  several  years 
ago  by  Mr.  Marshall  Hall,  more  re- 
cently by  Dr.  Ficker  of  Innsbruck,  and 
the  Editor  is  indebted  for  full  notes  of 
the  way  to  Mr.  Holzmann,  who  crossed  it 
with  Anderl  Pfurtscheller  of  Ranalt, 
son  of  the  innkeeper,  a  good  local  guide. 
It  is  not  a  col,  or  depression  between 
two  peaks,  but  a  passage  over  the  ridge 
E.  of  the  Feuerstein,  at  a  point  accessible 
from  the  Langenthal  Glacier.  Ascend- 
ing by  the  rt.  bank  of  the  torrent,  in  2 
hrs.  from  Ranalt,  the  highest  hiitten  of 
the  Langenthal,  called  Im  Griibel,  are 
reached.  Crossing  the  torrent  and  as- 
cending to  SSW.  yon  arrive  under  a 
wall  of  rock  that  supports  the  W. 
branch  of  the  Langenthal  Gl.  It  is 
now  necessary  to  turn  to  the  1.  and  as- 
cend to  SE.  over  rocks  and  snow  to 
reach  the  lower  part  of  the  glacier  be- 
low the  junction  of  its  two  main 
branches.  Keeping  the  same  direction, 
with  the  Feuerstein  right  ahead,  the 
glacier  and  its  moraines   are   crossed. 


The  way  then  lies  nearly  due  E.  up  a 
shallow  ravine  between  the  E.  branch 
of  the  Langenthal  Gl.  and  the  S.  wall  of 
the  valley.  To  avoid  the  upper  ice-fall  it 
is  necessary  to  turn  to  the  N.  and  climb 
the  rocks  above  the  rt  bank.  Having 
gained  the  snow-field  above,  the  course 
is  ESE.  towards  the  snowy  ridge  that 
falls  to  NE.  from  the  Feuerstein.  As- 
cending amid  partly  covered  crevasses 
you  reach  the  edge,  in  places  over- 
hanging, where  the  ridge  falls  in  a  pre- 
cipice towards  the  Gschnitzthal.  Turn- 
ing to  the  rt.,  and  traversing  a  snow 
arete  between  the  precipice  on  the  1. 
and  a  bergschrund  on  the  rt.,  you  attain 
to  the  summit  of  the  pass,  where  some 
projecting  rocks  mark  the  point  of  junc- 
tion of  Stubay,  Gschnitz,  and  Pflersch, 
and  command  a  magnificent  view.  The 
descent  lies  down  the  arete  connecting 
the  Feuerstein  with  the  Schneespitz. 
From  the  lowest  point  in  that  ridee  it 
is  possible  to  descend  by  a  couloir  to 
the  Feuerstein  Glacier,  lying  at  the 
uppermost  end  of  the  Pflerschthal ;  but 
it  is  a  better  way  to  keep  at  about  the 
same  height  along  the  rocks  forming 
the  precipitous  southern  face  of  the 
Schneespitz.  Passing  through  a  gap  in 
a  ridge  projecting  SE.  from  that  peak 
you  attain  the  upper  level  of  a  great 
glacier  (not  laid  down  on  any  map) 
called  Schneespitzferner,  flowing  nearly 
due  E.  This  is  traversed  without  dif- 
ficulty, and  you  then  traverse  two  rock 
basins  with  remarkable  glaciated  sur- 
faces, and  descend  green  slopes  into  the 
Pflerschthal,  which  is  reached  about 
20  m.  above  the  church  at  Boden.  Time 
about  8  hrs.  from  lianalt  exclusive  of 
halts. 

[From  the  arete  below  the  Hochjoch 
it  is  doubtless  possible  to  descend  into 
the  Gschnitzthal  by  the  westernmost  of 
three  small  glaciers,  all  named  Simming- 
ferner,  and  there  is  another  pass  from 
Pflersch  to  that  valley  between  the 
Schneespitz  and  the  Eisenspitz  (^ 9,893') 
over  the  middle  Simming  Gl.] 

The  traveller  who  descends  into  the 
head  of  the  Pflerschthal  by  the  Feuer- 
stein Glacier  passes  near  to  a  remark- 


ROUTE    G. — RIDNAUN. 


187 


able  -waterfall,  called  HiJlle.  -where  the  j 
main    torrent   springs   from   the   level  1 
ot   the    npper   pastures   to    the    much  ! 
lower  basin,  -where  ihe  highest  houses  j 
are    situated.      From    the    hamlet    of  i 
Hinter.stein    a    path    runs    south-ward,  | 
close  by  the  EHcsspitz  (8,608'),  to  St.  | 
l^orenz  ir  IJidnaun,  and  another  crosses  | 
the  ridge  W.  of  the  Tribulaun  (10,1  fiS'),  , 
and  leads  in  G  hrs.  to  Gschnitz.     At  the 
southern  foot  of  the  latter  mountain,  ! 
N^hich  is  the  easternmost  high  peak  of  \ 
the  Stiibay  Alps,  is  the  hamlet  called  j 
Borlni  (4.123'),  with  the  church  and  the  j 
curates  liouse,  -where,  in  a  case  of  need,  j 
slit-lter  and  some  refreshment  may  be 
had.     From  hence  to  its  opening  on  the 
Brenner  road  the  valley  is  nearly  level 
and  well  cultivated,  containing  several 
hamlets  and  scattered  houses.     Above 
Aiiiclien    the   valley   is   locally   called 
ItiTier-Pfl-rsch.     The  rail-way  over  the 
Brenner  Pass  is  carried  for  about  2^  miles 
into  th»'  lower  part  of  the  valley,  retum- 
inir  along  the  slopes  on  the  N.  side,  so 
as  to  regain  the  valley  of  the  Eisack  at 
a  I  onsiderable  height  above  Gossensass 
(see  Rte.  B\     In  less  than  2  hrs.  from 
Boden  the  tiaveller  may  descend  gently 
nlong  atolerable  char-road  to  Gossensass 
on  the  Brenner  road  (Rte.  A).    Should 
the  traveller  intend  to  return  to  the  N. 
side  of  the  main  chain,  he  may  take  a 
very  agreeable  -way,  leading  in  6  hrs. 
from     AnicJien     over    the     Grub    Jnch 
(7,021')  to  Gries  on  the  N.  side  of  the 
Brenner  Pass.     The  path  on  the  N.  side 
passes  the  Oherberger  Seen, anddescends 
through  the  short  but  extremely  pic- 
turesque glen  of  Oberberg.  See  Rte.  A. 
2.  %   the   Ridnaunthal.     The    Rid- 
natmthal,  -whose  torrent  joins  the  Eisack 
a  little  below   Sterzing,   in    many  re- 
spects   resembles   the   above-described 
parallel   glen  of  the  Ptierschthal,  but 
it   is    divided   from    the   head   of    the 
Stubaythal  by  the  highest  peaks   and 
most     considerable     glaciers     of    this 
district.      'ihere    is    but    one    known 
pass,  the   Gr'mdl  JocK  lying  E.  of  the 
H(><h>jriiinl  (10,262'),  and  considerably 
\V.  of  the  Feuerstein.     From  the  foot 
of  tlie  Liiiigenthal  Glacier  the  -wav  is  at 


first  SW.,  and  then  about  due  S.  On 
the  S.  side  the  descent  is  by  the  steep 
and  rather  difficult  Hiingendefemer, 
belo-w  which  it  is  necessary  to  bear  to 
the  1.,  or  SE..  until  the  head  of  the 
Ridnaunthal  is  reached  at  the  Alp  of 
A  gels. 

About  i  hr.  lower  down  a  considerable 
lateral  glen,  called  Liizz'ichcrlhal,  opens 
to  SW.,  at  right  angles  to  the  main 
valley  :  through  it  a  path  leads  over  an 
easy  pass  to  the  head  of  the  Passeyerthal 
(Rte.  G).  Descending  to  ESE.,  the 
highest  houses  in  the  Ridnaunthal,  near 
the  church  of  St.  Lorenz,  are  soon 
reached,  and  in  less  than  ^  h.r.  more 
the  village  of 

Ridnann  (4.379').    sometimes   called 

for  distinction  Inner-Ridnaun,  with  a 

poor  inn  kept  by  kindly  people.     The 

church  of  St.  Joseph  at  this  place  and 

the  very  ancient  church  of  St.  Magdalen, 

on  a  rock  above  the  path  descending  the 

valley ,  are  very  picturesque,  and  deserve 

the  traveller's  notice.   A  defile  separates 

Ridnaun  from  the  lower  part  of  the 

valley,  and  about  ^  hr.  descending  are 

required  to  reach  Mareit.  the  chief  place 

in  the  lower  Ridnaunthal.     It  is  over- 

j  looked  by  a  large  country-house  that 

stands  on  the  site  of  the  ancient  castle 

of    Wolfsthurm.     Passing    below    the 

!  pretty  village  of  Tel/s.  that  stands  on 

i  the  slopes  above   the    1.    bank  of  the 

j  Gailbach,  the  track  traverses   Thuins, 

and   then   turns    northward    to    reach 

Sterzing  (Rte.  A). 

The  Gailbach,  which  drains  the  Rid- 
naunthal, has  its  chief  source  in  the 
I  Ueblethalferner,  the  largest  glacier  of 
I  the  Stubay  Alp**.  It  originates  in  an 
extensive  neve-basin  between  the  peaks 
of  the  Wilder  Pfaflf,  Sonklarspitz,  and 
Wilder  Freiger.  and  is  bounded  to  the 
AV.  and  S.  by  a  ridge  connecting  the 
Sonklarspitz  with  the  Botzer  (10,686';, 
and  extending  eastward  fiom  the  latter 
peak.  From  the  great  ice-reservoir  in- 
cluded within  these  limits  a  compara- 
tively narrow  stream  of  ice  flows  east- 
ward into  the  head  of  the  Ridnaunthal, 
terminating  a  short  way  N.  of  the  .\gels- 
alp.    M  M.  Bartii  and  Pfaundler  effected 


188 


CENTRAL    TYUOL    ALPS.       §    49.    STUBAY   DISTRICT. 


a  fine  pass  over  the  head  of  this  glacier, 
passing  S.  of  the  Sonklarspitz,  and 
reaching  the  head  of  the  Passeyerthal 
— locally  called  Hiiiterseethal — some 
way  above  the  point  where  the  path  of 
t' e  Tinibler  Joch  falls  into  that  valley. 
They  probably  descended  by  the  same 
couise afterwards  taken  by  Dr.  Kutimer, 
and  later  by  Messrs.  Pendlebury,  in 
crossing  from  Sulzenau  between  the 
AViider  Freiger  and  the  E.  peak  of  the 
Wilder  PfafF.  The  first  traveller  who 
crossed  directly  from  Ranilt  to  Ridnaun 
by  the  FlafFennieder  and  Uehlethal- 
fi-rner  was  Mr.  Holzmaun  in  1872.  He 
reached  Sterzing  in  \-J  hrs.  exclusive 
of  hults.     See  Iltes.  F.  and  H. 


Route  H. 

FEND,  OE  GTTRGL,  TO  THE  BRENNER  PASS. 

There  is  an  increasing  disposition 
among  mountaineers  to  arrange  routes 
through  the  Alps  so  as  to  descend  as 
rarely,  andfor  as  short  a  time  as  possible, 
below  the  region  of  permanent  snow 
and  high  Alpine  vegetation.  With  that 
object  numerous  '  High-level  Routes ' 
have  been  devised  among  the  ranges  of 
the  Pennine  and  the  Central  Alps.  The 
conformation  of  the  Tyrolese  Alps  is 
less  favourable  to  carrying  out  a  similar 
design,  but  it  may  be  convenient  to  point 
out  the  various  routes  that  may  be  taken 
by  a  traveller  wishing  to  keep  as  near 
as  possible  to  the  crest  of  the  main 
chain.  Most  of  the  valleys  and  passes 
tliat  may  be  taken  for  that  purpose 
through  the  Stubay  Alps  have  been 
noticed,  in  the  foregoing  routes ;  but 
there  is  one  rather  considerable  valley, 
Gschnitztna,!,  besides  two  or  three 
passes,  not  hitherto  enumerated. 

In  starting  from  Fend  or  G-urgl,  the 
traveller  will  either  cross  the  Timbler 
Joch  (§  48,  Rte.  B)  to  the  head  of 
the  Passeyerthal,  or  descend  to  Solden, 
and  remount  towards  the  higher  peaks 
through  the  Winacherthal.  In  the  fol- 
lowing enumeration  the  routes  are  , 
arranged   in   the   order  of  the  various  ; 


points  on  the  Brenner,  wh'^re  the  tra- 
veller would  first  reach  the  high-road 
which  is  described  in  Rte.  A. 

1.  To  Stcinack.  Starting  from  Solden, 
the  traveller  may  reach  the  Graba  Alp 
in  upper  Stubay  by  the  PfafFen  Joch,  or 
the  Mutterberger  Alp  by  the  Bildstockl. 
Both  passes  are  described  in  Rte.  E. 
He  will  sleep  at  either  of  the  above- 
named  chalets,  or  else  somewhat  lower 
down  in  the  Stuba}i:hal,  at  Schbnge- 
lair.  As  mentioned  in  the  last  Rte.,  the 
latter  p)lace  is  but  a  short  way  above 
the  junction  of  the  Langenthal  with  the 
main  branch  of  the  Stubay  thai.  On 
the  E.  side  the  Langenthal  is  bounded 
by  a  shiirt  range  including  the  double 
peak  of  the  Rothenspitzen,  the  Aeussere 
Wettersjntz  (10,063'),  and  Innere  Wet- 
terspitz  (10,017');  and  over  this  range 
are  two  unnamed  passes  leading  to  the 
Gschnitzthal.  The  shortest  way  is  by 
the  northernmost  of  these  passes  lying 
between  the  Aeussere  Wetterspitz  and 
the  Southern  Rothenspitz  (9,974').  The 
former  peak,  commanding  a  fine  view,  is 
easily  reached  from  the  summit  of  the 
pass,  and  which  is  9,143  ft.  above  the 
sea-level.  To  reach  the  more  southern 
pass,  it  is  necessary  to  follow  the  Lan- 
genthal to  the  base  of  the  great  glacier, 
and  then  ascend  due  E.  along  a  torrent 
that  flows  from  the  foot  of  the  pass. 

WTiichever  of  these  passes  be  selected, 
the  traveller  descends  to  the  head  of  the 
Gschnitzthal,  and  follows  the  rt.  bank 
of  the  torrent  to  the  Lapones-AIp 
(4,636').  The  upper  part  of  this  valley 
is  uninhabited  save  in  summer,  and  but 
a  solitary  chapel  is  passed  on  the  way  to 
the  principal  village.  To  the  1.  rises 
the  Habicht,  and  E.  of  it  the  Pinneser 
Joch,  noticed  in  Rte.  E.  On  the  oppo- 
site side  rise  the  very  bold  limestone 
peaks  of  the  Trihidaun  (10,167').  These 
are  extremely  difficult  of  access,  and  the 
highest,  or  western,  peak  is  said  not  yet 
to  have  been  attained.  [West  of  the 
Tribulaun  are  two  passes  leading  to 
the  Pflerschthal  (Rte.  G).  One  of 
these,  l}'ing  close  to  that  moun- 
tain, is  most  convenient  for  the  traveller 
going  from  Pflersch  to  Gschnitz.     The 


ROUTE    H. — FEND    TO    STERZIXG. 


189 


other,  nearer  to  the  head  of  the  valley,  is 
attained  by  bearing  to  the  rt.  a  con- 
siderable way  above  the  Lapones-Alp, 
and  by  that  way  an  active  walier  may 
easily  reach  Pflersoh  in  one  day  from 
Schonpfelair.]  The  chief  place  in  the 
Gschnitzthal  is 

Gschnitc  (4,070').  There  is  no  inn, 
but  strangers  are  received  by  che  parish- 
priest.  They  find  here  two  good  guides 
for  mountain  excursions — Georg  Pitt- 
racher,  and  Andreas  Salchner.  The 
scenery  of  the  valley  hereabouts  offers 
much  variety  from  the  contrast  between 
the  limestone  ridges  dividing  it  from  the 
Pinneserthal  (Ete.E),  and  the  crystalline 
slates  that  prevail  at  its  upper  end.  In 
descending  the  path  keeps  to  the  1.  bank. 
On  the  opposite  side,  near  the  track  lead- 
ing to  the  Oberbergthal,  is  the  ancient 
chapel  of  St.  M.  Magdalen,  or  Magda- 
lenenkirchlein  (5,338'),  conspicuously 
perched  on  a  rock.  After  passing 
through  a  defile  between  bold  limestone 
rocks,  the  track  approaches  Trins, 
counted  2  hrs.  from  Gschiiitz.  Eefore 
reaching  the  village,  the  traveller  passes 
near  to  the  modern  castle  of  Schneeberg 
(3,960'),  standing  on  a  projecting  rock 
above  the  torrent  which  separates  it 
from  the  village  of  Trins  (3,885').  Near  j 
to  it  will  be  seen  a  ridge  crossing  the  i 
valley,  which  is  the  remains  of  the  ter-  [ 
minal  moraine  of  an  ancient  glacier,  i 
Trins  stands  at  the  S.  base  of  the  Blaser 
(7,332'),  well  known  to  Tyrolese  bota- 
nists for  its  varied  and  interesting 
vegetation.  Less  than  1  hr.  suffices  for 
the  descent  to  Steinach  (Rte.  A)  on  the 
Brenner  road,  standing  exactly  at  the 
opening  of  the  Gschnitzthal. 

2.   To  Gries.     Reference  was  made  in 
Rte.   A  to   the   short  but   picturesque 
glen,  called  Oberbergthal,  which  opens 
on  the  Brenner  road  W.  of  the  hamlet 
of   Gries.      The    traveller    wishing   to 
take  it  on  his  way  from  the  Uetzthal 
may  rt-ach  Gschnitz  bv  the  way  above 
described,  aud  aftiT  crossing  to  the  rt.  1 
bank  of  the  torrent  mount  by  a  rough  j 
pith    througii    the    forest    to    a    point] 
just  below  the  Magdalenkirchlein.     He  I 
there  enters  the  Magdaleuihal,  a  lateral 


glen  leading  to  the  Muftcr,  Joch  This 
is  apparently  8,1.37  ft.  in  height,  the 
adjoining  summit,  call  d  Mutter,  reach- 
ing to  about  4,(300  ft.  TiiL-re  is  anotuer 
pass  some  way  NK.  of  the  last,  called 
Oberberyer  Joch  (7,1(53')  ;  but  this  is 
better  suited  for  a  traveller  starting  frora 
Trins.  From  either  pass  the  traveller 
may  descend  into  th-^  Oberbergthal 
near  the  village  of  Obirberg  (4,440'). 
An  easy  descent  of  1  hr.  leads  thence 
to  Vinaders  (4,097'),  the  priccipal  place 
in  the  valley,  only  \  hr.  from  Gries. 

The  traveller  who  has  readied  the 
Pflerschthal  by  any  one  of  the  routes 
mentioned  below  may  take  the  Grub 
Joch  pass,  leading  from  Anichen  to 
Oberberg,  mentioned  in  Ete.G,  and  thus 
reach  Gries  after  seeing  the  finest 
scenery  of  both  valleys. 

3.  To  Gossensass.  It  was  seen  in 
Rte.  P  that  the  most  direct  way  from 
Neustift  to  Sterzing  is  throngh  the 
Pflerschthal,  which  opens  on  the  high- 
road of  the  Brenner  at  Gossensass,  the 
highest  village  on  the  S.  side  of  the 
latter  pass.  The  same  route  may  be 
taken  by  a  traveller  coming  from  the 
head  of  the  Oetzthal,  who,  having  reached 
Schongelair  from  Solden  by  any  of  the 
routes  mentioned  above,  may  on  the 
following  day  traverse  the  Pflerscher 
Hochjoch  to  Pflersch,  and  on  the  third 
morning  descend  to  Gossensass,  or  cross 
the  pass  leading  to  Gries. 

4.  To  Sterzing  by  Eidnotin.  The 
route  from  the  Oetzthal  to  the  Brenner 
last  described  is  circuitous,  and  involves 
two  rather  difficult  passes.  The  way  by 
the  Gschnitzthal  is  preferable  for  the 
traveller  whose  aim  is  the  N.  side  of  the 
Brenner  Pass,  while  he  whosf  direction 
lies  S.  of  that  boundary  may  find  a  more 
direct  way  by  the  Riduaunthal.  Some 
light  is  thrown  on  thetopc^graphy  of  the 
district  by  an  expedition  made  by  Dr. 
Ruthner  in  1867.  Starting  from  Sul- 
zenau  (Rte.  F),  and  ascending  by  the 
j^lacier  of  the  Aperer  Freiger,  he  reacbe4 
in  .5^  hrs.  the  ridge,  now  known  as  the 
Pfaffennieder  (9,8 ti^.'.'),  forn^ing  the  I^. 
boundary  of  the  Uebiethalferner  a!i4 
connecting  the   Oestiicher   Pf^tf   wjih 


190 


CENTRAL    TYROL    ALPS.       §   49.    STUBAY   DISTRICT. 


the  Sonklnrspitz  ;  he  finally  descended 
into  the  Hinterseethal  at  the  head  of 
Passeyer,  making  a  -wide  circuit  round 
the  E.  side  of  the  latter  peali. 

The  easiest  way  to  reach  Ridnaun 
from  Fend  or  Gurgl  is  to  cross  the 
Timbler  Joch  to  the  head  of  the  Pas- 
seyerthal  (§  48,  Rte.  E),  and  thence 
follow  a  direct  and  steep,  or  else  an 
easier  and  more  circuitous,  way  to 
Schnetberg.  That  name  was  formerly 
given  to  some  extensive  mines,  now 
scarcely  worked,  but  is  now  used  for 
the  chapel  and  inn,  considerably  above 
the  mine,  almost  enclosed  by  peaks, 
the  chief  of  which  (sometimes  called 
Schwarzseespitz)  is  8,995  ft.  above  the 
sea.  The  Frauenkirche,  a  chapel 
which  must  be  nearly  7,000  ft.  above 
the  sea,  is  much  frequented  by  pilgrims 
on  the  5th  August.  Except  at  that 
moment,  when  it  is  overfull,  the 
traveller  finds  tolerable  quarters  in  a 
mountain-inn  close  at  hand.  An  easy 
pass  leads  from  Schnee'oerg  to  the  upper 
end  of  the  Lazzacherthal,  but  it  is  a  still 
easier  course  to  pass  through  a  tunnel, 
nearly  ^  m.  long,  formerly  used  by  the 
miners,  which  opens  on  the  E.  side 
about  800  ft.  below  the  top  of  the 
pass.  It  is  necessary  to  take  lights. 
The  path  descends  NE.  to  the 
point  where  the  Lazzacherthal  joins 
the  head  of  the  Eidnaunthal  (Ete.  Gr), 
through  which  lies  the  way  to  Sterzing. 
The  course  above  described  is  practicable 
for  ordinary  tourists  :  the  enterprising 
mountaineer,  with  a  good  guide,  may 
take  a  much  more  difficult,  but  more  in- 
teresting, way,  starting  from  Solden  in 
the  Oetzthal.  Following  the  main  torrent 
of  the  Winacherthal  to  its  source  at  the 
foot  of  the  Hohlferner,  a  considerable 
glacif^r  that  originates  on  the  S.  side  of 
the  Wilder  Pfaff,  and  the  SW.  side  of 
the  Sonklarspitz,  the  traveller  ascends 
along  the  S.  bank  towards  the  ridge  of 
the  S'hwarze  Wand,  which  extends  a 
little  W,  of  S.  from  the  Sonklarspitz, 
and  forms  the  E.  boundary  of  the  Hohl- 
ferner By  ascending  to  the  head  of 
the  latter  glacier  to  the  point  N.  of  the 
Sonklar.'^pitz  attained  by  Dr.  Kuthner, 


he  would  gain  the  upper  nev6  of  the 
Ueblcthalferner,  and  might  on  the  same 
day  reach  the  head  of  the  Ridnannthal. 
But,  according  to  MM.  Barth  andPfaund- 
ler,  it  is  necessary  to  cross  the  ridge  of 
the  Schwarze  Wand  at  its  S.  end,  and  to 
descend  into  the  head  of  the  Passeyer- 
thal,  and  seek  shelter  at  one  cf  the 
highest  chalets.  Starting  early  on  the 
following  morning,  the  traveller  ascends 
by  a  short  but  steep  glacier  to  the 
Konigshofer  Joch,  a  pass  forming  the 
lowest  point  in  the  range  that  encloses 
on  the  western  side  the  head  of  the 
Uebhthalferner,  the  most  extensive 
glacier  of  the  Stubay  Alps.  It  includes 
a  number  of  branches  that  flow  through 
openings  between  the  surrounding 
peaks,  and  converge  in  a  great  basin, 
which  is  drained  by  an  ice-stream  that 
issues  due  E.  towards  the  head  of  the 
Ridnaunthal.  The  highest  summit  on  the 
S.  side  of  the  glacier-basin  is  the  Botzer 
(10,686').  From  this  extends  to  NW.  a 
ridge  including  several  minor  peaks,  of 
which  that  nearest  the  pass,  called 
Kbnig-^hof  (about  10,370'),  is  easily 
ascended  from  thence.  'On  the  opposite 
side  is  the  Sonklars'pitz  (11,410')  which 
is  concealed  from  the  head  of  the  glacier 
b}'  an  intervening  range  of  steep  rocks 
called  Becher.  The  map  of  Messrs. 
Barth  and  Pfaundler  is  undoubtedly 
incorrect  in  respect  to  this  portion  of 
the  Stubay  group  ;  and  it  is  not  easy  to 
reconcile  with  it  the  account  of  the  pass 
given  by  Dr.  Ruthuer  in  the  4th  '  Jahr- 
buch'  of  the  Austrian  Alpine  Club.  It 
may  perhaps  be  doubted  whether  future 
travellers  starting  from  the  Sulzenau 
in  Stubay  may  not  find  an  easier  and 
more  direct  way  by  the  Griinauferner 
than  by  his  route.  The  only  informa- 
tion respecting  the  descent  from  the 
Konigshofer  Joch  into  the  Ridnaun- 
thal by  the  Ueblethalferner  is  that 
gleaned  from  the  work  of  Messrs. 
Barth  and  Pfaundler,  who  traversed  it 
late  in  tjae  autumn.  At  that  season  it 
was  somewhat  difficult,  owing  to  nu- 
merous and  wide  crevasses.  They  found 
it  expedient  to  keep  throughout  some- 
what to  the  N.  side  of  the  glacier,  twice 


ROUTE    I. — JAUFEX    PASS. 


191 


If-aving  the  ice  for  slopes  of  debris  at  ■ 
the  foot  of  projecting  rocks.  Farther  | 
east  the  glacier  descends  in  an  ice-fall, 
and  at  a  point  called  '  In  Lochern  '  it  is 
necessary  to  quit  the  ice  on  the  1.  bank, 
and  descend  by  the  rocks,  till  the  lower 
end  of  the  glacier  is  attained  below  the 
ice-fall.  It  is  here  so  level  and  vmbroken 
that  it  is  locally  CBMedEbncferfier,  and  a 
person  approaching  from  the  E.  would 
not  suppose  that  it  was  the  outflow  of 
so  vast  a  mass  of  ice  and  neve.  On  the 
S.  side  a  glacier-lake  is  formed  in 
summer  by  the  stream  descending  from 
a  lateral  glen,  which  finds  the  outlet 
barred  by  the  glacier.  The  lower  end 
of  the  Ebneferner  is  too  steep  to  be 
conveniently  passable,  and  the  traveller 
leaves  the  ice  for  the  last  time  by  the 
1.  bank,  and  descends  into  the  uppermost 
end  of  the  Eidnaujithal  a  short  way 
above  the  Ober-Agelsalp,  where,  in  case 
of  need,  he  finds  tolerable  shelter  for  the 
night.  Some  way  lower  down  is  a  wider 
and  more  level  basin,  where  stand  the 
chalets  of  the  Unter-Agelsalp,  about 
2  hrs.  above  Ridnaun.  The  Ridnaun- 
thal  is  more  fully  noticed  in  Rte,  Gr. 

In  taking  the  course  above  described, 
the  traveller  who  has  crossed  the  first 
pass  leading  from  the  head  of  the 
Winacherthal  to  that  of  the  Passeyer- 
thal,  and  encounters  unfavourable 
weather  on  the  following  day,  has  the 
advantage  of  being  able  to  continue  his 
route  by  the  easy  pass  between  Schnee- 
berg  and  the  Lazzacherthal. 

5.  To  Sterzing  by  Eatschinges.  A 
little  above  the  point  where  the  Gail- 
bach  issues  from  the  Ridnaunthal  into 
the  open  basin  below  Sterzing,  it  receives 
a  considerable  tributary  torrent  from  the 
Ratschingesthal,  a  narrow  glen  nearly  i 
parallel  to  Ridnaun,  but  less  interesting 
to  the  mountaineer,  as  it  lies  outside  the 
glacier  region  of  these  Alps.  The  easiest 
and  shortest  way  from  Fend  or  Gurgl  to 
Sterzing  is  through  that  glen.  Having 
crossed  the  Timbler  Joch,  and  ascended 
from  the  head  of  the  Passeyerthal  to 
Schneeberg  (see  above),  an  easy  pass 
leads  thence  to  the  head  of  the  Rat- 
schingesthal.  For  the  greater  part  of  its 


length  this  is  little  more  than  a  defile. 
At  the  widest  part  stands  the  village  of 
Eatschinges.  It  is  chiefly  known  for 
quarries  of  highly  crystalline  white 
marble,  which  would  be  more  extensively 
used  if  it  were  less  difficult  of  access. 
At  its  lower  end  the  defile  of  the  Rat- 
schingesbachis  so  narrow  that  the  path  is 
forced  to  mount  to  a  great  height  above 
the  rt.  bank,  after  which  it  descends  to 
the  village  of  Gasteig,  whence  a  char- 
road  leads  in  |  hr.  to  Sterzing  (Rte.  A). 


Route  I. 

STEEZING   TO    MEEAN     BY   THE    JAtTEN 
PASS. 


I 

Irs.'  walking 

E.  miles 

St.  Leonhard 

.    6 

18 

Meran 

.     4 

12 

The  mountaineer  going  from  Inns- 
bruck to  Meran  will  naturally  select 
some  of  the  routes  through  the  Stubay 


192 


CENTRAL    TYROL    ALPS.        §    49.    STUBAY    DISTRICT. 


or  Oetztbal  Alps  described  in  the  present 
or  the  List  section.  The  tourist  -who 
selects  the  easiest  way  between  those 
placos  will  prefer  to  follow  the  high- 
road over  the  Brenner  to  Sterzing,  and 
thence  take  the  beaten  track  over  the 
Jaufen  Pass.  This  is  a  frequented  mule- 
path,  easy  enough  on  the  east  side  ;  but 
the  descent  from  the  pass  to  St.  Leon- 
hard  is  so  steep  and  rough  for  the  first 
1^  hr.  that  ladies  and  nervous  persons 
can  scarcely  be  recommended  to  ride. 

On  leaving  Sterzing  the  path  crosses 
the  G-ailbach,  and  ascends  to  Gasteig 
(Inn :  fair),  a  village  standing  close  to 
the  junction  of  a  slender  stream  from 
the  Jaufenthal  with  the  powerful  torrent 
which  bears  down  the  drainage  of  the 
Eidnaunthal  and  Katschiugesthal.  The 
Jauftnthal  is  a  short  glen,  without  a 
village,  but  it  has  a  church  and  a  small 
group  of  houses  which  bear  the  same 
name.  A  track  runs  thence  due  S. 
across  the  ridge  dividing  this  from  Pens 
in  the  Samthal  (Ete.  K).  On  reaching 
the  summit  of  the  ridge  at  the  head  of 
the  Jaufenthal,  the  path  descends  a 
little,  but  a  further  ascent  is  needed  to 
reach  the  summit  of  the  pass.  About  ^ 
hr.  before  this  is  attained,  the  traveller 
passes  a  solitary  stone  house,  called 
Jaufe7ihaus{6,o4:o'),  intended  as  a  refuge 
for  wayfarers.  In  case  of  need  better 
quarters  may  be  found  here  than  at  a 
similar  refuge,  bearing  the  same  name, 
which  is  found  on  the  opposite  side  of 
the  pass. 

The  Jaufen  Pass  (6,872'),  supposed  to 
derive  its  name  from  the  Eoman  designa- 
tion, Mons  Jovis,  is  reached  in  about 
3^  hrs.  from  Sterzing.  There  is  another 
path  about  equally  short,  but  less  fre- 
quented, which  mounts  from  Grasteig 
along  the  slopes  on  the  S.  side  of  the 
Eatschingesthal,  and  joins  the  common 
track  near  the  Jaufenhaus.  The  descent 
towards  Passeyer  appears  very  steep, 
but  no  fatal  accidents  are  recorded  since 
3,  eerbxin  bishop,  who  had  accompanied 
the  Elector  Louis  of  Bavaria  on  his  way 
to  Meran,  broke  his  neck  here  on  his 
way  back  to  Germany.  The  way  lies 
nearly  due  E.  along  the  precipitous  slopes 


on  the  X.  side  of  the  WalUnthal,  a  short 
glen  which  joins  the  Passeyerthal  at  St. 
Leonhard.  On  descending  into  the  glen 
the  path  passes  the  hamlet  of  Walttn, 
where  there  is  a  poor  inn.  As  the  tra- 
veller approaches  St.  Leonhard  he  passes 
close  to  the  ancient  castle  of  Javfenhurg 
now  in  ruins,  except  a  portion  inhabited 
by  a  peasant.  It  commands  a  very  fine 
view  of  the  Passeyerthal.  1\  hrs.  from 
the  pass  suffice  to  reach  St.  Leonhard ; 
but  as  that  village  is  lower  than  Sterzing 
by  820  ft.,  7  hrs.  are  allowed  for  the  whole 
distance  when  the  pass  is  taken  from  this 
side.  The  Passeyerthal,  through  wliich 
lies  the  remainder  of  the  way  to  Meran, 
is  described  in  ^  48,  Ete.  B. 


EOL-TE  K. 

BOTZEN   TO   STEIiZIXG,    THROrGH   THE 
SABXTHAT,. 


Hrs- 

Eng. 

walking 

miles 

Samthcin  . 

.        .    4i 

14 

Pens  . 

.    4A 

14 

Sterzing    . 

.     5| 

15 

14^  43 

The  district  included,  and  almost  en- 
closed, between  the  two  main  branches 
of  the  Adige  contains,  along  with  the 
two  high  gi'oiips  of  the  Oetzthal  and 


ROUTE    K.- 


193 


Stiibay  Alpp,  a  more  POTithern  group  of 
much  lovver  mountains.     This  is  diviclKl 
into  tMo  eoual  portions  l)y  the  Sarnfhal. 
a  valley  originatino:  in  tlie  mountains  S.  i 
of  Sterzing,  and  opening  into  the  broad  ; 
valley  of  the  Adige  immediately  N.  of 
Botzen.      A  glance  at  the  map  sliows  i 
that  the  most  direct  line  between  those  • 
towns  lies  through  this  valley,  and  over 
one  or  other  of  the  easy  passes  connect- 
ing it  with  the  upper  valley  of  the  Eis-  ' 
ack.      Though  the  scenery  is  not  of  a  : 
very  high  order,  this  course  may  be  re-  j 
commended  to  the  pedestrian  who  would  j 
avoid  the  heat  and  dust  of  the  high  road,  j 
In   descending  the   valley  the  traveller  , 
may  avail  himself  of  the  new  road  called 
Sarner  Strasse.  opened  in  ISo-i.  by  en- 
gaging a   vehicle   from   the  village   of 
Sarnthein  to  Botzen  ;  but  in  ascending 
it  does  not  save  much  time.     The  road 
keeps  chiefly  to  the  1.  bank  of  the  Talfer- 
hach.  but  there  is  also  a  footpath  by  the 
rt.  bank.     The  former  is  generally  pre- 
ferred.     Leaving   on  the  rt.  hand  the 
road  to  Klobenstein.  noticed  in  Rte.  A, 
the  new  road  turns  nearly  due  N.     The 
villages  are  for  the  most  part  perched 
on  the  slopes  of  the  mountains  on  either 
hand,    and    many    ancient    castles,    in 
more  or  less  ruinous  condition,  are  seen 
throughout   the  valley.      About    1|  hr. 
from  Botzen  two  tributary  torrents  fall 
in  opposite  directions  into  the   Talfer. 
From  the  W.  comes  the  Dornbach,  above 
which  is  seen  the  village  oi  Afiyig  (3,383'), 
and  nearly  opposite  is  the  junction  of  the 
Emmersbach.      On   the  slope  above  it 
stands 

Wangen  (3.468').  About  |  hr.  farther 
the  road  enters  the  remarkable  defile 
of  the  Marterloeh,  passing  under  a 
nearly  vertical  rock,  crowned  by  a  pil- 
grimage church.  Farther  on  (on  the  rt. 
bank)  is  the  mineral  spring  of  Schorgan, 
frenuented  by  the  countrv*  people  ;  the 
road  keeps  to  the  opposite  side  until 
close  to  the  main  village,  and  chief  place 
of  the  district, 

Sarntheiji    (Inns:     beim    Schweizer, 

and   several    others),    3,164    ft.    above 

the  sea.     Since  the  opening  of  the  new 

road  it  is  resorted  to  by  the  people  of 

c.  T.  ( 


Botzen  during  the  Somrncrfris''})  season. 
On  the  heights  above  the  1.  Itank  of  the 
stream  opposite  to  the  villair*^  are  the 
castles  of  Reineck  and  Kranzenstein, 
and  in  the  valley  a  more  modern  .resi- 
dence belonging  to  Count  8arnthein. 
As  the  mountains  enclosing  the  valley 
are  easily  accessible,  there  are  many 
paths  leading  in  various  directions,  to 
find  which,  as  a  general  rule,  it  is  ad- 
visable to  take  a  guide.  One  somewhat 
frequented  track  leads  westward  in  5  or  6 
hrs.  over  the  Kreiiz  Jock  (  6,04-o')  to  Me- 
ran.  In  the  opposite  direction  paths  lead 
to  Klausen  or  to  Kollman  in  the  valley 
of  the  Eisack.  One  of  the  most  agree- 
able expeditions  is  the  ascent  of  ti>e 
Sanier  Srharte  C8.2."Jo'),  rising  due  W. 
of  the  village.  The  panorama  is  much 
the  same  as  that  from  the  Rittnerhorn 
(Rte.  A).  From  the  top  the  traveller 
may  descend  to  Klausen,  or  else  make 
his  way  southward  to  Klobenstein  and 
Botzen. 

The  Sarnthal,  after  widening  out 
somewhat  in  the  neighbourhood  sf  the 
principal  village,  narrows  again  as  tlie 
tra*k  runs  northward  along  the  1.  bank 
to  Asffcld,  where  the  main  stream  of  the 
Talfer  is  formed  by  the  junction  of  the 
torrents  issuing  from  the  two  uppermost 
branches  of  the  valley.  The  NE.  branch, 
or  Diirnholzthal,  is  briefly  noticed  below: 
the  northern  branch,  called  Pensertbal» 
affords  the  most  direct  way  to  Sterzing. 
The  scenery  of  the  P'nserthal  is  varied 
and  pleasing  throughout  the  ascent  to 
"Weissenbach,  where,  about  3^  hrs.  from 
Sarnthein,  the  traveller  finds  a  tolerable 
country  inn.  Here  the  head  of  the  val- 
ley opens,  into  view  somewhat  N.  of  E., 
while  a  path  mounts  westward,  and  leads 
in  about  6  hrs.  to  St.  Leonhard  in  the 
Passeyerthal. 

Nearly  1  hr.  above  Weissenbach  is 
Fens  (4.781'\  the  highest  villasre  in  this 
branch  of  the  Sarnthal.  It  has  a  rough 
atid  poor,  but  clean,  inn.  Fi-om  this 
village  a  path  runs  due  N.  to  the  Jaufen- 
thal  (see  last  Etc."),  and  is  possi[)ly  the 
shortest  way  to  Sterzing.  Another  pass, 
lying  a  little  way  farther  E.,  leads  to 
Grasteig.     Tl\e  more  frequented  way  is 


104 


CENTRAL    TYROL    ALPS. 


§    50.    ZILLFRTHAL    DISTRICT. 


by  a  track  which  follows  the  torrent  to 
the   hamlet  of   Asten,   and   then  turns 
northward  to  ascend   the   Tenser   Joch 
(7,340').     On  reaching  the  summit  the 
traveller  overlooks  a  short  and  deep  glen 
■whose   torrent  joins   the    Eisack   near  ! 
Mauls.      The   path    to   Sterzing   winds  | 
aiong  the  slopes  on  the  N.  and  W.  side  | 
of  the  glen,  and  finally  turns  northward  j 
over  the  shoulder  of  the  mountain,  and 
descends  to  Stilfs  on  the  rt.  batik  of  the 
Eisack,  about  4  m.  below  Sterzing. 

The  Durnholzthal,  the  opening  of 
which  was  left  on  the  rt.  hand  in  ascend- 
ing from  Astfeld.  is  a  very  picturesque 
glen,  through  which  the  traveller  may 
find  an  agreeable  way  from  Sarnthein  to 
Brixen.  About  If  hr.  from  Sarnthein  he 
leaves  on  his  rt.  hand  the  hamlet  of 
Jicinswald,  where  there  is  a  decent  inn, 
and  1}  hr.  farther  reaches 

Durnholz  (5,203'),  where  accommoda- 
tion is  found  at  the  house  of  the  priest. 
Near  this  is  a  lake  well  stocked  with 
trout,  whose  dark  blue  waters  are  ima- 
gined to  be  in  connection  with  the  la- 
goons of  Venice.  A  pleasant  path  leads 
in  b\  hrs.  over  the  Schalderer  Joch 
(about  7.500')  to  Brixen,  passing  thr' 
village  of  Schalders,  with  a  rustic  bath 
establishment.  Another  way  leads  to 
Klauson  by  the  Lazfonser  Joch.  The 
l.-itter  pass  is  most  easily  reached  from 
Jieiuswald. 

[There  is  a  direct  way  from  Pens  to 
Durnholz  ''\\'  the  Durnhoher  Joch 
(7.i8(f'),  which  may  be  accomplished  in 
2|  hrs.  from  one  village  to  the  other.] 


SECTION  .50. 

ZlLLEliTHAL    DISTRICT. 

In  the  last  two  sections  the  portion  of 
the  main  chain  of  the  Tyrol  Alps  lying 
between  the  sources  of  the  Adige  and  the 
Brenner  Pass  have  been  described.     It 
was  seen  that  this  consists  mainly  of 
two  masses  of  crystalline  rock — a  loftier 
and  more  extensive  south-western  mass 
enclosing  the  head  of  the  Oetzthal,  and 
a  smaller  and  less  elevated  north-east- 
ern mass   sui-rounding  the  Stubaythal 
and  its   tributary   glens.      It   was   re- 
marked that  the  Brenner  Pass,  which 
opens  so  deep  a  passage  from  the  north 
to  the  south  side  of  the  Alps,  corresponds 
rather  to  a  dislocation  than  to  a  breach 
in   the  continuity  of  the  main  range. 
Taking  into  account  the  seneral  disposi- 
tion of  the  masses,  and  that  of  the  main 
valleys    and    minor   ridges,    the    T}to1 
Alps  W.  of  the  Brenner  adhere  to  that 
SW.  to  NE.   direction   which  prevails 
throughout  the   Western    and  Central 
Alps.     On  the  other  hand,  the  inspec- 
tion of    any  ordinary  map   suffices   to 
show  that  in  Eastern  Tyrol,  and  the  re- 
gion extending  thence  eastward  to  the 
borders  of  Hungary,  the  ruling  direction 
of  the  ridges  and  valleys  diverges  little 
from  due  W.  to  E.     In  the  space  imme- 
diately E.  of  the  Brenner,   where  the 
two  systems,  if  prolonged,  would  inter- 
sect, we   find  interposed  a  lofty  group 
mainly  composed  of  two  nearly  parallel 
ridges  that  affect  an  intermediate  direc- 
tion from  WSW.  to  ENE.     The  longer 
!  and  more  considt^rable  of  these  is  nearly 
j  continuous  with  the  range  of  the  High 
I  Tauern  to  the  E.,  but  both  lie  somewhat 
I  on  one  side  of  the  axis  of  the  western 
I  main  range,  and  the  Brenner  Pass  cor- 
j  responds  to  the  dislocation  thus  caused, 
j  A-ery  much  as  the  Malo;a,  the  Spliigen, 
!  and  the  Simplon  passes  corrrspond  to 
j  similar  dislocatirms.     The  ridtros  above 
!  spoken  of  enclose  the  pi'incipal  branch 
i  of  the  Zillerthal,   and  they  are  chiefly 
■  drained    by   torrents    that    send    their 
j  w.-iters  to  the  Inn  through  the. same  val- 


ZILLERTHAL    DISTRICT. 


[95 


ley,  which  naturally  gives  its  name  to  ; 
this  portion  of  the  Tyrol  Alps.  I 

The    longer   and  loftier  of  the  two  j 
ridges  that  enclose  the  Zillerthal  extends  j 
westward  close  to  the  town  of  Sterzing, 
and,  with  but  trifling  dislocations,  forms 
a  continuous  range  from  tlieuce  to  the 
Arlscharte,  a  distance  of   100  English 
m..  measured  along  the  nearly  straight 
axis  of  the  chain.     In  this  space  there 
is  no  pass   falling  below  8,000  ft.,  and 
but  very  few  that  even  approach  that 
limit,     so     that    taking   together   the 
main  range  of  the  Zillerthal  with  that 
of  the  High  Tauern,  described  in  the 
following  sections,  they  form  a  far  more 
complete  barrier  between  the  North  and 
the  South  than  any  part  of  the  Alpine  i 
chain  of  nearly  equal  extent.  No  engineer 
has  ever  proposed  to  carry  a  carriage- 
road  over  this  part  of  the  Alpine  chain, 
and  in  a  space  of  85  miles  there  is  but 
a    single    pass   serviceable   for   beasts 
of  burden.     One  of  the  slight  disloca- 
tions  above  mentioned   corresponds    to 
the  junction  of  the  ZillertJial  range  ex- 
tending ENE.  from  Sterzing  with  the 
High  Tauern,  the  point  of  junction  be- 
ing the  summit  of  the  Dreiherrnspitz.  : 
Here    is     the     Krimmlertauern   Pass  j 
(9,071'),  which  forms  the  most  natural 
division  between  the  district  described  ; 
in   this  section  and    the  High  Tauern  ; 
range.     Southward  the  Ahrenthal,  and 
northward    the   Krimmlerthal,  form    a  : 
well-marked  boundary  between  this  and  ; 
the  district  described  in  the  next  sec-  i 
tion.     Elsewhere  its  limits  are  traced  by  ; 
the  valley  of  the  Rienz  to  the  S.,  by  the 
road  of  the  Brenner  to  the  W.,  and  on 
the  N.  side  by  the  valley  of  the  Inn  be- 
tween Innsbruck  and  the  Zillerthal — by 
the  latter  valley  as  far  as  the  village  of 
Zt'll,  and  thence  by  the  road  over  the 
Grerlos  Pass  to  Wald  in  Pinzgau.  at  the 
junction  of  the  Krimmler  Ache  with  the 
Salza. 

The  way  from  Bruneck  to  "Wald.  by 
the  Ahrenthal  and  the  Krimmlerthal, 
is  described  in  Rte.  E.  Vmt  the  valley  of 
the  Rienz,   between  Brixen  and  Brun-  .' 
eck,  is  more  conveniently  described    in  i 
the  next  section. 


The  portion  of  TjtoI  included  within 
the  limits  above  defined  has  until  lately 
been  almost  completely  neglected,  not 
only  by  foreign  tourists,  but  also  by 
Austrian  mountaineers.  Most  of  the 
highest  peaks  remained,  not  only  nnas- 
cended,  but  unmeasured ;  and  in  this 
way  it  happened  that  five  or  six  peaks 
in  succession  have  enjoyed  the  reputa- 
tion of  being  the  highest  of  the  group. 
It  is  mainly  to  Colonel  von  Sonklar, 
whose  name  so  constantly  recurs  in 
connection  with  the  main  chain  of  the 
Tyrol  Alps,  that  we  are  indebted  for 
such  accurate  information  as  we  now 
possess.  He  has  not  indeed  lavished 
upon  this  district  the  amount  of  labo- 
rious investigation  which  in  the  Oetzthal 
and  Tauern  groiips  have  almost  ex- 
hausted the  field  of  orographic  enquiry', 
but  his  papers  upon  this  district  in  the 
first  and  second  volumes  of  the  '  Jahr- 
buch  '  of  the  Austrian  Alpine  Club  con- 
tain the  chief  data  requisite  for  a  correct 
knowledge  of  the  two  main  ridges  that 
form  the  nucleus  of  this  group. 

The  longer  and  more  southerly  of  these 
ridges,  which  we  shall  term  the  Ziller- 
thal main  range,  is  that  which  extends, 
as  already  mentioned,  from  Sterzing  to 
the  Krimmler  Tauern— about  36  m.  On 
the  S.  side  this  range,  through  about 
half  its  length,  falls  abruptly  towards 
the  Ahrenthal,  and  sends  out  no  lateral 
ridgps  of  considerable  height ;  but  on  the 
N.  side  the  secondary  ridges  are  of  much 
greater  dimensions.  Prom  the  ENE. 
end  of  the  range,  near  the  Krimmler 
Tauern,  a  very  considerable  mass,  whose 
mean  height  is  little  less  than  that  of 
the  main  chain,  diverges  to  N.  and  NW., 
and  other  considerable  secondary  ridges 
.are  noticed  in  Rte.  B.  The  highest 
peaks  in  the  main  Zillerthal  range, 
reckoning  from  K.  toW.,  are  the  Bauch- 
kogel  (10,661').  Hnllen~koiif  (10,492'), 
lAJfdspitz  (11.108'),  Schwarzenstein 
(11.04:6'),  the  five  Horn  Spitzm.  which 
attain  10,842  ft.,  Thumerkamp  (1 1.1 89'), 
Bossruckspitz  (10,881'),  Mosdc  (called 
on  the  S.  side  Mbsdenock)  (11,315'), 
Weisszmtk{10,84:V)Mochfcilcr  (1 1.535'), 
Grn^esj^itz {II, Z93'),  Grabqntz{10,0&d'), 


lOG 


CENTRAL    TYROL    ALPS.       §    50.    ZILLERTHAL    DISTRICT. 


Wildkreuzspifz  (10.271'),  and  lastly  the 
Ebengruhspitz  (9  J63').  The  last,  with 
the  somewhat  more  northerly  Kramer- 
spitz  (9,658'),  are  succeeded  by  the 
much  lower  summit  of  the  Trenserjoch, 
which  forms  the  western  termination  of 
the  main  range  close  to  Sterzing.  The 
highest  of  the  above-named  peaks  (Hoch- 
feiler  and  G-rasespitz)  do  not  lie  on  the 
watershed,  but  in  a  short  lateral  ridge 
projecting  northward  from  the  "Weiss- 
zinth.  In  the  mountain  mass  extending 
N.  and  NW.  from  the  Krimmler  Tauern 
the  principal  summits  are  the  Eeichen- 
spitz  (10,866'),  &u;hprkopf  (10,708'), 
Wildaerlosspitz {10,771'),  and  Gamssjntz 
(10.522'). 

The  northern  group  of  the  Zillerthal 
Alps  is  mainly  formed  by  the  so-called 
Tuser  range.  This  is  nearly  parallel 
to  the  main  range,  but  is  directed  more 
nearly  from  XE.  to  SW.,  so  that  if  pro- 
longed, the  axes  of  both  would  meet  a 
little  W.  of  Sterzing.  It  is  shorter,  and 
it«  mean  elevation  is  less  than  that  of 
the  main  range,  but  its  highest  peak 
falls  only  a  few  ft.  below  the  Hochfeiler: 
Its  chief  summits,  reckoning  as  before 
from  E.  to  W.,  are  the  Grunhcrqlcor 
0.397'),  Blffler  {lQm7'\  RippenMpfe 
(10,743'),  Olpjercr  Fuss-stein  (11,451'), 
Alpeiner-Feriierspiiz  (11,11 3'),  Sdgewand 
(10,870') — not  to  be  confounded  with 
the  much  lower  Hoch  Sage  (9,365'),  one 
of  the  minor  peaks  of  the  main  range. 
Somewhat  S.  of  the  Sagewand  is  the 
Hohcwand  (10,780'),  and  to  this  succeeds 
a  series  of  lower  summits  (none  of 
which  attain  10,000  ft.)  till  the  Tuxer 
range  terminates  towards  the  Eisack 
between  Grossensass  and  Sterzing  in  the 
low  summit  of  the  Saunjoch  (6,844'). 
The  two  principal  ranges  are  united  to- . 
gether  by  a  comparatively  low  transverse 
ridge  connecting  the  Hochfeiler  with  the 
Hohewand.  over  which  lies  the  pass  of 
the  Pjitscher  Jock  (7,297'). 

An  extensive  mountain  tract  lies  to 
the  N.  of  the  Tuxer  range,  filling  the 
space  between  it  and  the  Innthal  with 
ramifications  that  reach  the  Lower  Zil- 
lerthal. The  summits  of  this  range 
fall  for  the  most  part  considerably  be- 


low 10,000  ft.  One  of  the  most  cjn- 
spicuous  is  the  Glungetzerspitz  (8,756'), 
near  Innsbruck. 

Till  lately  few  of  the  higher  summits 

of  the  Zillerthal  Alps  had  been  ascended. 

The  Hochfeiler  was  reached  for  the  first 

time  in  1865  by  M.  Grohmann.  and  the 

{  Moseleinthe  same  year  by  Mr.  Tuckett. 

I  The  LofFelspitz  was  climbed  in  1843  by 

I  M.  Lipoid,  and  since  that  date  by  some 

I  German  travellers,  and  by  Dr.  Erinton ; 

:  the  Schwarzenstein  has  been  attained  by 

I  Dr.  Ruthner;  and  in  1867  M.  Grohmann 

j  climbed  the  Olperer  Fus.->-stein.     There 

remain  unascended,  the  Grasespitz,  Ai- 

peiner  Eernerspitz,   and  Tliurnerkamp, 

all  exceeding  11,000  ft.  in  height.     The 

last  appears  difficult,  but  promises  a  very 

fine  panoramic  view. 

Good  quarters  are  found  at  Zell  and 
Mayrhofen  ir  the  main  valley,  but  these 
places  lie  too  low  for  the  taste  of  moun- 
taineers. They  will  prefer  the  humbler 
yet  clean  accommodation  at  Ginzling  or 
Lauersbach.  Members  of  the  Alpine 
Club,  able  to  speak  German,  may  safely 
venture  to  apply  for  hospitality  at  the 
"Widura,  or  priest's  house,  even  in  places 
where  this  is  not  accorded  to  all  travel- 
lers. Of  course  in  such  cases  the  tra- 
veller should  leave  a  suitable  gratuity 
with  the  housekeeper. 


ROUTE    A. — LOWER    ZILLERTHAL. 


19^ 


Route  A. 

INifSBBUCK    TO    LE>rD,    BY     THE    ZILLER- 
THAL   AND    PINZGAU. 

Eng'.  miles 

Jenbach  (by  railway)  .        .        .  Ti^ 

Fiigen 5i 

Zell 8" 

Geiios mi 

Wald lO-f 

Mittersill 14 

Lengdorf 7 

Bruck 10 

Taxenbach 7 

Lend 5 

lOOJ 

This  is  a  route  frequented  by  tourists  ; 
and  although  the  portion  between  Wald 
in  Pinzgau  and  Lend  does  not  lie  within 
this  district,  it  has  appeared  more  con- 
venient to  describe  it  here  rather  than 
refer  the  reader  to  another  section. 

The  valley  of  the  Inn  between  Inns- 
bruck and  Kufstein  is  described  in  §  43, 
Rte.  B.  Travellers  approaching  the 
Zillerthal  usually  leave  the  railway  at 
Jenbach;  but  pedestrians  from  the  Kuf- 
stein side  may  stop  at  BrLvle//_</.  The 
distance  from  either  of  these  stations  to 
Strass,  where  the  road  to  Zell  turns 
aside  from  the  main  road  along  the  Inn, 
is  about  1^  m.  An  omnibus  plies  daily, 
leaving  Zell  at  8.30  a.m.,  reaching 
Jenbacti  at  !  2.  .'30,  and  returning  thence 
about  2  P.M.  Carriages  are  usually  to 
be  found  at  Jenbach,  either  at  the 
stiition  or  at  the  post  in  the  vilkiges; 
but  it  is  safer  to  order  one  be'brehand. 
'['he  road  is  good  as  far  a=;  ZfU,  but 
be: ween  that  place  and  Wild  it  is  too 
rough  for  any  but  common  carts,  and 
thoee  who  do  not  walk  must  ride.  The 
cliarges  for  horsts  a  id  gu.des  alongthis 
route  are  liigher  than  is  u^uhI  m  Tyrol. 

Thr  visitor  to  the  Zillerthal  who  is 
not  too  hurried,  iniiy  feel  interest  in 
obtaining  >onie  little  acquaintance  with 
the  nrrniiier- and  c-usronis  of  its  inhabit- 
atiis.  The  people  of  this  valley  are 
consulered  throughout  Tvrol  as  in  a 
spL'cial  d  'gree  '  racv  of  the  soil.'  The 
artistic  eleni'jnt  is  strong  in  their  com- 
posiiion.    Tile  valley  has  produced  not 


a  few  painters  and  sculptors.  The  love 
of  music  and  dancing  is  univeisai,  an<i 
the  Zillerthal  minstrels,  especially  those 
who  perform  at  Zell,  bear  a  high  re- 
putation. Unhappily,  this  pleasant  trait 
is  counterbalanced  by  the  almost  eciualiy 
general  love  of  strong  drink.  A  fes- 
tivity which  commences  under  ttie 
auspices  of  the  Muses  usually  degene- 
rates into  a  bacchanalian  orgy. 

'I'he  road  from  Strass  keeps  to  th-^  W 
side  of  the  valley  at  some  distance  irom 
the  I.  bank  of  the  Ziller.  The  scenery 
of  the  lower  valley  is  pleasing,  but  not 
very  striking;  the  lower  slopes  on  either 
hand  are  animated  by  numerous  neat 
villages  and  hamlets.with  many  of  those 
sharply-pointed  church  spires  that  aie 
characteristic  of  N.  Tyrol.  Some  high 
summits,  especially  the  Ahornspitz,  are 
visihle  in  the  buckground,  but  the 
bolder  peaks  of  the  nuiin  range  are  not 
visible  from  the  main  valley. 

At  Schlitters,  the  first  village  beyond 
Strass,  the  pastoral  glen  of  the  Ochsen- 
thal  opens  to  SSW.,  enclosed  by  a  range 
which  scarcely  surpasses  7,000  ft.  in 
height.  The  next  village,  about  3^  m. 
from  Strass,  is 

Fiigen  (Inns:  Post;  Stern;  Aigner's; 
the  latter  is  visited  for  the  sake  of  the 
musical  performances  of  the  landlord 
and  his  family),  the  chief  place  of  the 
Lower  Zillerthal.  The  church  contains 
some  fine  carving  by  a  native  artist. 
This  is  the  most  convenient  starting- 
point  for  the  ascent  of  the  Kdlerjoch 
(7,633'),  which  rises  to  the  SW.,  and 
about  an  equal  distance  SE.  of  Schwaz, 
in  the  Inr.thal  (§  43,  Rte.  BK  The 
panoramic  view  is  highly  spoken  of. 
The  higher  summit  of  the  GUferUhery 
(8,201'j  stands  at  the  head  of  "the  Van- 
kratzenthnl,  the  torrent  from  which  is 
traversed  by  the  road  about  1^  m.  S.  of 
Fiigen.  It  should  command  a  still  more 
extensive  view.  After  passing  Uderns 
and  Ried.  the  traveller  sees  on  the  op- 
posite side  of  the  valley,  beside  the 
village  of  Stumm,  the  opening  of  the 
Heircnthal.  a  wild  glen  that  drains  on 
one  side  the  group  of  summits  NW.  of 
Oerlos,  that  culminate  in  the  Thorhelm 


108  CENTRAL    TVIiOL    ALPS.       §    50.    ZILLERTHAL    DISTRICT. 


(5  44.  Kte.  D).  The  head  of  the  glen 
should  offer  some  fine  scenery.  Some  : 
2  m.  farther,  the  road  crosses  a  slight  1 
eawnence  by  Ascliau.  that  commands  a  | 
very  pleasing  view  of  the  valley.  Little  j 
more  than  2  m.  beyond  Aschau  is  ■ 

Zefl  (1,850'),   the  chi<;f  place  in  the  \ 
valley,  with  numerous  inns.     The  Post  | 
on    the    1.    bajik    is    good,    but   rather  j 
U'jisy  ;  excellent  music  in  the  evening  ;  | 
next  is  the  Wtlschwirth,  a  good  country 
itm;  neither  is  r-lieap  for  Tyrol.     The 
Bi-iiuhausis  rustic,  clieap,  good  dinners; 
and  l^esides this  thcNeu\virth,Engel,and 
Greicierers  are  recommended.  The  chief  | 
inns  and  the  church  are  on  the  rt.  bank  ! 
of  the  Ziller.     The  inns  are  crowded  on  ! 
Sundays  and  holidays,  and  nowhere  can  i 
the  traveller   find   more    characteristic  | 
scenes  of  rural  Alpine  life.     The  after- 
noon   is   devoted  to    shooting-matches, 
f(/ilowcd  by  song  and  dance,  in  which 
the   athletic   forms  of  both   sexes,  ar- 
rayed   in    their   ancient    costume,    are 
seen  to  advantage.     These  amusements, 
seasoned  by  copious  libations,  are  kept 
up  till  a  late  hour.     The  stranger  who 
may  be  tempted  to  mix  in  these  revels, 
Tunst  be  prepared  to   accept  the   chal- 
lenge  when    invited  to  drink  a  health 
eitlier  in  wine  or  brandy.     A  refusal  is 
deemed  a  serious  afi'ront. 

A  small  gold-mine  near  the  village 
does  little  more  than  pay  the  cost  of 
working  it.  ' 

At  Zell,  a  portion  of  the  range  of 
saowy  peaks  enclosing  the  main  branch 
of  the  Zillerthal  comes  into  view.  Of 
these  the  nearest  conspicuous  summit  is 
the  Gross  Ingent  (9,562').  The  traveller 
bound  for  the  Pinzgau  unwillingly  turns 
aside  from  the  wild  and  striking  scenery 
of  the  main  valley,  to  commence  the  as- 
cent of  the  low  pass  that  here  connects 
Tyrol  with  Salzburg.  The  charge  for  a 
horse  to  Wald  or  Krimml  is  9  fl. ;  and 
that  for  a  guide  (quite  unnecessary)  4  fl. 

The  ascent  to  Gerlos  commences  very 
near  the  village  of  Zell.  At  a  votive 
column  to  the  Madonna  the  path  bears 
to  the  rt..  at  first  S.,  and  then  mounts 
to  the  E.  the  slope  of  the  Hainzenherg, 
which    is   the   spur   of  mountain   that 


divides  the  trough  of  the  Gerlos  Pass 
from  the  Upper  Zillei-thal.  Footpaths 
save  the  traveller's  feet  from  the  rough 
cart-road,  and  at  intervals  he  enjoys  the 
shade  of  the  pine-forest.  A  neat  little 
church,  with  adjoining  priest's  house, 
senses  for  the  scattered  inhabitants. 
Towards  the  summit  of  the  slope  the 
view  backward,  extending  the  whole 
length  of  the  Lower  Zillerthal,  with  its 
many  villages  and  church-spires  en- 
closed between  the  mountains  on  either 
side,  is  very  charming.  At  about  1 
hr.  from  Zell,  is  a  wayside  inn  (Auf 
dem  Etschen).  The  Gerlos  torrent, 
hitherto  lost  to  sight  in  a  ravine  on  the 
1.  hand,  is  now  approached,  but  the 
track  keeps  to  its  1.  bank.  Through 
some  lateral  glens  that  open  on  the  rt. 
hand,  glimpses  are  gained  of  the  Brand- 
berger  Kolm,  and  other  high  mountains 
forming  part  of  the  Eeichenspitz  group 
mentioned  in  the  introduction  to  this 
section,  while  on  the  N.  side  the  sum- 
mits of  the  Thorhelm  range  occasionally 
come  in  view.  At  the  hamlet  of  Gmund, 
about  2|  hrs.  from  Zell,  the  torrent 
from  the  Wimmerthal,  issuing  through  a 
rocky  cleft  on  the  rt.  hand,  forms  a 
pretty  wa<-erfall.  Here  the  track,  which 
has  hitherto  lain  due  E.,  bends  to  NE. 
across  a  tract  of  broad  Alpine  meadow, 
and  crosses  the  torrent  three  times,  and 
after  various  windings,  in  about  f  hr. 
more  reaches  the  scattered  village  of 
Gerlos  (3,964').  There  are  three  inns, 
of  which  two  are  kept  by  Kammerlander. 
The  better  of  these  is  the  Alpenrose, 
which  is  tolerably  good,  but  by  no 
means  cheap.  To  SSE.,  through  the 
Schonacherthal,  lies  the  way  to  the 
Eeichenspitz  (10,866')  and  the  Wild- 
gerlosspitz  (10,771').  The  former  is  said 
to  have  been  reached  years  ago  by  Peter 
Haller,  the  best  guide  for  this  neigh- 
bourhood— to  be  heard  of  here  or  at 
Gmiind.  About  ^  m.  beyond  Gerlos 
the  Krummthal  opens  to  the  N.,  soon 
turning  to  WNW.,  and  offers  the  best 
way  to  the  summit  of  the  Thorhelm 
(§  44,  Rte.  D\ 

After   passing    the    opening   of    the 
Krummthal  (also  called  Kriimmel  or 


ROUTE    A. UPPER    PINZGAU. 


199 


Ivrimmel.  but  not  to  be  confounded  with  i 
the    better    known    valley    mentioned  j 
l»elow j,  the  track  passes  through  a  gorge  i 
which  s'>on  opens  into  the  Durh.^bodm,  ! 
as  the  uppermost  end  of  the  G-erlos  glen  i 
is  locally  called.     There  is  here  a  large  \ 
Klause,  or  woodcutter's  dam,  near  the  I 
o^(^mngof  the  Wddfjerlo^thal.     Throtigh  | 
this  the  mountaineer  may  ascend  due  S.  i 
to  a  little  lake  (Gerlos  See),  very  finely  | 
situated  in  the  midst  of  a  circle  of  high  I 
peaks.     The  rough  cart-track  leading  to 
the  Piuzgau,  keeps   a   little  N.  of  E., 
through  the  Diirlosboden  to  the  pass — 
Gerlos  Sattel  (4.717'))  also  called  Pinz-  i 
gauer  Hohe,  about  1.^  hr.  from  G-erlos. 
This  deep  depression,  hnng  in  the  axis  ' 
of  thp  great  line  of  valley  that  extends  | 
hence  to  Hieflau  on  the  Enns,  divides  | 
the  Kitzbiihel  (§  44)  from  the  Zillerthal  } 
Alps.     The  portion  of  that  long  trough  j 
forming  the  tipper  valley  of  the  Salza,  \ 
and  called  Pinzgau,  plays  a  part  in  the 
orography  of  this   district,   similar   to  { 
that  of  the  Rhone  valley  in  Switzerland, 
running  transversely  to  the  natural  flow 
of  the  cb'ainage  ot  the  main  chain,  with 
this    additional    circumstance,    that   on 
the  N.  side  of  the  Pinzgau  the  low  Thurn 
Pass  (4,371'),  and  the  still  deeper  open- 
ing at  Zell  am  See  (2.469').   left  free 
course  for  the  outflow  of  the  drainage  in 
that  direction.    The  way  lies  nearly  due 
p]..  atid  in  less  than  ^  hr.  the  traveller 
reaches  a  rough-looking  inn  at  Ronaeh 
(4.346'),  and  following  the  course  of  the 
infant  Salza,  that  issues  from  a  glen  to 
the    N.   (§  44.  Rte.  D),  he   reaches  in 
about  2  hrs.'  steady  walking  from  the 
pass,   the  village   of   Wald  (3,044')  in 
Pinzgau.    The  road  becomes  practicable 
for  liijht  carriages  at  Ronaeh,  but  no 
vehicle  is  to  be  found  there,  nor  is  one 
always  available  at  AYald.     Travelling 
witli  ladies,  it  is  prudent  to  write  be- 
forehand to  that  place  or  to  Krimml. 

The  great  majority  of  travellers  who 
cross  the  Gerlos  Pass  make  a  slight 
detoiu'  to  visit  the  waterfall  of  Krimml, 
perhaps  the  finest  in  the  Alps.  Even 
without  that  attraction,  the  scenery  on 
the  way  to  Krimml  (see  Rte,  E)  is 
much  superior  to  that  of  the  direct  road 


by  Wald.  and  involves  a  detour  of  only 
3  or  4  miles. 

The  high  road  along  the  N.  side  of 
the  Salza  runs  for  many  miles  nearly 
level.  The  most  interesting  spots  on 
the  way  are  those  where  the  lateral 
valleys  of  tlie  High  Tauern  open  into 
the  Pinzgau.  Two  of  the  finest  of  these, 
bearing  down  the  clrain;ige  of -the  highest 
peaks  of  the  Gross  Venediger  group 
{%  51.  Rte.  F),  pour  their  torrents  into 
the  Salza  nearly  at  the  same  point.  The 
opening  of  both  valleys  is  well  seen 
from  a  smith's  forge,  built  up  against  a 
huge  erratic  block,  called  the  Teufelstein, 
little  mo^-e  than  a  mile  below  Wald. 
The  legend  connecting  this  block  with 
the  ruined  castles  of  Hieburg  and  Pried- 
burg  on  the  opposite  slopes  of  the  valley, 
may  be  read  in  the  third  vol.  of  Schau- 
bach.  About  2^  m.  from  Wald  is 
Neitkirchn  (2.987"),  with  a  decent  coun- 
try inn  (Bachmaier).  and  a  very  ancient 
castle,  still  inhabited.  The  village 
watchmaker  is  recommended  as  a  guide. 
Scarcely  2  ra.  beyond  Neukirchen  is  the 
Weyerhof,  an  ancient  house  standing  by 
a  picturesque  tower,  all  that  remains  of 
a  ruined  castle.  The  house  is  now  con- 
verted into  a  very  fair  country  inn,  de- 
serving a  visit  for  the  sake  of  the  wood- 
carving  still  contained  in  some  rooms. 
The  glrtss-p;nnted  windows  have  been 
removed  to  the  museum  at  Salzburg. 
The  Weyerhof  stands  a  little  below  the 
opening  of  the  HahacherthaL  one  of  the 
wildest  glens  of  the  Tauern  Alps.  In  the 
background  the  Schwarzkopf  (10.425') 
is  seen  risins;  above  the  Habacher-kees, 
after  the  two  Sulzbacher  glaciers,  the 
greate-st  of  those  on  this  side  of  the 
range  i%  51,  Rte.  F). 

About  U  ni.  from  AVeyerhof  is  the 
neat  village  of  Brambcrg  (2.874')  with  an 
old  gothic  church.  After  passing  Bichl 
the  road  crosses  a  torrent  and  reaches 

Muhlbach  (2,714'),  about  8^  m.  from 
Wald.  The  torrent  descends  from  the 
MwMbnchthal.  through  which  a  path 
leads  to  Kirchberg,  near  Kitzbiihel,  over 
the  Stange,  a  pass  lying  close  under  *he 
peak  of  the  Rettenstein.  Near  Miihi- 
bach  on  the  S.  side  of  the  Salza   are 


200 


CENTRAL    TYROL    ALPS.       §    50.    ZILLERTHAL    DLSTUICT. 


furnaces  for  smelting  copper,  and  vitriol- 
works.  About  1  ni.  boyoiid  Miihlbach  j 
the  road  descends  to  the  Salza,  then 
crosses  to  the  rt.  bank,  and  in  a  few  mi- 
nutes more  reaches  Hollcrshach  (2,783'), 
at  the  opening  of  the  Holltrsbacherthcd. 
The  mountaineer  may  find  his  way 
through  it  to  Windisch  Matrei  over  a 
difficult  pass  (§51,  Rte.  F).  The  road 
now  runs  nearly  straight  for  nearly  4  ni. 
along  the  meadows  that  fill  the  floor  of 
the  valley,  and  then  turns  to  the  1.  to 
enter 

Mittersill  (2,622'  Moll),  the  principal 
place  in  Upper  Pinzgau.  Grrundtner's 
Grasthaus,  in  the  market-place,  is  the 
Vjest  inn.  The  large  house  kept  by  the 
brewer  (Eupp)  is  said  to  be  ill  managed. 
The  little  town  stands  on  both  sides  of 
the  Salza,  and  is  united  to  the  adjoining 
village  of  Velben  by  a  bridge  over  the 
Velber  Ache.  Owing  to  the  slight  fall 
of  the  ground  throughout  the  long  reach 
V>elow  Mittersill  (about  60  ft.  in  10  m.), 
the  neighbourhood  is  very  subject  to 
inundations,  and  the  inhabitants  are 
forced  to  keep  boats  in  readiness  in 
order  to  cross  the  flooded  meadows  that 
separate  the  hamlets  and  farndiouses. 
Hence  Mittersill  is  locally  called  the 
'  Venice  of  Pinzgau.'  Save  this  serious 
drawback,the  position  is  very  fine.  Many 
K)i  the  houses  command  views  up  and 
down  the  main  valley,  extending  fully 
1.3  m.  to  the  westward,  and  nearly  twice 
as  far  in  the  opposite  direction.  The 
view  is  much  finer  from  the  old  castle 
on  the  slope  to  the  N.,  about  600  ft. 
above  the  town.  This  has  been  pub- 
lished in  panoramic  form  by  Oberer,  in 
Salzburg.  The  road  to  Kitzbiihel  is 
described  in  §  44,  Rte.  C,  and  that  to 
Windisch  Mata-ei  in  ^  51,  Rte.  E. 

The  road  from  ^Mittersill  keeps  to  the 
N.  side  of  the  Salza  through  a  dreary 
swampy  tract.  Of  late  years,  a  more 
intelligent  system  than  that  of  merely 
damming  in  the  beds  of  the  tributary 
torrents  has  prevailed,  and  tlie  sand  and 
gravel  which  they  bring  down  has  been 
made  to  contribute  to  the  solidification 
of  the  swamps.  The  road  passes  a 
monument  that  commemorates,  not  the 


actions,  but  the  good  intentions  of  tho 
Emperor  Francis,  Avho  passed  tiiis  way 
in  1832,  and  goes  through  Stuhlfelden ^ 
whence  travellers  sometimes  ascend  the 
Malitz  Koyl  (7,333'),  commanding  a  fine 
view,  not  quite  equal  to  that  from  the 
Geisstein  (§  44,  Rte.  C).  Some  way 
farther,  the  opening  of  the  Stubachthal 
is  seen  to  the  S.,  and  in  the  background 
a  part  of  the  fine  range  that  encloses  its 
upper  end,  culminating  in  the  peak 
called  by  Sonklar  Schneewinkel  (1 1 ,580'). 
A  pathway,  chiefly  supported  on  pine 
branches,  is  carried  across  the  marshes 
to  a  wooden  In-idge  over  the  Salza  that 
leads  to  the  Stubachthal. 

The  next  place  on  the  high  road  is 
Uttendorf  (2,669').  On  the  opposite 
bank  is  Schwarzenbach,  where  there  is 
a  neglected  mineral  warm  spring,  said  t<j 
be  similar  in  its  effects  to  that  of  Gas- 
stein.  About  3  m.  beyond  Uttendorf  is 
Levgdorf.  This  is  a  hamlet  belonging 
to  the  village  of  Nicderdll,  on  the  1.  bank 
of  the  Salza,  at  tlie  opening  of  a  short 
glen  called  Muhlbachthal,  which  must 
not  be  confounded  with  the  valley  so 
named  on  the  N.  side  of  the  Pinzgau. 
The  seemingly  insignificant  torrent  that 
issues  from  this  glen  accomplished  a  great 
amount  of  destruction  on  August  5,  1798. 
A  storm  on  the  Tauern  range  to  the  S. 
must  have  caused  some  considerable 
landslip  whose  materials  were  hurried 
down  by  the  swollen  torrent.  In  a  few 
minutes  the  hamlet  of  Miihlbach  above 
Niedersill  was  swept  away.  The  latter 
village  Avas  not  exempted.  The  torrent 
of  mud  and  stones  destroyed  many 
houses  anil  half  buried  others.  The 
transported  materials  still  surround  the 
church  and  parsonage  to  the  height  of 
6  ft.,  and  the  present  cellar  of  the  inn 
was  formerly  the  ground-floor  Gast- 
stube. 

Passing  Walchen,  the  road  reaches 
Piesendorf  (2,614'),  with  a  decent  inn, 
beim  Salater,  about  12  m.  from  Mittersill. 
This  is  a  convenient  starting-poinr  for 
the  ascent  of  the  Grosse  Arche  (8,041'), 
recommended  by  Schaubaeh  for  its 
panoramic  view.  It  does  not  appear 
that  this  is  at  all  equal  to  that  gained 


KOUTE    B. ZELL    TO    STERZING. 


201 


from  the  Zirmkogl  (7,260')  on  the  X.  i 
side  of  the  main  valley,  or  from  the 
Schwarzkopf  in  the  Fu.scherthal  (§  51, 
Rte.  C).  Opposite  Fiirth,  about  H  m. 
from  Piesendorf,  is  the  opening  of  the 
Kapnmerthal,  containing  some  of  the 
grandest  scenery  of  the  Tauern  Alps. 
Several  secondary  glaciers  and  two  of 
the  first  order  enclose  the  head  of  the 
valley,  which  is  i-elatively  short  and 
steep,  terminatinp-  on  one  side  at  the 
foot  of  the  Wiesbachhorn  (11,737')»  and 
on  the  other  at  that  of  the  Hohe  Riflfel 
(11,('63').  See  §  51,  Rte.  D.  Eather 
more  than  3  m.  beyond  Piesendorf  the 
road  from  Zell  am  See  (§  45,  Ete.  B), 
distant  about  2  m.,  enters  the  valley 
from  the  N.  A  nearly  equal  distance 
from  the  junction  is 

Bruck  (2,469  ),  a  village  with  a  good 
inn  (bei  Mayr)  at  the  opening  of  the 
Fuscherthal,  one  of  the  chief  lateral 
valleys  of  the  Tauern  Alps.  It  is  de- 
scribed in  §  51,  Ete.  C.  The  bridge  over 
the  Salza  which  gives  its  name  to  the 
village  is  crossed  by  the  road  to  Pusch. 
Travellers  having  an  hour  to  spare  here 
should  visit  the  neighbouring  castle  of 
Fischhorn.  It  is  finely  situated,  and 
contains  in  its  stained  glass  windows 
some  curious  memorials  of  the  Peasants' 
War,  when  this  and  other  ecclesiastical 
castles  were  taken  and  plundered  by  the 
peasants,  who  afterwards  paid  dearly 
fur  their  brief  successes. 

In  the  village  of  Hundsdorf,  scarcely 
a  mile  below  Bruck,  is  an  inn  kept  by 
Trauner,  which  is  recommended  as  good 
country  quarters  where  vehicles  may  be 
found  at  a  moderate  rate,  Thoug-h  the 
valley  offers  nothing  remarkable,  the 
scenery  is  very  agreeable  between  Bruck 
and 

TcLxenhach  (2,547').  The  inn  here 
(beim  Taxwirth)  is  said  to  be  the  best 
in  Pinzgau.  The  village  stands  at  the 
openingof  the  Eauriserthal,  a  still  more 
considerable  valley  than  that  of  Pusch. 
The  Eauris  torrent  forms  a  very  remark- 
able waterfall  near  its  junction  with  the 
Salza.  The  deep  cleft  into  which  the 
torrent  springs  is  penetrated  by  a  path, 
partly  carried  along  planks  and  ladders. 


and  the  so-called  A'/e'r/oc^  is  remarkable 
not  only  for  the  waterfall,  but  for  the 
singularity  of  the  scene  that  surrounds 
it.  The  spot  may  be  reached,  with  a 
guide,  in  20  min.  from  the  inn. 

Below  Taxenbach  the  valley  of  the 
Salza  is  called  Pongau ;  the  character  of 
the  scenery  changes,  and  the  river,  no 
longer  flowing  amidst  flat  meadows,  is 
enclosed  between  steeper  slopes  that  gra- 
dually contract  to  a  defile.  The  rock  is 
clay  slate,  which  easily  disintegrates, 
and  frequent  damage  has  been  effected 
by  landslips.  Mainly  to  this  circum- 
stance is  due  the  fact  that  no  hamlet, 
and  scarcely  a  single  house,  is  seen  on 
the  way  from  Taxenbach  to 

Ltnd  (2,208'),  where  the  frequented 
road  to  Gasstein  quits  the  valley  of  the 
Salza.  It  is  described  in  §  52,  Ete.  A, 
and  the  road  from  Salzburg  to  Lend  in 
§  45,  Ete.  E. 

Those  who  feel  an  interest  in  local 
dialects  will  find  specimens  of  popular 
songs  of  the  Pinzgau  in  the  second 
'  Jahrbuch '  of  the  Austrian  Alpine  Club, 


EOUTE  B. 

ZELL   TO    STEEZIXG,    BY     THE     PFITSCHBB 
JOCH. 

About  IS  hrs.'  walking,  exclu.siTe  of  halts. 

For  about  5  m.  above  Zell,  the  Zil- 
lerthal   preserves    the    same   character 


202  CENTRAL    TYROL    ALPS.       §    50.    ZILLERTHAL    DISTRICT. 


that  marks  irs  lowt-r  portion,  between 
Strass  and  ZelL  described  in  the  last 
Rte.  At  Mayrhofen  its  character  is 
completely  changed.  Throe  torrents  is- 
suing from  as  many  rugged  Alpine  glens, 
meet  nearly  at  the  same  point.  The 
eastern  branch,  which  originates  on  the 
SW.  side  of  the  highest  peaks  of  the 
Reichenspitz  group,  preserves  the  name 
Zillerthal.  The  western  branch  is  the 
Tuxerthal,  noticed  in  Rte.  C  ;  and  the 
central  branch  assumes  first  the  name 
of  Zemmthal,  and  finally,  near  its 
head,  is  called  Zamser  G-rund.  This, 
which  divides  the  two  chief  ranges  of 
the  Zillerthal  Alps,  described  in  the  in- 
troduction to  this  section,  is  undoubtedly 
the  main  branch  of  the  Zillerthal,  whe- 
ther we  consider  its  orographic  relations, 
or  its  superior  length,  or  the  fact  that  its 
torrent  brings  down  the  largest  share  of 
the  waters  of  the  Ziller.  Through  this 
lies  the  most  direct  way  from  Zell  to 
Sterzing.  The  accommodation  at  Grinz- 
ling  is  rather  rough,  and  the  walk  from 
that  place  to  Sterzing  rather  long,  yet, 
when  better  known,  it  will  probably  be- 
come a  frequented  resort  of  tourists,  as 
it  is  undoubtedly  one  of  the  grandest 
valleys  of  the  Eastern  Alps. 

The  carriage-road  extends  for  a  dis- 
tance of  about  4^  m.  S.  of  Zell  to 

Mayrhofen  (about  1,960'),  the  last  vil- 
lage in  the  lower  division  of  the  valley, 
with  two  inns  (Neuhaus,  good;  Grlasner). 
Though  lying  low,  it  is  well  situated  for 
many  Alpine  excursions,  and  the  finest 
parts  of  the  Zillerthal  Alps  maybe  visited 
from  hence.  The  ascent  of  the  Ahornspitz 
(9,731')  is  especially  to  be  recommended 
to  the  traveller  who  would  gain  a  gene- 
ral view  of  the  higher  peaks  of  this  dis- 
trict. The  ascent  to  the  peak,  which 
rises  due  SE.  of  Mayrhofen,  is  long — 7 
hrs.  being  usually  required — but  free 
from  difficulty,  though  rather  steep  to- 
wards the  top. 

The  path  from  Mayrhofen  to  the 
Zemmthal  crosses  the  Ziller  (Rte.  E), 
and,  following  the  rt.  bank  of  the 
Zemmbach,  in  ^  hr.  from  the  village, 
traverses  the  Stillup  torrent,  issuing 
from  one  of  the  wildest  glens  of  this  dis- 


trict, commonly  called  Stillup  Gerund* 
[  Two  fine  peaks  of  the  main  range  guard 
the  head  of  that  glen— to  ESE.  the  Hol- 
leuzkopf  (10,492'),  and  the  Loffelspitz 
(11,108')  to  SW.  In  the  ridge  connect- 
ing them  are  the  much  lower  summits 
of  the  KfaHenspitz  (9,678'),  and  Keil- 
bachspitz  (10,161'),  between  which  is 
the  Keilhach  Joch  (9,311'),  a  very  fine 
glacier  pass  leading  directly  from  Mayr- 
hofen to  Steinhaus  in  the  Ahrenthal 
(Rte.  E).  Amid  grand  scenery,  and 
many  unknown  but  noble  waterfalls,  the 
path  mounts  to  the  Taxa  Alp,  4^  hrs, 
from  Mayrhofen.  5  hrs.  more  suffice  to 
reach  the  summit,  and  descend  through 
the  Keilbachthal  to  Steinhaus.] 

Leaving  on  the  rt.  hand  a  bridge  lead- 
ing to  Finkenberg  and  the  Tuxerthal, 
the  track  passes  opposite  the  junction 
of  the  Tuxerbach,  and  soon  enters  one 
of  the  wildest  and  most  savage  defiles 
in  the  Alps.  It  has  been  compared  to 
the  Via  Mala,  with  which  it  has  but  a 
superficial  resemblance,  though  quite 
equalling  it  in  grandeur.  The  Tristen- 
spitz,  which  divides  the  Stillup  Grund 
from  the  Floitenthal,  rises  so  steeply 
above  the  Zemmbach  that  no  path  is 
carried  on  that  side,  and  the  track 
crosses  to  the  1.  bank  by  the  Hochsteg,  a 
covered  bridge  thrown  over  the  raging 
torrent.  The  path  at  first  mounts  to  a 
great  height  above  the  bottom  of  the 
defile  to  a  sort  of  shelf  of  the  mountain, 
locally  called  Dornau,  whereon  stand 
several  small  farmhouses.  The  scenery 
changes  rapidly  as  the  path,  descending 
a  little,  plunges  into  the  defile.  On  the 
one  side  is  the  nearly  vertical  face  of  the 
Tristenspitz  ;  on  the  other,  a  steep  slope 
covered  with  blocks  of  hiige  dimensions, 
fallen  from  the  Griinberg.  The  path 
creeps  onward  under  and  between  the 


*  The  term  Grund,  often  employed  in  the 
German  Alps  to  designate  the  uppermost  end 
of  a  glen  without  permanent  habitations,  is  in 
this  district  often  applied  to  its  entire  length. 
Thus  the  Floitenthal  is  commonly  called 
Floiten  Grand,  and  the  upper  end  of  the  valley 
leading  to  Pfitsch.  Zamser  Grund,  while  the 
lower  portion  between  Hreitlehuer  andDomau 
is  often  styled  Zamra  Grund. 


ROUTE    B. — ASCENT    OF    THE    LOFFELSPITZ. 


203 


stone  masses,  while  the  torrent  roars  in  I 
one  continuous  cataract.     At  one  point  : 
the  path  is  carried  along  planks  sustained  | 
on  iron  stanchions  against  the  vertical  j 
rock  overhanging  the  torrent.   The  defile  ! 
at  length  opens  a  little  at  the  Karlssteg,  \ 
a  wooden  bridge,  over  which  the  travel- 
ler returns  to  the  rt.  bank.     The  valley 
now  opens  out  a  little,  and  admits  to 
view  some  of  the  neighbouring  peaks, 
especially  the  Gross  Ingent.    The  tra- 
veller passes  several  Asten,  or  Mayens, 
where  the  cattle  are  kept  in  early  summer 
before  proceeding  to  the  upper  pastures; 
and  in  3  hrs.  from  Ma^-rhofen  reaches 

Ginzling  (3,260'),  the  solitary  vil- 
lage (or  hamh't)  of  the  Zemmthal,  stand- 
ing at  the  confluence  of  the  Floiten- 
thal.  It  has  a  fair  country  inn,  better 
than  might  be  expected  in  so  wild  a 
place.  This  is  the  best,  if  not  the  only 
available  stopping-place  for  a  traveller 
who  would  explore  the  main  range  of 
the  Zillerthal  Alps,  and  guides  for  the 
more  difficult  expeditions  are  generally 
to  be  found.  The  two  excursions  most 
commonly  made  are  the  ascent  of  the 
Tristenspitz,  and  that  of  the  loftier  Gross 
Ingent  (9,562');  the  one  rises  to  the  1., 
the  other  to  the  rt.,  of  the  entrance  to 
the  Floitenthal.  The  latter,  which  is 
conspicuous  in  the  view  from  Zell,  com- 
mands an  extensive  view,  but  not  equal 
to  that  from  the  Ahornspitz,  and  the  as- 
cent is  steeper  and  more  troublesome. 
A  more  considerable  expedition  is  the 
ascent  of  the  Loffelsjntz  (11,108'),  here 
commonly  called  Loffler.  The  only 
practicable  way  is  said  to  be  that  through 
the  Floitenthal.  The  scenery  of  that 
glen  is  so  wild  and  striking,  that  those 
who  do  not  care  to  go  farther  are  well 
rewarded  for  the  labour  of  ascending 
as  far  as  the  foot  of  the  glacier.  About 
halfway  in  the  ascent  of  the  Floiten- 
thal is  a  hut  used  by  chamois-hunters, 
where  a  stranger  might  pass  the  night, 
but  it  would  be  necessary  to  carry  cover- 
ing and  food.  The  surrounding  rugged 
heights  produce  much  game,  but  the 
bouquetin,  which  found  here  its  last 
refuge  in  thf  German  Alps,  has  been  ex- 
tirpated within  the  last  60  years.     The 


stony  path  extends  as  far  as  the  soin- 
k'dtt'j  of  the  Baumgarteneralp  (o.Oi  5'),  ill 
deserving  its  name,  as  it  stands  in 
the  midst  of  a  stony  waste,  surrounded 
by  rugged  rocks  and  glaciers.  Cattle 
find  excellent  pasture  in  the  crevices  be- 
tween the  scattered  blocks.  The  hut  is 
but  a  short  way  from  the  foot  of  the 
Floitengn.;nd  Glacier,  which  descends  to 
about  5,080  ft.  To  ascend  the  Loflfel- 
spitz,  it  is  necessary  to  cross  the  lower, 
gently  sloping,  part  of  the  glacier;  when 
it  becomes  more  crevassed,  it  is  expedient 
to  bear  to  the  1.,  and  ascend  slopes  where 
sheep  are  pastured  in  summer.  Here 
there  is  an  outcrop  of  a  band  of  serpen- 
tine, that  stretches  along  the  mountains 
SE.  of  the  Zemmthal  at  a  height  of 
from  6,000  to  7,000  ft.  It  is  accom- 
panied by  many  rare  minerals.  On 
reaching  the  level  of  the  upper  glacier, 
the  traveller  bears  to  the  rt.,  and  com- 
mences a  long  and  steep  ascent,  at  first 
over  ice,  which  soon  gives  place  to  neve, 
to  attain  the  crest  of  the  main  range 
between  the  desired  summit  and  a  snowy 
point  (10,661'),  projecting  between  the 
Loffelspitz  and  the  Schwarzenstein.  The 
ascent  to  the  former  peak  lies  eastward 
along  the  sharp  arete,  whose  southern 
face  of  nearly  vertical  rock  looks  to  the 
Ahrenthal,  while  the  north  side  is  a  peril- 
ously steep  ice-slope.  The  height  of 
the  point  where  the  ridge  is  struck  is 
10.359  ft.,  so  that  the  cHmb  along  the 
ridge  would  not  give  much  trouble  if  it 
were  not  for  the  necessity  for  step- 
cutting.  The  summit  is  a  plateau  of 
neve  some  12  or  14  ft.  square,  whence 
the  traveller  views  a  horizon  of  vast 
extent.  The  Schwarzenstein  (11,046') 
has  been  ascended  by  Dr.  Ruthner,  but 
apparently  not  from  the  Floitenthal  side. 
When  mountaineers  give  more  attention 
to  this  district,  thenumber  of  excursions 
from  Ginzling  will  doubtless  be  much 
increased.  The  tourist,  who  devotes  but 
a  single  day  from  Mayrhofen  to  visit 
the  valley,  may  return  thither  from 
Ginzling  in  about  7  hrs.,  with  a  guide, 
by  a  col  or  depression  on  the  SE.  side 
of  the  Tristenspitz,  descending  to  the 
Stillup  Grund.     The  prospect  of  effect- 


204 


CENTRAL    TYROL    ALPS.       §    50.    ZILLERTHAL    DISTRICT. 


ing  a  pass  to  the  Abrenthal  through  the 
Floiteuthul  cannot  be  considered  hopeful, 
but,  till  seriously  attempted  by  compe- 
tent mountaineers,  must  remain  uncer- 
tain. Mr,  Tuckett  has  shown  the  possi- 
bility of  reaching  the  Zemmthal  from 
the  Ahrenthal,  passing  over  the  summit 
of  tlie  Mosele  on  the  -vray  ;  but  few  tra- 
vellers can  expect  to  rival  the  perfor- 
mances of  that  indefatigable  mountain- 
eer and  his  accomplished  guides. 

The  path  from  G-inzling  to  the  Pfit- 
scher  Joch  crosses  to  the  1.  bank  of  the 
Zemmbach,  and  begins  to  ascend  through 
a  strait  in  the  valley  less  narrow  and 
■wild  than  that  passed  lower  down,  yet 
offering  fine  scenery.  Among  many  fine 
■waterfalls  the  traveller  will  admire  one 
formed  by  the  torrent  from  the  GunJcl- 
thal,  a  short  steep  glen  descending  par- 
allel to  the  Floitenthal,  from  the  Gross 
Ingent,  In  rather  more  than  2  hrs.  from 
Ginzling  thetraveller  reaches  the  Brelt- 
lahncr  Alp,  a  group  of  huts,  most  of 
which  are  mere  storehouses  for  cheese 
and  butter  brouglit  hither  from  the  sur- 
rounding alps.  Of  late  years  a  little 
Alpine  inn  has  been  opened  here.  The 
accommodation  is  very  poor,  but  the 
people  very  civil,  and  the  charges  mode- 
rate, A  guide  named  Josele  is  usually 
to  be  found  here.  The  houses  stand 
close  to  the  junction  of  two  torrents. 
That  issuing  from  the  lateral  valley 
opening  to  SE.  keeps  the  name  Zemm- 
bach, and  the  glen  is  called  Obcr-Zemm- 
Grund,  and  also  Schwarzensteiner 
Grund.  The  SW,  branch  or  continua- 
tion of  the  main  valley  now  receives  the 
name  Zams'r  Grund,  and  is  called  at 
its  upper  end  Pfitscher  Griindl,  because 
the  right  of  pasturage  belongs  to  the 
people  of  the.Pfitschthal. 

The  Ober-Zemm-Grnnd  deserves  the 
attention  of  the  mountaineer,  and  es- 
pecially of  the  mineralogist,  and  is 
now  become  tolerably  accessible,  since 
accommodation  of  the  rougher  sort  is 
available  at  the  Breitlahner  Alp,  An 
ascent  of  \  hr,  by  the  rt.  bank  of  the 
Zrii  mbach  leads  to  an  upper  nearly 
level  step  of  the  valley,  and  in  another 
i  hr,  the  traveller  reaches  the  Schwemm 


Alp,  famous  for  the  richness  of  its  milk. 
To  this  follows  an  ascent,  longer  and 
much  steeper  than  the  first,  leading  to 
the  Grawand  Alp,  where  the  cembra,  and 
Finns  unighus,  begin  to  supplant  the 
pine.  Amid  scenery  of  the  highest  order 
the  track  mounts  through  a  defile  to 
the  next  alp,  called  Waxegg.  The  senn- 
hiitte  is  on  the  1,  bank,  at  no  great 
distance  from  the  fine  Waxeag  Ferntr, 
which  descends  from  the  NE,  flank  of 
the  Mosele.  Towards  its  head  the  val- 
ley bends  to  the  1.,  and  the  path  goes  a 
little  N.  of  E,  to  the  Schwarz€7isttiner 
Alp,  on  a  projecting  spur  at  the  base  of 
the  Eothenspitz.  The  traveller  who 
does  not  attempt  any  more  arduous  as- 
cent should  go  as  far  as  the  Schwar- 
zensee,  a  little  lake,  often  frozen  over 
in  summer,  that  lies  in  a  hollow  X.  of 
the  alp,  whence  it  is  reached  in  ^  hr. 
It  is  a  favourable  point  for  viewing  the 
grand  circle  of  peaks  and  glaciers.  This 
includes  the  Schwarzenstein  (11,046'), 
five  peaks  of  the  Hornspitzen,  whose 
summits  range  from  10,333  to  10,842  ft,, 
the  Thurnerkamp,  a  beautifully  sharp 
pyramid,  11.189  ft.,  the  Rossruckspitz 
(10,881'),  and  the  MBsele  (11,315'). 
Three  great  glaciers  descend  into  the 
head  of  the  valley — the  Horyikees,  be- 
tween the  Schwarzenstein  and  Horn- 
spitzen, the  Rossruck  Ferner,  between  the 
Thurnerkamp  and  Eossrucksp»itz,  and 
the  Waxrgg  Ferner,  from  the  flanks  of 
the  Mosele.  To  the  above-named  sum- 
mits, all  lying  in  the  main  range,  must 
be  added  the  Grosse  Morchner  (10,730') 
din([x\ie  M6rchenschneid{\Q,b2Z')  in  the 
ridge  dividing  the  Floitenthal  from  the 
Ober-Zemm-Grund,  and  the  Schdnhich- 
lerhorn  (10,277')j  ^i^*^  Grosse  Greincr 
(10.524')  in  the  opposite  ridge  extending 
XW.  from  the  Mosele,  The  last-named 
peak,  which  overlooks  the  lower  part  of 
the  "Waxegg  Ferner,  is  famous  for  the 
fine  specimens  of  rare  minerals  that 
have  been  collected  on  its  eastern  flank, 
but  most  of  these  have  been  found  at 
various  other  points  in  the  same  rai'ge. 
It  appears  not  impossible  to  reach  the 
summit  of  the  Mosele  (see  Rte.  G)  by 
the  E,  slopes  of  the  Schonbichlerhorn 


ROUTE    B. PFITSCHER    JOCH. 


205 


and  then  by  the  neve  of  the  Waxfgg  1 
Ferner.  It  is  said  that  people  from  the  I 
Ahrenthal  have  occasionally  effected  a  ' 
pass  across  the  snow-ridge  connecting  j 
the  Schwarzenstein  with  the  Horn- 
spitzen.  At  the  lowest  point  the  height  j 
does  not,  according  to  Sonklar,  exceed 
9,435  ft. 

The  way  through  the  Zamser-Grimd, 
leading  from  Breitlahner  to  the  Pfitsch- 
er  Joch,  is  very  little  frequented,  be- 
cause the  uppermost  pastures  belong  to 
Pfitsch,  and  the  path  is  of  the  roughest. 
A  steep  ascent  above  the  1.  bank  of  the 
Zamserbach,  followed  by  a  slight  de- 
scent, carries  the  traveller  to  an  upper 
step  in  the  valley,  and  he  prpsently  en- 
ters a  desolate-looking  tract  that  extends 
throughout  the  whole  way  to  the  Pfitsch- 
er  Joch.  The  entire  surface  is  covered 
with  fragments  of  rock  of  various 
sizes,  that  have  been  loosened  from  the 
mountains  on  either  side.  After  pass- 
ing a  fine  waterfall  fed  by  the  snows  of 
the  Olperer  Fuss-stein  on  the  rt.,  the 
Zamser  Hiitten  are  reached.  These 
stand  opposite  the  opening  of  the  Schlco- 
eisenthal  (also  called  Horpingerthal), 
the  last  considerable  glen  that  bears 
down  the  drainage  of  the  main  range 
to  the  Ziller.  A  very  large  glacier — 
the  Schlegeisenfcrner — closes  the  head 
of  this  savage  glen.  A  pass  may  be 
effected  that  way  to  the  Miihlwalder- 
thal  (Rte.  G-).  by  the  ridge  connecting 
the  Mosele  with^he  Ewis— 9,808  ft.  in 
height  at  the  lowest  point;  and  Mr. 
Tuckett  descended  on  this  side  from  the 
summit  of  the  3Iosele.  As  mentioned 
in  the  introduction  to  the  section,  the 
two  dominant  peaks  of  the  main  Ziller- 
thal  range — the  Hochfeiler  and  Grase- 
spitz — lie  in  the  lateral  ridge  bounding 
the  Schlegeisenthal  on  the  SW.  Nei- 
ther seems  to  be  accessible  from  this 
side,  but  the  first  is  easily  reached  by 
its  western  slope,  as  mentioned  lower 
down. 

The  ascent  from  the  Zamser  Hiitten  is 
continued  over  the  same  sort  of  broken 
ground  that  has  already  tried  the  tra- 
veller's patience;  a  goatherd's  hut  is 
passed,  scarcely  distinguishable  among 


the  scattered  blocks,  and  at  length  he 
reaches  the  summit  of  the 

Pfitscher  Joch  (7.297').  The  actual 
distance  from  Breitlahner  is  probably 
not  more  than  8  m.,  but  owing  to  the 
extreme  roughness  of  the  path,  from 
4  to  0  hrs.  should  be  allowed  for  that 
distance.  Throughout  the  way  from 
Mayrhofen  the  botanist  will  find  most 
of  the  species  peculiar  to  the  higher  re- 
gion of  the  cr\-stalline  rocks,  and  a  few 
rarities.  Of  these  the  most  interesting 
is  that  little  northern  shrub  the  dwarf 
birch — Betula  nana,  seldom  more  than 
a  few  inches  in  height. 

The  upper  part  of  the  Joch  is  a  broad 
saddle,  on  which  lie  three  small  tarns. 
Turning  round,  the  traveller  looks  back 
over  the  long  reach  of  stony  desolation 
through  which  the  track  has  carried 
him,  and  to  NE.,  but  near  at  hand,  the 
Zamserbach  flows  from  the  Stampfel 
Ferner,  which  descends  from  the  Sage- 
wand,  a  ridge  vrith  two  summits — the 
eastern  10,659,  the  western  10,870  ft.  in 
height.  The  plague  of  loose  stones  ac- 
companies the  wanderer  till  he  reaches 
the  SW.  verge  of  the  nearly  fiat  ridge 
forming  the  pass.  Here  his  eye  is  gra- 
tified by  the  sight  of  green  grass,  over 
which  lie  may  descend  the  greater  part 
of  the  way  to  Stein,  the  highest  hamlet 
in  the  Ffifscherthal,  reached  in  1^  hr. 
from  the  simimit.  On  the  way  he  gains 
views  of  the  Hochfeiler  and  Grasespitz. 
From  Stein  an  unfrequented  pass  leads 
in  about  8  hrs.  over  a  nameless  (?)  pass, 
8,698  ft.  high,  to  Pfunders,  and  another, 
still  rougher,  in  the  opposite  direction, 
by  the  Falserthal  to  Stafflach,  on  the 
Brenner  road.  Little  more  than  ^  hr. 
suffices  to  reach 

,SY.  Jakob  (4,737'),  the  chief  place  of 
the  upper  valley,  which  is  locally  called 
Inner  Pfitsch.  The  inn  is  very  poor, 
and  it  is  best  to  apply  to  the  parish 
priest,  who  usually  receives  travellers. 
The  situation  of  the  village  is  very  fine, 
and  it  is  a  good  starting-point  for  se- 
veral expeditions.  The  church  having 
been  destroyed  by  an  avalanche  in  1835 
— all  but  tile  steeple — has  been  rebuilt. 
Johann  Grans  has  a  good  collection  of 


206 


CENTRAL    TYROL   ALPS.       §    50.    ZILLERTHAL    DISTRICT. 


rare  minerals.  The  excursion  which  ] 
doubtless  will  in  future  attract  moun-  j 
taineers  is  the  ascent  of  the  Hxhfiihr 
(11,525').  the  highest  of  the  Zillerthal 
Alps.  This  was  first  accomplished  in 
1865  by  Herr  Gi-rohmaun.  the  indefa- 
tigable explorer  of  the  Cadore  Alps. 
The  excursion  was  effected  without  the 
slightest  serious  difficulty  from  the  head 
of  the  Gliederthal,  a  short  glen  that 
branches  eastward  from  the  head  of  the 
Ptitscherthal,  a  little  above  Stein.  The 
summit  is  not  visible  from  the  amphi- 
theatre at  the  upper  end  of  the  Glieder- 
thal, but  comes  into  view  after  mount- 
ing the  lower  slope  of  the  Hintergras 
Ferncr.  After  following  for  some  way 
the  glacier-stream,  Herr  Grrohmann  left 
it  for  the  slopes  of  a  sheep  pasture 
called  Hintern  Grras.  From  hence  the 
way  to  the  summit  is  nearly  in  a  straight 
line,  over  gently  sloping  snowfields  and 
easy  rocks.  The  peak  is  extremely  steep 
on  the  Schlegeisen  side,  and  care  must 
be  used  in  approaching  the  verge.  Herr 
Grohmann  considers  that  6  hrs.  suffice 
for  the  ascent  from  St.  Jakob,  and  says 
that  few  peaks  of  equal  heisht  are  so 
easy  of  access.  A  beaten  track  leads 
nearly  at  a  level  in  1  hr.  from  St.  Jakob 
to 

Keinaten  (4,792'\  the  chief  pla<!e  of 
Ausser  Pfitsch,  as  the  lower  part  of  the  j 
valley  is  called.     The  inn  is  no  better  i 
than  at  St.  Jakob,  and  it  is  better  to  ap-  \ 
ply  to  the  priest,  whose  house  promises  i 
better  quarters.     The  aspect  of  the  val-  i 
ley  confirms  the  tradition  that  a  lake  ! 
once    extended  from    Kematen    to   the  1 
Sage  on  the  way  to  Sterzinir.     There  is  I 
an  easy  way  hence  to  Pfunders.  by  the  i 
Brass  Joch  (^8.422'),  a  distance  of  about  i 
6  hrs.  Peter  Fuchs.  a  well-kno^Ti  guide  j 
hero,  has  a   collection  of  minerals   for  ; 
sale.     An  easy  level  track  leads  down  ; 
the  valley  over  the  bed  of  the  ancient 
lake  to  a  place  called  Sage,  where  there 
is  a  wayside  inn,  and  then  abruptly  com- 
mences the  descent  through  a  steep  and 
very  picturesque  defile.     Twice  the  tor- 
rent is  passed  by  slender  wooden  bridges 
that  tremble  w'th  the  crash  of  the  rush- 
in":  ton-ent  beneath.  In  a  short  distance 


the  stream  falls  through  a  vertical 
height  of  more  than  1.200  ft.  The  village 
of  Afens  to  NW..  and  Tulfer  on  the  SE, 
side  of  the  valley,  stand  on  terraces  of 
the  mountain  high  above  the  defile.  At 
length  the  valley  opens,  the  walls  of 
rock  recede  on  either  side,  and  the  tra- 
veller finds  himself  in  the  lower  nearly 
level  tract  that  extends  to  the  opening 
of  the  valley  opposite  Sterzing.  The 
only  village  is  Wies'n  (3,098').  above 
which  stands  the  old  castle  of  Moos, 
still  inhabited.  In  ^  hr.  more,  or  4  hrs.' 
easy-walking  from  St.  Jakob,  the  travel- 
ler reaches 

Sterzhiff,  described  in  §  -49.  Ete.  A. 

Those  who  are  bound  for  the  N.  side 
of  the  Brenner  Pass  should  not  descend 
to  Sterzing.  There  is  an  easy  and  agree- 
able path  from  Kematen,  over  the 
Schliissel  Joch,  leading  in  3  hrs.  to  the 
Brenner  road,  a  little  below  the  summit. 

In  descending  the  Pfitscherrhal  from 
St.  .Jakob,  the  traveller  may  easily  pass, 
unobserved,  a  little  lateral  glen,  called 
Burgumthal,  which  opens  eastward  from 
the  hamlet  of  Burgum,  about  1^  hr.  be- 
low St.  Jakob.  By  that  way  he  may 
reach  a  pass  on  the  SW.  side  of  the 
"Wildkreuzspitz,  and  descend  thence  by 
Vals  (Ete.  I)  to  Miihlbach,  on  the 
main  road  of  the  Pusterthal,  altogether 
avoiding  the  Brenner  road.  Through 
the  same  glen  the  summit  of  the  Wild- 
kreuzspitz (10.271')  may  be  reached 
with  little  difficulty.  From  the  alp  at 
the  head  of  the  Burgumthal,  about  \\ 
hr.  above  Biirgum.  the  way  is  by  the 
glacier  that  descends  between  this  and 
the  western  summit  of  the  Kramerspitz 
(9,658'),  and  then  (by  a  rather  circuitous 
course)  along  the  E.  side  of  the  ridge 
that  descends  southward  from  the  sum- 
mit of  the  Wildkreuzspitz,  It  appears 
that  there  is  a  more  direct  wav  by  a 
steep  couloir  that  mounts  from  the  gla- 
cier direct  to  the  summit. 


ROUTE    C. TUXERTHAL. 


207 


Route  C. 

zell  to  stafklach,  by  the  ttxeethax. 

7  hrs.'  walking  to  Hinter  Tux — 6  hrs.  thence 
to  Stafflach. 

The  Tuxerthal,  commonly,  but  impro- 
perly, written  Duxerthal,  is  the  only  one 
of  the  upper  branches  of  the  Zillerthal 
that  supports  any  considerable  popula- 
tion. The  available  pasture  is  much 
more  extensive  than  in  the  savage  rooky 
defiles  of  the  Zemm  G-rund  and  Zillcr 
Grund,  and  there  is  also  a  limited  quan- 
tity of  land  under  crops.  The  people 
are  distinguished,  even  among  their 
lively  neighboiu's,  for  their  love  of  gaiety 
and  jollification,  and  though  their  life  is 
hard,  they  are  a  strong  and  comely  race. 
The  valley  offers  some  fine  scenery,  but  | 
not  equal  in  grandeur  to  that  of  the  I 
Zemm  G-rund,  described  in  the  lastEte.  I 

The  direct  way  from  ]Mayrhofen  (see 
last  Rte.)  is  \>y  a  track  that  crosses  a 
bridge  over  the  Ziller,  and  ascends  di- 
rectly to  Finlccnhcrij ;  but  the  traveller 
who  cares  for  grand  scenery  will  make 
a  detour  by  the  Karlssteg,  and  return 
by  an  upper  track  along  the  "W.  side  of 
the  Zemm  Grund.  Then  crossing  the 
spur  of  the  mountain  that  divides  the 
Zemmbach  from  the  Tuxerbach,  he 
reaches  a  slender  wooden  bridge,  called 
the  Teufelssteg,  100  ft.  above  the  latter 
torrent,  that  carries  him  to  its  1.  bank. 
From  Finkenberg,  the  old  path  mounts 
high  above  the  1.  bank  of  the  Tuxerbach, 
which  rushes  through  a  deep  cleft  for  a 
distance  of  several  miles  ;  but  the  slope 
being  subject  in  wet  weather  to  land- 
slips, a  new  track  has  been  made  along 
the  rt.  bank,  which  is  reached  a  short 


way  above  Finkenberg.  The  views  are 
finer  from  the  old  track.  A  vast  mass 
of  sand,  clay,  and  gravel,  the  accumula- 
tion of  many  landslips,  being  thoroiighly 
impregnated  with  water,  has  formed  a 
sort  of  mud  glacier,  which  remains  fixed 
in  dry  weather,  but  advances  after  rain 
or  thaw,  and  is  sometimes  actually  dan- 
gerous to  traverse.  In  from  3^  to  4  hrs. 
from  Mayrhofen,  the  travellf-r  reaches 

Lanersbach,  the  chief  of  Yorder  Tux, 
as  the  lower  part  of  the  valley  is  locally 
called.  The  village  inn  is  said  to  afford 
clean  though  rough  quarters,  with  a 
friendly  reception.  Up  to  this  point  the 
way  through  the  Tuxerthal  has  lain 
about  due  W.,  along  the  N.  side  of  the 
GrilnbergJcor  (9,397').  which  forms  the 
NE.  extremity  of  the  Tuxer  range. 
Henceforward  the  Tuxerthal  follows  its 
normal  direction  to  SW.,  parallel  to  the 
Zemm  Grund  and  to  both  the  principal 
ranges  of  the  Zillerthal  Alps.  The 
higher  peaks  are  concealed  from  La- 
nersbach by  a  low  projecting  ridge,  but 
they  soon  come  into  view  in  ascending 
to  the  head  of  the  valley.  The  scenery 
is  throughout  interesting,  as  the  snowy 
peaks  are  almost  constantly  in  view. 
The  object  which  "will  most  attract  at- 
tention throughout  the  upper  part  of  the 
valley  is  the  great  glacier  which  bears 
the  appropriate  name  Gefrorne  Wand, 
Though  surpassed  in  size  by  many  others 
in  this  group,  and  elsewhere  in  Tyrol, 
this  glacier  is  one  of  the  most  remark- 
able for  its  extreme  steepness  and  the 
imposing  effect  of  the  shattered  columns 
and  pinnacles  of  ice  that  seem  to  im- 
pend over  the  head  of  the  valley.  The 
most  conspicuous  of  the  higher  siunmits 
is  the  northern  of  the  twin  peaks  that 
form  the  E.  boundary  of  the  upper  pla- 
teau of  the  Gefrorne  Wand — called  the 
Ri'ppenJtopfe.  The  northern  peak,  er- 
roneously named  Olperer  by  Souklar, 
and  Gefrorne-Wandspitz  by  Dr.  Ruth- 
ner,  surpasses  its  neighbour  by  27  ft.,, 
and  attains  10,743  ft.  In  about  If  hr. 
from  Lanersbach,  the  traveller  reaches 

Hinter  Tux  (4,839'),  the  highest 
hamlet  of  the  Tuxerthal.  The  inn  of- 
fers poor  accommodation,  and  the  land- 


208 


CKNTRAL    TYROL    ALPS.       §    50.    ZILLERTIIAL 


lord  is  not  famed  for  civility  or  atten- 
tion. There  is  here  a  mineral  bath, 
somewhat  frequented  by  the  peasants 
of  the  valley.  Owing  to  the  formidable 
steepness  of  the  G-efrorne  "VVand,  this  is 
not  a  favourable  starting-point  for  the 
ascent  of  the  high  peaks  on  the  S.  side, 
but  noble  views  might  doubtless  be  ob- 
tained from  the  mountains  on  the  oppo- 
site side  of  the  valley,  if  the  accommoda- 
tion were  such  as  to  tempt  travellers  to 
halt  here.  The  path  to  the  Tuxer  Joch 
mounts  by  the  1.  bank  of  the  main 
branch  of  the  torrent  which  issues  from 
several  different  points  at  the  base  of 
the  G-efrorne  Wand,  and  crosses  a  small 
triinitary  torrent  that  forms  a  pretty 
waterfall  to  the  rt.  A  path  moiTuts  that 
way  to  the  Geier  Joeh  (noticed  below), 
or  by  a  long  circuit  leads  to  the  Tuxer 
Joch.  If  the  traveller  should  have  a 
little  time  to  spare,  it  is  worth  while  to 
make  a  slight  detour  to  the  1.  to  approach 
the  Gefrorne  Wand,  and  for  that  pur- 
pose should  follow  a  path  leading  to  the 
Stock  Alp,  the  highest  sennhiitte  in  the 
valley.  It  is  easy  to  regain  the  regular 
path  higher  up,  and  the  near  view  of 
the  glacier  well  rewards  the  slight  ex- 
tra exertion.  The  latter  part  of  the  as- 
cent is  rather  steep  and  stony,  but  the 
track,  which  is  much  more  frequented 
than  the  Pfitscher  Joch,  is  well  marked, 
and  a  guide  is  not  required  by  any  one 
used  to  mountain  walking.  On  reach- 
ing a  cross  at  the  summit  of  this  ascent, 
the  traveller  must  be  careful  not  to  fol- 
low the  track  that  leads  at  first  straight 
forward,  but  gradually  bears  to  the  rt., 
and  finally  returns  to  Hinter  Tux  by 
the  waterfall  that  was  seen  lower  down. 
The  true  way  lies  somewhat  to  the  1., 
keeping  for  about  ^  m.  nearly  at  a  level, 
till  a  second  cross  is  reached  which 
marks  the  pass  of  the 

Tuxer  Joch  (7,618'),  dividing  the  ba- 
sin of  the  Ziller  from  that  of  the  Sill. 
The  path  now  descends  to  a  herdsman's 
hut,  lying  in  a  hollow,  and  after  passing 
it  commences  a  steep  and  rather  long 
descent  into  the  xippermost  branch  of 
the  Sohmirnthal,  locally  called  Kaserer- 
tkal.    This  wild  glen  is  closed  at  its  up- 


per end  by  tlie  Kascrcr  Fcrncr,  one  of 
the  numerous  glaciers  that  flow  from  the 
vast  snowfields  th.it  surround  the  01- 
pi-rer  Fuss-stein,  the  highest  peak  of 
the  Tuxer  range.  It  is  possible  to  reach 
the  Zamser  Hiitten  (Rte.  E)  by  way  of 
the  KasererFerncr,  and  the  upper  neve 
of  the  Gefrorne  Wanfl,  descending  on  the 
E.  side  of  the  Olperer  by  the  Schram- 
ma  Ferner.  This  must  be  a  fine 
glacier  pass,  and  apparently  does  not 
present  any  unusual  difficulty.  Though 
it  is  the  longest  branch  of  the  Schmirn- 
thal,  the  Kasererthal  is  in  truth  a  late- 
ral glen  which  descends  to  NW.  at  rt. 
angles  to  the  SW.  direction  of  the  main 
valley.  This  is  reached  at  Ohcrn 
(o, 065'),  also  called  Kaseni,  where,  along 
with  a  few  scattered  houses,  there  is  a 
mountain  inn,  which  combines  the 
poorest  accommodation  with  extortionate 
charges.  What  may  be  considered  as 
the  main  branch  of  the  Upper  Schmirn- 
thal  mounts  steeply  to  NE.  from  Ka- 
sern,  and  leads  to  a  pass  called  Gcier 
Joch,  by  which  Hinter  Tux  is  reached 
by  a  longer  and  less  interesting  route 
than  that  of  the  Tuxer  Joch. 

Amid  very  agreeable  scenery,  the  path 
descends  the  Schmirnthal  by  a  path 
aboA'e  the  rt.  bank  of  the  torrent,  pass- 
ing opposite  to  a  group  of  houses  at  the 
opening  of  the  Wildlahnerthal,  through 
which  savage  glen  there  is  a  good  view 
of  the  peak  of  the  Olperer  Fuss-stein. 
These  houses  are  sometimes  designated 
as  Inner  Schmirn,  but  incorrectly,  as 
that  name  is  locally  given  to  the  entire 
valley  above  the  chief  village  of 

Schmirn  (4,042').  which  is  reached  in 
about  4^  hrs.  from  Hinter  Tux.  The 
inn  is  uninviting,  but  mountaineers  may 
safely  apply  for  hospitality  to  the  parish 
priest,  who  takes  a  lively  interest  in  the 
exploration  of  the  neighbouring  Alps. 

The  Olpircr  Fu^s-stein  (11,451'),  the 
highest  of  the  Tuxer  range,  and  the 
second  in  height  of  the  Zillerthaler  Alps, 
rises  from  the  midst  of  the  great  snow- 
fields  that  divide  the  Schmirnthal  and 
Falserthal  from  the  Zamser  Grund  at 
the  head  of  the  main  branch  of  the  Zil- 
lerthal.     There  is  a  vazue  tradition  of 


ROUTE    C. SCHMIRN. 


209 


an  ascent  in  the  last  century,  but  it 
was  effected  with  ease  in  1867,  from  the 
liead  of  the  Zamser  Grund,  bj  M.  G-roh- 
mann.  In  the  3rd  vol.  of  the  '  Jahrbuch' 
of  the  Austrian  Alpine  Club,  Dr.  Kuth- 
ner  (who  was  accompanied  by  Felix 
Hans  ofSchmirn,  recommended  as  a  good 
guide,  and  his  brother  Toni),  recounts 
an  unsuccessful  attempt  to  scale  it. 
There  has  been  much  confusion  as  to 
the  proper  name  of  this  fine  peak.  Dr. 
Ruthner  seems  to  have  proved  that  the 
highest  point  ought  to  be  designated 
Olperer,  and  that  the  name  Fuss-stein, 
applied  bySouklarto  the  latter,  belongs 
more  justly  to  a  lower  summit  SW.  of 
the  first,  whose  height  is  11,030'  ft.  ac- 
cording to  Sonklar.  The  name  Olperer 
haviug  been  given  by  Sonklar  to  the 
double  summit  of  the  Rippenkopfe,  the 
best  way  to  avoid  further  confusion  is 
to  call  the  greater  mountain  Olperer 
Fuss-stein.  The  vast  snoT\^elds  that 
encompass  it  send  down  glacier  streams 
into  the  surrounding  valleys.  To  the 
SW,  the  Alpcincr  Fcrncr  reaches  the 
head  of  the  Falserthal ;  the  Wildlalmer 
Ferner  descends  to  the  "Wildlahnerthal ; 
the  Kaserer  Ferner  to  the  Kasererthal, 
and  the  Gefrorne  Wand,  sometimes 
called  Tuxer  Eismeer.  to  the  head  of  the 
Tuxerthal.  This  is  bounded  on  the  E. 
by  the  ridge  of  the  Rippenkopfe,  and  the 
glacier  on  the  E.  side  of  that  ridge, 
called  Bippen  Ferner,  descends  towards 
the  Zamser  Grund  below  the  Zamser 
Hiitten.  The  neve  of  the  Kaserer  Ferner 
and  Gefrorne  Wand  does  not  reach  the 
actual  base  of  the  Olperer.  for  the  ridge 
forming  the  snowshed  of  the  Wildlahner 
Ferner  subsides  to  the  E.  and  SE.,  and 
tlie  snowfield  that  surrounds  the  peak 
for  nearly  half  its  circuit  feeds  the 
Schramma  Ferner,  the  greatest  of  the 
glaciers  that  descends  to  the  Zamser 
Grund.  The  S.  face  of  the  Olperer,  seen 
from  the  upper  end  of  the  Zamser  Grund, 
seems  hopelessly  inaccessible,  and  the 
Js  W.  face,  fronting  the  Wildlahnerthal, 
presenting  excessively  steep  snow- slopes, 
liroken  here  and  there  by  rocks,  is  so 
forbidding  that  no  attempt  has  yet  been 
made  that  way.  A  sharp  arete,  descend- 
c.  T. 


ing  first  SE.  and  then  ESE.  from  the 
summit,  and  encompassed  by  the  ne%'e 
of  the  Schramma  Ferner,  seems  to  offer 
a  more  hopeful  prospect.  The  slope  of 
the  arete  is,  however,  broken  by  vertical 
rocks  which  have  formed  the  turning- 
point  in  two  attempts  at  an  ascent. 
Dr.  Ruthner's  guides  led  him  by  a  very 
circuitous  course.  From  the  slope  on 
the  NE.  side  of  the  Wildlahnerthal 
they  ascended  diagonally  above  the  Wild- 
lahner Ferner  till  they  reached  the  ridge 
that  divides  this  from  the  snowfield 
that  is  the  common  source  of  the  Kaserer 
Ferner  and  the  Gefrorne  Wand.  Thence 
crossing  to  the  head  of  the  basin  drained 
by  the  Schramma  Ferner  they  rounded 
the  arete  already  mentioned,  which  is 
accessible  only  at  its  SE.  end.  In  re- 
turning they  took  a  shorter  way,  keep- 
ing nearer  to  the  peak  of  the  Olperer, 
and  descended,  through  a  very  long  and 
steep  couloir,  a  vertical  height  of  more 
than  1,500  ft.  to  reach  the  Wildlahner 
Ferner.  This  is  easily  traversed  along 
the  rt.  (or  NE.)  side,  the  opposite  por- 
tion being  much  crevassed.  The  extreme 
upper  end  of  the  Wildlahnerth?!  is 
locally  known  as  Hinter  Holle,  and  the 
middle  part,  below  the  foot  of  the  gla- 
cier, as  Yorder  Holle.  The  couloir,  or 
Klamm,  of  the  Hinter  Holle,  is  practi- 
cable only  when  the  snow  is  moderately 
soft,  as  otherwise  it  would  cost  hours  of 
step-cutting.  A  fine  glacier  pass  may 
be  made  from  the  Wildlahnerthal  to  the 
head  of  the  Falserthal  by  the  Alpeiner 
Ferner,  or,  -ndthout  descending  into  that 
valley,  the  traveller  may  reach  the  head 
of  the  Zamser  Grund  near  the  Pfitscher 
Joch  by  traversing  the  ridge  (about 
10,000'  ?)  between  the  Fuss-stein  proper 
(or  SW.  peak  of  the  Olperer  Fuss-stein) 
and  the  Alpeiner-Fernerspitz  (11,113'). 
The  latter  is  the  Schrammaeherspitz  of 
Sonklar. 

The  stranger  visiting  Schmirn  is 
strongly  advised  to  mount  to  the  little 
pilgrimage  church  '  An  der  kalten  Her- 
berg,'  g-  hr.  distant  from  the  village,  over- 
looking from  the  W.  side  the  junction  of 
the  Wildlahnerthal  with  the  main  valley. 

The  descent  from  Schmirn  to  Staff- 


210 


CENTRAL    TYROL    ALPS.       §    50.    ZILLERTHAL    DISTRICT. 


lacb,  scarcely  Hhr.  distant,  is  through- 
out very  agreeable.  A  singular  contrast 
to  the  wild  scenery  through  which  the 
traveller  has  passed  since  leaving  Mayr- 
hofen  is  presented  by  the  railway  via- 
duct that  crosses  the  ravine  of  the 
Schmirn  torrent  just  above  its  junction 
with  that  issuing  from  the  Falserthal  at 
the  village  of  St.  Jodok.  Penetrating 
the  ridge  behind  that  village  that  divides 
Schmirn  from  Fals,  the  railway  traverses 
the  Falserbach  by  a  second  viaduct,  and 
returns  at  a  higher  level  to  the  valley  of 
the  Sill.  Less  than  1  m.  from  St.  Jodok 
is  Sfafflach  (§  49,  Rte.  A). 

The  Falserthal,  which  joins  the 
Schmirnthal  at  .'^t.  Jodok,  is  a  wild 
Alpine  glen,  containing  no  villages.  As 
mentioned  above,  a  fine  pass  may  be 
effected  by  the  Alpeiner  Ferner,  which 
closes  its  upper  end,  to  the  Wildlahner- 
thal,  and  another  pass  leads  by  a  branch 
of  the  valley  that  opens  to  SE.  below 
the  Alpeiner  Glacier  over  the  ridge 
dividing  this  from  Stein  or  St.  Jakob  in 
the  Pfitscherthal.  There  is  also  a 
track  passing  over  the  ridge  to  the  S., 
and  then  westward  along  the  Vennabach 
to  the  Brenner.     (See  §  49,  Rte.  A.) 

Mr.  J.  Warner  highly  recommends  a 
pass  connecting  the  Falserthal  with  the 
head  of  the  Zamser  Grund.  Starting 
from  StafBach  with  a  young  guide 
named  Anton  Strichner,  he  reached  '  a 
very  narrow  depression  S.  of  the  Fuss- 
stein' — apparently  the  same  pass  re- 
feiTed  to  in  the  last  page.  '  The  double 
view  of  the  ranges  of  the  Stubayer  and 
Zillerthaler  Alps  is  most  splendid.' 
The  descent  towards  the  Zamser  Grund 
is  quite  obvious. 


EorTE  D. 

DTNSBRrCK     TO     MAYRHOFEN-,    BY     THE 
TUXER   GEBIRGE. 

The  mountain  district  lying  XW.  of 
the  Tuxerthal,  and  extending  thence  to 
the  Inn  and  the  Sill,  is  sometimes  col- 
lectively called  Tuxer  Gebirge.  It  is 
penetrated  by  many  valleys,  some  of 
which  run  westward  towards  the  Bren- 
ner road,  the  others  northward  towards 
the  Inn.  Though  bordered  by  two  of 
the  most  frequented  highways  in  the 
Alps,  these  valleys  are  amongst  the  most 
unfrequented  in  the  T}Tol.  The  people  of 
the  Tuserthal,  indeed,  often  pass  by 
the  AVattenserthal  or  the  Weerthal  to 
Schwaz  or  Hall,  but  the  foot  of  a  stranger 
rarely  treads  the  green  pastures  of  these 
upland  glens  For  the  sake  of  those 
travellers  who  love  the  b;)-ways  of  the 
Alps,  we  briefly  notice  the  tracks  that 
may  be  taken  by  one  who  would  avoid 
the  ordinary  routes. 

1.  By  the  Navisthal.  In  ascending 
from  Innsbruck  to  the  Brenner  Pass 
(§  49,  Ete.  A),  the  opening  of  the  Navis- 
thal  is  seen  on  the  1.  hand  a  little  beyond 
Matrey,  and  the  church  of  St.  Catharine 
standing  on  a  projecting  rock  on  the  site 
of  an  ancient  castle  attracts  for  a  mo- 
ment the  attention  of  the  traveller.  At 
the  hamlet  of  Navis,  about  H  hr.  from 
the  opening,  the  valley  divides.  Mount- 
ing along  the  eastern  branch,  there  is  a 
track  passing  by  the  S.  side  of  the 
Kreuzjoch  (9, 060'), which  either  leads  to 
Kaserer  at  the  head  of  the  Schmirnthal, 
or,  by  bearing  to  the  1.,  will  enable  the 
traveller  to  reach  Hinter  Tux  without 
any  considerable  descent  towards  the 
Schmirnthal.  For  the  way  thence  to 
Mayrhofen  see  last  Ete. 

The  main  branch  of  the  Naristhal 
mounts  to  NE.  and  then  turns  eastward 
along  the  N.  side  of  the  Kreuzjoch,  ter- 
minating at  the  foot  of  the  Geicrspitz 
(or  Schehruck  of  the  maps).  This  is  the 
centre  {Knotenpunkt)  whence  diverge 
several  ridges,withas  many  intermediate 
valleys.  On  the  W.  and  NW.  side  the 
drainage  runs  to  the  Navisbach  ;  on  the 
N.  and  NE.  to  the  Wattenserthal ;   on 


ROUTE    D. rATSCHERKOFEL. 


211 


the  E.  to  one  of  the  lateral  glens  of  the 
Txixerthal ;  and  on  the  S W.  to  the  head 
of  the  Schmirnthal.  There  is  a  track 
by  the  X.  side  of  the  Geierspitz  that 
descends  into  the  head  of  the  "Watten- 
serthal,  and  thence,  crossing  a  second 
ridge,  attains  the  glen  of  the  Nasstuxer- 
hach,  -which  joins  the  Txixerthal  imme- 
diately belovv  Lanersbach.  The  moun- 
taineer may  possibly  find  a  more  agree- 
able route  by  ascending  the  Geierspitz, 
and  descending  thence  to  a  little  lake  on 
its  E.  side,  -^vhich  sends  its  torrent  to 
join  the  Tuxerbach,  about  halfway  be- 
tween Hinter  Tux  and  Lanersbach. 

The  traveller  wishing  to  reach  the 
Innthal  fi-om  Navis  may  choose  between 
two  passes.  The  more  direct  leads  nearly 
due  X.  to  the  head  of  the  Voldererthal ; 
the  other,  a  little  longer,  is  reached  by 
following  the  main  branch  of  the  valley 
nearly  to  its  head,  and  then  turning 
northward.  The  pass  leads  to  the  SW. 
branch  of  the  Wattenserthal,  locally 
called  Molsthal. 

2.  B_q  the  Muhlthal.  The  Milhlthal 
is  a  short  glen  that  joins  the  Sill,  near 
a  -village  of  the  same  name,  about  5  m. 
below  Matrey.  It  offers  a  very  circuitous 
route  for  reaching  the  Tuxerthal  from 
Innsbruck,  but  may  well  be  taken  in  the 
way  by  a  traveller  willing  to  devote  two 
or  three  days  to  the  exploration  of  this 
and  the  neighbouring  valleys. 

Erom  the  rly.  station  at  Patsch  the 
distance  to  Muhlthal  is  about  2^  m. 
Ascending  for  nearly  2  hrs.,the  traveller 
reaches  the  Vigaralp,  where  the  Miihl- 
thalbach  forms  a  fine  waterfall.  The 
head  of  the  glen  is  a  wild  hollow,  co- 
vered with  scattered  blocks,  in  the  midst 
of  which  are  five  tarns  that  feed  the  tor- 
rent. The  pass  of  the  Rosen  Joch,  on 
the  N.  side  of  the  lireuzjoch  (not  to  be 
confounded  with  the  summit  of  the  same 
name  and  nearly  equal  height  that  di- 
vides the  t-n-o  branches  of  the  Navisthal), 
leads  to  the  head  of  the  Voldererthal, 
and  the  traveller  wishing  for  good  night- 
quarters  will  descend  tlirough  that  valley 
to  the  Baths  of  Yolders,  or  to  the  village 
on  the  main  road  of  the  Innthal.  The 
alternative  is  to  cross  the  ridge  dividing 

p 


I  the  head  of  the  Voldererthal  from  the 
j  Molsthal,  and  halt  for  the  night  at  Wal- 

chen.     (See  below.) 
I      Most  travellers,  moderately  favoured 
!  by   weather,   will   prefer   to   the   path 
tbroxigh  the  Muhlthal  the  ascent  of  one 
;  or  other  of  the  summits  on  the  N.  side 
I  of  that  glen,  and  may  combine  this  with 
[  the  track  to  Volders,    The  ridge  di-viding 
i  the  Milhlthal  from  the  Inn  has  tliree 
i  summits.      At  the  W.  end  nearest  to 
Innsbruck  the  Paffecherkofel,  in  the  mid- 
dle the  Morgenkopf,  and  at  the  E.  end 
the  Glungetzer.     Of  these  the  most  fre- 
q-uented  is  the  Patsch rJwfd  (7,368'),  a 
green  summit,  easy  of  access,  conspicuous 
in  the  neighbourhood  of  Innsbruck.  The 
usual  coui'se,  both  for  foreign  and  native 
visitors,  is  to  start  from,  and  retiu-n  to 
that  city,  the  excursion  taking  about  8 
hrs.,  exclusive  of  halts.    A  carriage- road 
goes  as  far  as  Lavs  (Inn  :  Wilder  Mann), 
a  village  lying  S.  of  Schloss  Amras,  at 
the  WNW.  foot  of  the  mountain.     The 
shorter    and    steeper  way  is    by   Sis- 
trans;  the  easier  and  more  frequented 
path  passes  by  the  pilgrimage  chapel, 
'zum  Heiligen  ^Yasser'  (3,994'),  where 
there  is  a  fair  counti-}'  inn,  for  the  benefit 
of  those  who  would  reach  the  summit 
for  sunrise.     The  summit,  reached  in 
little  more  than  2  hrs.  from  the  inn,  is 
overlooked  by  many  higher  peaks  to  the 
E.  and  SE.    Yet  its  position  is  so  favour- 
able that  the  -view  is,  in  some  respects, 
superior  to  that  from  the  Glungetzer. 
i  The  eye  wanders  along  the  Innthal,  from 
I  Telfs  to  Schwaz,  with  the  bold  limestone 
I  ranges  that  bound  it  on  the  N.  side, 
over   the   greater    part   of   the   Lowfr 
Wippthal,  thi'ough  which  the  locomotive 
now  drags  its  burden  across  the  central 
chain  of  the  Alps,  and  ascending  along 
I  the  Stubaythal  rests  on  the  snow}'  peaks 
that  enclose  its  upper  branches. 

An  active  mountaineer  would  probably 
have  no  difficulty  in  reaching  the  peak 
of  the  Glungetzer  (8,781')  by  passing 
along  the  connecting  ridge  over  the  sum- 
mit of  the  Morgenkopf,  but  the  mountain 
is  usually  approached  from  the  Yoldorer 
Bad.  In  addition  to  the  horizon  of  the 
Patscherkofel,  the  x-iew  include-s  a  great 
2 


212 


CENTRAL    TYROL    ALPS.       §    50.    ZILLERTHAL    DLSTRICT. 


part  of  the  Zillerthal  Alps  and  part  of 
tlu'  High  Tauern.  On  the  E.  side  an 
easy  descent  leads  to  the  Schafferhiitte, 
also  known  as  Feld-Alm,  above  theYol- 
dererthal,  whence  a  good  path  leads  to 
the  Baths  mentioned  below.  A  traveller 
wishing  to  return  to  the  Brenner  road 
should  follow  a  SE.  coiirse  in  descending 
the  mountain,  so  as  to  reach  the  Vol- 
derertlial  near  its  head,  and  thence, 
crossing  the  pass  that  divides  that  valley 
from  Navis,  he  could  descend  in  the 
afternoon  to  3Iatrey. 

3.  By  the  VoldercrthaL  The  second- 
ary valley  which  opens  to  the  S.  atVol- 
ders  in  the  Innthal  is  referred  to  in  §  43, 
Kte.  B,  and  repeatedly  alluded  to  in  con- 
Bection  with  the  valleys  above  described. 
It  does  not  afford  a  direct  route  from 
Innsbruck  to  the  Tuxerthal,  but  it  is  the 
only  one  of  the  valleys  of  the  district 
here  described  that  offers  to  the  stranger 
tolerably  comfortable  quarters.  In  en- 
tering the  valley  at  Volders  the  traveller 
passes  beneath  two  ancient  castles.  The 
torrent  has  cut  a  deep  channel,  and  the 
path  ascends  rather  steeply  above  the  rt. 
bank  to  attain  the  Volderer  Bad,  a  mi- 
neral spring,  frequented  in  summer  quite 
as  much  for  the  oool  and  agreeable  po- 
sition as  for  its  curative  properties.  As 
already  mentioned,  the  upper  end  of  the 
valley^is  connected  by  passes  of  no  difS- 
ctilty  with  the  Miihlthal,  the  Navisthal, 
and'the  MolsthaL  or  SW.  branch  of  the 
Wattenserthal.  The  most  direct  way  to 
the  Tiixerthal  and  Mayrhofen  is  by  Wal- 
chen,  at  the  junction  of  the  two  branches 
of  the  Wattenserthal. 

4.  By  the  Wattrnserthal.  From  Wat- 
tens,  on  the  S.  side  of  the  Inn,  near  the 
rly.  station  of  Eritzens,  the  traveller  may 
enter  the  Wattenserthal,  an  upland  glen 
that  penetrates  deeply  into  the  mass  of 
the  Tuxer  Gebirge,  and  offers  a  more 
direct  way  for  the  pedestrian  going  from 
Innsbruck  to  Lanersbach  or  ^layrhofen 
than  those  above  noticed,  and  is  on  that 
account  somewlmt  frequented  by  the 
Tuxerthal  people.  The  distance  from 
Wattcns  lO  the  uppermost  end  of  the 
valley,  where  it  terminates  at  the  NW. 
base  of  the   Geierspitz,   is   counted  6 


hrs.'  walk.  About  halfway  the  main 
torrent  of  the  valley,  which  preserves  a 
direction  somewhat  W.  of  N.,  is  joined 
by  a  tributary  from  the  Mohthal,  a  la- 
teral glen,  connected  bj  passes  with 
Navis  and  the  head  of  the  Voldererthal. 
At  the  junction  is  Walchen,  where,  along 
with  a  few  scnnhutten,  there  is  a  rough 
mountain  inn  for  the  accommodation  of 
the  Tuxerthal  passengers.  The  highest 
Alp  in  the  main  branch  of  the  valley  is 
Lizum.  A  sinuous  path,  whose  ultimate 
direction  is  due  W.,  leads  thence  to  the 
head  of  a  glen  called  Xass  Tux,  whose 
torrent  joins  the  Tuxerbach,  a  short  way 
below  Lanersbach. 

5.  By  the  Kolsassthal.  The  way 
through  the  Wattenserthal  is  more  di- 
rect for  a  passenger  boimd  for  Laners- 
bach than  that  now  noticed,  but  if  MavT- 
hofen  be  the  traveller's  destination, 
he  will  do  better  to  follow  the  course 
of  the  Inn  from  Innsbruck  to  Weer. 
I  The  village  inn  here  is  frequented  by 
I  Zillerthal  people,  and  a  traveller  may 
I  here  seciu'e  a  guide  on  more  reasonable 
j  terms  than  they  usually  exact.  Weer 
stands  at  the  opening  of  the  Kolsassthal 
—  sometimes  called  Wetrthal — whose 
stream  is  said  to  contain  gold-dust.  Eor 
a  distance  of  about  4  hrs.'  walk  this 
mounts  about  due  SE. — the  Gilfertsberg 
(8,201')  rising  steeply  on  the  NE.  side. 
At  its  upper  end  the  valley  bends  to  the 
rt.  towards  its  head,  which  lies  some- 
what W.  of  S.  It  is  necessary  to  follow 
this  upper  reach  of  the  valley  for  a  short 
distance  before  beginning  to  ascend  its 
eastern  slope  to  the  pass  leading  to  Mayr- 
hofen through  the  Zldavthal.  The  path 
follows  the  torrent  through  the  latter 
glen  to  its  junction  with  the  Ziller,  ^m. 
below  Mayrhofen.  If  the  traveller  were 
to  cross  the  ridge  on  the  E.  side  of  the 
Kolsassthal  too  near  to  the  Grilfertsberg, 
he  would  find  himself  at  the  head  of  the 
Finsiiigthal,  and  following  its  torrent — 
the  Pankrazenbach — would  be  led  to 
Uderns,  in  the  Lower  Zillerthal,  many 
miles  distant  from  3Iayrhofen. 

Eurther  information  as  to  the  valleys 
mentioned  in  this  Rte.  will  be  thank- 
fully received. 


ROUTE    E. ZELL    TO    KRIMML. 


213 


EOUTE  E. 

ZELL    TO    BETIN-ECK,     BY    THE    KEIMMLEE 
TAUEEX. 


Gerlos  . 
Krimml  . 
Kasern  . 
Steinhaus 
Taufers  . 
Bruneck  . 


Hrs.' 

Eng. 

walking 

miles 

.    S 

m 

H 

.     & 

17 

.     3h 

10 

.     3i 

10 

.     3 

10 

25| 


67 


Frequented  footpath,  rough  between  Krimml 
and  Kasern  ;  char-road  fi'om  St.  Valentin  to 
Bruneck.  The  distances  are  reduced  a  little 
below  the  usual  estimate,  but,  in  the  \\Titer's 
opinion,  that  between  Krimml  and  Kasern  is 
Btill  somewhat  too  great.  The  writer  has 
carried  his  own  knapsack  from  St,  Valentin, 
nearly  1  hr.  below  Kasern,  to  Zell  in  l-5i  hrs., 
exclusive  of  halts,  reaching  Krimml  in  Si  hrs.' 
steady,  but  not  fast,  walking,  including  some 
delay  by  the  way,  and  at  the  top. 

The  route  here  described,  which  lies 
exactly  along  the  eastern  boundary  of 
the  district  included  in  this  section,  is 
undoubtedly  one  of  the  most  interesting 
that  can  be  chosen  by  a  traveller,  who 
shuns  glacier  expeditions,  for  crossing 
the  main  chain  of  the  TjtoI  Alps.  Ex- 
cept in  xevy  bad  weather,  the  passage  of 
the  Krimmler  Tauern  is  quite  free  from 
risk  and  difficulty,  and  in  clear  weather 
it  does  not  even  require  the  assistance  of 
a  local  guide.  There  is  no  rock  scenery 
on  the  way  so  impressive  as  that  in  the 


lower  part  of  the  Zemmthal,  described 
in  Ete.  B,  but  the  scenery  is  throughout 
very  pleasing,  and  in  some  places  beauti- 
ful ;  while  on  the  way,  without  the  trouble 
of  a  detour,  one  of  the  finest,  perhaps 
the  finest,  waterfall  in  the  Alps  offers 
an  additional  inducement.  The  distance 
can  be  conveniently  accomplished  in  2|- 
days,  sleeping  at  Krimml  and  Stein- 
haus, but  is  rather  too  much  for  2  days, 
even  when  taken  from  the  S.  side.  The 
track  over  the  Krimmler  Tauern  was  at 
one  time  used  for  beasts  of  burden,  and 
there  seems  to  be  no  reason  why  a  lady 
should  not  ride  over  it,  dismounting  in 
the  steeper  places,  if  it  were  possible  to 
obtain  a  thoroughly  reliable  horse  op 
mule;  but  the  writer  has  little  confidence 
in  the  fitness  of  the  animals  usually  to 
be  found  in  Tyrol  for  rough,  steep,  and 
slippery  mountain-paths. 

The  way  from  Zell  to  the  Durlosboden 
is  described  in  Ete.  B.  Soon  after  pass- 
ing a  signal  that  marks  the  boundary 
between  Tyrol  and  Salzburg,  the  traveller 
ascending  from  G-erlos  sees  a  finger-post 
pointing  to  a  track  on  the  rt.  hand  that 
leads  to  Krimml  over  the  Pinzgauer 
Platte  (about  5,600').  As  the  name  in- 
dicates, this  is  a  flat  ridge,  with  here  and 
there  a  scattered  tree,  from  whose  eastern 
verge  the  traveller  gains  a  long  vista 
through  the  Pinzgau,  with  several  peaks 
of  the  Tauern  range  on  the  rt.,  and  the 
Kitzbiihel  Alps  to  the  1.,  reminding  him 
of  the  view  of  the  Ehone  valley  from 
the  Forclaz  above  Martigny.  The  path 
is  good  and  frequently  passed  by  ladies 
on  horseback.  The  pedestrian  rnay  with 
advantage  make  a  slight  detour  to  the 
summit  of  the  PlattcnJcogl  (6,659').  This 
is  the  green  eminence  seen  on  the  rt. 
hand  forming  the  northern  end  of  the 
ridge  dividing  the  Wilde  G-erlos-  from  the 
Krimmler- Thai.  The  way  is  to  turn 
from  the  regular  track  close  to  a  senn- 
hutte  where  passing  travellers  regale 
themselves  with  milk  and  cream.  The 
mountain  is  perfectly  easy,  and  in  clear 
weather  even  a  novice  will  in  1  hr., 
very  easy  walking,  reach  the  summit. 
A  wooden  monument  in  somewhat  di- 
lapidated condition  is  designed  to  com- 


214  CENTRAL    TYROL    ALPS.       §    50.    ZILLERTHAL    DLSTRICT. 

mcmorate  the  visit  of  the  Archbishop 
of  ."Salzburg  iu  1838.  In  addition  to  thf 
view  of  the  Pinzgau  and  Krimmlerthal, 
he  here  gains  several  of  the  peaks  and 
ghiciers  of  the  Reioheuspitz  group,  and 
the  noble  pyramidal  summit  of  the  Drei- 
herrnspitz  shows  to  great  advantage.  In 
descending,  the  regular  track  from  Grerlos 
to  Krimral  may  be  regained  about  2  m. 
from  Krimml,  so  that  the  detour  need 
not  cost  much  more  than  1  hr.  The 
bridle-track  descends  the  rather  steep 
slope  towards  Krimml  in  many  windings, 
through  a  wood  composed  of  birch  and 
alder,  and  in  little  more  than  3  hrs. 
from  Grerlos  the  traveller  reaches 

Krimml  (3,584'),  a  prettily  situated 
village  on  the  W.  slope  of  the  valley, 
about  200  It.  above  the  level  of  the  tor- 
rent. Kerschdorfer's  inn,  sometimes 
overcrowded,  supplies  very  fair  accom- 
modation. The  charges  for  guides  and 
horses  are  high,  except  that  for  a  guide 
to  the  Falls.  The  best  guide  for  mountain 
ascents  is  Josef  Hock  (there  is  another 
inferior  Hock),  and  Matth,  Poltiacher 
second.  Krimml  is  connected  with  "Wald 
(about  4  m.  distant)  by  a  good  road,  so 
that  travellers  bound  for  the  Pinzgau 
(Kte.B)  lose  little  time  by  taking  this  way 
if  a  vehicle  be  forthcoming;  but  as  only 
two  or  three  are  to  be  had  here  it  is  pru- 
dent to  write  or  send  in  advance  to  secure 
one.  The  great  object  of  attraction  is  the 
Watfrfall  of  the  Krimmler  Ache.  This 
includes  three  separate  falls,  whose  col- 
lective height  is  1,478  ft.  In  approach- 
ing Krim7nl  by  the  path  from  Gerlos, 
they  are  all  seen  at  the  same  time,  which 
is  not  the  case  from  any  spot  near  at 
hand.  The  traveller  who  wishes  without 
loss  of  time  to  see  all  the  falls  from 
the  most  favourable  points  of  view  does 
well  to  take  a  guide.  If  bound  for  the 
Krimmler  Tauern,  he  may  visit  them  on 
the  way  with  little  loss  of  time,  but  if 
intending  to  return  to  Krimml,  he  should 
allow  2^  hrs.  for  the  excursion,  supposing 
him  to  ascend  to  the  summit  of  the  up- 
permost Ml.  The  track  leading  to  the 
Tauern — known  as  the  Tauernweg — en- 
ters the  pine-forest  which  clothes  the 
slopes  of  the  valley,  and  about  f  m. 


from  the  village  crosses  to  the  rt.  bank 
of  the  Krimmler  Ache.  The  increasing 
roar  of  the  waters,  which  is  already 
heard  long  before  reaching  Krimml,  an- 
nounces the  near  approach  to  the  lower 
fall.  A  guide-post  '  zum  Wasserfall' 
indicates  the  path  which  in  3  or  4 
minutes  leads  to  it.  To  see  it  to  perfec- 
tion it  is  well  to  cross  a  wooden  bridge 
and  approach  as  near  to  it  on  the  1.  bank 
as  the  clouds  of  dense  spray  will  permit. 
The  mass  of  water,  after  springing  over 
the  upper  ledge,  strikes  a  mass  of  pro- 
jecting rock,  and  is  shattered  into  m^-riads 
of  water-rockets.  It  is  well  to  carrj-  an 
umbrella,  for  partial  protection  from  the 
spray,  and  those  who  fear  a  chill  will 
not  linger  long  near  the  fall.  Peturning 
to  the  Tauernweg,  which  is  paved  "with 
huge  blocks  of  gneiss,  the  traveller 
moimts  through  the  forest,  accompanied 
by  the  hollow  roar  of  the  waters,  now 
rising,  now  falling,  as  he  approaches  or 
recedes  fiom  the  raging  torrent.  To  get 
a  favourable  view  of  the  second  requires 
a  considerable  detour,  and  most  persons 
content  themselves  with  looking  down 
upon  it  from  the  Jagersprung.  At  that 
spot  the  Tauernweg  approaches  the  verge 
of  the  precipitous  rocks  above  the  tor- 
rent, and  is  guarded  by  rough  pine-stems, 
to  prevent  cattle  from  falling  over.  The 
name  of  the  spot  is  derived  from  the 
story  of  a  hardly  pressed  poacher  laden 
with  a  chamois,  who  attempted  to  escape 
his  pursuers  by  a  desperate  leap,  and 
was  lost  in  the  gulf  below.  Looking  over 
the  verge,  the  traveller  descries  little  save 
a  whirl  of  spray  and  foam  driven  upward 
by  gusts  of  cold  wind:  of  the  roaring  and 
howling  waters  scarcely  an^-thing  is  seen. 
Over  the  wild  scene,  when  the  sun  looks 
down  upon  it,  the  rainbow  hangs  sus- 
pended in  a  nearly  complete  circle.  On 
reaching  a  hut  that  stands  on  a  narrow 
shelf  of  level  ground,  the  traveller  sees 
a  path  to  the  rt.,  and  a2:ain  leaves  the 
Tauernweg  for  a  few  minutes  to  visit 
the  uppermost  fall,  by  far  the  most  re- 
markable, as  its  absolute  height  is  about 
700  ft.  Taking  into  account  its  con- 
siderable volume,  which  is  maintained 
in  stimmer  by  the  outflow  of  numerous 


ROUTE  E. — KRIMMLER  TAUERN. 


215 


glaciers,  this  is  certainly  not  surpassed 
by  any  in  Europe.  It  is  advisable  to 
cross  to  the  1.  bank  by  a  wooden  bridge 
and  clamber  over  the  moss-grown  blocks 
tliat  border  the  torrent  at  the  foot  of  the 
fall. 

Eeturning  to  the  main  track,  the  travel- 
er follows  its  windings  that  lead  away 
a-om  the  waterfall,  and  then  after  about 
f  hr.  return  to  the  rt.  bauk  just  above 
it.  The  softened  roar  of  the  waters, 
and  the  never-ceasing  cloud  of  spray 
that  hangs  above  the  forest,  mark  its 
position,  and  in  the  background  is  a 
pleasing  view  of  Krimml  and  its  little 
valley,  enclosed  on  the  N.  side  by  the 
range  connecting  the  Thorhelm  with  the 
Rettenstein.  Passing  through  a  narrow 
but  short  defile — a  sort  of  portal  to  the 
upper  valley — the  track  enters  the  upper 
level  of  the  Krimmlerthal,  which  offers 
a  singular  contrast  to  the  scenery  just 
left  behind.  For  a  distance  of  about 
5  m.  this  upland  glen  stretches  nearly 
at  a  level  between  mountains  of  gentle 
nearly  uniform  slope,  while  the  peaceful 
torrent  meanders  through  the  Alpine 
meadows.  Not  much  is  seen  of  the 
higher  peaks  on  either  side.  The  most 
conspicuous  is  the  Huttelflialspitz  {9.7 0-i') 
— corruptl}"-  Hinthalspitz— one  of  the 
highest  points  in  the  range  dividing 
Krimml  from  Sulzbach.  The  geologist 
will  remark  the  vast  amount  of  debris 
excavated  by  torrents  from  the  crystal- 
line slates  that  constitute  the  prevailing 
rock  in  this  valley.  Sonklar  has  called 
attention  to  a  steep  pile  of  debris,  about 
1,000  ft.  in  height,  brought  down  by  a 
single  small  torrent  from  the  last-men- 
tioned mountain.  It  overhangs  the  E. 
side  of  the  valley  a  little  way  above  the 
highest  waterfall.  In  about  3^  lirs.  the 
traveller  ascending  from  Krimml  reaches 
the  Tauernhaus  (5,235'),  standing  be- 
side a  group  of  sennhiltten,  a  mere  hut 
often  filled  at  night  bypassing  peasants. 
It  is  a  most  undesirable  stopping-place 
for  the  night,  but  a  pleasant  spot  for  a 
halt  to  hmch.  From  the  opposite  or 
western  side,  the  Rcdnbach  torrent  de- 
scends from  the  Rtkhenspitz  (10,866'), 
and  forms  a  very  picturesque  waterfall, 


reached  from  hence  in  rather  more  than 
1  hr.  The  imaginary  Zillerspitz,  said 
to  be  19  ft.  higher  than  the  Reichenspitz, 
and  placed  S.  of  the  latter  at  the  source 
of  the  Rainbach,  is  one  of  the  many 
blunders  of  the  Austrian  Kataster. 

For  about  ^  hr.  the  Tauernweg  as- 
cends gently  along  the  rt.  bank  of  the 
main  torrent  to  the  Unlass  Alp  (5,589'), 
where  the  Windbach  from  the  WSW. 
joins  the  Krimmler  Ache.  Here  the 
great  peaks  that  enclose  the  head  of  the 
Krimralthal,  which  for  some  time  have 
been  coming  into  view,  form  a  curve, 
concave  to  NW.,  extending  E.  and  NE. 
from  the 

Bt'cihcrrnspitz  (11,494'),  through  the 
Simonys'pitz  (11,180'),  to  the  Hmter- 
Maurerkopf  (10,701'),  and  thence 
northward  to  the  Schliefer spitz  (about 
10,580'?).  In  the  centre  the  Krimml 
Glacier,  also  known  as  Prcttaucr- 
glctbcher,  descends  into  the  head  of  the 
valley  after  receiving  several  tributary 
ice-streams.  It  is  extremely  steep  and 
much  crevassed.  The  writer  is  not 
aware  that  any  serious  attempt  has 
been  made  to  reach  Pregratten  in  the 
Virgenthal  (§51,  Rte.  G.)  over  the  ridge 
that  divides  the  Krimml-  from  the 
Maurer-gletscher.  On  the  N.  side  flank 
of  the  Dreiherrnspitz  hangs  tlie  Purlox- 
gletscher,  a  rather  large  glacier  of  the 
second  order,  which  does  not  descend  to 
the  level  of  the  valley.  West  of  this  is 
a  relatively  deep  gap  in  the  transverse 
ridge  connecting  the  Dreiherrnspitz  with 
the  Fcldspitz  (9,637')  in  the  main  range 
of  the  Zillerthal  Alps.  This  gap  is 
called  Birnlilcke.  Its  height,  according 
to  the  Kataster,  is  9,018  ft.,  but  is 
given  as  only  8,491  ft.  on  the  far  more 
reliable  axithority  of  Sonklar,  who  has 
fixed  on  this  as  the  dividing-point  be- 
tween the  ranges  of  the  High  Taiiern 
and  Zillerthal  Alps,  Considering  that 
it  is  in  some  degree  an  arbitrary  matter 
to  fix  the  precise  point  in  the  connect- 
ing ridge  that  shall  separate  adjoining 
mountain  groups,  and  the  fact  that  the 
ridge  in  question  is  apparently  impas- 
sable at  the  Birnliicke,  the  writer  has 
adhered  to  the  Krimmler  Tauern  pass 


216 


CENTRAL    TYROL    ALPS. 


§  50. 


ZILLERTHAL    DISTRICT. 


as  the  most  eligible  boundary.  The 
way  to  it  turus  to  the  rt.  from  the 
Unlass  Alp,  and  mounts  through  the 
lateral  glen  of  the  Windbach,  command- 
ing at  first  very  fine  views  of  the  above- 
named  peaks  and  glaciers.  Trees  gra- 
dually disappear,  and  the  slopes  are 
more  and  more  covered  with  scattered 
blocks.  The  stems  of  the  creeping  pine 
(P.  mughus)  writhe  over  the  rocky  slope, 
alternating  witli  the  rhododendron,  and 
the  last  cembra  pine-stems  are  seen 
beside  the  highest  sennh'utte.  From 
the  upper  end  of  the  Windbachthal  a 
steep  asjcent  of  1  hr.  leads  to  the  summit 
of  the 

Krimmlcr  Tauern  (9,071')-  ^^  the 
autumn  the  snow-slope  on  the  N.  side 
is  of  slender  dimensions,  and  as  it  is  by 
no  means  steep,  it  opposes  no  serious 
diiSculty  at  any  time.  A  few  posts 
help  the  solitary  traveller  to  find  his 
way  when  the  clouds  lie  low.  The 
ancient  mule-path,  which  lay  farther 
west,  over  what  is  now  called  the  Alte 
Tauern,  was  abandoned,  owing  to  the 
formation  of  a  small  glacier  on  that 
part  of  the  ridge.  The  present  pass  is 
but  a  slight  depression  in  the  transverse 
ridge  spoken  of  above,  which  forms  the 
natural  link  between  the  Zillerthal  and 
High  Tauern  Alps.  The  view  towards 
the  S.  is  extremely  interesting.  The 
SW.  prolongation  of  the  Tauern  range, 
which  on  one  side  bounds  the  upper 
Ahrenthal,  is  spread  out  before  the 
traveller,  rivalling  in  height,  and  in  the 
extent  of  its  glaciers,  the  opposite  range 
of  the  Zillerthaler  Alps. 

Commencing  with  the  Dreiherrnspitz, 
the  chief  peaks  are  the  Bosshuf 
(11,483'?),  Virgcljoch{lO,%l^'),Eodts2>iiz 
(11,459'),  or  Weletz,  Gross  Glockhaus 
(10,546'),  Affenthalspitz  (10,103'),  Hir- 
banock  (9,854'),  and  Grvss  Limbeck 
(10,325'),  terminating  in  the  Oher  Stein- 
erholm  (8,040'),  above  Luttach.  A 
great  part  of  the  Upper  Ahrenthal  is 
also  seen  from  the  pass  and  during  the 
descent.  The  slope  on  the  S.  side  is 
steeper  and  more  continuous  than  on 
the  Krimml  side,  but  the  track  is  tole- 
rably well  marked,  and  quite  free  from 


'  difficulty.     About  2  hrs.  suffice  for  the 
descent  to  Kasern  (5,181'),  the  first  in- 
habited place  in  the  Ahrenthal,  through 
\  which  lies  the  remainder  of  the  way  to  • 
(  Bruneck.     This  is  one  of  the  most  con- 
'  siderable  lateral  valleys  in  Tyrol,  being 
fully  30  m.  in  length,  and  containing 
many  populous  villages.    From  its  head 
j  to  Luttach,  a  distance  of  18  m.,  it  de- 
'  scends  from  ENE.  to  WSW.  parallel  to 
the  main  range  of  the  Zillerthal  Alps 
;  and  the  western  extremity  of  the  Tauern 
'  chain  ;    but  below  Luttach  its  torrent 
!  flows  SSE.  through  an  opening  between 
:  the  latter  and  the  Miihlwalder  range  to 
the  W.   Entering  a  much  wider  channel 
!  at  Taufers,  and  receiving  two  conside- 
i  rable   affluents,    the    stream    descends 
nearly   due  S.  to   Bruneck.      The   in- 
convenient Tyrolese  custom  of  applying 
different  names  to  different  portions  of 
the  same  valley  holds  here.     The  upper 
portion,  as  far  as  the  defile  above  St. 
Peter,   is    called   Frettau,    the    middle 
part  alone — from  St.  Peter  to  Luttach — 
is  locally  known  as  Ahrenthal,  and  the 
lower  part  from  Luttach  to  Bruneck  en 
is  known  as   Tauferen-thal.     The   name 
Ahrenthal  is  here  used  to  designate  the 
entire  valley,  as  being  the  most  widely 
known,  and  that  adopted  in  the  best 
maps. 
j       The  inn  at  Kasern  was  formerly  a 
mere  Tauernhaus,  and  certainly  inferior 
to  the  humble  inn  at  St.  Valentin,  but 
the  writer  is  informed  that  the  former 
is  now  to  be  preferred.     Anton  Abner, 
of  Kasern,   is  said  to  be  a  competent 
guide.     The  traveller  who  has  started 
in  good  time  from  Krimml  may  well 
pxish  on  to  Steinhaus.     A  little  above 
Kasern  is  the  ancient  chui'ch  of  Heiligen 
Geist,  perched  upon   a  rock,  to   avoid 
avalanches.      To   encourage  travellers, 
it  is  announced  that  the  cemetery  here 
is  for  the  benefit  of  those  who  perish  in 
crossing  the  Tauern.     In  the  adjoining 
mountain  is  a  mine,  producing  copper 
ore  of  excellent  quality.     The  entrance 
to  the  shafts  is  in  the  little  glen  (called 
Eodtthal)  opposite    Kasern.       In    the 
Rodtthal   is   a   considerable    peat-bog, 
,  more   than    6,000   ft.    above   the   sea. 


ROUTE    E. —  AIIRKXTHAL. 


217 


producing  much  fuel  for  the  miners. 
A  descent  of  ^  hr.  takes  the  traveller 
from  Kasern  to 

Si.  ValentiJi  (4,581'),  the  highest  vil- 
lage in.  Prettau,  a  naturally  poor  spot, 
but  kept  in  some  relative  prosperity  by 
the  adjoining  mines.  Here  begins  the 
road,  though  narrow,  tolerably  well 
kept ;  but  the  chance  of  finding  a  vehicle 
anywhere  above  Steinhaus  is  uncertain. 
Instead  of  following  the  main  valley,  the 
traveller  may  cross  the  Bretterscharte 
(§  51,  Ete.  31),  and  so  reach  Taufers 
through  the  Rainthal.  There  is  scarcely 
a  hovise  on  the  way  between  St.  Valentin 
and  the  next  village.  The  road  enters  a 
narrow  defile  forming  the  lower  limit  of 
Prettau,  on  issuing  from  which  it  reaches 

St.  Peter  (3,939'),  about  3  m.  from 
St.  Valentin.  A  guide  named  Anton 
Eauchenbichler  is  to  be  heard  of  here. 
The  church  is  conspicuous  from  a  dis- 
tance, on  a  lofty  rock.  Descending 
gently,  for  rather  more  than  3  m., 
through  the  open  valley,  which  here 
shows  no  striking  featiu'es,  the  traveller 
reaches 

St.  Jakob  (3,929').  The  way  from 
this  village  to  Zell  over  the  Horndl 
Pass,  is  noticed  in  the  next  Ete.  The 
Hirbanock  (9,854'),  a  summit  com- 
manding a  very  fine  panoramic  view, 
and  rising  SE.  of  St.  Jakob,  may  pro- 
bably be  reached  from  this  side  (see 
§  51,  Ete.  M).  The  still  higher  peak  of 
the  G-ross  Diirreck  (10,325')  is  also 
•within  reach,  but  no  notice  of  the  ascent 
has  reached  the  writer.  Paul  Kaiser 
and  Michael  Oberhollenzer  of  St.  Jakob 
are  recommended  as  guides.  About  2 
m.  lower  down  the  Ahrenthal  is 

Steinhaus  (3,454'),  with  an  inn,  said 
to  be  the  best  in  the  valley,  which 
affords  a  convenient  stopping-place  on 
the  way  from  Krimml  to  Bruneck.  It 
would  also  serve  as  a  starting-point  for 
exploring  expeditions  among  the  high 
peaks  that  enclose  the  valley.  A  pass — 
said  to  be  difficult — may  be  effected  from 
hence  to  the  Stillup  Grund  (Ete.  B),  by 
the  Keilbach  Gletscher,  on  theE.  side  of 
the  Keilbachspitz  (10,169').  By  that 
way  Mayrhofen  may  be  reached  in  10^ 


hrs.,  exclusive  of  halts.  Continuing  his 
journey  along  the  main  valley,  the  tra- 
veller, in  J  hr.  from  Steinhaus,  reaches 
St.  Johaim  (3,329'),  and  about  1  m. 
farther  St.  Martin  (3,263'),  the  prin- 
cipal church  of  the  upper  valley.  A 
little  farther,  on  the  opposite,  or  NE., 
side  of  the  valley,  the  smelting-works  of 
Arzbach,  where  the  copper  ore  from  the 
mines  is  reduced,  are  conspicuous.  Up 
to  this  point  the  valley  has  been  nearly 
straight,  and  for  many  miles  has  pre- 
served an  uniform  gentle  slope.  The 
road,  which  below  St.  Peter  keeps  con- 
stantly to  the  rt.  bank,  has  traversed 
numerous  torrents  that  descend  through 
short  steep  glens  from  the  main  range 
of  the  Zillerthal  Alps.  Some  of  these 
no  doubt  lead  to  practicable  passes  over 
that  range,  that  remain  to  be  explored 
by  competent  mountaineers.  Now  the 
1  torrent  of  the  valley  {Ahrenbach).  swollen 
:  by  the  contributions  of  many  tributaries, 
j  bends  rapidly  to  the  1.,  and  soon  flows 
through  a  defile  that  leads  SSE.,  at  rt. 
angles  to  its  previoiis  coiu'se.  Just 
beyond  the  turn  of  the  valley,  the  road, 
after  passing  the  Weissenbach,  reaches 

Luttach  (3,140'),  a  prosperous  village, 
with  an  inn  in  a  large  stone  house.  [The 
traveller  may  here  diverge  from  the 
direct  way  and  make  an  interesting 
detour  by  the  glen  of  the  Weissenbach, 
which  descends  from  the  W.  into  the 
valley  just  above  the  village.  It  con- 
tains the  small  village  of  Weissenbach 
(4,312'),  with  the  very  ancient  church 
of  St.  Jakob,  well  deserving  a  visit  for 
its  early  German  architecture,  and  the 
remarkable  stone  carving  of  the  altar. 
Above  the  village  the  glen  divides,  and 
both  branches  doubtless  deserve  to  be 
explored.  The  eastern  branch  originates 
on  the  E.  side  of  the  Thurnerkamp, 
while  the  torrent  of  the  western  branch 
apparently  springs  from  a  glacier  on 
the  ridge  connecting  that  peak  with  the 
Mosele.  Instead  of  returning  to  Luttach, 
the  traveller  may  traverse  the  LapfU' 
cher  Jock  (7,763'),  between  Weissenbach 
and  Lappach,  or  choose  the  somewhat 
easier  pass  of  the  Miihlwalder  Joch 
{1,1QT)  leading  to  Miihlwald  (Ete.  G).] 


218 


CENTRAL    TYROL    ALPS.       §    50.    ZILLERTHAL   DISTRICT. 


Below  Luttach  the  valley  is  narrowed 
to  a  dotile  which  separates  the  upper 
valley  from  the  lower  portion,  locally 
called  Taufererthal,  The  scenery  is 
very  picturesque  for  a  distance  of  about 
3  m.,  when  the  road,  passing  under  the 
ancient  castle,  enters  the  basin  of  Tau- 
fcrs.  This  lies  in  the  intersection  with 
the  main  valley  of  a  transverse  that 
crosses  it  neai'ly  at  rt.  angles.  To  the 
ENE.  is  the  Eainthal  (§  51,  Ete.  M), 
parallel  to  the  upper  Ahrenthal,  and  in 
the  opposite  direction  the  Miihlwalder- 
thal  (further  noticed  in  Rte.  G).  Five 
villages  or  hamlets  lie  near  together  in 
thissmilingbasin:  Sand,Tai/fers(2,SSo'), 
a.ndJMi(hlen  on  the  rt,  bank,  Moritzeii  and 
Kematcn  on  the  1.  bank— all  but  the 
last  belonging  to  the  commune  of  Tau- 
fers.  There  are  several  inns,  the  best 
of  which  is  said  to  be  at  Sand.  On  the 
8.  side  of  the  Eainbach,  close  to  its 
junction  with  the  Ahrenbach,  is  Winkd, 
where  there  is  a  little-frequented  mine- 
ral spring  with  a  decent  inn.  The  most 
striking  object  at  Taufers  is  the  Burg, 
or  ancient  castle,  built  on  the  steep  slope 
E.  of  the  narrow  defile  leading  to  Lut- 
tach. Its  grey  towers  and  machicolated 
walls  extending  for  a  considerable  dis- 
tance above  the  base  of  the  hill,  and 
backed  by  the  sno'ny  summits  of  the 
Mostnock  range,  form  a  striking  picture. 
The  lords  of  this  castle,  who,  by  means 
of  a  wall  and  gateway,  literally  held  the 
keys  of  the  Ahrenthal,  were  people  of 
note  in  the  12th  and  13th  centuries. 
Since  the  old  line  died  out  the  strong- 
hold has  passed  through  many  hands. 
It  is  still  partly  habitable.  Besides  the 
castle,  there  are  several  curious  old 
houses  in  this  part  of  the  Taufererthal 
which  at  one  time  or  other  have  been 
the  seat,  of  noble  families.  The  church 
of  St.  Catharine  at  Miihlen  is  the  most 
ancient  in  the  Taufererthal.  Its  organ 
is  in  local  repute.  About  3  m.  S.  of 
Miihlen  is 

UttcJiheim,  with  a  picturesque  old 
castle  on  a  rock,  less  extensive  but  still 
more  ancient  than  that  of  Taufers.  It 
is  reached  by  a  very  steep  path,  partly 
by  steps  cut  in  the  rock.     Nearly  3  m. 


farther  the  road  passes  opposite  to  Gais 
(2,732'),  a  village  on  the  1,  bank  of  the 
Ahrenbach.  Here  the  geologist  will 
observe  one  of  the  most  striking  ex- 
amples of  the  vast  extent  of  the  masses 
of  transported  matter  brought  down  by 
the  torrents  in  this  district.  Gais  stands 
at  the  junction  of  the  ]Miihlbaeh,  an 
unimportant  torrent  issuing  from  the 
Miihlbacherthal  which  drains  a  small 
part  of  the  Alps  above  Antholz  (§  51, 
Ete.  L).  The  mass  of  transported  mat- 
ter brought  down  into  the  main  valley, 
and  not  washed  downwards  by  the 
Ahrenbach,  forms  a  hill  about  600  ft. 
!  in  height,  and  covers  a  space  not  much 
1  less  than  a  square  mile.  The  charming 
scenery  of  the  Taufererthal  has  perhaps 
gained  in  interest  and  variety  by  the 
insertion  of  these  green  promontories 
that  almost  bar  across  the  main  valley 
and  make  it  resemble  a  succession  of 
separate  basins.  The  last  place  in  the 
valley  of  any  note  is  St.  Georgen  (2,710'), 
less  than  2  m,  from 
Bnmeck  (§  51,  Ete.  A). 


EOVTE  P. 

ZELL  TO  THE  AHRENTHAX,  BY  THE  ZTLLEE- 
GETJXD,  OR  SONDEEGEtrXD. 

The  tracks  leading  from  Zell  to  the 
Brenner  road  through  the  western 
branches  of  the  Zillerthal  have  been 
noticed  in  Etes,  B  and  C,  and  in  the 
last  Ete.  is  described  the  course  ordi- 


ROUTE    F. — KORSCIIAMTE    PASS. 


219 


Tiarily  taken  by  travellers  bound  for  the 
Ahrentlial.  A  much  more  direct  way  to 
the  upper  part  of  the  same  valley  may 
be  found  by  crossing  one  or  other  of 
the  passes  that  are  connected  with  the 
eastern  branch  of  the  valley  of  the  Zil- 
ler.  which  for  about  10  m.  preserves  the 
name  Zillerthal.  This  tract  is  some- 
times called  Ziller  Grund,  but  that  name 
properly  belongs  only  to  the  uppermost 
eastern  branch  of  the  Upper  Zillerthal. 
It  is  not  likely  that  this  course  will 
];e  generally  preferred  to  the  way  by 
Ivrimml,  with  its  deservedJy  famous 
waterfall,  but  it  may  sometimes  be  con- 
venient to  a  traveller  pressed  for  time, 
or  for  one  who  wishes  merely  to  make 
an  excursion  from  Zell,  going  one  way 
and  returning  the  other.  If  the  latter 
be  the  object  in  view,  it  will  be  best  to 
go  from  Zell  by  Ivrimml,  sleeping  on 
the  second  night  either  at  St.  Peter  or 
Steinhaus.  In  approaching  the  passes 
mentioned  below  from  theN.  side,  he  may 
sleep  at  Mayrhofen,  but  rough  quarters 
for  the  night  may  be  found  at  Haisling. 
1 .  By  the  ITorndl  Pass.  1 1  hrs.  from 
jMayrhofen  to  St.  Jakob.  As  mentioned 
in  Rte.  B,  the  junction  of  the  Ziller  with 
theZemmbach  is  but  a  few  minutes'  walk 
from  Mayrhofen.  The  stream  of  the 
Ziller  is  here  used  to  drive  a  garnet 
mill — one  of  the  largest  of  the  many  in 
this  neighbourhood.  Garnets  are  ex- 
ceedingly common  in  the  mica  schist  of 
both  branches  of  the  valley,  and  the 
preliminary  process  of  cleansing  the 
stones  from  their  outer  crust  and  roughly 
rounding  them  is  performed  here,  Tliey 
are  then  sent  to  Bohemia  to  be  polished 
and  set  in  ornaments  that  pass  under 
the  name  of  Vienna  jewellery.  The 
lower  end  of  the  upper  valley  into 
which  the  traveller  now  enters  is  con- 
tracted, and  the  path  mounts  steeply 
above  the  rt.  bank  of  the  torrent  till  it 
attains  the  upper  level,  which  stretches 
upwards  with  an  uniform  and  moderate 
slopie  for  several  miles.  Urcvidherg  and 
Haidiiig  (poor  inn),  the  highest  villages, 
arc  left  on  the  slope  of  the  mountain  to 
the  1.  hand,  and  the  track  follows  the 
stream  till,  about  3  hrs.  from  Mayrhofen, 


it  crosses  a  wooden  bridge  at  the  base 
of  an  eastern  buttress  of  the  Ahornspitz. 
Eather  more  than  1  hr.  above  the  bridge, 
the  traveller,  following  the  track  by  the 
1.  bank,  reaches  the  junction  of  the  two 
torrents  that  form  the  Ziller.  The  E. 
branch  flows  from  the  Ziller  Griind — the 
S.  branch  from  the  Sonder  Grund. 
Through  the  latter  lies  the  way  to  the 
Horndl  Pass  (8,366')-  Though  steep  and 
rough,  the  path  is  pretty  v/ell  marked,  as 
this  pass  is  that  usually  taken  by  the  Zil- 
lerthal people  bound  for  the  Ahrenthal, 
or  Bruneck,  and  in  fine  weather  a  guide 
may  not  be  absolutely  necessary.  At 
the  junction  of  the  torrents  is  a  hut, 
*  In  der  Au.'  originally  intended  for  shel- 
ter for  chamois-hunters.  Thence  to  the 
summit,  erroneously  reported  to  be 
covered  by  a  small  glacier,  is  reckoned 
as  a  walk  of  4  hrs.  Though  consider- 
ably lower  than  the  Krimmler  Tauern, 
this  is  better  situated  for  a  view  of  the 
Vv'estern  Tauern  range  from  the  Drei- 
herrnspitz  to  the  Gross  Diirreck.  The 
steep  descent  to  St.  Jakob  in  Prettau 
may  be  easily  effected  in  3  hrs.  The 
proper  charge  for  a  guide  between 
Mayrhofen  and  St.  Jakob  is  4  fl.,  but 
the  Zillerthal  guides  often  ask  more. 
For  the  road  to  Bruneck  see  last  Ete. 

2.  By  the  Kmscharte.  This  pass 
leads  either  to  St.  Peter  or  St.  Valentin, 
at  the  upper  end  of  the  Ahrenthal. 
Though  scarcely  longer  than  the  last, 
it  is  said  to  be  a  rougher  and  steeper 
Avay,  and  it  will  be  prudent  to  allow 
\  hr.  longer  time — IH  hrs.,  exclusive 
of  halts,  from  ^lap'hofen  to  either  of  the 
above-named  villages.  Being  very  rarely 
used,  it  should  not  be  attempted  without 
a  guide. 

For  rather  more  than  ^  hr.  the  tra- 
veller follows  the  path  that  runs  east- 
ward from  the  hut  '  In  der  Au  '  through 
the  Ziller  Grund.  A  narrow  stony  glen 
called  Hundskehle  then  opens  to  the  rt. 
hand,  and  the  path,  leaving  the  Ziller 
Grund,  moimts  due  S.  It  must  be  noted 
that  the  name  Hundskehle  is  also  given 
to  a  high  peak  rising  due  N.  of  the  en- 
trance to  the  glen,  and  the  same  name 
is  also,  but  incorrectly,  applied  to  the 


CENTRAL    TYROL    ALPS. 


220 


pass.  This  lies  over  a  depression  Jn 
the  Korscharte  (8,451'  Soaklarj  on  the 
W.  side  of  the  Rauchkofd  (10,661'). 
The  way  is  extremely  rough,  lying  over 
huge  loose  masses  of  stone  that  cover 
the  slopes  at  the  head  of  the  glen.  Fur- 
ther information  is  much  desired. 

3.  B>^  the  Heiligengeist  Jochl.  12  hrs. 
fi'om  Mayrhofen  to  Kasern.  The  finest 
scenery  of  this  branch  of  the  Zillerthal 
is  found  at  the  upper  end  of  the  Ziller 
Grund,  which  comes  to  an  end  nearly 
2  hrs.  above  the  opening  of  the  Hund- 
skehl,  in  the  centre  of  an  amphitheatre  of 
snowy  peaks.  Though  the  fact  is  denied 
in  the  new  edition  of  Schaubach,  there 
is  an  easy  pass  leading  in  6  hrs.  from 
the  Kiichelmoosalp,  at  the  head  of  the 
Ziller  Grrund,  to  Kasern.  It  is  called 
Heiligengeist  Jochl,  and,  being  more 
circuitous  than  the  passes  above  named, 
is  little  used.  The  summit  (8,309' 
Sonklar)  is  marked  by  a  cross.  Dr. 
Euthner  gives  the  height  at  9,676  ft. — 
probably  on  the  unreliable  authority  of 
the  Kataster. 

It  will  not  be  forgotten  that  there  is 
a  way  from  Mayrhofen  to  St.  Jakob, 
even  more  direct  than  tiiat  of  the 
Horndl,  bv  the  Keilbaeh  Joch  at  the 
head  of  the  StiUup  Grund  (Ete.  B).  The 
objection  to  that  way  for  a  traveller 
starting  from  ilayrhofen  is  the  fact  that 
it  would  be  impossible  to  reach  the  neve 
before  a  comparatively  late  hour. 


50.    ZILLF.RTKAL    DISTRICT. 

EoUTE   G. 

TAUFERS    TO    GIXZLIKG,     BY    THE     ilUHh- 
WALDEETHAi. 

A  glacier  pass,  fit  only  for  practised  moun- 
taineera. 

The  Miihlwaldertkc/l  enters  the  basin 
of  Taufers  (Ete.  E)  immediately  oppo- 
site to  the  Eainthal,  and  its  lower  por- 
tion, about  5  m.  in  length,  is  e-\ndently 
the  western  continuation  of  the  trougli 
marked  by  the  latter  valley,  running 
parallel  to  the  main  ranges  of  the 
neighbouring  Alps.  It  is  interesting  to 
the  mountaineer,  as  it  originates  on  the 
S.  side  of  the  highest  peaks  of  the  Zil- 
lerthal Alps,  and  offers  what  must  be  a 
very  fine  glacier  pass  to  the  Zamser 
Grund,  through  the  Schlegeisenthal,  with 
the  alternative  of  making  the  ascent  of 
the  Mosele,  and  descending  thence  into 
the  same  glen.  The  scenery  of  the  val- 
ley is  so  fine  that  an  excursion  to  its 
head  will  well  reward  those  who  do  not 
attempt  glacier  expeditions.  They  may 
return  to  the  Ahrenthal  by  Weiss- 
enbach (Ete.  E),  or  reach  Pfunders  (Ete. 
H)  by  a  pass  mentioned  below. 

At  the  opening  of  the  valley  at  Miih- 
len,  the  track,  passable  for  country  ve- 
hicles, mounts  rather  steeply  by  the  1. 
bank  of  the  torrent,  and  then  for  another 
hr.  along  the  nearly  level  troiigh  of  the 
vaUey  to  Muhlvjcdd  (3,731'),  a  village 
scattered  over  the  green  floor  of  the  val- 
ley. The  modern  ch\irch  stands  on  an 
eminence.  Here  the  valley  again  nar- 
rows and  begins  to  bend  gradually  to 
the  rt.  The  path,  no  longer  passable  for 
carts,  ascends  through  the  defile,  keep- 
ing still  to  the  1.  bank,  and  after  about 
\^  hr.,  assumes  the  NXW.  direction, 
which  it  maintains  up  to  the  base  of  the 
Mosele.  Before  long  the  valley  opens  a 
little,  and  here  stands 

Lappach  (4,634'),  the  highest  village, 
with  an  inn  and  a  good  guide  named 
Einspacher.  No  information  has  reached 
the  writer  respecting  the  direct  route  to 
Ginzling.  The  pass — called  by  Sonklar 
Ewis  Sattel  (9,808')— lies  between  the 
W.  peak  of  the  Mosele  and  the  E. 
summit  of  the  Ewis  (1{!,228';.     W.  of 


ROUTE    IT. PFUNDERERTHAL. 


221 


the  latter  is  the  hip;hest  summit  of  the 
Ewis  (10,-il)8').  From  Lappach  Mr. 
Tuckett  ascended  tlie  Mosele  (1 1,315') — 
here  called  Mciselenock— by  one  of  the 
two  glaciers,  called  Mosele  Ferner,  at  the 
head  of  the  valley.  Two  summits  are 
visible  from  this  side,  but  the  eastern 
peak  is  tlie  higher  by  about  200  ft.  This 
was  reached  from  the  saitd  between  it 
and  the  Thurnerkamp.  The  descent  on 
the  opposite  side  was  much  more  diffi- 
cult. Keeping  at  first  N.,  and  then  NW., 
Mr.  T.  aud  his  companions  reached  in 
2  hrs.  the  nere  of  the  Furtsckldgel 
Glacier,  and  in  1  j  hr.  more  quitted  this 
by  its  rt.  bank.  Following  the  torrent 
from  the  g'acier  through  a  short  tribu- 
tary glen  into  the  Schlegeisenthal,  they 
reached  Grinzling  (Rte.  B)  on  the  same 
evening  in  lof  hrs.,  exclusive  of  halts, 
from  Lappach. 

As  mentioned  in  Rte.  E,  there  is  an 
easy  way  from  Lappach  to  the  Ahren- 
thal  over  the  Lapparhcr  Jock  (7,763'), 
and  along  the  Weissenbach  torrent, 
which  joins  the  Ahrenbach  just  abov 


Further  information  is  desired  as  to 
the  passes  mentioned  in  this  Rte. 


Route  H. 

st.  jakob  in  pfitsch  to  the  pusteethai,, 
by  the  pfundereethai.. 

The  range  of  the  Grubachkamm,  men- 
tioned in  the  last  Rte.,  running  parallel 
to  theMiihlwalderthal,  follows  a  SSE. 
direction  from  the  Napfspitz  to  the 
Kremspitz  (9,354'),  and  thence  extends 
nearly  due  E.  to  the  BlanJccnstdn 
(7,991')  above  Uttenheim  in  the  Tau- 


Luttach— reached  in  5  hrs.  from  Lap-  j  fererthal.       The  lower  portion   of  the 
pach.     By  a  slight  detour  the  traveller  |  range  divides  the  lower  Miihlwalderthal 


may  reach  the  summit  of  the  Bingel- 
stein  (8,363'),  on  the  S.  side  of  the  pass. 
It  commands  a  tine  view  of  the  Ziller- 
thal  Alps.  In  the  opposite  direction  he 
may  reach  Pfunders  (Rte.  H)  over  the 
Eiegler  Joch  (7,987'),  also  called  Zesen 
Joch,  in  about  4^  hrs.  from  Lappach. 
A  rather  longer  way,  through  finer 
scenery,  is  over  the  Basner  Joch  (8,407'). 
The  track  enters  the  Miihlwalderthal 
about  10  min.  below  the  church  at  Lap- 
pach. 

The  range  enclosing  the  Miihlwalder- 
thal on  the  W.  and  S.  sides — called  by 
Sonklar  the  Grubachkamm — diverges 
from  the  main  Zillerthal  range  on  the 
S.  side  of  the  Weisszinth  (10,841').  Be- 
tween its  highest  northern  peak — Napf- 
spitz  (9,465')  — and  the  Weisszinth  is  a 
comparatively  deep  cleft  in  the  ridge 


known 

and  by  that  way  a  pass  that  promises 

fine  scenerv  may  be  made  from  the  head 

of    "      ~ "  ■^"  "        " 

Pfundererthal, 


from  the  Pusterthal,  the  upper  portion 
separates  the  upper  Miihlwalderthal 
from  the  parallel  valley  of  Pfunders 
•which  joins  the  Pusterthal  at  Nieder- 
vintl  (§  51,  Rte.  A).  Like  the  Miihl- 
walderthal, the  Pfundererthal  originates 
in  the  main  range  of  the  Zillerthal  Alps. 
Its  torrent  springs  from  the  snows  of  the 
Hochsdge  (9,365'),  and  receives  several 
tributaries  that  drain  the  glaciers  on  the 
S.  side  of  the  range  connecting  that 
summit  with  the  Weisszinth.  A  travel- 
ler who,  after  passing  the  Pfitscher  Joch 
(Rte.  B)  from  Zell,  wishes  to  take  a  di- 
rect route  to  the  Pusterthal,  may  well 
select  this  as  the  easiest  and  shortest 
way.  Pfunders  may  also  be  taken  on 
the  way  from  the  Ahrenthal  by  a  moun- 
taineer wishing  to  avoid  the  lower  val- 
leys, who  would  take  Weissenbach,  Lap- 


as  the  £i66mc/-^r  ^A^e^  (8,350'),  j  pach,   and  Pfunders  on  his  way  to  St. 

Jakob  in  Pfitsch. 

Starting  from  St.  Jakob,  the  traveller 
the  Miihlwalderthal  to  that  of  the  '  has  a  choice  between  two  passes  ;  the 
-J        .K_i  rather   more   direct,  but  less  fre- 


222 


CENTRAL    TYROL    ALPS. 


§  50. 


ZILLEKTHAL    DISTRICT. 


quented.  steeper  and  rather  higher,  lies 
on  the  E.  sido  of  the  IToeli  Siiire,  and  is 
approached  by  way  of  Stein.  The  sum- 
mit is  8,698  ft.  above  the  sea.  On  the 
S.  side  it  is  necessary  to  follow  a  SW. 
course  until  the  main  torrent  at  the 
head  of  the  Pfundererthal  is  reached. 
'  Here  this  rarely  used  track  joins  the 
more  frequented  path  over  the  Drass 
Joch.  This  is  approached  from  Kema- 
ten  (Rte.  B),  1  hr.  below  St.  Jakob.  The 
path  aseends  a  little  S.  of  E.  through 
the  tributary  glen  called  Drassberg,  and 
attains  in  3  hrs.  the  summit  o±  the 

Drass  Joch  (8,422'),  known  on  the  S. 
side  as  Pfunderer  Joch.  It  lies  on  the 
N.  side  of  a  summit  called  Sand  joch 
(9,696'),  which  name  is  sometimes  in- 
correctly given  to  the  pass. 

In  descending  it  is  necessary  to  bear 
to  the  1.,  somewhat  N.  of  E..  to  follow  a 
torrent  that  descends  towards  the  Hoch 
Sage,  and  then  bends  abruptly  to  the  rt. 
and  joins  several  other  streams  from  that 
mountain  to  form  the  main  torrent  of 
the  Pfundererthal.  The  valley  is  some- 
what sinuous,  biat  does  not  widely  di- 
verge from  the  ruling  direction  towards 
SSE.  The  highest  hamlet  is  Ban 
(4.830'),  at  the  junction  of  the  Eisbruck- 
erbach,  descending  from  the  Weisszinth, 
with  the  main  torrent.  In  |  hr.'s  easy 
walking  from  Dan,  or  b\  hrs.  from  Ke- 
maten,  the  traveller  reaches 

Pfunders  (3,791'),  the  chief  place  in 
the  valley,  a  picturesque  village,  with  two 
very  poor  inns  ;  that  near  the  church  on 
the  rt.  bank  of  the  stream  seems  px-efer- 
able.  The  passes  leading  to  the  Mlihl- 
walderthal  are  noticed  in  the  last  Rte. 
There  is  also  a  pass  on  the  W.  side  of  the 
valley,  leadingfrom  Pfunders  to  the  upper 
part  of  the  Valserthal  (Rte.  I).  From 
hence,  or  Weitenthal,  the  traveller  may 
ascend  the  Eidcchsherg  (8,975'),  locally 
called  Hegedex,  This  crowns  a  project- 
ing ridge  that  extends  to  SW.  from 
the  Grubachspitz.  and  is  said  to  com- 
mand a  remarkably  fine  view. 

If  bound  for  the  Pusterthal,  the  tra- 
veller will  follow  the  path  along  the  E. 
side  of  the  valley.     Below  Pfunders  this  ; 
is  contracted   to  a   narrow  defile,  said 


to  be  dangerous  in  bad  weather,  owing 

to  falling  bloi'ks.        A   fine   waterfall 

I  is  passed,  and  in  about  1  m.  the  valley 

widens  out,  and  for  nearly  1  hr.  the  path 

runs  straight  along  the  level  floor  to 

Weitenthal,  near  the  footof  theEidechs- 

j  berg.     Thence,  amid  agreeable  scenery, 

'  the  traveller  descends  to  Nlcdervindl, on 

I  the  main  road  of  the  Pusterthal  (§51  A), 

and  finds  good  accommodation  at  the 

Post. 


ROTJTB   I. 

KEMATEN  IN  PFITSCH  TO  BEIXEN,  BY   THE 
VALSERTHAL. 

The  way  through  the  Pfundererthal, 
described  in  the  last  Rte.,  is  pjossibly 
the  shortest  way  for  a  pedestrian  from 
the  Pfitscherthal  to  the  Pusterthal, 
but  there  is  anotlier  way  by  which  the 
valley  of  the  Rienz  is  reached  at  Miihl- 
bach,  a  few  miles  above  Brixen,  which 
would  be  convenient  for  a  traveller 
going  to  that  town  who  shoidd  wish  to 
avoid  the  beaten  track  of  the  Brenner 
road.  This  lies  through  the  Valserthal, 
a  glen  nearly  parallel  to  Pfunders,  and 
separated  from  the  valley  of  the  Eisack 
by  the  Eltzeilkainm,  a  short  range 
which  at  first  extends  southward  from 
the  Wildkreuzspitz,  but  turns  to  SSE. 
when  it  approaches  the  junction  of  the 
Eisack  with  the  Rienz.  The  mountain- 
eer may  be  more  readily  tempted  to 
choose  this  route  as  he  may  take  on  the 
way  the  summit  of  the  Wildkretizspitz 
(10,271')-  As  mentioned  in  Rte.  B, 
there  is  a  pass  leading  from  Pfitsch  to 
Vals  by  the  SW.  side  of  that  peak,  and 
its  summit  is   accessible  by  the  ridge 


w- 
t 


%• 


r 
r 


Ht   GROSb   GLOCKNER    AND   Xfh   V  I  C  1  N  ITT 


•^%.-„ 


<10^^ 


V 

i 


>:' 


^1 


1^   3S  -  '<«  ^   ^   «'« ^'^  :y"x. 


V  ^«,.S«  ^  '  ? 


§51. 


GROSSGLOCKiNER   DISTRICT. 


223 


that  descends  thence  towards  the  pass. 
The  simiiuii  may  be  reached  in  4  hrs. 
from  the  Eiirgum  Alp,  and  on  rctui-ning 
to  a  point  ntar  the  summit  of  the  pas.s, 
the  traveller  may  descend  to  the  Wild- 
see,  a  comparatively  large  Alpine  lake, 
■which  is  the  source  of  a  considerable 
torrent  flowing  to  the  Valserthal.  The 
principal  torrent,  however,  or  at  least 
that  which  flows  due  S.  in  the  direction 
of  the  axis  of  the  valley,  rises  on  the  S. 
side  of  the  Drass  Joch  (see  last  Ete.). 
From  the  "Wildsee  the  way  lies  westward 
for  ^  hr.  till  the  stream  from  the  lake 
joins  the  main  torrent,  and  the  com'se 
of  the  united  stream  lies  thenceforward 
nearly  due  S.  After  passing  the  Pfanna 
Alp  the  path  passes  through  a  strait  in 
the  valley,  and  when  this  opens  he  finds 
himself  near  the  first  houses  of  Vals. 
The  village  is  scattered  over  a  space  of 
nearly  3  m.,  the  church  being  4,442  ft. 
above  the  sea.  It  is  inhabited  by  a  fine 
vigorous  race,  who  have  the  name  of  pre- 
serving the  simplicity  and  independence 
of  character  once  universal  in  Tyrol, 
but  now  becoming  rare  there  as  else- 
where. Mounting  through  the  Eitzeil- 
thal,  a  path  leads  over  an  easy  pass  to 
Mauls  on  the  Eisack  (§  49,  Ete.  A).  In 
2  lirs.  from  Yals,  descending  during  the 
latter  half  of  the  M'ay  through  a  pictur- 
esque defile,  the  traveller  reaches  Miihl- 
bach,  on  the  high  road  about  6  m.  from 
Brixen  (§  51,  Ete.  A).  This  vaUey 
must  not  be  confounded  with  the  Falser- 
thai  N.  of  the  Brenner  Pass,  noticed  in 
Ete.  C,  nor  with  the  Valserthal  in  the 
Grisons  (§31,  Ete.  F). 


SECTION  51. 
GROSSGLOCKNER    DISTRICT. 

Ix  the  introduction  to  the  last  section, 
the  eastern  limit  of  the  Zillerthal  Alps 
was  fixed  at  the  pass  of  the  Krimmler 
Tauern  ;  and  it  was  remarked  that  the 
range  extending  eastward  from  that  pass 
for  a  distance  of  about  62  miles  is  the 
longest  continuous  range,  preserving  a 
nearly  straight  course,  and  unbroken  by 
any  deep  passes,  to  be  found  in  the 
Alps.  To  this  range,  modern  G-erraan 
writers  have  given  the  name  'High 
Tauern  Alps,'  and  the  same  designation 
is  adopted  in  the  present  work,  although 
it  has  not  seemed  convenient  to  include 
the  entire  within  a  single  section. 

Throughout  the  preceding  portions  of 
this  work,  the  designation  'main  range 
of  the  Alps'  has,  in  accordance  with 
general  usage,  been  applied  to  what  may 
more  accui^ately  be  termed  the  dividing 
ridge,  separating  the  waters  of  the 
Adriatic  from  those  flowing  in  otlier 
directions — i.  e.  westward  to  the  Medi- 
ten-anean,  northward  to  the  North  Sea, 
or  eastward  to  the  Black  Sea  through 
the  Danube.  At  its  western  extremity, 
the  High  Tauern  range  touches  the 
watershed  between  the  JDanube  and  the 
Adige  ;  but  as  we  carry  the  eye  east- 
ward from  the  Dreiherrnspitz,  it  will  be 
seen  that  the  drainage  of  the  S.  side 
of  that  range  all  flows  to  the  Drave. 
The  circumstance  that  at  a  point  some 
hiuidreds  of  miles  eastward  of  its  source, 
and  far  beyond  the  limits  of  the  Alps, 
the  Drave  pours  its  waters  into  the 
Danube,  forms  no  solid  objection  to  the 
conclusions  derived  from  orography  and 
geological  structui-e,  which  alike  point 
to  the  ridges  dividing  the  Danube  from 
the  Drave,  as  constituting  the  main 
range  in  this  portion  of  the  Alps. 

Although  a  line  drawn  along  the 
watershed  from  the  Dreiherrnspitz  to  the 
Arlscharte  diverges  but  little  from  a 
straight  line  bearing  a  httle  S.  of  E., 
the  reader  who  has  not  skipped  the  brief 
preliminary  observations  in  the  preced- 
ing volumes  of  this  work  will  not  ex- 


224 


CENTRAL    TYROL    ALPS.       §    51.    GROSSGLOCKXER    DISTRICT. 


pect  to  find  here  a  strictly  continuous 
ridge,  wliose  separate  portions  preserve 
the  same  direction  as  the  collective  mass. 
Applying  the  figurative  term  commonly 
used  in  most  European  languages,  we 
may  say  that  the  Alpine  chain  is  formed 
of  large  and  massive  links,  alternating 
with  others  much  smaller  and  shorter. 
To  represent  the  real  structure  of  the 
Alps,  we  must  imagine  the  larger  links 
laid  on  the  ground  nearly  parallel  with 
each  other,  but  in  a  direction  more  or 
less  transverse  to  that  of  the  chain  it- 
self, and  the  smaller  links  placed  so  as 
to  unite  the  larger  at  the  points  where 
these  approach  most  nearly  together.  The 
•smaller  links,  elsewhere  in  this  work 
spoken  of  as  dislocations  in  the  main 
range,  almost  invariably  coincide  ■nnth 
the  lowest  and  most  practicable  passes. 
Allowing  for  some  local  disturbances,  we 
have  seen  that  the  dominant  direction  of 
the  separate  masses  that  collectively  make 
up  the  Alpme  chain  varies  little  from 
WSW.  to  ENE.  throughout  the  Western 
and  Central  Alps,  and  the  greater  part 
of  Tyrol.  The  same  direction  is  found 
in  the  Zillerthal  Alps,  and  again  in 
the  westernmost  of  the  four  groups 
that  constitute  the  High  Tauern  range. 
Whatever  may  be  the  causes  that  have 
impressed  this  characteristic  over  so 
wide  a  region,  they  cease  to  operate  at 
the  Velber  Tauern,  which  divides  the 
western  group  of  the  High  Tauern  from 
the  remainino-  eastern  portion  of  that 
range.  The  three  groups  lying  eastward 
of  that  limit  exhibit,  both  in  their  se- 
parate ridges  and  the  con-esponding  val- 
leys, a  manifest  tendency  towards  the 
direction  WNW.  to  ESE.,  and  the 
same  direction  is  recognised  throughout 
Carinthia,  and  in  some  other  adjacent 
portions  of  the  Eastern  Alps.  For  this 
reason,  the  writer  would  be  disposed,  in 
a  purely  scientific  arranarement  of  the 
Alpine  chain,  to  consider  the  Velber 
Tauern  (8,024'),  which  is  the  lowest 
pass  over  the  main  range  between  the 
Brenner  and  the  Arischarte,  as  marking 
one  of  its  most  important  divisions. 

In  the  present  work,  practical  con- 
siderations, depending  on  the  conveni- 


ence of  travellers,  demand  the  first  con- 
sideration; and  it  has  appeared  best  to 
include  in  the  present  section  the  two 
dominant  groups  of  Central  Tyrol  lying 
on  either  side  of  the  above-named  pass. 
The  western  group,  whose  best  known 
peaks  are  the  Grossvenediger  (12,053') 
and  the  Dreiherrnspitz  (11,494'),  forms 
the  watershed  betWL-en  the  Danube  and 
the  Drave  for  a  distance  of  about  14 
m.  between  the  Velber  Tauern  and  the 
Dreiherrnspitz ;  but  a  prolongation  of 
its  main  axis,  including  many  lofty 
summits  and  numerous  small  glaciers, 
extends  to  WSW.  parallel  to  the  Ahreii- 
thal  for  not  less  than  16  m.,  its  last 
high  summit  being  the  Grossmostnock 
(10,036'),  E.  of  Luttach. 

On  the  E.  side  of  the  Velber  Tauern 
extends  the  mass  of  lofty  peaks  distri- 
buted among  numerous  minor  ridges, 
which  the  writer  designates  collectively 
as  the  Grlockner  group,  because  it  cul- 
minates in  the  beautiful  peak  of  the 
Grrossglockner  (12,455'),  the  highest 
summit  of  the  Eastern  Alps.  This 
group  is  divided  from  the  more  easterly 
portions  of  the  Tauern  range  by  the 
Hochthor  (8,551'),  north  of  Heiligen- 
blut,  which  is  taken  as  the  eastern  limit 
of  the  district  described  in  this  section. 
On  the  N.  side  of  the  range,  extending 
from  the  Krimmler  Tauern  to  the  Hoch- 
thor, comparatively  short  valleys,  divi- 
ded by  secoudar}-  ridges  of  no  great  di- 
mensions, descend  towards  the  valley  of 
the  Salza,  described  in  §  50.  The  case 
is  different  on  the  southern  side.  Two 
nearly  isolated  high  groups  rise  on  the 
S.  side  of  the  main  masses  already  de- 
scribed. To  the  SW.  is  the  Antholzer 
j  group,  whose  highest  peak  is  the  Hoeh- 
gall  (11,284'),  and  some  24  m.  farther 
E.  is  the  Schober  group,  so  called  from 
its  best  known  summit,  the  Hochscho- 
ber  (10,628'),  tliough  this  is  surpassed 
by  the  Petzeck  (10,761').  Somewhat 
S.  of  the  line,  joining  the  Antholzer  with 
the  Schober  group,  is  the  longer,  but  less 
lofty,  range  known  as  the  Defcreggen 
j  ran^e,  whose  highest  point,  the  AYeisse 
I  Spitz,  does  not  surpass  9,706  ft.  As  the 
;  Defereggen  range  approaches  at  its  W. 


§  51. 


GROSSGLOCKXER    DISTRICT. 


225 


end  close  to  the  Antholzer  Alps,  and  at 
the  opposite  end  near  to  Hoelischober, 
It  will  be  seen  that  the  three  minor 
groups  along  with  the  two  loftier  masses 
to  the  N.  form  a  great  basin,  wherein 
originates  one  of  the  most  important 
lateral  valleys  of  the  Eastern  Alps.  Tlie 
waters  of  its  four  main  branches,  being 
united  in  the  same  channel  at  Peisch- 
lach,  flow  to  SE.  through  an  opening 
between  the  Hochschober  and  the  Defer- 
eggen  range. 

The  district  included  in  this  section 
lies  between  the  valley  of  the  Salza  on 
the  N.  and  the  Pusterthal  on  the  S. 
The  western  limit  is  the  way  from  I3run- 
eck  to  EJrimml,  described  in  the  last  sec- 
tion ;  and  its  eastern  boundary  is  the  path 
from  Lienz  to  Heiligenblut,  and  thence 
to  Bruck,  in  the  Pinzgau,  through  the 
Fuscherthal. 

'  The  writer,  who  beyond  all  others  has 
contributed  to  a  complete  and  accurate 
knowledge  of  this  and  the  district  de- 
scribed in  the  next  section,  is  Colonel 
V.  Sonklar,  whose  important  work,  '  Die 
Gebii'gsgruppe  der  Hohen  Tauern,'  con- 
tains a  mass  of  accurate  information, 
the  result  of  many  years'  laborious  ex- 
ploration, accompanied  by  observations 
which  have  made  the  orography  of  this 
district  more  thoroughly  known  than 
that  of  any  other  equally  extensive  part 
of  the  Alpine  chain.  Dr.  Euthner, 
Mr.  Keil,  and  other  Austrian  moun- 
tiiineers,  have  also  contributed  much  to 
the  exploration  of  the  less  easily  acces- 
sible summits  and  passes. 

Although  the  upper  valleys  of  the 
Venediger  range  offer  much  fine  scenery 
and  numerous  considerable  glaciers, 
there  is  no  single  point  in  that  part  of 
the  district  at  all  equal  to  Heiligenblut, 
with  its  one  great  peak — the  Glockner, 
and  one  great  glacier — the  Pasterze. 
The  preference  shown  by  travellers  to 
tliat  spot  is  partly  cause  and  partly  ef- 
fect of  better  accommodation  than  is  to 
be  found  in  most  of  the  other  Alpine 
valleys  of  this  district.  In  this  respect 
it  is  perhaps  surpassed  by  Fusch,  where 
very  fair  quarters  are  found  at  the  baths 
of  St.  AYolfgang,  and  at  the  village  of 


Fusch.  Tolerable  accommodation  is 
now  found  at  Pregratten,  and  that  place 
offers  the  best  resting-place  for  a  moun- 
taineer wishing  to  explore  the  S.  side  of 
the  Venediger  range. 

While  conforming  to  the  usage  of  re- 
cent German  writers  who  have  used  the 
designation  'Tauern  range'  as  a  geo- 
graphical term,  applicable  to  a  certain 
portion  of  the  central  chain,  the  writer 
must  express  his  opinion  that  no  evi- 
dence has  been  produced  to  show  that 
the  word  '  Taiiern  '  has,  or  ever  had, 
any  wider  meaning  than  that  given  to 
it  by  the  invariable  usage  of  the  in- 
habitants of  this  part  of  the  Alps.  By 
them  it  is  strictly  confined  to  the  prac- 
ticable passes  over  the  central  range 
that  connect  valleys  on  the  N.  side  with 
those  on  the  opposite  slope ;  the  solitary- 
exception  being  in  an  outlying  district 
on  the  border  of  Bavaria,  where  a  moun- 
tain (§  42,  Ete.  B)  bears  the  name  Tauern. 
The  writer  has  little  doubt  that  the  ori- 
gin of  the  word  is  to  be  sought  in  the 
Gothic  daur,  which  assumes  the  forms 
tur  and  tiiora  in  Old  High  German,  toor 
or  ttwr  in  the  dialect  of  the  Sette  Comu- 
ni,  and  is  scarcely  altered  in  the  English 
door.  The  same  root  (in  Sanskrit  dvdr, 
or  dur)  may  be  traced  throughout  the 
cycle  of  the  Indo-Germanie  tongues.  If 
this  view  be  correct,  the  use  of  the  term 
in  the  Eastern  Alps  is  the  exact  equi- 
valent of  ■j)&'rte,  applied  in  the  PjTenees 
to  the  passes  over  the  main  range  serving 
to  connect  France  with  Spain. 

An  excellent  map  of  this  district  on 
a  large  scale  is  annexed  to  Sonklar's 
work  already  mentioned.  Mr.  Franz 
Keil,  who  unites  skill  as  a  chartogra- 
pher  with  a  minute  knowledge  of  the 
entire  region,  has  executed,  on  a  still 
larger  scale,  a  separate  map  of  tho 
neighbourhood  of  the  Grossglockner, 
extending  from  the  Pinzgau  to  Kals  and 
Heiligenblut  for  Dr.  Euthner's  interest- 
ing volume,  '  Aus  den  Tauern  ; '  and 
another,  including  the  Grossvenediger 
group,  with  portions  of  the  adjoining 
valleys,  which  is  inserted  in  the  second 
volume  of  the  '  Jahrbuch  of  the  Austrian 
Alpine  Club.'    Another  good  map  oi 


9-2C, 


CENTRAL    TYROL    ALPS.       §   51.    GHOSSGLOCKNEK    DLSTRICT. 


the  Pcisterze  Glacier  and  its  neighbour- 
liood,  hj  M.  Keil.  is  given  in  *  Peter- 
mjinn's  geographische  aNfittheilungen 
for  I860.'  Sonklar's  map  "vrill  be 
the  mountaineer's  best  companion  in 
this  district ;  but  the  finest  districts  are 
included  in  the  map  annexed  to  this 
v«^!ume,  and  in  Keil's  map  of  the  Gross- 
venediger  group. 

Besides  the  ancient  rough  inns  found 
6n  most  of  the  old-established  passes, 
— known  as  Tauernhaiiser — the  moun- 
tJiiiieer  in  this  district  finds  shelter  in 
many  interesting  l.ut  out-of-the-way 
spots,  in  huts  provided  by  the  liberality 
of  the  Austrian  Alpine  Club  or  that  of 
private  individuals,  such  as  Mr.  Stiidl 
and  other  lovers  of  the  Alps. 


EOUTE   A. 

BBIXEN   TO   VILLACH    BY   THE   PTJSTEE- 
THAX. 


Post 

English 

miles 

miles 

Untervnntl 

2 

9i 

Bruneck    . 

3 

14 

Niederndorf 

3 

U 

Sillian 

3 

14 

Mitt€wald 

2 

H 

Lienz 

2 

H 

Oberdranburg   . 

n 

111 

Greifenburg 

2i 

Hi 

SaohBenburg 

2i 

iif 

Spittal 

2i 

io| 

Patemion 

2 

H 

Yillach      . 

3 

14 

29J  140  ; 

Railway  open.    2  trains  each  way  daily ;  one  I 
takes  8  hrs.,  the  other  12  hrs. ! 

The  road  connecting  Brixen  with  Vil-  j 
Inch  has  always  been  one  of  the  great  ' 
lines  of  communication  through  the  ' 
Alps,  but  has  acquired  additional  im-  \ 
]iortance  by  the  completion  of  the  rail-  : 
way  between  those  towns.  ] 

Taken  together  with  the  line  from 
Bruck  to  Klagenfurt,  by  the  valley  of 
the  Mur,  it  opens  a  direct  channel  for 
exchanging  the  mineral  treasures  of 
Styiia  with  the  silk  and  corn  cf  Lom- 


bardy,  shorter  by  at  least  1.30  miles  than 
the  former  line  by  Laybach  and  Gorizia. 
Of  the  road  here  described,  only  the  por- 
tion between  Bruneck  and  Lienz  belongs 
to  this  district,  of  which  it  forms  the 
southern  boundary ;  but  it  appears  more 
convenient  to  unite  the  whole  under  a 
single  heading. 

For  fully  three-fourths  of  the  distance 
between  Brixen  and  Villach,  the  road 
lies  through  one  of  those  great  longitu- 
dinal valleys — running  parallel  to  the 
direction  of  the  main  chain,  and  to  the 
line  of  outcrop  of  the  crystalline  rocks — 
which  are  so  characteristic  of  the  Alps 
as  compared  with  other  great  mountain 
districts.  If  it  be  allowable  to  doubt 
whether  such  valleys  as  that  of  the 
Rhone  and  Vorderrhein,  in  Switzer- 
land, that  of  the  Inn  from  its  source 
to  Kuffstein,  or  that  of  the  Adda  from 
Bormio  to  Colico,  owe  their  origin  to 
the  same  causes  that  have  upraised  the 
great  mountain  ranges  Avith  which  they 
are  connected,  such  a  doubt  is  scarcely 
possible  in  regard  to  the  great  valley 
extending  from  Untervintl  to  Marburg, 
in  Styria,  or,  at  all  events,  as  to  its 
upper  portion,  which  terminates  near 
Sillian.  Although  the  waters  at  its 
western  end  flow  towards  the  Adige, 
while  eastward  from  Innichen  they  go 
in  the  opposite  direction  to  the  Drave, 
this  is  so  manifestly  a  single  valley  that 
it  has  from  a  remote  period  been  known 
by  the  single  name — Pusterthal — which 
it  still  bears. 

It  is  characteristic  of  the  ignorance 
which  until  recent  times  has  prevailed 
respecting  the  higher  region  of  the  T}to1 
Alps  that  geographers  should  have 
sought  the  source  of  the  Eisack,  or  east- 
ern branch  of  the  Adige,  in  the  compara- 
tively insignificant  stream  that  descends 
from  the  long  frequented  Brenner  Pass, 
instead  of  preferring  the  Eienz,  whose 
main  source  is  at  the  W.  base  of  the 
D^'eiherrnspitz,  whence  it  descends  to 
Bruneck,  bearing  the  name  Ahren- 
bach.  Still  more  perverse  was  the  se- 
lection of  the  petty  torrent  that  springs 
from  the  flat  between  Toblachand  Inni- 
chen as  the  source  of  the  Drave,  when 


ROUTE  A. — BRIXEN  TO  VILLACH  BY  THE  "PUSTERTHAL. 


227 


it  is  seen  that  the  Isel,  -which  joins  it 
at  Lienz,  bears  do-«-n  tenfold  the  volume 
of  water  flowing  from  at  least  a  hundred 
glaciers,  and  drains  four  considerable 
Alpine  valleys  with  their  numerous  la- 
teral branches. 

The  structure  of  the  valley  above 
Brixen  well  deserves  the  attention  of 
the  physical  geologist.  A  few  miles  N. 
of  the  town,  the  Kisack  issues  from  the 
upper  valley,  through  which  it  has  flowed 
south-eastward  from  Sterzing,  and  in 
thp  open  space  below  the  Franzeusfeste 
it  is  separated  from  the  Rienz  by  a  nar- 
row isthmus  of  low  ground  where  the 
streams  might  be  expected  to  unite. 
The  isthmus  expands,  however,  into  a 
cumparativeiy  higli  promontory  of  crys- 
talline (granite':')  rock,  round  the  E.  side 
of  which  the  Rienz  descends  through  a 
narrow  gorge,  while  the  Eisack  flows 
through  a  more  open  trough  on  the  op- 
posite side,  till  the  waters  are  finally 
united  at  the  S.  end  of  the  promon- 
tory under  the  walls  of  Brixen  (§  49, 
Rte.  A). 

The  rly.  to  Villach  branches  from  that 
over  the  Brenner  Pass  at  l-'ranzensfeste, 
the  first  station  beyond  Brixen,  and  only 
2  m.  distant  though  considerably  higher. 
Travellers  who  desire  to  see  the  country 
or  to  penetrate  the  lateral  valleys  will 
not  be  anxious  to  use  a  conveyance 
which  offers  little  advantage  in  the 
way  of  saving  time,  and  it  1  lows  them 
small  opportunity  to  enjoy  the  scenery. 
Light  vehicles  (einspannige  Wagen) 
are  to  be  had  at  all  post  stations,  and 
may  usually  be  hired  in  the  country 
towns. 

Although  the  road  to  Bruneck  is  des- 
tined to  follow  the  valley  of  the  Rienz, 
it  keeps  to  the  rt.  bank  of  the  Eisack 
for  about  2  m.,  crossing  to  the  opposite 
side  close  to  the  abbey  of  Neustift.  The 
church  is  richly  decorated  in  the  style 
of  the  last  century.  The  library  is  said 
to  be  the  richest  in  Tyrol,  and  the  tra- 
veller may  see  here  the  tomb  of  the 
Minnesanger,  Oswald  v.  Wolkenstein. 

Still  keeping  near  to  the  Eisack,  and 
to  the  W.  side  of  the  rocky  promontory, 
the   road    goes    northward    to   Schahs 

Q 


i  (2,516'),  on  the  site  of  the  Roman  Se- 
batum.     The   cultivation   of    the   vino 

;  ceases,  and  the  last  chestnut  trees  are 

I  seen  on  the  low  ground  between  the  two 
streams. 

[The  geologist,  instead  of  following 
the  road  from  Brixen  to  Schabs,  will  do 
well  to  take  a  way,  little  longer,  though 
much  rougher,  which  will  enable  him  to 
study  the  course  of  the  Rienz.  Crossing 
the  Eisack  at  Brixen,  close  to  its  junc- 
tion with  the  Rienz,  he  should  ascend 
to  Elms.  This  stands  at  the  S.  end  of 
the  promontor}',  which  is  so  nearly  level 
that  it  may  be  described  as  a  plateau. 
The  church  commands  a  fine  view. 
A  track  leading  northward  from  Elvas 
overlooks  the  deep  cleft  through  which 
the  Rienz  descencls  from  the  Pusterthal, 
and  the  opening  of  the  Liisenthal  (§  60, 
Rte.  Gr).  Passing  some  small  pools,  he 
will  rejoin  the  road  at  Schabs.  The 
botanist  taking  this  walk  may  gather 
Sempervivu'in  arenarium,  and  other  in- 
teresting plants.]  Close  to  Schabs  a 
road  turns  sharply  to  the  W.,  and  leads 
over  the  Ladritscher  Briicke  to  the 
Brenner  road,  which  is  joined  under  the 
M-alls  of  the  Franzeusfeste.  By  that 
way  travellers  coming  from  Innsbruck 
and  Sterzing  enter  the  Pusterthal  with- 
out making  the  circuit  by  Brixen.  The 
road  to  Bruneck  now  approaches  the 
Rienz,  and  about  2^  m.  N.  of  Schabs 
crosses  the  torrent  from  the  Valserthal 

!  (§  50,  Rte.  I),  and  enters  the  village 
of 

Muhlhach  (Inn :  Sonne,  very  fair), 
2,542  ft.  above  the  sea.  On  a  terrace 
of  the  mountain  W.  of  the  Valserthal, 
is  Spings  (3,621').  From  this  important 
strategic  position,  held  in  1797  by 
General  Joubert,  with  a  corps  of  30,000 
men,  the  Tyrolese  peasantry  drove  the 
French  foe  after  two  days*  desperate 
fighting.  At  a  still  higher  level,  on  the 
opposite  side  of  the  Valserthal,  is 
Meransei\  (4,645'),  reached  by  a  path  so 
steep  as  to  deserve  the  local  name 
'  Katzenleiter'  (cats'  ladder).  The  slope 
rising  S.  of  Miihlbach  from  the  opposite 
bank  of  the  Rienz,  called  Rodenecker 
Berg,  covered  with  cornfields  and  manj 

2 


22'!)  CENTRAL    TYROL   ALPS,       §  51.    GROSSGLOCKNER    DISTRICT. 


thriving  hamlets,  is  guarded  at  its  S.  i 
end  by  tlie  ancient  castle  of  Bodeneck, 
once  one  of  the  strongest  in  Tyrol, 
standing  on  a  projecting  rock,  and 
reached  by  a  bridge  over  a  deep  cleft  in 
the  mountain.  It  -was  in  great  part 
destroyed  by  fire  in  the  seventeenth  cen- 
tury, when  precious  collections  of  books, 
MSS,,  pictures,  and  antiquities,  were 
iie:irly  all  lost.  It  still  contains  some 
objects  of  interest,  and  especially  the 
family  papers  of  theWolkenstein  family. 
The  traveller  wishing  to  visit  it  should 
cross  the  Rieuz  near  Schabs,  and  follow 
the  road  by  Vils,  afterwards  reaching 
Miihlbaeh  by  Korburg, 

Miihlbach  is  counted  as  the  first  vil- 
lage in  the  Pueterthal,  but  orographically 
that  great  valley  terminates  a  few  miles 
higher  up,  and  the  course  of  the  Rienz 
Uience  to  Brixen  lies  through  a  cleft 
at  right  angles  to  the  direction  of  the 
main  valley.  The  defile  was  formerly 
closed  by  a  strong  fort — called  Miihl- 
l)acher  Klause — about  1  m.  N.  of  the 
village,  which  was  blown  up  by  the 
French.  The  road  still  passes  through 
an  archway  of  the  ruined  fort.  On 
issuing  from  the  defile,  the  traveller 
finds  himself  at  the  eastern  end  of  the 
Piisterthal,  and  may  travel  hence  to 
Marburg,  in  Styria,  nearly  200  m.  as 
the  bird  flies,  diverging  but  little  from  a 
straight  line,  and  without  crossing 
any  transverse  ridge.  The  first  village 
is 

Niedervintl  (Inn :  Post,  not  so  good 
as  it  was  formerly,  and  rather  dear), 
standing  at  the  opening  of  the  Pfunde- 
rerthal  (§  50,  Ete.  H),  2,502  ft.  above 
the  sea,  to  which  follows  Obervintl. 
Numerous  castles,  for  the  most  part  in 
ruins^  are  passed.  One  of  the  most 
ancient  is  the  Sonnenhurg  (2,778'), 
etanding  on  a  rock  opposite  the  opening 
of  the  e-aderthal  (§  60,  Rte.  G),  which 
runs  deeply  into  the  dolomite  region  of 
S.  Tyrol,  and  is  also  known  as  Abteithal, 
from  the  jurisdiction  once  held  over  it 
by  the  Abbess  of  Sonnenburg.  Early 
in  the  eleventh  century,  the  castle  was 
converted  into  a  Be-nedictine  abbey  for 
noble  ladies,  and  preserved  that  destina- 


tion for  nearly  800  years,  till  suppressed 
by  Joseph  II.  A  short  way  beyond 
Sonnenburg,  but  on  the  S.  side  of  the 
Rienz,  is  St.Lorenzen  (2.636'),  a  thriving 
village,  in  which  the  taste  for  painting 
and  bright  colours,  characteristic  of  this 
part  of  Tyrol,  is  conspicuous.  It  is 
said  to  have  a  good  inn,  but  strangers 
naturally  push  on  about  2  m.  farther 
to 

BrunecJc  (Inns :  Post,  excellent  and 
reasonable ;  Goldenor  Stern,  also  good  ; 
Sonne),  the  chief  place  in  the  Pusterthal, 
athriving  little  town, 2,686  ft.  above  the 
sea.  The  church  having  been  destroyed 
by  lightning  a  few  years  ago,  it  was  re- 
placed by  a  new  building  much  admired 
by  the  Tyrolese.  The  castle,  standing 
near  200  ft.  above  the  town,  commands 
a  good  view  of  the  surrounding  country. 
The  position  is  rather  remarkable.  Due 
N.  extends  the  wide  level  trough  through 
which  the  Ahrenbach  flows  from  Taufers 
(§  50,  Rte.  E)  to  join  the  less  consider- 
able stream  that  preserves  the  name 
Rienz.  Nearly  opposite  is  the  equally 
wide  opening  of  the  Gaderthal ;  while 
eastward,  but  at  a  higher  level  than 
these,  the  Upper  Pusterthal  mounts 
gradually  to  the  height  of  land  that 
separates  the  basin  of  the  Adige  from 
that  of  the  Drave.  Round  the  point  of 
intersection  of  these  great  Alpine  high- 
ways, the  higher  mountains  recede,  so 
as  to  leave  a  wider  opening  than  is 
commonly  found  in  the  interior  valleys 
of  the  Alps.  Though  not  immediately 
surrounded  by  flne  scenery,  Bruneck  is  so 
near  to  many  interesting  spots  that  its 
excellent  inn  affords  convenient  head- 
quarters to  the  mountaiuter. 

Near  Bruneck,  the  zone  of  granite, 
which  has  extended  eastward  along  the 
N.  side  of  the  valley  of  the  Rienz,  from 
near  its  junction  with  the  Eisack,  comes 
to  an  end,  and  mica  slate  becomes  the 
prevalent  rock  on  both  sides  of  the  val- 
ley. The  high-road  returns  to  the  rt. 
bank  of  the  Rienz,  and  begins  a  rather 
longer  ascent  than  any  that  has  been 
met  since  leaving  Brixen,  rising  nearly 
600  ft.  before  reaching  the  first  village, 
named 


ROUTE    A. SOURCE    OF    THE    DRAVE. 


229 


Tcrcha  (3,278'),  beyond  which  the 
road  crosses  the  Wielenbach,  a  torrent 
descending  from  the  Schwarze  Wand 
(10,179'),  one  of  the  peaks  of  the  Ant- 
holzer  Alps.  From  hence  the  ascent 
is  very  gentle,  but  continuous.  To  the 
S.  is  seen  the  opening  of  the  Gaisel- 
bergerthal  (§  60,  Rte.  H),  through  which 
tlie  mountaineer  may  reach  a  little- 
known  district  of  the  dolomite  Alps, 
lying  between  the  Grade rthal  and  the 
Ampezzo  Pass.  Nearly  opposite  is  the 
opening  of  the  Antholzerthal  (Rte.  L), 
which  offers  a  convenient  way  for  the 
pedestrian  who  desires  to  approach  the 
inner  recesses  of  the  High  Tauern  Alps. 
Here  the  main  valley  is  narrowed  be- 
tween the  bases  of  the  opposite  moun- 
tains, and  the  road  ascends  rather  more 
steeply,  crossing  the  Rienz,  and  soon 
returning  to  the  rt.  bank,  before  reach- 
ing the  small  village  of 

Welsherg  (3,544'),  with  a  good  inn 
(Rose)  at  the  confluence  of  the  Grsiess- 
bach,  which  here  descends  through  a 
narrow  cleft  from  the  Gsiessthal  (Rte. 
L).  Welsberg  stands  on  the  site  of  a 
little  lake  which  was  drained  in  the  four- 
teenth century  by  the  lord  of  the  adjoin- 
ing castle,  whose  name  it  received.  It 
has  two  inns  (Lowe,  clean  and  good  ; 
Rose).  At  some  points  on  the  road 
from  Brixen,  glimpses  of  the  fantastic 
forms  of  the  Dolomite  Alps  have  already 
been  gained  ;  but  they  come  rather  more 
fully  into  view  near  Welsberg,  and  es- 
pecially about  2  m.  beyond  the  village, 
where  the  road  passes  opposite  the 
opening  of  the  valley  of  Prags  ('§  61,  Rte. 
I),  where  rough  but  tolerable  accom- 
modation is  found  at  either  of  the  es- 
tablishments for  mineral  baths.  Here 
the  road  follows  the  1.  bank  of  the 
Rienz — now  reduced  to  a  trifling  stream 
— and  before  long  reaches 

yiederndorf  (3,784'),  a  place  of  some 
traflB.c,  as  it  lies  near  the  junction  of  the 
Ampezzo  road  from  Belluno  with  that 
from  Villach.  The  Post  is  a  tolerably 
good  inn  ;  and  the  Adler,  where  the 
Stellwagen  halts,  is  not  a  bad  one. 
The  Tyrolese  peasantry  have  a  whole- 
Bome  faith  in  the  efiicacy   of  mineral 


waters ;  and  there  is  scarcely  one  of 
the  lateral  valleys  of  the  Pusterthal  iu 
which  there  is  not  one  or  more  estab- 
lishments of  the  kind,  usually  supplying 
the  roughest  accommodation  at  very 
low  charges.  From  one  of  these  baths, 
called  Maktadt,  on  the  slope  of  the 
mountain,  about  1^  m.  SE.  of  Niedern- 
dorf,  there  is  a  fine  view  of  the  Defer- 
eggen  Alps. 

About  \^  m.  beyond  the  village,  the 
traveller  crosses  the  Rienz  for  the  last 
time,  near  the  point  where  it  flows  into 
the  Pusterthal  from  its  chief  source  in 
the  Diirren  See,  near  Hollenstein.  Two 
massive  outposts  of  the  dolomite  mass, 
standing  one  on  each  side  of  the  narrow 
defile,  form  a  noble  portal  through 
which  the  Ampezzo  road  runs  due  S. 
towards  Belluno  and  Venice  (§61,  Rte. 
A).  At  the  point  where  this  highway 
leaves  the  road  to  Villach  is  a  large 
cross,  which  at  the  same  time  marks 
the  summit -level,  or  height  of  land,  be- 
tween the  Drave  and  the  Adige,  where 
the  waters  are  parted  between  the  Black 
Sea  and  the  Adriatic.  This  level  tract 
(3,951  ft.  above  the  sea),  called  Toh- 
lacher  FeJd,  from  the  adjacent  village  of 
Toblach,  slopes  very  gently,  almost  im- 
perceptibly, on  either  side.  There  is 
nothing  in  the  landscape  to  suggest  the 
idea  of  an  Alpine  pass.  Barley  and 
rye  are  grown  to  some  height  above  the 
valley ;  and  though  the  winter  climate 
must  doubtless  be  severe,  the  remains  of 
many  castles  show  that  it  has  not  in 
past  times  been  such  as  to  deter  wealthy 
men  from  dwelling  here.  On  the  down- 
fall of  the  Roman  power,  this  region 
fell  under  the  authority  of  the  Bavarian 
(or  rather  Boyoar)  dukes,  who  here  ar- 
rested the  western  flow  of  the  Slavonic 
invasion  at  its  natural  geographical 
limit.  The  name  Victoribiihel,  still  given 
to  a  slight  eminence,  records  a  victory 
srained  over  these  barbarous  tribes  in 
709. 

A  streamlet,  flowing  from  the  base  of 
the  mountain  on  the  rt.  of  the  road,  is 
fixed  upon  as  the  source  of  the  Drave 
(Grerm.  Dmu,  but  locally  called  Drag), 
for  no  other  reason  than  the  fact  that  it 


2;io 


CKXTRAL    TYROL    ALPS.       §   51.    GROSSGLOCKNER    DISTKICT. 


l:es  near  a  frequonted  highway.  It  is 
joinfd  a  little  farther  on  by  a  consider- 
able torrent  from  the  Sextenthal,  which, 
lifter  fuliowintr  the  course  of  that  valley 
towards  WNW.,  turns  round  towards 
due  E.  on  entering  the  main  valley  at 

I?i?iichen  (3,701'),  a  small  place,  de- 
8t^rving  the  especial  notice  of  the  anti- 
quary, who  will  find  here  good  quar- 
ters (BeimNeuwirth).  The  Bar  (?  same 
house)  is  also  recommended.  The  Stifts- 
kirche,  rebuilt  afrer  a  fire  in  1284,  is 
one  of  the  most  interesting  of  the  early 
Tyrolese  churches,  having  in  many  par- 
ticulars preserved  the  type  of  the  most 
ancient  Christian  churches  of  Northern 
Italy.  It  has  a  vestibule  for  catechu- 
mens, a  lower  chapel  or  crypt  under  the 
raised  choir,  and  a  separate  baptistery. 
An  ancient  crucifix  was  saved  from  the 
destruction  of  the  earlier  church,  as  also 
were  the  bones  of  St.  Candidus — the 
gift  of  Pope  Adrian  I.  in  780,  preserved 
in  a  silver  shrine.  Two  portals  of  some 
hard  rock,  miscalled  porphyry,  and  an- 
cient carving  in  ihe  walls  of  the  church, 
alsodeserA-e  attention.  Other  less  impoi- 
tant  ancient  churches  here  have  partially 
escaped  the  ravages  of  fire  and  barbarian 
invasion,  that  began  with  the  Sclavonic 
hordes  in  the  sixth  and  seventh  cen- 
turies, and  terminated,  we  may  hope, 
with  the  French  in  1809. 

Through  the  Sextenthal  ran  the  Eo- 
man  road  to  Aquileja,  which  here  joined 
the  great  Noric  highway  through  the 
valley  of  the  Drave,  and  the  still  more 
important  line  over  the  Brenner.  Fa- 
voured by  this  central  position,  the  Ro- 
n-.an  station  of  Aguntum  rose  to  mu^h 
importance.  It  stood  on  the  slope  S.  of 
the  present  Anllage,  and  appears  to  ha  7e 
fallen  into  decay  after  the  destruction  of 
Aquileja  by  the  Huns.  Numerous  ro- 
cords  of  antiquity,  and  some  objects  cf 
art,  which  are  seen  in  the  museum  at 
Innsbruck,  have  been  found  here,  and 
doubtless  many  more  would  reward  a 
systematic  exploration  of  the  site. 
'  The  Sextenthal  (§61,  Rte.  H)  offers 
ready  access  to  some  of  the  finest  scenery 
of  t'.ie  Dolomite  Alps,  and  those  who 
have  ni;t  time  for  a  longer  expedition 


may  well  give  a  day  to  an  excursion  to 
the  upper  part  of  that  wild  valley.  The 
most  prominent  of  the  peaks  seen  from 
the  main  road  is  the  Dreidckustcrspits 
(10,368'). 

The  high-road  follows  the  1.  bank  of 
the  infant  Drave  to  Vierschach  (3,832'), 
soon  after  crosses  to  rt.  bank,  but  re- 
turns to  the  opposite  side  before  reaching 

Sillian  (Inns  :  Post,  very  fair ;  Neu- 
wirth),  3,611  ft.  above  the  sea.  The 
scenery  of  the  valley  is  rather  dreary, 
but  a  fine  view  may  be  gained  from 
the  Hehnspitz  {7,^7o'),  a  summit,  easy 
of  access,  rising  SW.  of  the  little 
town.  About  a  mile  lower  down,  the 
main  valley  is  partially  barred  across  by 
the  masses  of  debris  brought  down  by 
the  torrent  from  the  Villgrattenthal 
(Rte.N),  through  which  the  mountaineer 
may  reach  the  Defereggenthal.  The 
swamps  produced  by  this  obstacle  to  the 
course  of  the  Drave  were  drained  through 
the  interposition  of  the  late  Archduke 
John,  with  much  benefit  to  the  health  of 
the  inhabitants.  The  traveller  following 
the  high-road  may  pass  without  remark 
the  junction  with  the  Drave  of  a  small 
stream  from  the  Kartitschthal.  The 
level  of  that  valley  being  about  800  ft. 
higher  than  that  of  the  Pusterthal,  the 
stranger  does  not  suspect  that  it  forms 
the  W.  extremity  of  the  great  trough  of 
the  Gailthal,  which  is  in  truth  the  oro- 
graphic prolongation  of  the  Pusterthal, 
while  the  course  of  the  Drave  from 
hence  to  Villach,  though  not  without 
geological  significance,  does  not  follow 
the  main  line  of  depression.  The  direc- 
tion of  the  road,  and  the  Drave  valley, 
here  changes  to  somewhat  N.  of  E.,  and, 
after  passing  Strassen  (3,595'),  descends 
rather  steeply  to  Abfaltershach  (3,223'). 
The  character  of  the  scenery  gradually 
changes  as  the  mountains  draw  nearer 
together,  and  the  road  crosses  the  Drave, 
and  recrosses  to  the  1.  bank,  before  reach- 
ing 

Mittewald  (2,950'),  with  a  fair  coun- 
try inn  at  the  Post.  Through  the  nar- 
row cleft  of  the  Burgerthal,  opening  N. 
of  the  village,  the  mountaineer  may 
reach  Hopfgarten  (Rte.  K),  over   the 


ROUTE    A. EXCURSIONS    FROM    LIENZ. 


231 


Bocksteinscharte  (7,434').  Nearly  3  m. 
E.  of  Mittewald,  the  valley  opens  a  little 
at  the  inn  of  Au  (2,856'),  at  the  junction 
of  another  short  glen,  descending  from 
the  N.,  called  VUfernerthal.  Here  the 
Pusterthaljin  its  true  geographical  sense, 
comes  to  an  end,  though  the  designation 
is  commonly  extended  to  all  that  part  of 
the  Drave  valley  lying  within  the  bounds 
of  Tyrol.  The  valley  is  now  contracted 
to  a  mere  defile,  well  known  in  the  his- 
tory of  the  Tyrolese  struggle  against  the 
French  invasion  as  the  Lienzer  Klause. 
At  the  narrowest  point  stands  the  an- 
cient castle  of  Burg  fried,  which,  though 
partially  in  ruin,  and  garrisoned  onlj 
by  peasants,  successfully  resisted  the 
French  in  1 809.  Later  in  the  same  year, 
another  desperate  and  bloody  striiggle 
occurred  in  this  defile.  On  the  S.  side 
is  the  Spitzlcofcl  (8,913'),  one  of  the 
highest  summits  of  the  detached  group 
of  dolomitic  mountains  that  divide  Lienz 
from  the  Gailthal.  A  glimpse  of  some 
of  these  peaks  is  gained  as  the  road, 
near  the  E.  end  of  the  defile,  passes  the 
opening  of  the  Galizenbach  (§  62,  Rte.  F). 
By  a  rapid  transition,  the  road  passes 
from  the  midst  of  stern  and  rugged 
scenery  to  the  richly  wooded  basin 
wherein  the  copious  stream  of  the  Isel 
descends  from  its  parent  glaciers  to  join 
the  Drave.  Traversing  the  village  of 
Leisach  (2,326'),  the  road  turns  NNE., 
and  soon  reaches  the  picturesque  little 
town  of 

Lienz  (Inns:  Post,  very  good;  Lamm; 
Rose  ;  Fischwirth).  It  occupies  a  part 
of  the  site  of  the  Roman  city  of  Leon- 
tium,  which  is  said  to  have  extended  for 
a  space  of  3  m.  along  the  N.  side  of  the 
valley,  and  to  have  been  destroyed  about 
the  9th  century  by  a  great  Bergfall — a 
judgment,  says  the  chronicler,  on  the 
wickedness  of  its  inhabitants.  Ancient 
foundation  walls,  portions  of  mosaic 
pavement,  coins,  and  other  remains, 
found  here  and  there  as  far  eastward  as 
the  hamlet  of  Dewant,  give  some  colour 
to  the  tradition.  For  more  than  two 
centuries,  it  was  the  seat  of  the  powerful 
Counts  of  G-orz  (Grorizia),  who  dwelt  in 
the  castle  of  Bruck  (now  a  brewery), 


overlooking  the  town  on  the  W.  side. 
The  chief   part  of  the  town   (Altstadt) 
stands  on  the  tongue  of  land  above  the 
junction   of  the   Drave   with   the  Isel, 
2,193  ft.  above  the  sea.     The  Rathhaus 
(or  town-hall),  in  the  main  street,  with 
its  four   massive   towers,  is    a   stately 
building.     It   contains   a   portion  of  a 
Roman  altar,  with  the  figures  of  Venus, 
Leda,  and  the  Dioscuri,  removed  from 
the  castle  of  Bruck.     On  the  1.  bank  of 
the  Isel  is  the  suburb  called   Rinder- 
markt,  and  above  it,  on  rising  ground, 
the  ancient  Pfarrkirche,  dating,  at  least 
in  part,  from  the  12th  century.     It  well 
deserves  a  visit,  and  the  traveller  should 
not  fail  to  notice  the  eastern  portal  of 
the  churchyard  with  two  marble  lions, 
which  are  believed  to  date  from  the  Ro- 
man or  pre-Roman  period.     The  situa- 
tion of  Lienz  is  charming.     The  rich 
valley,  crowded  with  hamlets,  half  hid 
amid  gardens  and  orchards,  is  circled 
round   by  steep    slopes,  forest-clad,  or 
green  with  Alpine  pasture.   Above  these, 
on  the  N.  and  E.  sides,  rise  rugged  ridges 
of  crystalline   slate,    outliers  from  the 
ranges  of  the  High  Tauern  Alps.     But 
the  chief  attraction  is  found  in  the  pic- 
turesque forms  of  the  dolomite  peaks  S. 
of  the  town,  visible  from  its  streets,  but 
seen  to  greater  advantage  from  the  slopes 
on  the  N.  side  of  the  valley.     Lienz  is 
the  most  convenient  starting-point  for 
many   of   the    longer    expeditions   de- 
scribed in  the  follo\\'ingRtes.,  but  is  also 
a  centre  where  manj'  days  may  be  well 
spent  in  shorter  excursions  of  especial 
interest  to  the  geologist  and  the  botanist. 
The  slopes  on  the  N.  side  of  the  town 
offer  the  most  interesting  views,  and  at 
the  Heidenhof,  only  ^  hr.  distant,  near 
the  village  of  Grafendorf  (2,453'),  the 
traveller  finds  a  frequented  restaurant, 
where  he  may  dine  and  enjoy  the  view 
at  the  same  time.      A  little  higher  up 
is  Thurn  (2,797'))  with  the  ruins  of  a 
castle.      He   who   would    command   a 
wider  view  should  ascend  the  S.  peak  of 
the   Zetterfeld   (6,939'),    or    the   much 
higher  summit  oi  iYiQ  Schleinitz  {^,522'). 
Though  surpassed  by  some  of  the  higher 
summits  of  the  Hochschober  group,  of 


2o2  CENTRAL    TVRUL    ALPS.       §  51.    GROSSGLOCKNER    DISTRICT. 


which  it  is  a  southern  promontory,  this 
commands  a  fine  panoramic  view,  in- 
cluding all  the  higher  peaks  of  the  do- 
lomite Alpis. 

Less  laborious  than  the  ascent  of  the 
8ohleinitz  is  that  of  the  IjO^es  Weibele 
(8,266  ),  in  the  range  W.  of  Lienz,  di- 
viding the  Isel  from  the  Drave.  The 
view  is  nearly  as  extensive,  and  it  is 
reached  in  2  hrs.  less  time.  The  excur- 
sion to  the  Kersehbaumer  Aim.  famous 
for  its  rare  plants,  is  described  in  §  61, 
along  with  a  notice  of  the  dolomite 
peaks  that  divide  Lienz  from  the  Gail- 
thai.  A  short  and  very  interesting  ex- 
cursion is  that  to  Tristach  and  the 
Jungbrunn,  on  the  8.  side  of  the  Drave. 
The  latter  is  a  mineral  spring  of  local 
repute,  about  3  m.  from  Lienz.  In  a 
recess  of  the  mountains,  only  i  m.  dis- 
tant, is  the  Trutachcr  See  (2,686'),  ly- 
ing at  the  base  of  the  Kauchkofel(  6,261'). 
Fossils  of  the  Kossen  formation  may  be 
found  near  the  lake,  and  some  of  the 
rare  plants  of  the  higher  zone  of  these 
Alps  (such  as  Saxifraya  Burseriana)  may 
be  found  on  shaded  rocks  at  a  compara- 
tively low  level.  Astragalus  leontinus 
is  found  near  the  village  of  Tristach. 
3Iany  Alpine  species  are  found  in  the 
main  valle}-,  such  as  Oxytrapis  pilosa 
and  0.  v.roloisi^,  Fhaca  australis  and 
P.  alpiva,  Sayina  Linnm,  &e. 

An  agreeable  excursion  from  Lienz, 
longer  than  those  above  noticed,  is  that 
to  the  head  of  the  Dehantthal,  which  de- 
scends 8E.,  nearly  parallel  to  the  Isel- 
thal.  to  join  the  main  valley  of  the 
Lrave  at  the  village  of  Debant,  about 
\  m.  E.  of  Lienz.  It  originates  in  a 
cirque  enclosed  on  three  sides  by  the 
high  peaks  of  the  Schober  group.  As 
the  lower  part  of  the  valley  is  not  very 
interesting,  it  is  scarcely  worth  while  to 
visit  it  unless  the  traveller  pushes  on  at 
least  as  far  as  the  foot  of  the  glaciers  at 
The  head  of  the  valley,  fully  5  hrs.  from 
Lienz.  It  is  said  that  glacial  phenomena 
are  here  seen  on  a  large  scale,  and  near 
the  junction  of  the  torrent  from  the 
Klein-Gossnitz  Glacier  with  the  main 
torrent  is  an  ancient  moraine,  so  con- 
siderable that  Souklar  has  thought  it 


deserving  of  insertion  in  his  map.     Se- 
veral fine,  but  not  easy,  passes  lead  to 
the  adjoining  valleys.     Beginning  at  the 
E.  side,  the  more  important  of   these 
may  be  thus  enumerated  : — Secscharte 
(8,4-52'),  leading  to  the  Wangenitzthal ; 
1  Hofalnifcharte  (9,028'),  to  theGossnitz- 
i  thai:  Glodkseharte  (9,282'),  and  Schohcr- 
'  t/iorl   (9,2.52'),    both    leading    to    Kals 
'  through  the  Lesachthal ;  and   the  Leih- 
\  vitzscharfe  (8.405'),  to  St.  Johann  im 
Wald  (Ete.  E). 

Below  Lienz,  the  Drave,  now  grown 
to  a  river,  flows  through  what  is  orogra- 
phically  the  prolongation  of  the  valley 
of  the  Isel,  which  extends  ESE.  some 
way  beyond  the  frontier  of  Tyrol. 
Leaving  on  the  1.  hand  the  low  pass  of 
the  iselberg  leading  toHeiligenblut,  the 
road  keeps  to  the  N.  side  of  the  broad 
valley,  below  many  remains  of  ancient 
castles,  passes  Xicohdorf  (2,1^%'), 'Am\ 
I  reaches  Norsach,  the  last  Tyrolese  vil- 
li lage,  about  10  m.  from  Lienz.  There 
is  here  a  good  country  inn,  whence  the 
traveller  may  make  the  ascent  of  the 
Ziethenlcopf  (8,1.38').  This  is  one  of 
the  higher  summits  of  tlie  Kreuzeck 
range,  which  di^'ides  the  MoUthal  from 
the  Drave,  and,  being  more  detached 
from  the  highf-r  ranges  than  the  Schlei- 
nitz,  or  thf  Boses  Weibele.  offers  a 
panoramic  view  in  many  respects  more 
complete.  The  ascent  is  easily  made 
in  from  4  to  5  hrs. 

No  change  in  the  asp^-ct  of  the  valley, 
and  no  natural  landmark,  indicate  the 
limit  where  the  traveller  quits  Tyrol  to 
enter  Carinthia.  He  soon  reaches  the 
post-station  at 

Oherdrauhvrg  (1,992'"),  a  smnll  place, 
with  an  indifferent  inn,  at  the  Post, 
overlooked  by  the  ancient  castle  of  Drau- 
burg,  now  belonging  to  Prince  Porcia. 
Here  the  ancient  Roman  road  to  Aqui- 
leja,  still  an  interestinsz,  though  no  lon- 
ger a  frequented,  way,  diverges  south- 
ward. (.*^ee  §  62.  Rte.  E.)  The  valley  of 
the  Drave  now  bends  somewhat  to  the 
1.,  and  follows  a  nearly  due  E.  course  for 
nearly  20  m.  Several  torrents  descend 
from  the  N.  into  the  valley  through 
fchort  glens  running  into  the  Ivreuzeek 


EOUTE    A. — SriTTAL    ON    THE    DRAVE. 


233 


range.  The  most  considfiable  is  that 
issuing  from  the  Lrassnitzthcd,  which 
opens  at  JJcUach,  about  5  m.  E.  of  Ober- 
drauburg.  Ey  that  glen  the  traveller 
may  reach  a  fine  pass  between  the  Sand- 
fdd  (8,808')  and  the  Krevzcck  (8,851'), 
and  descend  thence  to  the  Mollthal, 
through  the  "Wollathal.  Keeping  con- 
stantly to  the  1.  bank  of  the  Drave,  the 
road  reaches  the  next  post-station, 

Gi-cifcnhurg  (2,054'),  on  a  little  emi- 
nence above  the  river  formed  by  the  de- 
tritus borne  down  by  the  torrent  from 
the  Gnopiiitzthal,  a  glen  that  drains  the 
SE.  side  of  the  Kreuzeck.  On  the  S. 
eide  is  the  dolomitic  peak  of  the  Eeiss- 
kqfel  (7,749'),  said  to  command  a  very 
interesting  panoramic  view-.  The  pedes- 
trian may  take  a  short  cut  from  Grrei- 
fenburg  to  Villach  by  the  Weissensee, 
rejoining  the  high-road  atPaternion,  an 
excursion  of  much  interest  to  the  geolo- 
gist (§  62,  Rte.  G).  Those  who  prefer  to 
travel  in  light  country  carriages  may, 
•without  lengthening  the  way,  see  some- 
thing of  the  lower  and  less  interesting 
part  of  the  Gailthal  by  following  the 
road  to  Hermagor  by  Weissbriach,  and 
thence  to  Villach  by  Arnoldstein,  The 
scenery  of  the  main  valley  is,  however, 
at  least  equally  interesting.  The  course 
of  the  Drave,  which  from  nearlnnichen 
to  this  point  has  kept  close  to  the  line 
of  junction  between  the  secondary  rocks 
and  the  crystalline  slates  of  the  central 
chain,  now  quits  that  boundary,  and 
enters  a  comparatively  narrow  cleft  in 
the  mica  slate  ridges  which  are  the 
eastern  prolongation  of  the  Kreiizeck 
range.  Keeping  at  first  its  easterly  di- 
rection by  Steinfeld  and  Lengholz,  it 
tlien  turns  nearly  due  N.,  and  amid 
very  pleasing  scenery,  and  the  din  of 
forges  that  accompany  the  traveller 
through  Carinthia  and  Styria,  reaches 
the  next  post-station  at 

Sachseiiburg  (1,843'),  on  the  rt.  bank 
of  the  Drave,  just  at  the  point  where  it 
turns  eastward  to  join  the  Moll.  It  has 
been  seen  that  near  its  source  the  Drave 
quitted  the  direction  of  the  great  line  of 
valley,  extending  from  Sillian  through 
the  Gailthal,  and,  after  flowing  through 


a  narrow  defile,  entered  the  valley  of 
the  Isel  at  Lienz.  Exactly  in  the  eame 
way,  the  river  quitted  its  normal  course 
at  Greifenburg,  and,  after  passing 
through  another  cleft,  enters  the  Moll- 
thal immediately  below  Sachsenburg. 
The  course  of  the  river  from  hence  to 
Villach  exactly  follows  the  ESE.  direc- 
tion of  the  Moll  from  Fragant  to  the 
junction,  and  is  parallel  to  that  of  the 
main  ridges  and  main  valleys  of  this 
region. 

The  high-road  crosses  both  rivers  im- 
mediately above  their  junction,  and  for 
many  miles  adheres  to  the  1.  bank  of 
the  united  stream,  which  here  runs 
through  a  broad,  level,  and  fruitful  val- 
ley. The  exact  site  of  the  Roman  city 
of  Teitrnia,  or  Tibumia,  is  now  lost,  but 
remains  of  antiquity  have  been  found 
at  many  points.  Numerous  castles 
crown  the  heights,  of  which  the  most 
remarkable  are  the  ruins  of  Ortenhurg. 
The  Counts  of  Ortenburg,  who  flourished 
here  for  many  centuries,  held  their  do- 
main as  an  imperial  fief  independent 
of  the  Dukes  of  Carinthia.  "When  the 
race  at  length  died  out,  their  privileges, 
including  that  of  conferring  titles  of  no- 
bility, were  held  to  pass  to  the  owner 
for  the  time  being  of  this  castle.  The 
latter  right  sui-vived  till  1753,  when  it 
was  sui'rendered  by  Prince  Porcia  to 
Maria  Theresa.  Kot  far  from  this  the 
traveller  reaches  the  little  town  of 

Spittal  (1,772'),  at  the  junction  of  the 
Lkserhach  with  the  Drave.  Through 
that  valley  the  highway  from  Salzburg 
by  the  Radstiidter  Tauern  (§  52,  Rte.  E) 
joins  our  road.  There  is  here  a  good 
country  inn  at  the  Post,  a  pretty  church, 
restored  of  late  years,  and  a  stately 
Schloss  belonging  to  Prince  Porcia. 
Omnibuses  ply  twice  a  day  to  the  rail- 
way-station at  Villach.  The  pedestrian 
may,  by  a  slight  detour,  take  the  Mill- 
stadter  See  (§  55,  Rte.  F)  on  his  way  to 
Villach,  or  to  the  next  post -station  at 

Fatcrnion  (1,704'),  a  small  village 
with  an  indifferent  inn,  standing  on 
the  rt.  bank  of  the  Drave.  The  road 
crosses  the  river  about  3  m.  higher  up, 
and   near  the  bridge  the  traveller,  in 


234 


CENTRAL    TYROL    ALPS.       §   51.    GHOSSGLOCKNER    DISTRICT. 


clear  weather,  gains  a  fine  view  up  the 
^Mollthal,  with  some  of  the  peaks  of 
the  Ilochnarr  range  in  the  background. 
At  Xickehdorf,  less  than  a  mile  below 
Paternion,  the  traveller  who  has  taken 
the  way  fromGreifenbui-gby  theWeissen 
See  rejoins  the  high-road.  (See  §  62, 
Ete.  Or.)  This  henceforward  keeps  tx) 
the  rt.  bank  of  the  river  through  the  green 
and  fruitful  valley.  The  declivity  on 
the  rt.  conceals  from  view  the  higher  part 
of  the  Dobratsch  (7,067'),  which  forms 
the  last  massive  link  in  the  chain  di- 
viding the  Drave  from  the  Gailthal. 
Not  being  strictly  parallel,  these  streams 
converge  in  an  open  space,  traversed 
only  by  low  hills,  at  the  NW.  corner  of 
which,  near  the  base  of  the  Dobratsch, 
stands,  1,593  ft.  above  the  sea, 

VUlach  (Inns :  Post,  GoldenesLamm), 
described  in  §  55,  Ete.  A. 


Route  B. 

LIEN'Z  TO  HEILIGEXBLITT — ASCEXT  OF  THE 
GEOSSGLOCIO'EE. 


Stunden 


■Wiaklem  . 
Dbllach      . 

Heiligenblut 


English 
miles 


8  21* 

Road  passable  for  light  carriages,  A  pedes- 
trian following  the  foot-path  over  the  Iselsberg 
may  easily  perform  the  whole  distance  in  7 
hrs. 

Heiligenblut  is  deservedly  a  favourite 
resort  of  tourists  in  the  Eastern  Alps  ; 


and  whatever  rivals  may  hereafter 
arise,  when  the  region  is  more  fully 
known  to  travellers,  this  must  ever 
remain  one  of  those  choice  peculiar 
spots  where  the  memory  stores  up 
images  of  grandeur  and  beauty  never 
to  be  eflfaced.  It  cannot,  indeed,  riA'al 
in  variety  such  centres  as  Zermatt, 
Chamouni,  Lauterbrunnen,  and  others 
that  occur  to  every  Alpine  traveller; 
the  interest  is  here  concentrated  on  a 
single  peak  and  a  single  glacier.  The 
picture  is  varied  only  by  the  changing 
lights  and  shadows  of  morning  and 
evening,  clouds  or  serene  sky,  sunshine 
and  moonshine ;  but  it  is  hard  to  say 
how  it  could  be  imagined  more  per- 
fect. The  exquisitely  sharp  cone  of 
the  Grossglockner,  rising  in  an  un- 
broken slope  of  5,000  ft.  above  the 
Pasterze  Glacier,  is  not  surpassed  for 
grace  and  elegance  by  any  in  the  Alps. 
The  ascent,  though  it  cannot  be  called 
easy,  is,  with  competent  guides,  per- 
fectly safe,  and  can  be  accomplished 
with  little  fatigue,  so  that  it  is  annually 
achieved  by  an  increasing  number  of 
travellers.  The  village  is  now  acces- 
sible by  road  from  the  S.  side,  and  by  a 
moderately  easy  path  from  Gastein 
(described  in  §  52,  Ete.  B).  Besides 
these  ordinary  modes  of  access,  there  are 
several  mountain  or  glacier  paths  no- 
ticed in  the  following  routes.  It  must 
be  owned  that  the  accommodation  falls 
far  short  of  what  is  found  at  equally 
frequented  places  in  Switzerland ;  but, 
except  when  overfull,  the  inn  is  tolerably 
comfortable. 

The  pedestrian,  starting  from  Lienz, 
wiU  save  little  time  by  taking  a  car- 
riage to  Heiligenblut ;  but,  of  course,  the 
case  is  altered  in  descending  the  valley 
of  the  MoU  from  that  place  to  Wink- 
lern.  It  is,  however,  a  good  plan  to 
avail  oneself  of  any  passing  diligence 
or  Stellwagen  for  the  3  m,  of  dusty  road 
between  Lienz  and  Dblsach  (2,38-4'),  a 
village  on  the  1,  of  the  high-road  to 
Villach,  at  the  foot  of  the  Isdsherg. 
This  is  a  low  isthmus,  connecting  the 
range  of  the  Hochschober  to  NW.  with 
that  of  the  Kreuzeck  to  E„  and  thereby 


ROUTE  B. VALLEY  OF  THE  MOLL. 


235 


separating  the  valley  of  the  Moll  from 
that  of  the  Drave.     It  rises  only  about 
1,600  ft.  above  the  latter,  and   about 
800  ft.  above  the  former,  stream.     The 
carriage-road  winds  up  the  slope  above 
Dolsach,  while  the  path  keeps  to  the 
rt.,  passing  near  the  old  castle  of  Wal- 
lenstein.      The  summit  of  the  low  pass 
is   indicated   by    a   cross   marking  the 
frontier  between  Tyrol  and  Carinthia, 
near  a  country  inn  called  Auf  der  Wacht 
(3,820').      During  the  ascent,  the  tra- 
veller  will   not   fail  to  turn  round  to 
enjoy  the  view  over  the  valley  of  the 
Drave,  and  the  fine  group  of  dolomite 
peaks  rising  behind  it,   culminating  in 
the  Kreuzkofel  (8,979  ).     This  is  par- 
ticularly striking  when  the  passage  of 
the  ridge  is  made  in  the  opposite  di- 
rection.     Leaving,  on  the  rt.  hand,  a 
mineral   spring   with    baths,    the   road 
descends  to  Winklerii  (3,186'),  a  village 
standing  on  the  slope  above  the  S.  bank 
of  the  Moll,  which,  after  flowing  nearly 
due  S.  from  Dollach,  here  turns  sharply 
to  the  E.     A  post-carriage  runs  three 
times  a  week  to  Spittal  (§  52,  Rte.  C). 
A  char  hence  to  Heiligenblnt  costs  4  fl. 
The  inn,  kept  by  Herr  von  Aichenegg, 
a  small  proprietor  of  old  family,  is  very 
good  and  reasonable.  The  road  to  Heili- 
genblut,  rough  in  places,  descends  to  the 
level  of  the  Moll,  and  then  crosses  to 
the  1.  bank,  running  a  little  E.  of  N.,  as 
far  as  Mortsckack  (3,185').     The  valley 
is  enclosed  between  two  high  groups  of 
crystalline  slate  peaks.     That  on  the  E. 
side  is  a  lateral  branch  of  the  Hoch- 
narr  range,  and  the  much  higher  mass 
to  the  W.  is  the  Schober  group,  whose 
highest  simimits  are  the  Petzeck  and 
Hochschober.     Above  Mortschach,  the 
road  returns  to  the  rt.  bank,  and  soon 
reaches  the  opening  of  the  Wangenitz- 
thal,  a  steep  lateral  glen,  whose  torrent 
flows  from   a  lake    {Wangenitzsee),    at 
the  unusual  height  of  8,262  ft.     There 
is  said  to  be  another  smaller  lake,  or 
taxn    (Kreuzsee),   a   still   higher   level, 
close  to  a  pass,  called  Seescharte  (8,452'), 
over  the   ridge  dividing  this  from  the 
Debantlhal.       On    the    N.    side   of  the 
Wangenitisee  rises  a  high  snowy  range, 


crowned  by  the  Petzeck  (10,761'), 
the  summit  of  which  may  be  reached 
from  the  lake.  In  going  from  Heiligen- 
blut  to  Lienz,  the  active  mountaineer 
may  easily  take  the  Seescharte  on  his 
way,  descending  to  the  Drave  through 
the  Debantthal  (Rte.  A).  About  3  m. 
N.  of  the  opening  of  the  "VYangenitzthal, 
the  road,  after  recrossing  to  the  1.  bank 
of  the  Moll,  reaches 

Dollach  (3,372'),  with  a  very  fair 
country  inn — Beim  Ortner.  The  village 
was  once  a  prosperous  place,  when  the 
mines  in  the  adjacent  Zirknitzthal  gave 
abundant  occupation  to  the  natives. 
Since  these  have  been  abandoned,  the 
place  has  decayed.  Several  of  the  best 
guides  in  the  valley  live  here,  but  are 
oftener  to  be  found  at  Heiligenblut. 
The  Zirknitzbach,  which  flows  through 
the  village,  forms  a  remarkably  fine 
waterfall  in  a  deep  ravine  at  the  lower 
end  of  the  Zirknitzthal.  It  is  ac- 
cessible in  10  min.,  and  should  not 
be  missed.  For  a  notice  of  the  glacier 
passes  leading  to  Rauris,  see  §  52,  Rte. 
B.  A  remarkably  fine  view  of  the  en- 
tire valley,  and  the  Pasterze  Glacier, 
is  gained  from  the  Stanziwurdi  (8,87 S'), 
the  summit  of  which  may  be  reached  in 
4  hrs.  from  Dollach.  The  road  now 
follows  the  1.  bank  of  the  Moll  in  a 
NNW.  direction.  At  Putschal,  about 
2  m.  above  Dollach,  the  opening  of  the 
Grattenthal  is  seen  on  the  W.  side.  It 
is  a  wild  glen,  whose  head  is  enclosed 
by  the  highest  snowy  summits  of  the 
Petzeck  and  Schober  group.  The  main 
valley  is  now  narrowed  between  the 
bases  of  the  mountains  on  either  hand, 
barely  leaving  space  for  the  Moll,  which 
chafes  and  rages  in  its  narrow  channel, 
partly  blocked  up  by  rocks  that  have 
fallen  from  the  adjoining  heights.  The 
road  crosses  and  recrosses  the  stream, 
and  passes  opposite  a  pretty  waterfall  of 
the  Staubbach  family,  called  Jungfern- 
sprung.  The  BrennJcogel  (9,894'),  the 
easternmost  of  the  high  mountains  en- 
closing the  head  of  the  valley,  now 
comes  into  view,  but,  though  near  at 
hand,  no  part  of  the  great  peak  is  yet 
seen.      It   is   onlj   after   passing    the 


23G 


CENTRAL    TYROL    ALPS. 


§   51. 


GROSSGLOCKNER    DISTRICT. 


hamlft  of  Pockhorn  (3,568'),  and  cross- 
ing the  Flciss  torrent,  which  descfnd.3 
from  the  glaciers  of  the  Hochnarr, 
that  the  valley  opens  to  WNW.,  and 
the  beautiful  peak  of  the  G-lockner  is 
revealed  to  view.  The  exquisite  appa- 
rition is  soon  lost  again,  as  a  low  inter- 
vening ridge  comes  in  the  way.  The 
road  begins  to  mount  rather  steeply. 
A  path  to  the  1.  leads  past  a  fine  fall 
of  the  31511,  called  the  Zlapp,  which  can 
be  seen  by  the  pedestrian  without  any 
loss  of  time.  From  the  waterfall,  he 
should  follow  the  path  that  mounts  by 
the  1.  bank,  and  rejoin  the  road  a  short 
way  from 

HeUigenhlut  (Inn :  G-locknerhaus ;  was 
burned  down  in  1864,  has  been  rebuilt 
and  improved  in  most  respects  ;  charges 
ratherhigh,  but  accommodation  very  fair, 
when  the  house  is  not  overfull),  a  small 
group  of  houses,  with  a  very  picturesque 
church  in  old  German  style,  standing 
4,26i  ft.  above  the  sea,  on  a  terrace 
about  200  ft.  above  the  1.  bank  of  the 
Moll.  As  already  said,  the  situation  of 
this  place  is  perfect.  The  view  of  the 
Glockner  surpasses  anything  of  the 
8ame  kind  to  be  gained  from  any  in- 
habited place,  not  reckoning  the  moun- 
tain inns  of  Switzerland,  and  enough 
is  seen  of  the  lower  part  of  the  great 
Pasterze  Glacier  to  excite,  without  fully 
satisfying,  the  traveller's  curiosity  and 
activity.  The  British  traveller,  smitten 
with  the  plague  of  haste,  may  accom- 
plish in  one  day  the  indispensable  ex- 
cursion to  the  Pasterze  Glacier,  or  may 
even  combine  it  with  the  walk  hence  to 
Pusch  or  to  Kaprun  (Rtes.  C  and  D) ; 
but  the  wiser  few  will  linger  many  days, 
and  may  vary  the  enjoyment  of  the 
grand  scenery  of  the  main  valley  by 
excursions  into  the  Gossnitzthal,  and 
other  recesses  of  the  surrounding  Alps. 

The  visitor  who  can  put  up  with 
rather  rough  accommodation,  and  pre- 
fers a  quieter  spot  than  the  frequented 
inn,  may  find  fair  accommodation,  civi- 
lity, and  moderate  charges,  at  a  little 
inn  in  the  hamlet  of  Pleiss,  about  i  hr. 
above  HeiligenVjlut.  It  is  kept  by 
Tribuser,  '  der  Pleissner,'  commands  a 


remarkably  fine  view,  and  is  chiefly 
frequented  by  German  artists. 

Heiligenblut  is  the  only  place  in  the 
Austrian  Alps  where  there  is  a  regu- 
larly organised  corps  of  guides  with  a 
fixed  tarilF.  The  charges  are  rather 
high  for  the  country,  but  cannot  be  called 
extravagant,  when  it  is  remembered 
that,  at  the  ordinary  exchange,  the 
florin  is  scarcely  worth  more  than  2 
francs,  except  that  15  lbs.  is  an  un- 
reasonably low  allowance  for  a  porter. 

The  following  tariff  contains  also  the 
charges  for  horses  and  chars.  Some 
slight  changes  may  have  been  recently 
introduced : — 


GriDES  A^T)  POETEES. 

Gossnitz  Waterfall  .... 
Leiter  do.  .        .        .         . 

Wolfganghiitte,  Brettboden,  Franz- 

Josephs-Hohe,  Johannes-Hutte    . 
Johannes-Hutte  and  back  across  the 

Pasterze  Glacier    .... 

Kaiser  Thcirl 

Kals 

Salmshbhe 

Dollach 

Mortschacb 

Winklem 

Hochthor  ...... 

Fuscher  "Wegscheide 

Fuscher  Thor 

Ferleiten 

Fusch 

Pasterze  Glacier  and  over  Pfandl- 

scharte  to  Ferleiten 
Tauernhaus  in  Rauria 
Kauris  or  Bucheben 
Bucheben    and    over    the  Stanzer 

Scharte  to  Bad  Gastein 


fl.  kr. 

0  20 

0  80 

1  60 


\^ 


2 

0 

3 

15 

3 

15 

0 

70 

1 

40 

1 

75 

1 

5 

1 

30 

2 

0 

4 

20 

5 

80 

5 

0 

3 

0 

5 

0 

l7 


A  guide  or  porter  is  obliged  to  carry 
15  lbs.  luggage  for  the  above  rates  of 
pay,  and  for  every  lb.  in  excess  2  kr. 
per  lb.  per  Stunde  distance.  No  claim 
for  Trinkgeld  is  allowed. 

HORSES  (rIDIXG  ANT)  BAGGAGe). 


To  the  Leiter  "Waterfall 
,,  Wolfganghiitte 
„  Brettboden  or  Wallnerhii 
,,  Hochthor 
„  Rauris  or  Bucheben 
,,  Fuscher  Thor    . 
,,  Ferleiten   . 
..  Fusch 


fl. 

kr. 

1 

80 

2 

0 

3 

30 

2 

60 

10 

0 

3 

60 

10 

0 

11 

0 

A  horse  cannot,  at  the  same  time, 
serve  for  riding  and  baggage,  nor  is  the 
driver  compelled  to  act  as  porter. 


ROUTE    B. — PASTEHZE    GLACIER. 


23? 


CHARS  {Ein Scanner).  ! 

fl.  kr. 

To  Dfillach 1  f^O 

„  Mortschach 2  60  j 

„  Winklern 4  0  | 

„  Stall C  50  I 

„  Obervillach Id  n  | 

.,  Lienz 9  0  1 

Speaking  generally,  the  Hciligenblut 
guides  are  good  mountaineers,  but  fall 
far  short  of  the  better  Swiss  and  Cha- 
iriouni  men  in  general  intelligence  and 
information.  For  the  ascent  of  the 
Glockner,  the  charge,  not  included  in 
the  tariff,  is  now  8  fl.  50  kr.  per  guide, 
and  13  fl.  when  taken  over  the  Pfandel- 
scharte  toFerleiten.  They  do  not  now  in- 
sist on  the  unreasonable  rule  of  requiring 
two  guides  for  each  traveller,  but  usually 
insist  on  three  guides  for  two  travellers. 
The  guides  most  highly  recommended 
for  glacier  expeditions  are  Josef  Tri- 
busser  (the  best  mountaineer),  Anton 
Grauogger  (who  ranks  as  chief  guide), 
Anton  Wallner,  Christ.  Pichler,  Josef 
Lackuer,  Georg  Bauerle,  and  Johann 
Fritz. 

The  neighbourhood  of  Heiligenblut 
is,  in  an  especial  sense,  classic  ground 
to  the  lover  of  Flora.  For  nearly  a 
centurj'  Wulfen,  Hoppe,  Hornschuch, 
Schultes.  and  the  succeeding  generation 
of  Austrian  botanists,  have  made  this 
their  favourite  resort.  Unfortunately, 
the  avidity  of  collectors  has  nearly,  if 
not  quite,  extirpated  some  of  the  rarest 
Bpecies,  but  an  ample  harvest  still  re- 
mains to  be  gathered  by  an  active  ex- 
plorer. A  list  of  the  more  interesting 
species  is  given  lower  down. 

Heiligenblut  derives  its  name  from  a 
precious  relic  found  on  the  person  of 
St.  Briccius.  a  pious  Dane,  who,  after 
serving  the  Emperor  Leo  as  a  valiant 
general,  was  lost  in  a  sno-w-storm  on 
his  homeward  journey  over  the  Hoch- 
thor.  The  legend,  copied  from  a  little 
work  called  '  i)er  Fiihrer  in  Karnthen,' 
is  incorrectly  given  by  Messrs.  Gilbert 
and  Churchill  in  their  well-known  work. 
The  correct  version  will  be  found  in 
Sonklar's  '  Eeiseskizzen  aus  den  Alpen 
uud  Karpathen.'  The  traveller  should  | 
not  fail  to  viijit  the  church  where  the  I 


relic  is  preserved  in  an  elaborate  richly 
carved  shrine. 

AVhat  may  be  called  the  indispaia- 
flWe  excursion  fromHeilig<-nblut  is  that 
to  the  Fastcrze  Glacier  (locally  called 
Pasterzenkees);  and.  in  truth,  "whatever 
other  expeditions  a  traveller  may  make, 
even  though  he  should  ascend  the  Glock- 
ner, or  one  of  the  other  high  summits 
that  look  down  on  the  glacier,  he  will 
do  unwisely  if  he  fail  to  traverse  at 
least  some  part  of  its  surface.  Though 
not  nearly  equal  in  dimensions  to  the 
greatest  glaciers  of  the  Swiss  and  Savoy 
Alps,  this  measures  about  6  m.from  its- 
lower  end  to  the  bounding  ridge  of  the 
Hohe  Riffl,  which  is  as  great  a  space  as 
the  eye  can  well  take  in  at  the  same 
moment,  and  the  view  of  the  Glockner,- 
as  seen  from  the  lower  glacier,  is  not- 
surpassed  by  any  of  the  same  character- 
in  the  Alps, 

The  path  from  Heiligenblut  to  the 
glacier  descends  a  little  towards  the 
Moll,  and  crosses  to  the  opposite  bank, 
but  in  about  |  m.,  on  approaching  a 
point  where  the  torrent  from  the  Goss- 
nitzthal  joins  the  Moll  from  the  SSW., 
and  the  Tauernbach  from  the  N.,  the' 
track  to  the  glacier  returns  to  the  L 
bank,  and  then  traverses  the  last-named' 
torrent.     At  this  spot,  called 

Winkel  (4,335'),  the  last  group  of 
houses  is  left  behind.  The  ascent  now 
becomes  steeper,  and,  though  the  upper 
course  of  the  Moll  is  nearly  one  con- 
tinuous cataract,  it  has  cut  so  deep  a 
cleft  in  the  rocks  that  it  is  lost  both  to 
the  eye  and  the  ear.  The  Briccius-Ka- 
pelle  (5,348'),  a  small  oratory,  is  reached 
just  opposite  the  spot  where  the  Leiter- 
bach  descends,  in  a  very  fine  waterfall, 
to  the  level  of  the  main  valley. 

From  this  point,  the  head  of  the  valley 
is  locally  called  Pasterzenthal,  and  the 
stream  issuing  from  the  great  glacier 
Fastcrze.  The  path  ascends  gradually 
along  the  steep  slope,  and,  about  ^  hr. 
1  eyood  the  chapel,  divides.  That  on 
the  1.  hand,  wliich  is  somewhat  shorter, 
■R'as  formerly  considered  dangerous,  and 
obtained  the  name  Bose  Platte;  but  it 
has  been  so  much  improved  that  ladies 


238 


CENTRAL    TYROL    ALPS.       §  51.    GROSSGLOCKNER    DISTRICT. 


may  pass  vdthout  hesitation.  The  ascent 
continues  over  a  rounded  eminence 
called  Ochsenbrett,  and  from  the  sum- 
mit the  lower  portion  of  the  Pasterze 
Glacier  for  the  first  time  comes  fully 
into  view.  Since  the  visit  of  the  present 
Emperor  and  Empress  of  Austria  in 
1857,  this  spot,  reckoned  3  hrs.  from 
Heiligenblut  (very  easy  going),  is  called 
Elizabethsruhe.  However  fine  the  view 
from  hence  may  be,  it  gives  a  very  in- 
complete idea  of  the  extent  of  the  glacier, 
and  the  traveller  who  does  not  intend  to 
prolong  his  walk  much  farther  should 
at  least  mount  to  the  Sattel,  an  adjoining 
eminence,  whither  on  that  occasion  the 
Emperor  was  conducted,  and  which  then 
received  the  name  Franz-Josephs-Hohe 
(8,323').  Those  who  extend  the  excur- 
sion to  the  upper  end  of  the  main  reach 
of  the  glacier  will  be  well  rewarded. 

A  brief  description  of  the  Pasterze 
Glacier  will  be  here  in  place.  Like  all 
great  glaciers,  it  consists  essentially  of 
two  portions — an  upper  basrn  of  neve, 
where  the  snow  is  stored  up  and  gra- 
dually converted  into  ice ;  and  a  lower 
ice-river,  whose  volume  is  proportioned 
to  the  extent  of  the  reservoir.  The 
basin — locally  called  Oberster  Paster- 
zenkees — is  in  form  a  nearly  rectangular 
parallelogram,  with  sides  rather  more 
than  2.^  m.  in  length.  Beginning  at  the 
SW.  corner,  the  boundary  riins  nearly 
due  N.  from  the  ScJmeewinkel  (11,591'), 
over  the  summit  of  the  Johannisberg 
(11,425')  to  the  Hohe  Eiffel  (11,003'), 
dividing  the  Cai'inthian  Mollthal  from 
the  Salzburg  valley  of  Stubach.  From 
the  Hohe  Eiffel,  the  bounding  ridge 
runs  eastward  to  the  Vorder-Bdrenkopf 
(10.507'),  and  the  Mitttl  -  B'drcnkopf 
(10, 976'),  dividing  the  Mollthal  from  the 
Kapruner  Thai.  From  the  Mittcl-Bdren- 
kopf,  the  main  range  between  Fusch  and 
the  Moll  extends  to  SE. ;  but  the  chief 
basin  of  the  glacier  is  limited  by  a  ridge, 
for  the  most  part  covered  with  ice,  that 
extends  a  little  W.  of  S.  to  the  Gross- 
Burgstall.  On  the  E.  side  of  this  latter 
ridge  is  a  much  smaller  snow  basin, 
which  sends  a  tributary  glacier  to  join 
the  main  stream  on  the  SE.  side  of  the 


Gross-Burgstall.  On  the  S.  side,  the 
great  neve  basin  is  limited  by  a  pro- 
jecting ridge  extending  eastward  from 
the  Eomai-iswand  to  the  Klein-Burg- 
stall.  The  main  outlet  of  this  reservoir  is 
through  the  opening  between  the  Klein- 
and  the  Gross-Burgstall.  These  are  two 
high  rocky  cliffs,  covered  at  the  top  with 
neve,  but  presenting  a  bold  front  to  the 
lower  glacier.  The  upper  ice-fall  ter- 
minates between  these  barriers  at  a 
height  of  about  8,300  ft.,  and  thence  the 
majestic  ice-stream  flows  in  a  straight 
course  for  about  3  m.,  preserving  a 
gentle  slope  till  it  reaches  the  base  of  the 
Franz-Josephs-Hohe.  From  that  point, 
where  the  height  of  the  glacier  above 
the  sea-level  is  about  7,800  ft.,  it  de- 
scends in  two  very  fine  ice-falls,  of  which 
the  lower  is  visible  from  Heiligenblut,  a 
height  of  more  than  1,500  ft.  in  a  hori- 
zontal distance  of  less  than  a  mile. 

We  have  seen  that  the  upper  reser- 
voir of  the  Pasterze  is  enclosed  on  three 
sides  by  ridges  that  form  part  of  the 
main  chain  dividing  Salzburg  from  Ca- 
rinthia.  The  glacier  proper,  from  the 
two  Burgstalls  to  the  foot  of  the  lower 
ice-fall,  flows  between  two  parallel 
ridges,  of  which  the  shorter,  biit  by  far 
the  most  remarkable,  is  the  Gross- 
glockner  range.  This  diverges  from 
the  main  chain  at  the  above-mentioned 
peak  of  the  Schneewinkel,  and  extends 
SSE.  a  distance  of  rather  more  than 
6  m.  The  first  prominent  point  is  the 
Eomanswa7idkopf  (II, 6S2')  ;  to  this, 
after  a  slight  depression,  succeeds  a 
singular  rocky  ridge  of  excessive  steep- 
ness, and  nearly  horizontal  at  the 
top,  appropriately  named  Glocknerwand 
(12,182'),  and  then,  after  another  de- 
pression, not  seen  from  the  lower  part 
of  the  glacier,  the  range  rises  at  once 
to  its  culminating  point  in  the  NNTV. 
peak  of  the  Crrossglockticr  (12,455'), 
scarcely  separated,  as  seen  from  below, 
from  the  adjoining  SSE.  peak,  some 
50  ft.  lower.  A  lontr  slopf>.  at  first  very 
steep,  then  gentle,  leads  downward  to 
the  Huhenwartsikart'^ ( 1 0,359' ),  to  which 
succeeds  the  Kdlerbirg  (10,687'),  and 
other  sumiuita   in  gradually  descending 


ROUTE    B. — ASCENT    OF    THE    GROSSGLOCKKEK. 


23a 


order,  till  the  range  terminates  in  the  ■ 
I'^d  r-Le.ie'-/copf  i^SASO'),  which  over-  1 
looks   the  junction    of  the   Leiterbach  ; 
with  the  Moll.     On  the  opposite  side  of  ! 
the  gbicier,   the  valley  of  the  Moll  is  i 
divided   from    that   of   Rauris    by    the 
range    extending  from    the  Mittol-Ba-  i 
renkopf    to    the   Hochthor    (see    next  | 
RtH.),    whose    chief    summits    are    the  j 
Brfitkopf  [10,220'),   Fuschtr  Kahrkopf 
(10.957',).  Sinewellcck  (10.732'),   5^^^/- 
mnnn  (9,9G0'),  and  BrefDikoqel  {9,S9o')  ; 
but  the  glacier  stream   is  immediately 
confined  by  a  s-teep  ridge  called  the  Frei- 
tvand  (9,960'),   that  diverges  from  the 
Fuscher  Kahrkopf  nearly  parallel  to  the 
main  range,  and  excludes  from  view  all 
the  other  summits  named  above. 

Between  the  Ochsenbrett  and  the 
Franz-Josephs-Hohe  the  Pfandelbach, 
descending  from  the  Pfandelscharte 
(see  next  Rte.),  crosses  the  path  to  the 
glacier.  It  is  traversed  by  a  wooden 
bridge,  beyond  which  is  the  Wallner- 
hiitte  (6,762'),  a  rude  stone  hut.  Then 
commences  the  moderately  steep  ascent, 
leading  in  1  hr.  to  the  summit  of  the 
Franz-Josephs-Hohe,  a  point  which  will 
remind  the  traveller  in  many  respects 
of  the  Pavilion  on  the  Mont  Anvert, 
near  Chamouni.  A  descent  of  about 
400  ft.  leads  to  the  lateral  moraine, 
whence  access  to  the  glacier  is  quite 
easy.  Here  the  traveller  must  decide 
as  to  his  course.  The  guides  usually 
lead  strangers  to  the  Hoffmannshutte, 
formerly  called  Johannishutte  (8,026'), 
a  stone  hut  on  the  slope  of  the  Freiwand, 
reached  from  hence  in  |  hr.  Above 
it,  towards  the  peak  of  the  Fuscher 
Kahrkopf,  is  a  stony  slope  called  Garns- 
grube,  famed  as  a  habitat  for  many 
rare  plants.  The  hut,  originally  built 
at  the  cost  of  the  late  Archduke  John, 
was  rebuilt  at  the  expense  of  the  late 
Mr.  Hoffmann,  who  fell  in  the  war  of 
1870.  It  affords  comfort;ible  night- 
quarters.  From  hence  the  summit  of  the 
Fuscher  Kahrkopf  may  be  attained  in 
less  than  3  hrs.  Except  for  the  botanist, 
the  best  way  of  employing  3  or  -t  hrs. 
which  are  devoted  to  the  Pasterze  Gla- 
cier, is  to   traverse  the  centre  of  the 


great  ice-stream  to  the  base  of  the  up- 
per ice-fall.  With  ordinary  caution  the 
excursion  is  free  from  risk  or  difficulty. 
In  about  3  hrs.  from  the  time  when  he 
first  touches  the  ice,  thfi  traveller  may 
reach  the  base  of  the  upper  ice-fall  be- 
tween the  Grross-  and  Klein-Burgstall, 
visit  the  base  of  both,  which  are  found 
to  be  more  considerable  cliffs  than  they 
appear  at  a  distance,  and  return  to  his 
stariag-point.  In  warm  weather,  ice- 
avalanches  constantly  fall  over  the  face 
of  the  Grross-Burgstall,  and  care  should 
be  taken  to  avoid  tlieir  track. 

Among  the  other  excursions  from 
Heiligenblut,  mo^t  of  which  are  noticed 
in  the  following  Rtes.,  the  Gossnitzfcdl 
deserves  especial  mention,  not  only  for 
the  waterfall  itself,  but  for  the  striking 
scenery  of  the  savage  glen  leading  to 
it :  1  hr.  suffices  for  going  and  return- 
ing. 

To  the  mountaineer,  the  most  at- 
tractive excursion  from  Heiligenblut 
is  the  ascent  of  the  Grossglockner. 
Like  other  expeditions  of  the  same 
kind,  this  long  enjoyed  the  prestige 
of  difficulty  and  danger,  but  of  late 
years  it  has  been  often  accomplished 
by  travellers  who  possessed  little  pre* 
vious  training.  There  are  now  four 
ways  for  making  the  ascent,  two  start- 
ing from  Kals,  and  two  from  Heiligen- 
blut (see  Rte.  H). 

The  old  course  from  Heiligenblut  lay 
by  the  head  of  the  Leiterthal,  whose 
torrent  joins  the  Moll  opposite  the 
Briccius-Kapelle,  mentioned  above.  The 
path  crosses  the  torrent  from  the  Goss- 
nitzthal  opposite  Winkel  (see  above), 
and  mounts  diagonally  along  the  slope 
on  the  SW,  of  the  main  valley,  till,  at 
the  Sennhiitten  of  the  Trogalp,  it  enters 
the  Leiterthal  at  a  high  level,  much 
above  the  waterfall  that  is  admired  oa 
the  way  to  the  Pasterze  Glacier.  Tra- 
versing the  torrent  about  1^  hr.  from 
Heiligenblut,  the  path  turns  about  due 
W.  along  some  steep  rocks.  This  pas- 
sage is  called  the  Katzensteig,  and  has 
somehow  acquired  a  reputation  for 
difficulty  which  can  scarcely  be  detected 
by  anyone  accustomed  to  mountain  walk- 


210 


CENTRAL    TYROL    ALPS. 


§51.    GROSSGLOCKNER    DLSTRICT. 


ing.  About  1  hr.  from  the  bridge  over 
the  Leitei-bach,  the  traveller  reerosses 
the  torrent  to  the  Leitcrkuttc  (6,640'), 
8U]  'plying  rough  quarters  for  the  night ; 
better,  however,  than  in  the  Ochsen- 
hiitte,  another  hut  rather  higher  up  in 
the  valley.  It  is  advisable  to  start 
hence  before  daylight,  as  the  remainder 
of  the  way  through  the  Leiterthal,  as 
far  as  the  foot  of  the  glacier,  may  be 
easily  accomplished  with  the  aid  of  a 
lantern,  and  better  still,  in  the  writer's 
opinion,  without  it.  The  opening  seen 
in  the  range  to  the  1.  is  that  of  the 
Peischlagthal,  through  which  lies  one  of 
the  paths  to  Kals.  Tiie  ;iscent  becomt'S 
rather  steeper,  but  nowhere  difficult, 
and  in  less  than  2  hrs.  from  the  Hiitte 
the  traveller  reaches  the  moraine  at  the 
foot  of  the  Lciter  Glacier  (locally  called 
Leiterkees).  Here  formerly  stood  a 
stone  hut,  built  at  the  cost  of  Count 
Salm,  Prince  Bishop  of  Gurk,  to  whose 
active  personal  intervention  the  first 
ascents  were  mainly  due.  It  was  de- 
stroyed several  years  ago  by  the  advance 
of  the  glacier. 

The  Leiter  Glacier  is  divided  into 
two  branches  by  a  buttress  of  rock  pro- 
jecting from  the  steep  mass  of  the 
IIoke7nvartkopf  (10,792');  between  this 
and  the  equally  steep  rocks  of  the  Kel- 
lerbtrg,  a  couloir  leads  from  the  E.  branch 
of  the  glacier  to  the  Hoh:nwartscharte 
(10,359').  This  is  the  lowest  point  to 
which  the  ridge  of  the  Glockner  sinks 
on  the  ESE.  side,  and  to  this  the  travel- 
ler's steps  are  directed.  The  glacier  is 
easily  traversed,  but  as  it  rises  towards 
the  couloir  it  increases  in  steepness,  and 
finally  attains  a  slope  of  nearly  40°.  If 
the  neve  be  hard  frozen,  as  usual  in  the 
early  morning,  reasonable  care  is  re- 
quisite, as  a  slip  might  have  awkward 
consequences.  On  reaching  the  summit, 
the  traveller  stands  on  the  ridge  leading 
by  a  continuous  ascent  to  the  highest 
peak.  For  a  considerable  distance,  the 
slope  is  so  gentle,  and  the  ridge  so 
broad,  that  the  course  is  remarkably 
easy.  TheHohenwartkopf,  which  looked 
so  conspicuous  from  the  Leiterkees, 
here   shows   as   a   mere    snow-hillock, 


which  the  traveller  passes  on  his  1.  hand. 
The  name  was  given  in  compliment  to 
Count  Hoheuwart,  a  canon  of  Klagen- 
furt,  who,  in  1799,  reached  the  E.  peak 
of  the  Glockner  for  the  first  time,  and 
three  years  later  also  attained  the  high- 
est summit.  The  last  halt  in  the  ascent 
is  usually  made  at  the  Adlersruhe 
(11,339'),  a  point  where  some  shattered 
rocks  slightly  project  through  the  cover- 
ing of  neve,  elsewhere  continuous  along 
the  ridge.  Here  are  seen  the  roofless 
walls  of  a  little  hut,  erected  by  the 
earlier  explorers.  From  the  Aldersruhe, 
the  Glockner  peak  shows  itself  in  full 
beauty,  as  an  excessively  shai-p  snow 
cone,  sloping  on  the  S.  side  at  an  angle 
of  60°,  while  on  the  other  hand  the 
somewhat  irregular  edge  of  the  arete, 
in  places  actually  overhanging,  is  seen 
against  the  sky.  For  some  distance,  the 
slope  is  still  moderate,  but  increases 
rapidly  after  crossing  the  Bergschrund. 
When  it  reaches  -iO-',  if  not  sooner,  it  is 
expedient  to  cut  steps,  taking  care  not 
to  approach  too  close  to  the  edge  over- 
hanging the  Pasterze  Glacier.  The 
steep  part  of  the  arete  is  about  600  ft. 
in  vertical  height,  and  the  maximum  in- 
clination observed  by  the  writer  47°  (49° 
according  to  Schlagintweit).  The  slope 
on  the  1.  hand,  towards  the  Kodnitzkees, 
in  some  places  attains  an  angle  of  67°, 
while  on  the  rt.  hand  it  approaches  still 
more  nearly  to  the  vertical.  The  first 
peak,  about  12,400  ft.  in  height,  had 
always  been  found  a  snow-ridge,  vary- 
ing in  sharpness  and  in  form  with  the 
season;  but  in  1861  it  was  for  the  first 
time  seen  bare  of  snow.  The  difficulty 
of  the  Glockner  ascent  formerly  lay  in 
the  passage  from  the  first  to  the  second 
peak.  The  arete  is  excessively  narrow, 
and  at  the  gap  between  the  two  peaks 
there  is  an  awkward  drop  of  from  15  to 
20  ft.,  which  lands  the  traveller  on  what 
may  be  truly  described  as  a  knife-edge 
of  hard-frozen  snow,  that  bridges  over 
the  chasm.  A  wire  rope  iiistened  to  the 
rock  now  makes  the  descent  easy  and 
safe.  A  more  direct  and,  on  the  whole, 
a  more  interesting  way  to  ascend  the 
Glockner  is  that  from  the  side  of  the 


ROUTE   B. — EXCURSIONS    FROM   HEILIGENBLUT. 


241 


Pasterze  Glacier.     The  E.  face  of  the  i  introduction  to  this  section.     In  their 

highest  peak  appears,  indeed,  to  be  im-  j  work,  entitled  '  Untersuchungen  iiber 
practicable,  but  the  portion  of  the  ridge  ■  die  physikali.sche  G-eographle  der 
below  the  Adlersruhe  is  less  steep,  and  j  Alpen,'  the  brothers  Schlagintweit  have 
a  small  glacier  there  fiiUs  rapidly  to-  given  the  results  of  their  laborious  ex- 
warJs  the  Pasterze.     Though  the  lower  i  amination  of  the  Pasterze  Glacier  and  the 


part  of  this  glacier  is  steep,  and  in  some 
seHSons  a  good  deal  crevassed,  it  does 
not  oppose  a  serious  obstacle  to  prac- 
tised ice-men.  The  course  now  pre- 
ferred by  most  mountaineers  is  to  sleep 
at  the  Hoftniaiinshiirte,  and  then,  cross- 
ing the  main  glacier,  ascend  to  the 
Adlersruhe,  and  thence  by  the  course 
above  described  to  the  summit.  With 
the  snow  in  good  order  active  walkers 
have  made  the  ascent  in  less  than 
4  hrs.  from  the  hiitte.  After  cross- 
ing the  snow  bridge,  the  ascent  of 
tne  final  peak  is  a  mere  bit  of  pleasant 
rock  climbing.  Everj  traveller  knows 
that  the  view  from  a  peak  12,455  ft.  in 
height,  and  with  no  loftier  rival  within 
more  than  100  m.,  must  be  of  almost 
boundless  extent,  but  the  view  from  the 
Glockner  has  the  further  advantage 
of  showing  a  vast  region  which  is  im- 
perfectly known  to  ordinary  travellers. 
The  dolomite  Alps,  from  the  Marmolata 
to  the  Terglou,  are  amongst  the  most 
interesting  objects  ;  westward  the  eye 
reaches  to  the  Bernina  ;  northward,  over 
the  plain  of  Bavaria  to  the  neighbour- 
hood of  Eatisbon ;  and  to  SE.  to  the 
mountains  on  the  Bosnian  frontier,  fully 
170  m.  distant — the  Klek,  above  Ogulin, 
S.  of  Karlstadt,  being  easily  recognised. 
For  such  distant  views,  exceptionally 
favourable  weather  is,  of  course,  the 
first  requisite. 

The  ascent  of  the  Grossglockner  is 
briefly  recounted  by  the  late  Dr.  Brin- 
ton,  in  the  2nd  series  of  '  Peaks,  Passes, 
and  Glaciers.'  A  more  detailed  nar- 
rative will  be  found  in  Colonel  v.  Son- 
klar's  pleasant  volume,  'Reiseskizzenaus 
den  Alpen  und  Karpathen,'  and  in  Dr. 
Buthner's  work,  '  Aus  den  Tauern.' 
The  reader  who  desires  accurate  infor- 
mation as  to  the  topography  and  hypso- 
metry  of  this  and  other  portions  of  the 
High  Tauern  range  will  refer  to  Son- 
klar's  important  work  mentioned  in  the 

C.  T.  ] 


surrounding  ranges  ;  but,  unfortunately, 
that  work  and  the  accompanying  map 
contain  many  errors  of  nomenclature, 
and  some  of  their  determinations  of  al- 
titude differ  widely  from  the  results 
subsequently  obtained.  The  height  given 
by  them  for  the  Grossglockner,  derived 
from  a  single  barometric  observation,  is 
12,958  ft.  That  adopted  by  Sonklar, 
which  is  the  mean  of  four  closely  con- 
cordant trigonometric  observations,  dif- 
fers by  more  than  500  ft. 

Of  other  expeditions  from  Heiligen- 
blut  that  may  be  recommended  to  prac- 
tised mountaineers,  the  ascent  of  the 
Brennkogel  is  noticed  inRte.  C;  and  the 
chief  glacier  passes  are  mentioned  in 
that  and  the  following  Etes.  For  the 
ascent  of  the  Hochnarr  see  §  52,  Ete.  B. 

The  only  excursion  of  any  importance 
that  remains  to  be  noticed  is  the  ascent 
of  the  Johannisherg  (11,425').  This  is 
the  snow-clad  cone  seen  in  the  back- 
ground from  the  Franz-Josephs-Hohe, 
and,  from  the  neighbourhood  of  Heili- 
genblut,  to  the  rt.  of  the  Glockner  range. 
The  only  account  of  the  ascent  known 
to  the  writer  is  that  given  by  Dr. 
Euthner,  save  a  brief  notice  in  the 
travellers'  book  of  the  hotel  at  Heiligen- 
blut,  of  a  previous  ascent  in  1844.  The 
chief  interest  of  the  excursion  lies  in 
the  experience  that  is  gained  of  glacier 
scenery  and  glacier  travelling  in  all  its 
forms,  and  the  view  from  the  summit  is 
remarkable  rather  for  the  vast  tract  of 
snow  and  glacier,  that  is  seen  on  every 
side,  than  for  the  distant  panorama.  In 
these  respects  it  appears  to  the  wi-iter 
that  the  Mittel-Barenkopf  is  at  least  as 
■well  situated,  while  it  is  far  more  con- 
veniently accessible  from  Fusch  than  the 
Johannisberg  from  Heiligenblut.  The 
way  to  the  latter  summit  is  by  the 
steep  and  crevassed  branch  of  the 
Pasterze  Glacier  that  lies  between 
the  base  of  the  Glocknerwand  and  tha 


242  CENTRAL    TYROL    ALPS.       §  51.    GROSSGLOCKNER   DISTRICT. 


Klein-Burgstall,  and  then  by  the  convex 
snow-covered  ridge  that  descends  from 
the  summit  towards  the  Klein-Burgstall. 
Of  coiirse,  the  usual  appliances  and  pre- 
cautions for  high  glacier  expeditions 
should  not  be  neglected.  The  local 
guides  here  are  not  sufficiently  aware 
of  the  importance  of  the  rope  as  a  safe- 
guard. The  main  objection  to  this  ex- 
pedition rises  from  the  rather  tedious 
return  along  the  great  glacier  over  the 
same  course  that  had  been  taken  in  the 
ascent.  There  can  be  no  doubt  as  to  the 
possibility  of  effecting  a  pass  from  Hei- 
ligenblut  to  the  head  of  the  Stubachthal 
(Rte.  H)  by  the  Oedenwinkelscharte 
(10,473'),  which  is  the  lowest  point  in 
the  ridge  connecting  the  Johannisbei^ 
with  the  Schneewinkel,  and  the  ascent 
of  the  former  peak  might  well  be  taken 
on  the  way.  Dr.  Euthner  passed  a 
miserable  night  at  the  Wallnerhiitte, 
near  the  lower  end  of  the  Pasterze  Gla- 
cier. Most  travellers  will  prefer  to  start 
from  Heiligenblut  some  2  or  3  hrs.  be- 
fore daybreak. 

To  the  botanist  who  may  devote  a  few 
days  to  the  neighbourhood  of  Heiligen- 
blut, a  notice  of  the  localities  for  some 
of  the  rarer  species  will  be  acceptable. 

The  steep  slope  on  the  1.  side  of  the 
path,  just  below  the  lower  end  of  the 
Pasterze  Glacier,  is  called  Die  Marga- 
ritzen.  Here  may  be  found  Juncus  cas- 
ianeus,  Tofieldia  bo?'ealis,  Kobresia  cari- 
cina,  Carex  hicolor  and  C  ttstulata, 
Festtcca  Scheuchzeri,  &e.  The  slopes  on 
the  NE.  side  of  the  Pasterze,  and  espe- 
cially the  Gamsgrube,  produce  many  of 
especial  interest,  e.g.  Ranunculus  pyre- 
ficBus,  Braya  aljnna,  Draha  ZahlhrucTc- 
neri,  D.  Johannis,  and  B.  Wahlenhergii, 
Bianthus  barbatus  and  B.  glacidis, 
Phaca  australis  and  P.frigida,  Semper- 
vivumBraunii,  Cineraria  longifolia,  Sa-us- 
svrea  alpina  and  S.  discolor,  Leontodon 
Taraxaci,  Soyeria  tnontana,  many  forms 
of  Hieracmm,  Gent  tana  nana  and  G-. 
prostrata,  Pedicularis  asplenifoUa,  An- 
drosace  alpi?ia,  Prinmla  longiflora,  Al- 
lium victoriale,  Carex  fuliginosa,  C. 
Gebhardi,  and  G.  clavceformis.  On  the 
Way  towards  the  Hochthor   (Rte.   C), 


and  on  the  slopes  on  either  hand,  are 
found  Oxytropis  triflara,  Leontodon  Ta- 
raxaci  and  Lomatogonium  carinthiacmn, 
with  other  rare  species.  The  last-named 
plant  flowers  about  the  beginning  of 
September,  and  is  scarcely  to  be  detected 
at  other  seasons.  Towards  the  head 
of  the  Leiterthal  may  bo  gathered 
Eanuncultis  rutaifolius,  Viola  pinnata, 
Lychnis  alpina,  &c.  The  localities  here 
cited,  and  the  ravine  of  the  Fleiss,  also 
produce  many  very  rare  mosses.  The 
Apollo  butterfly  is  common  on  the  way 
to  the  Pasterze,  and  a  great  variety  C'f 
alpine  coleoptera  will  reward  the  re- 
search of  the  entomologist.  Here,  as 
elsewhere  in  the  Alps,  a  varied  flora  in- 
dicates variety  in  the  mineral  structure 
of  the  surrounding  ranges.  The  Gross- 
glockner  and  the  adjoining  ranges  are 
now  held  by  geologists  to  be  composed 
of  metamorphic  rocks  of  palaeozoic  age, 
which  are  distinguished  from  the  crys- 
talline slates  and  gneiss,  that  prevail 
throughout  the  central  range,  by  the 
presence  of  a  larger  proportion  of  lime 
and  magnesia.  There  is  a  considerable 
outburst  of  serpentine  on  the  N.  side  of 
Heiligenblut,  and  it  seems  to  form  part 
of  the  Glockner  range. 


BOUTE   C. — ST.    WOLFGANG    IN   THE    FUSCHER   THAL. 


243 


EOUTE    C. 

BRUCK,    IN    PINZGAU,    TO    HErLIGEXBLUT, 

BY    THE    FUSCHER    THAL ASCENT     OF 

THE   VISCHBACHHORN. 

In  the  last  Rte.,  the  most  frequented 
road  for  travellers  who  visit  Heiligen- 
blut  from  the  S.  has  been  described. 
Of  those  who  approach  that  place  from 
the  N.  side,  probably  the  larger  number 
take  the  way  by  Gastein  (§  52,  Ete.  A), 
attracted  by  the  European  reputation 
of  that  fashionable  watering-place  ;  but 
those  who  travel  mainly  to  enjoy  grand 
natural  scenery  will  doubtless  prefer 
the  far  more  beautiful  route  through  the 
Fuscher  Thai,  locally  called  die  Fusck, 
which  pours  a  copious  torrent  into  the 
Salza,  at  Bruck  (§  50,  Ete.  A),  in  the 
Pinzgau.  It  has  the  advantage  of  offer- 
ing a  variety  of  passes  across  the  main 
chain  to  suit  the  taste  and  strength  of 
different  classes  of  travellers. 

Leaving  the  high-road  at  Bruck,  the 
traveller  crosses  the  bridge  over  the 
Salza,  and  keeps  due  S.  along  the  rather 
rough  road  leading  to  the  chief  village 
of  the  valley.  Some  glimpses  are  gained 
of  the  glaciers  of  the  Brennkogel,  the 
summit  of  which  is  well  seen  from 
Bruck  ;  but  there  is  no  object  of  special 
interest  in  the  space — about  1  hr.  in  a 
char,  or  1|-  hr.  on  foot — between  that 
Tillage  and 

Fnsch  (2,631'),  only  187  ft.  above 
the  bridge  at  Bruck.  It  has  a  very 
fair,  though  somewhat  rustic,  inn,  but 
strangers  are  much  better  oflF  at  the 
baths.  The  village  stands  at  the  junc- 
tion of  the  Hirzbach  with  the  main 
torrent.  That  torrent  originates  in  a 
glacier  on  the  N.  declivity  of  the  Hoch- 
tenn  (11.059'),  and,  after  flowing  about 
3  m.  a  little  E.  of  N.  to  the  Hirzbach- 
alp  (5,633'),  turns  due  E.,  and  descends 
to  Fusch,  near  which  it  forms  a  fine 
cascade.  The  Hirzhachthal  contains 
much  to  interest  the  mineralogist  and 
the  botanist,  and  the  scenery  at  its 
upper  end  is  very  fine. 

The  road  is  just  passable  for  light  ve- 
hicles as  far  as  Em-pachcr,  about  2  m. 


I  above  Eusch,  bxititis  so  rough  that  most 
j  travellers  prefer  to  walk.  Those  bound 
for  the  baths  should  prefer  the  very  agi'ee- 
able  path  on  the  E.  side  of  the  valley, 
partly  shaded  by  fine  sycamores.  This 
leads  in  1|  hr.  to  the  baths  at  the  hamlet 
of  St.  Wolfgang  (3,750'),  which  is  more 
generally  known  as  FxiscTier  Bad.  St. 
Wolfgang  stands  at  some  height  above, 
and  nearly  a  mile  E.  of  the  main  valley, 
at  the  lower  end  of  the  lateral  glen  of 
the  Weichselbach.  The  baths  have  long 
been  kno\vn,  and  a  fine  church  formerly 
stood  near  to  them.  This,  with  the 
ancient  bath-house  and  other  buildings, 
were  utterly  destroyed  by  a  great  ava- 
lanche at  the  beginning  of  the  last  cen- 
tury. The  present  church  was  then 
built  in  a  securer  spot  some  way  from 
the  older  edifice.  Three  buildings  for 
the  reception  of  guests  are  near  at 
hand,  all  belonging  to  Gr.  Mayer,  who 
is  an  experienced  chamois-hunter,  and 
is  well  acquainted  with  the  neighbouring 
Alps.  Wlien  these  buildings  are  full, 
as  sometimes  happens  in  the  height  of 
summer,  accommodation  may  be  found 
in  another  house  belonging  to  J.  Holzer, 
better  known  as  Euscher  Hans.  He  is 
an  excellent  guide,  and  acquainted  with 
the  habitats  of  many  rare  plants.  His 
daughter  also  follows  the  profession  of 
guide. 

Besides  those  who  resort  to  this  place 
for  the  sake  of  the  baths,  usually  as  a 
sequel  to  the  regular  coiu'se  of  G-astein 
waters,  it  is  in  increasing  favour  with 
German  tourists,  either  as  head-quarters 
for  Alpine  excursions,  or  for  the  more 
tranquil  enjoyment  of  the  beautiful 
scenery  of  the  neighbourhood.  The 
preference  shown  to  it  is  well  deserved : 
for  though  no  single  peak  here  equals 
the  Glockner,  and  no  glacier  approaches 
in  beauty  or  extent  the  Pasterze,  most 
mountaineers  will  prefer  this  for  a  pro- 
longed stay.  The  rock  scenery  of  the 
upper  valley  is  of  the  highest  order, 
and  the  immediate  neighbourhood  is 
laid  out  with  some  regard  to  the  enjoy- 
ment of  visitors,  while  admirable  points 
of  view,  in  which  the  noble  peak  of  the 
Yischbachhorn  is  the  most  prominent 
2 


244  CENTRAL    TYROL    ALPS.       §  51.    GROSSGLOCKNER   DISTRICT. 


object,  are  near  at  hand.  The  water  of 
the  mineral  sprin^  is  used  both  for 
■warm  baths  and  internally,  and  perhaps 
the  beneficial  effects  experienced  in  cases 
of  weak  digestion  and  delicate  nerves 
are  not  diminished  by  the  fact  that  the 
mineral  ingredients  exist  only  in  minute 
quantities.  To  the  taste  the  water  dif- 
fers in  no  respect  from  that  of  the 
purest  spring. 

31.  Mayer,  the  Eadmeister,  rents  the 
shooting  of  the  valley,  and  readily 
gives  his  guests  permission  to  follow 
game,  and  to  shoot  at,  and  even  to  kill, 
chamois,  if  they  can. 

The  best  guides  here  are  Anton 
Hutter,  Jakob  Erlinger  (otherwise  Win- 
tinger),  and  the  above-named  Fuscher 
Hans. 

Among  the  many  excursions  to  be 
made  from  the  baths,  it  is  enough  to 
point  out  those  most  likely  to  interest 
travellers  of  various  capacities.  Those 
■who  cannot  undertake  more  than  a  mere 
stroll  may  best  ascend  the  Kasercck 
(o,24:o').  easily  reached  in  li  hr.  It 
lies  northward  of  the  baths,  and  imme- 
diately overlooks  the  main  valley  of 
Fusch.  A  much  more  extensive  pano- 
rama is  gained  from  the  KuhAahrJccypf 
(7,443'),  NE.  of  St.  Wolfgang,  reached  in 
3  hrs.  by  an  easy  walk  over  Alpine  pas^ 
tures.  This  is  better  suited  for  ladies  than 
the  ascent  of  the  SchwarzJcopf  {^,012'), 
which  rises  nearly  due  S.  of  the  baths, 
exactly  opposite  the  Vischbachhorn,  and 
is  the  highest  point  in  the  range  dividing 
Fusch  from  Eauris.  There  is  no  diffi- 
culty in  the  ascent,  but  a  snow  slope  of 
some  extent  usually  must  be  crossed, 
and  the  way,  over  shattered  rocks,  is  in 
places  very  rough.  The  panorama  is 
one  of  the  finest  to  be  gained  from  a 
summit  of  such  moderate  height,  and 
decidedly  superior  to  that  from  the 
G-amskahrkogel  above  Gastein  (§  52,  Ete. 
A).  The  view  from  the  Grosskoff 
(7,290')  is  not  quite  equal  to  that  from 
the  Kiihkahrkopf,  but  it  lies  convenient 
for  the  traveller  taking  the  pass  of  the 
Weichselbachwand  (§o2,  Ete.  B),  andean 
be  ascended  ■wnth  very  little  loss  of  tinip. 
The  ascent  of  the  Vischbachhorn,  which 


I  is  for  a  practised  mountaineer  the  most 

j  attractive  object  in  this  valley,  is  noticed 

I  lower  down.    Those  who  do  not  attempt 

I  any  of  the  glacier  passes  described  be- 

j  low  should  on  no  account  fail  to  go  as 

1  far  as  the  Trauner  Alp,  and  visit  the 

j  adjoining  glen  of  the  Kaferthal. 

I      Whichever  route  to  Heiligenblut  the 

traveller  may  intend  to  take,  he  muht 

follow  the  main  valley  for  a  distance  of 

fully  2  hrs.  above  St.  "Wolfgang.     If  he 

start  from  that  place,  he  should  take  a 

path  along  the  E.  side  of  the  Fuscher 

Thai,  which  at  first  keeps  at  a  great 

height  above  the  stream.     It  is  narrow, 

rough  in  places,  with   many   ups   and 

dowus,    but    very   agreeable,    at  times 

I  enjoying   the    shade   of   fine   old   pine 

trees,  at  others  commanding  fine  -views 

j  of  the  snowy  peaks  at  the  head  of  the 

;  valley.     It  finally  approaches  the  level 

of  the  Fuscher  Ache,  and  crosses  to  the 

1.  bank,   where   it  joins   the   ordinary 

J  track  from  the  village  of  Fusch,  a  short 

'\  way  below 

[      Fcrleiten  (3,772'),  a  hamlet  ■^^th  a  few 

!  poor-lookirig  houses.      Formerly  there 

I  was    no   accommodation   for   strangers 

I  except   at  the    TauernJiaKs,   a  sort   of 

I  chalet  inn  which  is  to  be  found  in  most 

i  of   the  valleys  of  this  district  at  the 

i  foot  of  each  of  the  frequented  passes 

I  leading  across  the  main  chain.     Of  late 

!  years,  an  inn  has  been  opened,  which 

[  supplies  tolerably  good  Cjuarters.    There 

I  have  been  some  complaints  of  excessive 

i  charges.      The   situation  is  very   fine, 

i  commanding    grand    views,    and    con- 

i  venient   for   glacier    excursions.      The 

head  of  the  Fuscher  Thai  is  divided  from 

that  of  the  31511  by  the  portion  of  the 

main  chain  extending  from  the  Mittel- 

Barenkopf   to   the   Brennkogel.      (See 

description  of  the  Easterze  Glacier  in 

last  Ete.)      Though  it  does  not  include 

any  first-rate  peak — the  highest  being 

the  Fuscher  Kahrkopf  (10,957')— this 

opposes  a  formidable  barrier  between  the 

adjoining  valleys.    It  sinks  at  one  point 

only — the    Efan del sch arte  —  below    the 

level  of  9,000  ft.,  but  that  depression  is 

guarded   by   a  small  glacier,  and  the 

only  way  practicable  for  beasts  of  bur^ 


ROUTE  C. — PASS  OF  THE  PFANDELSCHARTE, 


245 


den  is  liy  traversing  the  ridge  on  the  I 
X.  side  of  the  Brennkogel  to  the  head, 
of  one  of  the  branches  of  the  adjoining  ■ 
valiey  of  Kauris,  and  thence  reaching  I 
Heiligenblut  by  the  Hochthor  pass.  ' 
Prom  the  ]Mittel-Barenkopf,  a  very  high  ! 
range  extends  to  NE.,  wliich  culminates  ' 
in  the  Vispachhorn,  and  divides  the  : 
upper  part  of  Fusch  from  Kaprun.  ! 

The  passes  leading  from  Ferleiten  to  j 
Heiligenblut  are  now  to  be  noticed. 

1.  JJi/  the  Fuschci'  Thbrl  and  Hoch- 
thor, 7  to  8  hrs.,  exclusive  of  halts. — 
The  path  follows  the  1.  bank  for  about 
^  hr.  above  Ferleiten;  and,  on  reaching 
the  first  group  of  Mitten,  crosses 
the  main  torrent,  and  commences  the 
ascent  to  the  Fuseher  Thorl.  It  should 
be  remembered  that  no  house  of  any 
kind  is  passed  between  this  point  and 
Heiligenblut,  and  the  prudent  traveller 
will  carr}^  some  provisions  for  the  jour- 
ney. The  slope  is  rather  steep,  but  the 
path  makes  many  windings,  and  is  not 
easily  missed.  Half-way  in  the  ascent 
is  the  Petersbrunnen  (7,014'),  an  excel- 
lent spring.  Beyond  it,  the  ascent  is 
more  gentle,  and  in  3  hrs.  from  the 
point  where  he  leaves  the  torrent,  the 
traveller  reaches  the  summit  of  the 
Fuseher  Thbrl  (7,998').  Throughout  the 
ascent,  and  at  last  from  the  summit,  | 
the  traveller  is  often  tempted  to  turn  i 
round  and  enjoy  the  grand  views  of  tlie 
snowy  peaks  which  he  leaves  behind 
him,  and  on  this  account  this  pass  is 
taken  to  much  more  advantage  from 
the  Heiligenblut  side.  It  lies  on  the 
Is.  side  of  the  Brennkogel,  and  crosses 
the  range  that  divides  Kauris  from 
Fusch.  An  outline  sketch  of  the  view 
from  the  summit  is  given  in  the  '  Jahr- 
buch  of  the  Austrian  Alpine  Club  for 
1867.' 

The  traveller  must  beware  of  de- 
scending from  the  Thorl  to  SE.,  along 
the  course  of  a  little  stream  that  flows 
into  the  head  of  the  Seidelwinkelthal 
(§  62,  Kte.  B).  His  true  direction  lies 
ne  irly  due  S.,  along  the  stony  slopes  E. 
of  the  Brennkogel.  The  path  at  first 
descends  a  little,  but  remounts  nearly 
to  the  level  of  the  Fuseher  Thorl  before 


it  is  joined  by  the  path  from  Kauris, 
passing,  on  the  way,  a  cleft  in  the  rocks 
called  Mitter  Thorl.  At  most  seasons  of 
the  year,  considerable  snow  slopes  lie 
on  the  N.  side  of  the  Hochthor  ;  but 
in  autumn  these  nearly  disappear.  The 
guides  point  out  a  place  where  a  pro- 
cession of  pilgrims,  going  from  Fusch 
to  Heiligenblut  on  June  28,  were  sur- 
prised by  a  snow-storm,  accompanied 
by  piercing  wind,  and  all  but  two  were 
frozen  to  death.  Posts  are  placed  at  short 
intervals,  to  mark  the  path  when  it  is 
concealed  by  snow.  About  H  hr.  from 
the  Fuseher  Thorl,  or  oi  hrs.  from  Fer- 
leiten, the  traveller  reaches  the 

Hochthor  (8,0.51'),  the  easiest  and 
most  frequented  pass  over  this  part  of 
the  main  range.  On  the  S.  side,  Alpine 
pastures  extend  nearly  to  the  summit, 
and  the  botanist  will  find  many  inter- 
esting plants  (see  last  Kte.).  The 
descent  is  at  first  gentle,  gradually  in- 
creasing in  steepness.  The  view,  which 
was  not  extensive  as  long  as  the  track 
lay  at  the  head  of  the  Seidelwinkelthal, 
now  opens  over  a  wide  range  of  distant 
peaks,  in  which  those  of  the  Schober 
group  are  the  most  prominent.  About 
1  hr.  below  the  summit,  the  Gross- 
gloekner  is  for  the  first  time  uncovered, 
and  no  true  mountaineer  can  behold 
that  beautiful  peak  without  longing  to 
attain  its  summit.  Amid  very  pleasing 
scenery,  the  sinuous  path  descends  to 
Heiligenblut  (described  in  the  last  Kte.). 

2.  By  the  Tfandclscharte. — Under 
ordinary  circumstances,  7  hrs.,  exclusive 
of  halts,  from  Ferleiten,  is  amply  suffi- 
cient ;  but,  -with  fresh  and  soft  snow, 
another  hour  should  be  allowed.  The 
local  estimate  of  1 1  hrs.  from  St.  "Wolf- 
gang to  Heiligenblut  is  certainly  ex- 
cessive. The  pass  of  the  Pfaudelscharte 
and  the  small  glacier  leading  to  it  are 
almost  constantly  in  view  as  the  tra- 
veller ascends  to  the  valley  above  Fer- 
leiten, and,  in  clear  weather,  the  prac- 
tised mountaineer  has  no  need  of  a 
local  guide  for  this  pass.  He  should 
take  care  not  to  approach  too  near  a 
spot  where  masses  of  ice  fall  from  a 
higher  level    on  the  glacier  near   the 


24G  CENTRAL    TYROL    ALPS.       §    51.    GROSSGLOCKNER    DISTRICT. 


point  where  he  first  enters  on  it.    Cross-  i 
ing  the  stream  of  the  Fuseher  Ache  by  j 
the  same  bridge  that  leads  to  the  Fu- 
t^cber  Thcirl,  the  broad  track,  passable  for 
carts  that  carry  cheese  down  to  Bruck, 
ascends  gradually  along  the  E.  side  of  ' 
tiie  valley — the  views  of  the  grand  rock  | 
scenery  opposite  constantly  increasing  | 
in  beauty — till  the  traveller,  in  l^-  hr.  1 
from    Ferleiten,    reaches    the    Trauncr  ■. 
Alp  (4,948').     The  Sennhiitte  here,  be-  i 
longing  to  the  innkeeper,  Trauner  "Wirth,  | 
in  Hundsdorf,  near   Bruck,  is  a  large  j 
establishment,  very  superior  to  ordinary  ' 
chalets,  and  would  be  found  a  good  stop-  1 
ping-place  for  the  night  by  a  traveller  | 
intent  on  a  glacier  expedition.     Imme-  ' 
diately  "W.  of  the  Alp  opens  the  grand 
rocky  glen  of  the  Kciferthal,  in  which  ; 
Dr.  Euthner  counted   fourteen   water-  j 
f;ills  of  the  Staubbach  family.  The  range 
at  the  head  of  the  Fusch  Valley,  over  \ 
which  the  traveller  seeks  a  passage  to  j 
Heiligenblut,  extends  nearly  due  east-  | 
ward     from     the     Fv.scher     KahrJcopf 
(10,9o7')  to  the  Brcnnlcogd  (9,895'),  the 
chief  summits  (reckoned  from  "W.  to  E.) 
being*;he5met/x7ZcfA-(  10,733')  and  6^G//i.s- 
knhrkapf  (9,349'),   then  the   adjoining 
pf^aks  of  the    Spillmann    (9,959')    and 
Klohen  (10,011'),  which  are   connected  I 
by  a  high  snow  plat'^au  with  the  Brenn-  ; 
kogel.     The  Pfandelscharte  lies  W.  of  I 
the  latter  peaks,  dividing   them   from  ; 
the  Gamskahrkopf.     The  soutliern  and 
highest  summit  of  this  latter  mountain  | 
is  sometimes  called  Barenkopf ;  but,  as  j 
there  are  already  four  adjoining  peaks  \ 
bearing  that  name,  it  is  highly  desirable 
that  it  should  be  laid  aside.     Going  at  ; 
a    moderatf^  pace,  1^   hr.    (or    3    hrs.  ; 
from   Ferleiten)   suffice  for  the  ascent 
from  the    Trauner   Alp    to  the    point  \ 
■where  it  is  expedient  to  enter  on  the 
glacier,  which   is  called  Schartenkees.  ! 
With  moderate   care,   there  is   neither  j 
risk  nor  difficulty  in  the  passage.     To 
the  1.,   a    secondary   glacier    descends  , 
from  the  flanks   of   the   Kloben,    and  : 
masse.?  of  ice  from  above  occasionally 
fall.    The  fragments  seen  on  the  glacier 
fihow   the   places   which   ought   to    be  \ 
avoided.     Towards  the  summit  the  ice  ! 


gives  place  to  neve,  which  is  easily  tra- 
versed, as  crevasses  appear  to  be  few 
and  narrow.  The  slope  diminishes  in 
steepness,  and  the  channel  of  the  glacier, 
which  has  been  confined  between  a  range 
of  rocks  belonging  to  the  Spillmann 
on  the  1.,  and  another  from  the  Gams- 
karkopf  on  the  rt.,  opens  out  to  the  S., 
as  the  traveller  attains  the  summit  of 
the  Vfandchcharte,  8,817  ft.  above  the 
sea,  in  2^  hrs.  from  the  Trauner  Alp. 
The  view  from  the  top  of  the  pass  is 
confined,  and  it  is  advisable  to  descend 
at  least  \  hr.,  bearing  towards  the 
slopes  of  turf  on  the  rt.  of  the  glacier, 
in  order  the  better  to  enjoy  the  admir- 
able view  of  the  Glockner  range  and 
the  great  Pasterze  Glacier,  which  is  no- 
where else  seen  to  greater  advantage. 
The  active  traveller,  who  has  started 
in  time  from  Ferleiten,  or  even  from 
St.  "Wolfgang,  may  find  time  to  make 
the  slight  detour  to  the  Johannishiitte, 
but  most  travellers  content  themselves 
with  what  they  see  without  leaving  the 
direct  way.  The  faintly  marked  track 
descends  by  the  rt.  bank  of  the  torrent, 
sometimes  called  Pfandelbach,  some- 
times Schartenbaeh.  passing  the  Schaf- 
lochhiitte,  to  the  Wallnerhiitte,  where 
the  traveller  joins  the  beaten  track 
leading  from  the  Pasterze  Glacier  to 
Heiligenblut.  That  village  is  easily 
reached  in  Z\  or  Z\  hrs.  from  the  sum- 
mit. 

In  fine  weather,  this  pass,  which  is 
practicable  for  all  per.sons  moderately 
used  to  mountain  excursions,  offirs  two 
of  the  finest  views  in  this  region,  and 
deserves  to  be  reckoned  among  the 
finest  in  the  Alps. 

3.  By  the  Bockkahrscharte,  8  hrs.  from 
Ferleiten. — Although  it  is  difficult  to 
overrate  the  attractions  of  the  Pfandel- 
scharte Pass,  many  mountaineers  will 
prefer  a  route  leading  more  directly 
through  the  heart  of  the  great  mass  of 
glacier  Ipng  between  the  3Ioll,  Fusch, 
and  Kaprun  valleys.  From  the  Fusch 
side,  this  must  be  approached  by  either 
of  the  considerable  glaciers  that  descend 
into  the  K'dferthal,  which  has  been  al- 
ready mentioned   as    the   highest  SW. 


ROUTE  C. PASS  OF  THE  BOCKKAHRSCHARTE. 


247 


branch  of  the  Fuscher  Thai,  and  is  often 
visited  by  tourists  from  the  baths  of  St. 
Wolfgang.  To  make  the  description  of 
the  route  more  clear,  it  is  necessary  to 
refer  to  the  great  range  extending  NNE. 
from  the  Mittel-Barenkopf  between  Fusch 
and  Kaprun,  whose  peaks  exceed  in 
height  those  of  the  adjoining  portion  of 
the  main  range.  It  will  be  seen  by  re- 
ference to  the  maps  of  Keil  or  Sonklar 
that  this  is  a  chain  whose  separate  links 
are  disposed  in  a  direction  transverse  to 
itself,  the  chief  summits  being  arranged 
in  pairs,  connected  by  four  short  parallel 
ridges,  running  WNW.  to  ESE.  Be- 
ginning at  the  end  nearest  the  main 
range,  we  have  first  the  ridge  connecting 
the  Gross-Bdrenkoirf  (11,470')  with  the 
Hohe  Dock  (10,909');  next  that  joining 
the  Glockerin  (11,356')  with  the  Brat- 
schenkopf{  11,126");  followed  by  the  less 
defined  ridge  which  terminates  towards 
Kaprun  in  the  Fochezkogel  (10,118'), 
and  towards  Fusch  in  the  great  peak  of 
the  V-ischbachhor?i  {11,7 S8');  and  finally 
that  connecting  the  Klem-  Vischbackhorn 
(10,790')  with  the  Sandbode7ikogel.  A 
promontory  extending  northward  from 
the  Klein-Vischbachhorn  includes  the 
peaks  of  the  Hochtenu  (11,059')  and 
the  Braehkopf  {1Q,QW)- 

As  the  southernmost  of  the  ridges  here 
mentioned  is  much  higher  than  the  pa- 
rallel portion  of  the  main  range  between 
the  Mittel-Barenkopf  and  the  Breitkopf, 
it  was  long  believed  that  the  former  con- 
stituted the  NW.  limit  of  the  neve-basin 
of  the  Pasterze;  and  on  Schlagintweit's 
and  other  maps  that  glacier  is  made  to 
extend  to  the  foot  of  the  Hohe  Dock. 
Through  recent  explorations,  especially 
those  of  Dr.  Euthner  and  M.  F.  Keil,  a 
considerable  glacier,  fully  2  m.  in  length, 
lying  between  the  main  range  and  the 
Hohe  Dock  ridge,  has  been  made  known 
and  mapped.  This  is  the  Bockkahrkees. 
Descending  to  ESE.  by  the  N.  side  of 
the  Breitkopf  (10,320')— also  called 
Bockkahrkopf — it  meets  the  Fuscher 
Kahrkees,\f\u.c\\  flows  to  NNE.,  by  the  E. 
side  of  the  same  summit,  and  the  united 
ice-streams  descend  into  the  head  of  the 
Kaferthal  in  a  fine  ice-fall,  known  as 


the  Wasserfall-Glctscher,  where  it  reaches 
the  level  of  6,194  ft.  The  name  is  de- 
rived from  the  many  waterfalls  fed  from 
the  upper  level  of  the  glacier  that  fall 
over  the  rocks  into  the  Kaferthal.  It 
was  supposed  in  Fusch  that  the  AYas- 
serfall  -  Gletscher  and  both  its  upper 
branches  were  impassable,  but  Mr. 
Tuckett,  with  Christian  Aimer,  in  the 
course  of  an  expedition  made  in  bad 
weather  in  1866,  being  misled  by  a  local 
guide  in  a  sno«'-storm,  proved  the  pos- 
sibility of  traversing  both  the  Bockkahr- 
kees and  the  Fuscher  Kahrkees.  Having 
ascended  by  the  latter  to  the  F^ischer 
Kah7-scharte  (9, 4:36'),  they  passed  by  the 
W.  side  of  the  Breitkopf  to  the  Bock- 
kahrscharte,  descended  the  Bockkahrkees 
nearly  to  the  junction  of  the  two  glaciers, 
and,  having  thus  lost  4  hrs.,  reascended 
to  the  Fuscher  Kahrscharte,  and  thence 
descended  to  Heiligeublut,  The  course 
described  by  Dr.  Euthner — the  most 
persevering  and  successful  explorer  of 
this  district — under  the  guidance  of 
Eoderer,  an  excellent  local  guide,  now 
deceased,  is  probably  a  little  longer, 
but  appears  to  the  writer  to  promise 
more  variety  and  interest. 

Keeping  constantly  to  the  path  along 
the  1.  bank  of  the  Fuscher  Ache,  and 
ascending  the  slope  on  the  rt.  hand  as  it 
approaches  the  opening  of  the  Kaferthal, 
the  traveller  reaches  in  1^  hr.  from  Fer- 
leiten  the  Judenalp,  lying  just  opposite 
to  the  Trauner  Alp,  mentioned  above  on 
the  way  to  the  Pfandelscharte.  Above 
the  Judenalp,  the  W.  declivity  of  the 
Fuscher  Thai  rises  in  very  steep  slopes, 
intersected  by  transverse  bands  of  still 
steeper  rock.  To  the  NW.  these  slopes 
lead  up  to  the  base  of  the  precipices 
that  miist  be  climbed  in  the  ascent  of 
the  Vischbachhorn ;  due  W.  they  lead 
up  to  the  Etniskopf,  which  is  connected 
with  the  base  of  the  Hohe  Dock  by  a 
ridge  called  Eemsschartel.  The  S.  face 
of  the  Hohe  Dock  shows  towards  the 
glacier  a  range  of  formidably  high  and 
steep  precipices,  intersected  transversely 
by  a  ledge  covered  with  lo  se  debris. 
Along  this  a  man  with  sure  foot  and 
steady  head  may  pass  without  difficulty, 


248 


CENTRAL    TYROL    ALPS         ^51.    GROSSGLOCKNER    DISTRICT. 


but  the  unpractised  traveller  7night  find 
it  danjrerous.     The  length  of  this  ledge, 
known  to  the  hunters  of  the  valley  as 
the  Hoy.  Gang,  is  counted  as  |  hr.,  or 
about  a  mile.     At  its  W.  end  it  gradu-  j 
ally  approaches  the  level  of  the  glacier  I 
at  a  point  far  above  the  ice-fall.     Here,  j 
by  a  short  descent  over  debris,  and  with  | 
some  trouble  from  lateral  crevasses,  the 
traveller  enters  on  tJie  glacier,  and  tra-  \ 
verses  it  in  a  SW.  direction  to  the  de-  i 
pression  of  the  Bock/cohrscharte  (9,991'). 
A  few  ft.  above  the  lowest  point,  and  on 
the  1.  hand,  are  some  bare  rocks  at  the 
W.  base  of  the  Breitkopf,  which  afford 
a    pleasant  halting-place,    whence    the 
traveller  may  survev  the   surrounding 
glaciers.    Of  distant  view,  there  is  little 
to  be  seen.     He  wdll  at  once  perceive 
that  he  has  entered  on  the  neve-basin 
of  that  eastern  branch  of  the  Pasterze 
G-lacier  which  joins  the  main  stream  on  | 
the  SE.  side  of  the  Gross-Burgstall  (as  j 
described  in  the  last  Rte.);   while  the  j 
main  neve-basin  of  the  Pasterze  is  sepa-  i 
rated  by  an  ice-covered  ridge — a  mere  | 
convexity  in  the   surface  of  the  upper  j 
glacier — that  extends  NXE.  from   the 
Hohen  Burgstall.     At  the  point  where 
that  ridge   intersects  the  main  range, 
^STW.  of  the  Bockkahrscharte,  this  rises 
into  a  slightly  projecting  eminence  called 
the  Emrandbiihl  (10,395').     In  the  de- 
scent from  the  Scharte,  it  is  best  to  keep 
to  the  1.  under  the  slope  of  the  Breitkopf, 
and  then,  leaving  on  one  side  the  Fus- 
cher  Kahrscharte,  along  the  W.  base  of 
the  Puscherkahrkopf.     There  are  many 
concealed  crevasses,  and  the  rope  should 
not  be  cast  aside  till  the  glacier  is  left 
high  above  its  junction  with  the  main 
stream.     Descending  the  slopes  of  the 
Gamsgrube,  the  traveller   reaches   the 
Johannishiitte  in  about  -ii  hrs.  from  the 
Judenalp,  and  thence  descends  by  the 
ordinary  way  to  Heiligenblut. 

Inasmuch  as  the  object  of  choosing 
this  route  is  to  obtain  a  thorough  ac- 
quaintance with  the  great  glacier  region 
rf  the  Bockkahr  and  upper  Pasterze,  it 
appears  that  this  would  be  more  com- 
pletely attained  by  crossing  the  main 
range  near  the  head  of  the  Bockkahrkees. 


It  is  likely  that  this  may  be  effected  by 
the  8E.  side  of  the  Mittel-Barenkopf ; 
and  if  time  permit  the  ascent  of  the  latter 
summit,  where  the  frontier  of  Carinthia 
meets  the  valleys  of  Fusch  and  Kaprun, 
the  view  cannot  fail  to  offer  much  inte- 
rest. The  easiest  way  thence  would 
doubtless  be  by  the  X.  side  of  the  Hohen 
BurgstdU,  crossing  the  E.  branch  of  the 
Pasterze  to  the  slopes  of  the  Gamsgrubf, 
but  in  the  early  summer  experienced 
ice-men  may  cut  their  way  down  the 
great  upper  ice-f;ill  of  the  Pasterze,  be- 
tween the  Klein-  and  Grross-Burgstall, 
as  did  Mr.  Tuckett's  party  in  1865,  with 
P.  Devouassoud  and  Peter  Michel  as 
guides. 

It  will  be  seen  from  what  is  said  above 
that  the  Fuscher  Kahrscharte  is  to  be 
added  to  the  list  of  passes  leading  from 
Fusch  to  Heiligenblut.  When  better 
known,  it  will  probably  be  found  little 
longer  than  the  Pfandelscharte.  In 
addition  to  the  list  of  passes  properly  so 
called,  the  mountaineer,  in  favourable 
weather,  may  also  include  among  possi- 
ble routes  that  over  the  summit  of  the 
Brennkogd  (9,895').  Of  late  years  this 
has  become  a  common  excursion ;  it  is 
no  way  difficult  for  anyone  moderately 
used  to  mountain  walking,  and  is  but 
little  longer  than  the  way  over  the  Fu- 
scher Thorl  and  Hochthor.  The  shortest 
way  to  reach  the  summit  is  by  the  ridge 
that  mounts  to  it  from  the  Fuscher  Thorl, 
but  this  involves  some  stiff  scrambling ; 
and  the  more  usual  andeasier  way  is  by 
the  slopes  above  the  Mitter  Thorl,  about 
half-way  between  the  Fuscher  Thorl  and 
Hochthor.  From  the  summit,  which 
is  formed  of  shattered  rocks,  a  very  fine 
view  is  obtained  of  the  peaks  enclosing 
the  Pasterze  Glacier,  and  those  of  the 
Fuscherkamm,  but  to  SSW.  the  pano- 
rama is  interrupted  by  the  somewhat 
higher  summits  of  the  Bacherin  (10,158') 
'ji.vAKaseroclclcopfi^.^1^'),  which  form  a 
short  ridge  (parallel  to  the  3Iollthal),  that 
here  rises  between  the  head  of  that  val- 
ley and  the  main  range.  A  rather  con- 
siderable glacier,  fed  by  the  snows  of 
the  Brennkogel  and  the  adjoining  peak 
of  the  Kloben,  flows  northward  on  the 


ROUTE    C. ASCENT    OF    THE    VISCHBACHIIOnN. 


249 


W.  side  of  the  rid<;e  leading  to  the  Fu- 
scher  Thorl;  and  another,  less  consider- 
able, originates  on  the  8.  side  of  the 
ridge  connecting  the  Brennkogel  with  the 
Spiilmann.  The  latter  is  drained  through 
the  narrow  glen  of  the  Giitthal,  which 
runs  due  S.  towards  the  Moll.  After 
joining  the  Tauernbach,  that  descends 
from  the  Hoehthor,  this  torrent  joins 
the  main  stream  at  Winkel,  above  Heili- 
genbhit,  where  it  is  crossed  by  touris;s 
on  the  way  to  the  Pasterze  Glacier. 
Tlirough  the  Gutthal  lies  the  way  from 
the  Brennkogel  to  Heiligenblut,  It  is 
better  not  to  descend  due  S.  into  the 
head  of  the  glen,  but  to  bear  a  little  to 
the  1.,  and  pass  along  the  W,  side  of  the 
Brettersee,  a  tarn  whose^stream  joins  that 
of  the  Gutthal.  Following  the  1.  bank 
of  the  torrent,  the  highest  alp  in  that 
glen  is  reached,  and  then  the  track  to  the 
1.  is  taken,  which  crosses  the  Tauernbach 
above  its  junction  with  the  Gutihal. 
Immediately  beyond  it  is  the  Muriahilf- 
Kapelle  (5,197').  where  the  traveller 
joins  the  bridle-track  from  the  Hoehthor 
to  Heiligenblut. 

The  mountaineer  who  does  not  object 
to  a  stiff  scramble,  and  to  add  fully  1 
hr.  to  his  day's  walk,  may  well  follow 
the  example  of  Dr.  Euthner,  and  take 
the  summit  of  the  Kloben  on  his  way 
from  FerleHen  to  the  Brennkogel.  The 
way  is  \,y  the  Trauner  Alp  and  the 
track  mounting  thence  to  the  Pfandel- 
scharte  (see  above).  Bearing  to  the  1., 
the  traveller  enters  a  ravine,  and  then 
ascends  a  long  and  steep  slope,  called 
the  Schwarze  Leiter.  The  crumbling 
nature  of  the  rock — a  calcareous  mica- 
schist — makes  this  rather  difficult,  and 
even  dangerous,  for  unpractised  climbers. 
After  gaining  the  ridge,  he  follows  it 
eastward  to  the  peak  of  the  Klohcn 
(10,011 ').  Though  surrounded  on  every 
side  by  glacier  or  snow-slopes,  the  sum- 
mit is  covered  with  vegetation,  which 
here  reaches  an  unusual  height.  In 
1857,  owing  to  the  unusual  heat  of  the 
season,  a  ridge  of  rock  lying  somewhat 
S.  of  E.  from  the  summit  was  stripped 
of  the  snow  which  had  long  concealed 
it,  and  the  process  was  repeated  in  1859. 


Here,  at  9,580  ft.  above  the  sea,  were 
found  the  ruins  of  a  miner's  hut  (Knap- 
jjcnhaus),  with  the  opening  of  two  shafts, 
and  a  quantity  of  iron-ore  that  had  been 
extracted.  Among  the  ruin;?.  Dr.  Euth- 
ner found  fragments  of  cloth  clothing, 
and  several  large  bones,  but  he  failed  to 
ascertain  whether  these  were  human  re- 
mains. It  is  most  i:)robab]e  that  thi.s 
was  one  of  the  many  spots  in  this  part  of 
the  Alps  where  gold  has  been  extracted ; 
but  though  most  of  these  are  well 
known,  no  record  or  local  tradition  re- 
lating to  a  mine  on  the  Kloben  has  been 
discovered.  The  fact  s  must  be  reckoned 
among  the  numerous  evidences  of  an 
increasing  accumulation  of  snow  in  the 
higher  regions  of  the  Alps  during  the 
last  300  or  400  years.  The  mine,  as 
well  as  the  summit  of  the  Kloben,  He 
on  the  N.  side  of  the  dividing  range, 
which  passes  from  the  summit  of  the 
Spiilmann  to  that  of  the  Brennkogel. 

Before  closing  the  account  of  the  Fu- 
scher  Thai,  it  is  necessary  to  add  a  short 
notice  of  the  ascent  of  the  Vischhachhom 
(11,738') — perhaps  more  correctly  writ- 
ten Wiesbachhmm  ;  but  we  follow  the 
local  pronunciation.  This  is  not  only 
the  highest  peak  of  the  Fusch  range, 
but  one  of  the  highest  and  noblest  in 
the  Eastern  Alps ;  the  only  one  which  by 
its  extreme  steepness  and  the  boldness 
of  its  form  maintains  an  imposing  ap- 
pearance as  seen  from  the  summit  of  the 
Grossglockner.  On  the  Fuscher  Thai 
side,  it  shows  ranges  of  formidably  steep 
precipices,  surrounded  by  glaciers  lying 
on  the  upper  shelves  of  the  mountain, 
that  are  broken  at  their  lower  end  into 
threatening  crags  of  flue  ice.  The  as- 
cent may  in  many  respects  be  compared 
to  that  of  the  Finsteraarhorn,  to  which 
mountain  it  bears  much  resemblance, 
save  that:  instead  of  rising  on  either  side 
above  surrounding  glaciers,  it  pluncjes 
its  roots  into  the  comparatively  deep 
valleys  of  Fusch  and  Kaprun,  whence  it 
rises  very  abruptly  through  a  vertical 
height  of  about  7,000  ft.  The  first 
ascent  was  made  some  fifty  years  ago 
by  hunters  of  the  valley;  the  second, 
in  1841,  by  Prince  Schwarzenberg,  Car- 


250 


CENTRAL    TYROL   ALPS.       §  51.    GROSSGLOCKNER   DISTRICT. 


dinal  Archbishop  of  Salzburg.  The 
third,  by  Dr.  Ruthner  and  Count  D. 
Andrassy,  -nras  effected  in  1854,  and  is 
recounted  by  the  former  in  his  often- 
quoted  work,  *  Aus  den  Tauern.'  The 
place  in  the  Fuscher  Thai  nearest  the 
base  of  the  mountain  is  the  Vogallalp, 
about  ^  hr.  above  Ferleiten ;  but  as  it 
is  necessary  to  attack  the  peak  from  the 
S.  side,  it  has  been  found  expedient  to 
pass  the  night  at  the  Judenalp,  some 
miles  farther  up,  on  the  N.  side  of  the 
entrance  to  the  Kaferthal.  The  main 
peak  falls  in  nearly  vertical  cliffs  towards 
the  valley,  and  sends  out  to  NE.  a 
rather  long  ridge,  whose  SE.  face  of 
bare  rock  appears  absolutely  inaccessi- 
ble ;  while  its  northern  slope  sustains  a 
glacier  called  Sajidhodenkecs,  which  ap- 
pears no  less  hopeless.  To  the  S.  of  the 
highest  peak  is  seen  the  Bratschenkopf 
(11,126'),  which  is  in  fact  the  ESE.  end 
of  a  ridge  whose  "WNW.  summit  is  the 
Glockerin  (11,356').  The  outlet  of  the 
great  snow-basin  between  this  ridge  and 
the  highest  part  of  the  mountain  is  by 
a  glacier  called  TeufelsmuMkees\  which, 
on  reaching  the  verge  of  the  precipices 
facing  the  Fuscher  Thai,  breaks  away  so 
as  to  form  a  range  of  high  ice  cliffs. 
Although  the  precipices  on  the  E.  side 
of  the  Bratschenkopf  are  very  high  and 
extremely  steep,  they  are  passable  to 
a  mountaineer  with  a  perfectly  steady 
head,  accustomed- to  stiff  rock  climbing. 
Having  attained  a  considerable  height 
above  the  final  ice-fall  of  the  Teufels- 
miihlkees,  that  glacier  may  be  traversed 
with  little  difficulty ;  and  by  this,  and 
by  steep  snow-slopes  above  it,  the  base 
of  the  final  arete  is  reached.  This 
mounts  NXE.  to  the  highest  peak,  and 
is  apparently  neither  so  steep  nor  so 
narrow  as  that  of  the  Glockner.  The 
a<itual  summit  is  an  inconveniently  nar- 
row ridge  of  frozen  snow.  However  ex- 
tensive the  view,  it  is  naturally  inferior 
to  that  from  the  Grlockner,  but  many 
mountaineers  will  prefer  the  ascent  of 
this  peak  for  the  sake  of  the  more  in- 
teresting and  varied  rock-work.  The 
difficulties  of  the  ascent  seem  to  be  con- 
fined to  that  part  of  the  expedition,  as 


with  ordinary  precaution  the  remainder 
of  the  way  appears  to  be  free  from  danger 
or  serious  obstacles.  Dr.  Ruthner,  to 
whose  work  the  writer  is  indebted  for  all 
that  he  knows  of  the  ascent,  took  1\  hrs. 
to  reach  the  summit  from  the  Judenalp. 
There  is  a  much  easier  way  from  the 
Kaprunerthal.     (See  next  Rte.) 

At  the  E.  base  of  the  Vischbachhorn 
lies  a  glacier  called  Focke'iidkees,  which 
seems  to  deserve  more  attention  than  it 
has  yet  received.     Although  not  directly 
connected  with  any  considerable  reser- 
voir  of  neve,  this  descends  lower  than 
any  glacier  in  the  Fuscher  Thai,  its  lowest 
j  extremity  having   been    ascertained  by 
;  Dr.  Ruthner  to  reach  5.699  ft.     There 
can  be  little  doubt  that  this  is  a  fine  in- 
j  stance   of   a    'glacier  remanie'  fed  by 
;  avalanches    from   the  main  peak,  and, 
I  very  probably,  by  the  ice  that  falls  from 
t  the  overhanging  Teufelsmiihlkees. 


EOUTE  D. 

KAPETIN     TO      HEUIGEXBLrT,    BY      THB 

EIFFELTHOE. 

About  13  hrs.'  walking,  exclusive  of  halts. 

In  describing  the  great  Pasterze  Gla- 
cier (Rte.  B),  we  have  had  frequent  oc- 
'  casion  to  refer  to  the  valley  of  Kaprun, 
which  originates  in  the  main  range  that 
bounds  that  glacier  to  the  N.,  and  opens 
.  into    the   Pinzgau,    near    the    village  of 
j  Kaprim,  about  3  m.  W.  of  Bruck.     Al- 
j  though  it  offers  the  attraction  of  very 
j  grand  scenery,   this  is  one  of  the  least 
I  known    valleys  of   the    High    Tauern 


BOUTE    D. KAPRUN    TO    HEILIGEXBLUT,    BY    THE    RIFFELTHOR.       251 


range,  chiefly  because  it  is  oue  of  the 
few  that  do  not  lead  to  a  pass  over  the 
main  range,  available  at  least  for  the 
native  hunters  and  herdsmen.  It  is 
further  remarkable  for  the  fact  that, 
though  not  so  high  as  many  others,  it 
contains  no  permanent  dwellings,  ex- 
cept close  to  its  opening.  The  herds- 
men's huts  near  its  head  have  supplied 
poor  quarters  to  the  few  travellers  that 
have  visited  the  valley,  but  better  accom- 
modation is  now  available,  as  a  substan- 
tial stone  hut  fitted  with  a  stove,  &c.,  has 
been  erected  near  the  AYasserfallalp  at 
the  cost  of  the  Vienna  Alpine  Club.  Of 
course,  visitors  must  bring  their  own 
provisions.  From  that  starting-point, 
mountaineers  may  with  advantage  at- 
tempt the  ascent  of  the  fine  peaks  that 
enclose  the  vaUey.  On  the  W.  side, 
between  this  and  Stubach,  are  the 
Grosseiser  (10,361')  and  KltzsUinhorn 
(10,482');  to  the  S.  rise  the  Hohe  Rifel 
(11,003'),  Vorder-Bdrenkopf  (10,507'), 
and  3Iittel-Ijdrenkopf  {10,97 &) ;  and  on 
the  E.  side,  the  great  peaks  of  the 
Fuscher  Kamm,  of  which  the  Gross- 
Bdrenkojyf  (11,470'),  the  Glockerin 
(11,356'),  and  the  Hohe  Tenn  (11,059') 
are  the  most  prominent.  Most  of  these 
have  been  climbed  by  Anton  Hetz,  the 
best  guide  in  the  valley,  who  has  also 
ascended  the  Vischbachhorn.  (See  below.) 

Ordinary  tourists  w^ho  avoid  difficult 
expeditions  may  be  content  to  visit  the 
head  of  the  valley  up  to  the  base  of  the 
Karlinger  Kees,  while  an  active  walker 
may  combine  this  with  the  Stubachthal, 
by  crossing  the  Kapruner  Thorl  (Rte.  H), 
and  returning  to  the  Pinzgau  at  Utten- 
dorf  (§  50,  Rte.  A),  in  a  single  long 
day's  walk. 

The  pass  to  Heiligenblut,  here  briefly 
described,  is  known  only  by  the  descrip- 
tion of  Dr.  Euthner,  who  crossed  it  in 
1855.  It  seems  probable  that  the  diffi- 
culties which  he  encountered  may  be 
avoided  by  future  travellers  who  are 
more  fortunate  as  to  weather,  especially 
if  they  have  with  them  a  man  more 
thoroughly  familiar  with  glacier  work 
than  any  of  the  native  guides,  however 
efficient  these  may  be  in  other  respects. 


I  Excepting  Anton  and  Peter  Hetz,  there 
1  are  no  guides  familiar  with  the  head  of 
the  valley,  unless  perchance  some  herds- 
,  man  at  the  highest  Sennhiitten.  Colonel  v. 
I  Sonldar  was  led  into  serious  difficulties 
j  by  a  man  whom  he  engaged  at  Kaprun, 
)  and  who  proved  himself  to  be  an  igno- 
j  rant  pretender. 

I  The  Kapruner  Thai  offi^rs  an  excellent 
'  example  of  that  plan  of  structure,  so 
j  common  in  the  valleys  of  the  crystalline 
I  rock  masses,  in  whicli  the  floor  of  the 
I  valley  descends  abruptly  by  steep  steps 
I  (G-erm.  Thahtufe),  separated  by  nearly 
I  level  interval:;",  some  of  which  at  least 
I  are  the  filled-up  beds  of  ancient  lakes. 

The  village  of  Kaprun  (2,532'),  which 
!  stands  at  the  opening  of  the  valley  about 
j  ^  m.  S.  of  the  Salza,  may  be  reached 
I  trom  the  hamlet  of  Fiirth,  on  the  high- 
j  road  between  Piesendorf  and  Bruck,  or 
else  by  a  very  agreeable  foot-path  lead- 
ing in  about  1  hr.from  the  latter  village, 
and  running  part  of  the  way  along  the 
rt.  bank  of  the  Salza.  There  are  two 
countiy  inns  in  the  village  (Neumeyer  ; 
Beim  liramer),  at  either  of  which  the 
traveller  should  lay  in  a  store  of  provi- 
sions, unless  he  has  taken  the  precau- 
tion of  previously  doing  so  at  Bruck,  or 
Zell  am  See.  Besides  A.  Hetz,  Strah- 
hofer  and  the  brothers  Niederrist  are 
named  as  guides,  but  are  probably  ac- 
quainted only  with  the  track  leading  to 
the  head  of  the  valley.  The  village  is 
pictiiresquely  situated,  overlooked  by  an 
ancient  castle,  and  with  the  peak  of  the 
Kitzsteinhorn  in  the  background.  This 
fine  mountain  is  again  seen  from  many 
points  on  the  way.  Behind  the  village 
the  entrance  to  the  upper  valley  appears 
to  be  barred  by  a  rocky  ridge  of  no 
great  height,  at  the  W.  end  of  which 
the  stream  has  cut  a  narrow  cleft,  while 
the  path  mounts  the  first  and  lowest 
step  in  the  ascent  of  the  valley,  which 
is  locally  called  Wiirstelau  (about 
2,800').  Looking  back,  a  view  is  gained 
northward  of  the  Zeller  See,  and  the 
village  of  Zell,  which  is  only  5  m.  from 
Kaprun.  Eor  more  than  i  hr.  the  track 
—  here  practicable  for  rough  carts  — 
mounts  very  gently,  amid  scenery  of  no 


252  CENTRAL    Tl'ROI.    ALPS.       §  51.    GROSSGLOCKXTR    DISTRICT. 


great  interest,  till  it  reaches  the  Gross- 
biichel.  This  is  a  sort  of  promontory 
of  rock  projecting  from  the  E.  side  of 
the  valley,  beyond  which  the  path  enters 
a  picturesque  ravine,  where  the  Kapni- 
ner  Ache  foams  amid  blocks  fallen  from 
the  surrounding  heights.  Follo\\'ing 
this  for  nearly  |  hr.  the  traveller  reaches 
the  base  of  a  second  steep  and  high  step 
in  the  valley,  where  the  torrent  falls 
from  its  upper  level  in  a  series  of  cas- 
cades. The  scenery  is  extremely  pic- 
turesque, especially  at  a  point  where 
the  opening  of  a  short  lateral  glen,  on 
the  1.  hand,  gives  a  view  of  the  Fuscher 
Kamm.  The  snowy  summit  at  the  head 
of  the  lateral  glen  is  the  BrachJcopf 
(10,649'),  which  crowns  a  ridge  project- 
ing to  XW.  from  the  Hochtenn.  After 
the  path  has  by  many  zigzags  attained 
the  summit  of  the  steep  ascent,  it  goes 
for  a  short  distance  nearly  at  a  level  to 
the  Limhrrgahp  (5.16.5').  This  stands 
on  an  alluvial  plain,  which  extends 
southward  more  than  a  mile  to  the  junc- 
tion with  the  main  stream  of  the  torrent 
from  the  Wielinr/er  Kecs,  a  large  glacier 
that  descends  from  the  ]S1V.  flank  of 
the  Vischbachhom.  This  plain,  with 
the  pastures  of  the  surrounding  slopes, 
is  collectively  known  as  the  Wasserfall- 
o.Ip,  but  strictly  speaking  includes  two 
alps — that  of  Limberg  at  its  northern 
end,  and  the  Further  Alp  at  its  southern 
extremity.  Xear  to  the  latter  stands 
the  hut  erected  by  the  Austrian  Alpine 
Club.  A  third  group  of  Sennhutten, 
called  Bauernalp  (5,231'),  stands  a  little 
E  -f  the  main  valley,  on  the  N.  side  of  the 
torrent  draining  the  Wielinger  Glacier. 
At  the  S.  end  of  the  plain  a  massive 
rock  called  the  Hohenhurg,  forming  a 
sort  of  island  in  the  middle  of  the  val- 
ley, rises  to  a  height  of  about  2,000 
ft.  above  it.  While  the  main  branch  of 
the  torrent  descends  through  a  ravine 
on  the  "W.  side  of  the  Hohenburg.  be- 
tween it  and  the  foot  of  the  GriesJcopf 
(10,357'),  forming  the  waterfall  which 
gives  its  name  to  the  plain,  another 
branch  flows  through  a  depression  on 
its  E.  side,  anil  joins  the  stream  that 
Lssues  from  the  Wielinger  Glacier.   The 


I  grand,  but  somewhat  stem,  riew  from 
!  the  lower  end  of  the  Wasserfallalp  is 
I  well  represented  in  the  '  Jahrbuch  of  the 
I  Austrian  Alpine  Club  for  1867.'  From 
i  the  FiirtherAlp  the  shorter  course  is  by 
I  the  path  on  the  "W.  side  of  the  Hohen- 
burg, but  in  going  from  the  Bauernalp 
the  eastern  path  is  preferred.  Which- 
ever course  be  taken,  the  traveller,  on 
reaching  the  summit  of  the  ascent,  finds 
himself  on  the  margin  of  a  perfectly 
level  plain  1^  m.  long  and  nearly  ^  m. 
in  width,  closed  at  its  S.  end  by  tlie 
Karlinger  Kees,  the  most  considerable 
glacier  of  the  valley.  This  is  the  Mon- 
serhoden,  obviously  the  filled-up  bed  of 
an  ancient  lake,  a  basin  seeminsrly  quite 
enclosed  by  snowy  peaks,  into  which,  be- 
sides the  great  Karlinger  Kees.three  other 
glaciers  descend  from  the  surrounding 
heights.  Sonklar,  whose  knowledge  of 
the  Austrian  Alps  is  so  extensive  and 
minute,  considers  this  one  of  the 
grandest  and  most  impressive  .<?cenes  in 
the  entire  range.  The  only  notable  de- 
pression in  the  range  enclosing  the 
Mooserboden  is  that  of  the  Kapnmer 
Thorl  (8,7-iO'),  over  which  lies  the  pass 
to  the  Stubachthal  mentioned  m  Rte. 
H.  From  it  descends  to  XE.  the  Thorl 
Glacier,  which  is  so  completely  covered 
with  debris  as  not  to  be  easily  recognised. 
The  Mooserboden  lies  in  the  prolonga- 
tion of  this  glacier,  while  the  middle 
part  of  the  Kapruner  Thai  descends 
nearly  due  X.  Hence  it  happens  that 
the  range  of  high  peaks  circling  round 
the  head  of  the  valley  from  the  Glocke- 
rin  to  the  Eiser  is  not  seen  until  the 
traveller  reaches  the  lower  end  of  the 
Mooserboden.  This  is  6,462  ft.  above 
the  sea,  and  the  plain  is  so  nearly  hori- 
zontal that  the  lowest  point  of  the  gla- 
cier at  the  upper  end  of  the  Mooser- 
boden  was  found  by  Sonklar  to  be  only 
91  ft.  higher. 

In  F.  Keil's  excellent  maps,  the  Thorl 
Glacier  and  another  descending  from 
the  Eiser  are  incorrectly  represented  as 
joining  the  Karlinger  Kees  on  the  NW. 
side,  while  a  glacier  stream  from  the 
Gross-Barenkopf  flows  on  the  opposite, 
or  rt.  bank.     In  point  of  fact,  the  three 


ROUTE  E. LIEXZ  TO  MITTERSILL,  BY  ISELTHAL  AND  VELBER  TAUERX.    253 


glaciers  in  question  all  pursue  an  in- 
dependent course,  but  do  not  reach  the 
floor  of  the  main  valley. 

The  lower  part  of  the  Karlinger  Gla- 
cier, for  a  distance  of  about  1  m.,  is 
gently  inclined  and  easily  traversed,  but 
higher  up  it  desends  in  a  great  ice-fall. 
To  reach  the  Eiffelthor,  Dr.  Ruthner 
found  it  expedient  to  quit  the  ice  on  the 
rt.  bank,  and  climb  round  a  buttress  of 
rock  projecting  from  the  Gross-Baren- 
kopf,  until  he  reached  a  point  some  way 
above  the  ice-fall.  Here  the  main 
stream  of  the  glacier,  which  descends 
from  the  Hohe  Riifel,  receives  nearly  at 
rt.  angles  a  tributary  ice-stream  origi- 
nating in  the  basin  between  the  Gross- 
and  Mittel-Bfirenkopf,  and,  in  conse- 
quence, the  ice  is  broken  by  numerous 
and  wide  crevasses.  Having  for  some 
time  followed  a  general  direction  nearly 
due  S.,  which  brought  him  near  to  a 
range  of  rocks  below  the  summit  of  the 
Vorder-Barenkopf,  Dr.  Euthner  bore  to 
SW.,  and  finally  reached  the  lowest 
point  in  the  range  connecting  the  latter 
summit  with  the  Hohe  Eiffel  in  4^  hrs. 
from  the  Fiirther  Alp.  It  lies  about  half- 
way between  the  above-named  peaks, 
but  rather  nearer  the  Hohe  EiflFel, 
whence  it  was  appropriately  named 
Eiffelthor.  Its  elevation  according  to 
Sonklar  is  9,958  ft. 

Dr.Euthner  was  withheld  from  cross- 
ing the  great  neve-basin  of  the  Pasterze 
in  a  southerly  direction  by  the  crevassed 
state  of  the  glacier  on  the  E.  side  of 
the  Johannisberg,  and  directed  his 
course  to  the  summit  of  the  Gross- 
Burgstall.  Finding  it  impossible  to 
continue  the  descent  in  that  direction, 
he  remounted  NNE.  to  some  projecting 
rocks  which  have  been  called  Hoher 
Burgstall,  and,  thence  crossing  the  E. 
branch  of  the  Pasterze  Glacier,  reached 
the  slopes  of  the  Gamsgrube.  It  is  true 
tliat  on  June  9,  18Go,  Mr.  Tuckett 
and  his  companions  descended  by  the 
E.  side  of  the  Johannisberg,  and  cut 
their  way  down  the  central  ice-fall  be- 
tween the  Gross-  and  Klein-Burgstall, 
but  it  is  very  doubtful  whether  this  feat 
coxdd  be  repeated  late  in  the  season,  and 


at  that  time  the  best  way  would  be  to 
steer  ESE.  from  the  Eiffelthor  towards 
the  Fuscher  Kahrkopf,  and,  on  approach- 
ing that  peak,  to  descend  the  glacier 
southward  until  it  is  practicable  to  at- 
tain the  slopes  of  the  Gamsgrube. 

It  is  likely  that  a  fine  pass  may  be 
effected  from  the  Mooserboden  to  Fer- 
leiten,  by  following  the  E.  branch  of 
the  Karlinger  Kees  to  the  ridge  con- 
necting the  Mittel- with  the  Gross-Baren- 
kopf,  descending  by  the  Bockkahrkees 
and  the  Hohe  Gang.     (See  last  Rte.) 

The  summit  of  the  Vischhachhorn  was 
reached  inl867,  by  the  brothers  Hetz 
of  Kaprun,  in  6  hrs.  from  the  Wasser- 
fallalp.  Save  the  passage  of  a  not  very 
narrow  snow  arete,  this  course  seems  to 
involve  no  serious  difficulty.  The  final 
peak  is  climbed  from  the  SSW.  side,  as 
in  the  ascent  from  the  Fuscherthal. 


Route  E. 

liexz  to  mitteesill,  in  pinzgau,  by  the 
iselthal  and  velber  taueen. 

Hrs.  English 

walking  miles 

St,  Johann  im  "Wald    .    3  9 

Windisch-Matrey          .     SJ  9 

Tauernhaus .        .        .4  10| 

Mittersill      ...    8  17 


18i 


45i 


Char-road  to  "Windisch-Matrey,  whither  a 
small  post-carriage  plies  daily  in  summer. 
Bridle-path  thence  to  Mittersill.  The  distances 
given  above  are  only  approximate.  The  ordi- 
nary estimate  is  22  Stunden,  but  is  certaiuly 
much  exaggerated. 

In  Rte.  A,  reference  was  more  than 
once  made  to  the  Isel,  which  joins  the 
Drave  at  Lienz,  and  is  in  truth  the 
principal  branch  of  that  stream.     In- 


254  CENTRAL   TYROL   ALPS.       §  51.    GROSSGLOCKKER   DISTRICT. 


eluding  two  considerable  affluents  from 
the  W.,  and  one  from  NNE.,  it  drains 
an  area  of  about  400  square  miles,  and 
bears  do"wn  the  outflow  of  eighty-three 
glaciers.  The  Iselthal  must  therefore 
be  considered  one  of  the  most  consider- 
able of  the  secondary  valleys  of  the 
Alps,  and  as  its  tributary  glens  are  en- 
closed by  ranges  that  attain  a  height 
of  from  *10,000  to  12,000  ft.,  there  is 
abundant  attraction  here  for  the  natu- 
ralist and  the  lover  of  grand  scenery. 
^NTevertheless,  the  attention  of  British 
travellers  has  been  little  turned  to  the 
recesses  of  this  region  of  TjtoI.  It  is 
not  surprising  that  Heiligenblut  and  its 
neighbourhood  should  have  precedence 
in  the  estimation  of  travellers,  nor  that 
the  fascinations  of  the  dolomite  ranges 
of  S.  Tyrol  and  the  Carnic  range  should 
outweigh  the  soberer  charms  of  the  cen- 
tral range,  but  those  who  will  devote 
some  time  to  the  lateral  valleys  of  the 
Iselthal,  if  not  unfortunate  as  to  weather, 
will  not  repent  of  their  choice. 

The  main  branch  of  the  Iselthal  has 
another  claim  on  the  attention  of  travel- 
lers, as  it  leads  to  the  lowest  pass  over 
the  central  range  between  the  Brenner 
and  the  Arlscharte,  and  oiFi-rs  one  of  the 
most  direct  routes  from  England,  via 
3Iunich,  to  the  South-Eastern  Alps.  We 
have  seen  in  §  4-1,  Ete.  C,  that,  from  the 
Worgl  station  on  the  rlwy.  from  Munich 
to  Innsbruck,  a  carriage-road  leads  in  a 
few  hours  to  Mittersill,  in  the  Pinzgau. 
By  the  Ete.  now  to  be  described,  the 
traveller  r caches  TVindisch-Matrey  on  the 
next  day ;  and  if  an  active  walker,  he 
may,  by  an  early  start,  reach  that  place 
in  time  to  get  on  to  Lienz  the  same  eve- 
ning in  a  light  country  vehicle.  Ladies 
can  scarcely  be  recommended  to  take 
this  route.  It  is  very  doubtful  whether 
saddle-horses  used  to  such  excursions 
are  to  be  found  at  "Windisch-Matrey  or 
Jrlittersill;  the  day's  journey  between 
those  places  is  a  long  one;  and  the  ac- 
commodation at  the  Tauernhaus  is  not 
tempting.  They  may,  however,  go  from 
Lienz  to  "Windisch-Matrey,  and  thence 
to  Pregratten.     (See  next  Etes.) 

For  about  1^  m,  from  Lienz,  the  road 


keeps  the  rt.  bank  of  the  Isel,  and 
crosses  it  a  little  below  Oher-Liens. 
which  is  passed  on  the  rt.  hand  on  rising 
ground.  In  clear  weather,  the  snowy 
peaks  of  the  Venediger  group  are  seen 
in  the  distant  background.  The  pretty 
hamlet  of  Aineth  (2,312'),  with  a  clean 
little  country  inn,  also  standing  above 
the  road  on  the  X.  slope  of  the  valley, 
recalls  one  of  the  sites  where  the  pea- 
sant heroes  of  Tyrol  made  a  successful 
stand  against  the  French  invasion  in 
1809,  but  where  the  first  success  was 
expiated  when  an  overwhelming  force 
afterwards  carried  fire  and  sword  into 
the  recesses  of  the  Alps.  The  site  of 
Aineth  resembles  that  of  many  other 
villages  in  this  district,  which  stand 
upon  mounds  of  transported  matter 
washed  down  from  the  mountain  ranges, 
forming  what  are  called  by  geologists 
cones  of  dejection.  The  slope  being 
usually  gentle,  and  the  soil  finely  divi- 
ded, they  are  often  the  most  fruitful 
spots  in  the  valley,  especially  when  they 
lie  on  its  sunny  side. 

[Aineth  is  the  most  convenient  start- 
ing-point for  the  ascent  of  the  Hoch- 
schober  (10,628'). the  best  kno-rni,  though 
the  second  in  height,  of  the  lofty  group 
that  rises  between  the  Iselthal  and  the 
Mollthal.  An  account  of  the  ascent  is 
given  by  Mr.  F.  Keil  in  the  '  Mitthei- 
lungen  of  the  Austrian  Alpine  Club 
for  186-4.'  "With  four  companions  and 
two  guides,  he  ascended  the  N,  slope  of 
the  vallev  to  Gwabl.  and  thence  followed 
a  path  NW.  to  Leihnigg  (4,024'),  This 
little  village  stands  on  the  verge  of  the 
slope  where  the  torrent  from  the  upland 
glen  of  the  Leibnigger  Tlial  falls  steeply 
in  a  continuous  cataract  to  join  the  Isel 
near  St.  Johann  im  Wald,  In  2  hrs, 
more,  they  reached  the  alp  at  the  head 
of  the  Leibnigger  Thai,  where  they  slept. 
On  the  following;  morning,  the  ascent 
was  accomplished  by  the  S,  side  of  the 
peak,  chiefly  over  steep  slopes  of  debris 
and  rocks,  avoiding  the  snow-slopes  on 
either  hand.  Except  one  rather  steep 
face  of  rock,  they  found  no  difficulty 
worth  notice  in  the  ascent.  The  position 
is  excellent  for  a  panoramic  view.] 


ROUTE  E. — EXCURSIONS   FROM    WINDISCH-MATREY. 


255 


From  Aineth  the  road  runs  along  the 
1.  bank  of  the  Isel  to  SL  Jokann  im 
Wald  (2,363'),  appropriately  so  called, 
as  the  scattered  houses  are  concealed 
amidst  the  surrounding  trees.  The 
church  and  inn  are  on  the  rt.  bank,  near 
the  bridge  by  which  the  road  crosses  the 
Isel.  SW.  of  the  village,  the  Michelbach 
forms  a  fine  waterfall,  and  by  that  way 
the  traveller  may  ascend  in  about  4^  hrs. 
to  the  summit  of  the  Weisse  Wand 
(7,960'),  which  overlooks  the  three  val- 
leys that  meet  at  Peischlach  and  the 
higher  ranges  of  the  surrounding  Alps. 
Silene  Pumilio,  Allium  victoriale,  and 
other  rare  plants,  are  found  on  the  moun- 
tain. 

For  some  miles  above  St.  Johann,  the 
floor  of  the  Iselthal  is  a  gravelly  plain, 
overgrown  with  Hippo2:)hde  rhamnoides. 
The  ruins  of  Kienburg  are  seen  on  a 
height  to  the  1.,  and  on  the  opposite  side 
of  the  valley  a  very  large  farmhouse, 
which,  in  1809,  was  filled  with  families 
from  the  lower  valley,  who  fled  before 
the  French  invasion.  A  little  farther 
is 

Peischlach  (2,479').  A  country  inn, 
'  In  der  Huben,'  stands  at  the  junction  of 
the  central  branch  of  the  valley  with 
the  Defereggenthal  (Rte.  K),  while  the 
village  and  church  are  on  the  opposite 
side  of  1>he  main  valley,  where  the  tor- 
rent of  the  Kaiser  Thai  (Rte.  H)  enters 
it  from  the  NNE.  Up  to  this  point,  the 
road  ascending  the  valley  has  kept  a 
NW.  direction,  and  the  slope  has  been 
insensible.  Here  it  turns  a  little  to  the 
rt.,  about  NNW.,  and  begins  to  mount 
rather  more  steeply  through  the  much 
narrower  valley,  which  gradually  con- 
tracts to  a  defile,  but  soon  opens  again 
into  a  comparatively  wide  basin,  backed 
by  the  Ki-ystallkcypf  (9,859'),  which  is 
the  easternmost  summit  of  the  Eicham 
range  dividing  Virgen  from Frosnitz,  and 
the  more  distant  WildenJcogel  (9.900'), 
rising  N.  of  the  Frosnitzthal.  In  the 
midst  of  this  picturesque  basin,  over- 
looked by  the  old  castle  of  Weissenstein, 
stands 

Windisch-Matrey  (3,237'),  the  chief 
place  in  the  Iselthal,  with  a  good  inn 


(Rauterer's),  which  may  serve  as  head- 
quarters for  excursions  among  the 
neighbouring  valleys.  As  the  name 
expresses,  this  place  was  originally 
founded  by  a  Slavonic  (Wendisch)  tribe, 
who  were,  perhaps,  allowed  to  settle 
here  when  the  Germanic  population, 
under  the  Boyoar  dukes,  successfully 
resisted  the  onward  tide  of  Slavonic 
invasion,  through  the  Drave  valley,  in 
the  seventh  century. 

L.  Stocker,  Joh.  Kraissler,  and  Andra 
Eder  are  recommended  as  guides  for 
the  neighbouring  passes. 

Due  W.  of  Matrey  is  the  opening  of 
the  Virgenthal  (Rte.  Gr),  which  drains 
the  S.  side  of  all  the  highest  peaks  of  the 
Venediger  group,  and  is  to  the  moun- 
taineer the  most  attractive  of  the  tri- 
butary valleys  of  the  Iselthal.  In  the 
opposite  direction  mounts  the  path  that 
leads  eastwards  from  Matrey  to  Kals, 
described  in  Rte.  I.  Above  Matrey,  tlie 
name  Isel  is  preserved  by  the  torrent 
that  flows  from  the  Virgenthal,  and 
justly  so,  as  it  is  the  most  copious 
branch  of  the  stream  ;  but  the  writer 
agrees  with  Sonklar  in  regarding  as  the 
main  branch  of  the  valley  that  which 
leads  to  the  Velber  Tauern.  It  is  not, 
perhaps,  an  unimportant  fact  that  the 
deepest  depression  in  the  range  of  the 
High  Tauern  should  correspond  with  the 
head  of  the  principal  valley  on  the  S. 
side  of  that  range.  The  northern 
branch  of  the  valley,  described  below, 
is  locally  best  known  by  the  desig- 
nation Tauern  thai,  though  the  upper  end 
is  also  called  Gschlossthal. 

[The  antiquary  should  on  no  account 
omit  to  visit  two  ancient  churches  in 
this  neighbourhood.  That  of  St.  Nicho- 
las, on  the  S.  side  of  the  Isel,  at  the 
opening  of  the  Virgenthal,  is  easily 
reached  in  ^  hr.  from  Windisch-Matrey. 
The  building  suffered  from  an  earthr 
quake  in  the  seventeenth,  and  from  a  fire 
in  the  eighteenth  century.  The  E.  end 
dates  from  the  firsthalf  of  the  fourteenth 
century,  and  was  built  over  a  crypt  of 
perhaps  still  earlier  date.  In  this  part  of 
the  building,  now  used  as  a  belfry  and  con- 
siderably lower  than  the  pavement  of  the 


256 


CENTRAL    TYROL    ALPS.       §  51.    GROSSGLOCKNER    DISTRICT. 


modern  church,  are  the  n  mains  of  some 
very  curious  frescoes  in  Byzantine  style, 
the  greater  part  of  which  are  apparently 
still  concealed  by  the  -svhite-wash  •which 
was  laid  over  them  at  the  time  of  the 
rebuilding  of  the  church,  and  may  pro- 
bal'ly  be  still  removed.  Of  still  grf-ater 
interest  is  the  church  of  Obcr-Mauer, 
about  half-way  to  Pregratten  (Kte.  G). 
This  is  also  very  ancient,  but  repaired 
or  altered  at  various  subsequent  periods. 
Outside,  the  most  remarkable  feature  is 
the  complete  absence  of  windows  on  the 
N.  side.  This  is  explained  on  entering 
the  church  by  the  fact  that  the  entire 
wall  on  that  side  is  covered  by  paintings 
in  fresco,  which  evidently  date  from  the 
earliest  period  of  German  art.  On  one 
of  the  most  ancient.  Prof.  Fenzl,  who 
has  given  a  notice  of  these  churches  in 
the  'Mittheilungen  of  the  Austrian  Al- 
pine Club  for  1S63,'  traced  the  date  U-16, 
while  others  may  probably  belong  to  the 
latter  part  of  the  fifteenth  century.  Of 
greater  artistic  merit  are  other  frescoes 
in  the  same  church,  especially  a  votive 
picture  on  the  S,  side  near  the  high 
altar.] 

The  char-road  ends  at  Windisch-Mat- 
rey,  and  soon  after  leaving  that  place, 
the  Tauernthal  gradually  narrows  until, 
after  passing  Proseck  (3,578'),  it  becomes 
a  mere  defile,  through  which  the  track 
keeps  to  the  rt.  bank  until,  after  passing 
opposite  a  fine  waterfall  of  the  Steiner- 
bach,  it  crosses  to  the  opposite  side  of 
the  Tauernbach.  The  valley  opens  a 
little  at  the  junction  of  the  fine  lateral 
glen  of  Prosnitz,  noticed  in  the  next 
Ete.  ;  but  the  path  keeps  to  the  1.  bank 
until  about  ^  ra.  beyond  the  entrance  of 
that  glen,  when  it  returns  for  a  short 
time  to  the  W.  side  of  the  torrent,  but 
before  long — at  the  junction  of  the 
Petersbach— for  the  last  time  recrosses 
that  stream.  Thenceforth,  till  it  reaches 
the  Tauernhaus,  it  remains  on  the  E. 
side  of  the  valley.  Rather  more  than 
2|  hrs.  from  Matrey,  the  traveller  reaches 
the  Landecksacre  (4,219'),  where  the 
torrent  from  the  LandecJdhal,  after 
rushing  through  a  narrow  cleft,  descends 
in  a  waterfall  to  the  level  of  the  main 


valley.  [Through  the  Landeckthal  lies 
a  very  unfrequented  way  to  the  W. 
branch  of  the  Stubachthal  (Rte.  H) 
over  the  Ocdscharte  (about  8,300'?),  on 
the  E.  side  of  the  LandeckAopf  (9,439'). 
The  passage  is  said  to  be  difficult  and 
dangerous,  owing  to  the  crevassed  con- 
dition of  a  small  glacier  that  must  be 
traversed.]  Here  the  Tauernthal,  which 
had  bent  aside  to  the  N.,  resumes  its 
NNW.  direction,  and  the  track  leads  in 
less  than  H  hr.  to  the 

Matrey ir  Tauernhaus  (4,957')?  where 
refreshments,  and,  in  case  of  need, 
rough  accommodation  for  the  night  may 
be  found.  In  fine  weather,  a  guide  over 
the  Velber  Tauern  is  not  required  hy 
anyone  well  used  to  mountain  walking, 
but  when  clouds  lie  low,  the  track  may 
easily  be  missed.  At  first  the  path 
keeps  parallel  to  the  main  torrent,  cross- 
ing the  Meselinbach — a  stream  that 
descends  from  the  NE.  close  to  the 
Tauernhaus — but  it  soon  leaves  on  the 
1.  hand  the  cattle-track  that  goes  nearly 
due  W.  to  the  Gschlossalp  (see  next 
Rte.),  and  begins  to  mount  diagonally  in 
a  NW.  direction  till  it  approaches  the 
streamlet  that  descends  from  the  Velber 
Tauern.  Here  the  course  bends  round 
to  NE.,  parallel  to  that  streamlet,  and 
at  some  height  above  its  1.  bank,  and 
finally  turns  nearly  due  N.  Two  huts, 
intended  as  refuges  for  travellers,  are 
passed  on  the  way,  at  the  higher  of 
which  {\  hr.  below  the  summit)  a  store 
of  firewood  is  kept  to  relieve  those  who 
attempt  the  passage  in  inclement  weather. 
During  the  ascent,  the  traveller  gains 
fine  views  of  the  great  Schlaten  Glacier, 
and  enjoys  a  distant  prospect  both  to 
N.  and  S.  on  attaining  the  summit  of 
the 

Velber  Tanern  (8,024'),  in  about  3  hrs. 
from  the  Matreyer  Tauernhaus.  The 
scenery  of  the  head  of  the  Velber  Thai, 
through  which  lies  the  way  to  ]\Iittersill, 
is  impressive  from  its  extreme  wildness. 
Blocks  of  hornblende  slate,  intermixed 
with  patches  of  snow,  cover  the  slopes, 
and  small  dark  tarns  lie  in  the  hollows, 
while  on  the  W.  side  the  sombre  rocks 
of  the  Freiwand,  terminating  in  the  peak 


ROUTE    F. — WIXDISCH-MATREY    TO    THE    PINZGAU. 


257 


of  the  Taiiernkogd  (9,790')  enhance  the 
stern  effect  of  the  whole.     A  rapid  de- 
scent leads  down  to  a  little  level  marshy 
space  called — like  many  similar  spots 
in  the  Tauern  Alps — Nassfeld.      Lower 
down,  the  track  passes  at  some  height 
above    the    E.    side   of    the   Hmtersee 
(4,354'),  a  comparatively  large  lake,  said 
to  have  been  caused  by  a  Bergfall  at  the 
time  of  the  earthquake  of  1495,  which 
was    severely  felt  in  this  part  of   the 
Alpine  chain.     Numerous  torrents,  de- 
scending the  steep  walls  of  the  valley  in 
brawling  cataracts,  converge  towards  the 
basin  of   the  lake.     Henceforward  the 
track  descends  gently  along  the  rt.  bank 
of  the  Velber  Bach  to  the  upper  Tauem- 
haus,  called  Spital.    Better  accommoda- 
tion, how'ever,  is  found  at  Schosswend 
(3,537'),  about  20  min.  lower  down,  on 
the  1.  bank  of  the  torrent.     This,  which 
is  also  known  as  the  Vorder-Tauernhaus, 
offers  the  best  accommodation  between 
3Iatrey  and  Mittersill,     Half  an  hour's 
walk  below  Schosswend,  the  torrent  joins 
a  rather  more  considerable  stream  that 
issues  from  the  E.  branch  of  the  Velber 
Thai — locally  called  Ammerthal,  or  more 
commonly,  die  Oed.  Some  way  below  the 
junction,  the  path,  which  since  Schoss- 
wend has  followed  the  1.  bank,   crosses 
to  the  opposite  side  of  the  valley,  and 
for  some  miles  lies  over  a  nearly  level 
tract,  part  of  which  appears  to  be  the 
bed  of  an  ancient  filled-up  lake.  The  path 
keeps  near  to  the  main  torrent,  which 
is  crossed  three  times  before  it  finally 
descends  into  the  valley  of  the  Salza. 
At  its  mouth  the  Velber  Thai  appears  to 
be  barred  across  by  a  transverse  ridge, 
partly  cut  through  by  the  torrent,  which 
at  last  descends,  in  a  leap  of  nearly  300 
feet,  to  the  level  of  the  Pinzgau.    In  the 
angle  between  the  Salza  and  the  Velber 
Bach  stands 

Mittersill  (§50,  Rte.  A).  The  way 
from  the  Matreyer  Tauernhaus  to  the 
head  of  the  Velber  Thai  may  be  varied 
by  taking  the  now  abandoned  track  of 
the  Alte  Tauern,  lying  about  ^  m.  E.  of 
the  pass  above  described.  From  the 
Tauernhaus  the  way  mounts  NE.,  by 
the  1.  bank  of  the  Meselinhach.  till  it 


reaches  a  tarn  called  Grimer  See.  Here 
the  course  turns  to  NNW.,  and,  after 
passinganother  Alpine  lake,  ascends  over 
slopes  of  debris  to  a  little  glacier  that 
covers  the  ridge.  The  course  was  for- 
merly marked  by  poles,  but  some  caution 
is  needed,  as  there  are  some  concealed 
crevasses,  which  led  to  the  abandonment 
of  this  route. 

A  more  interesting,  but  perhaps  diffi- 
cult, pass  may  probably  be  effected  from 
the  Griiner  See  to  the  head  of  the  Am- 
merthal, or  E.  branch  of  the  Velber 
Thai,  on  either  side  of  the  Thorlkopf 
(9,583').  The  scenery  of  that  glen, 
which  may  be  visited  from  Mittersill  or 
Schosswend,  is  said  to  be  very  fine,  and 
it  offers  many  attractions  to  the  botanist. 


EOUTE  F. 

WIXDISCH-MATREY  TO  NEUKIRCHEX,  OR 
WAXD,  IN  PINZGAU.  ASCENT  OF  THE 
GROSSVENEDIGER. 

In  the  last  Rte.  was  described  the 
easiest  and  most  direct  way  for  a  tra- 
veller wishing  to  reach  the  Pinzgau  from 
Lienz,  but,  if  moderately  favoured  by 
weather,  the  lover  of  fine  scenery  will 
scarcely  be   content   to   pass   near    to 


258 


CENTRAL    TYROL    ALPS.       §  51.    GROSSGLOCKNER    DISTRICT. 


a    considerable   glacier  region  without 
gaining  a  further  glimpse  of  it  than  he 
may  do  in  the    ascent  of    the   Velber 
Tauern.    For  the  practised  mountaineer, 
there  is  a  choice  among  various  passes 
by  which  the  Pinzgau  may  be  reached  in 
two  days  from  Lienz,  but  as  none  of  these 
can  be  descri'ied  as  easy,  the  ordinary 
tourist  may  content  himself  with  a  visit 
to  Gschloss  and  the  Frosnitzthal,  and 
then  explore  the  southern  glaciers  of  the 
Venediger  group  from  the  Virgenthal. 
A  few  notes  on  the  topography  of  the 
district  may  be  useful,  nay,  even  essen- 
tial, to  those  who  do  not  possess  one  or 
other  of  the  maps  named  in  the  intro- 
duction to  this  section.     In  regard  to 
the  nomenclature  of  some  summits  and  ' 
passes,    and    slight    topographical   de-  j 
tails,  there  are  dififerences  between  F.  | 
Keil's  more  highly  finished  map,  pub-  j 
lished  in  the  '  Jahrbuch  of  the  Austrian  j 
Alpine  Club    for    1866,'  and   Sonklar's  i 
map  on  a  smaller  scale,  annexed  to  his  i 
'  Hohe  Tauern.'    The  writer  has  followed  \ 
the  one  or  the  other  according  as  the  ; 
author  appears  to  be  supported  by  direct  | 
observation  on  the  spot.  j 

It  was  remarked  in  the  introduction  to  j 
this  section  that  the  western  portion  of  I 
the  High  Tauern  range,  which  culminates  \ 
in  the  Grossvenediger,  extends  about  14 
m.  EXE.  from  the  Dreiherrnspitz  to  the 
Velber   Tauern,  between  the  basin   of 
the  Salza  and  that  of  the  Isel,  and,  in 
the  opposite  direction,   for  about  16  m. 
WSW.  from  the  same  peak,  dividing  the 
Ahrenthal  from  the  western  affluents  of 
the  Isel. 

From  the  neighbourhood  of  the  Drei- 
herrnspitz and  the  Grossvenediger,  but 
especially  from  the  latter,  numerous  ac- 
cessory ridges,  rivalling  in  height  the  i 
peaks  of  the  main  range,  diverge  to 
NNW.  towards  the  Salza,  or  in  the  op- 
posite direction  towards  the  Virgenthal, 
and  hence  it  happens  that  the  confor- 
mation of  this  group  is  very  favourable 
to  the  formation  of  considerable  glaciers, 
but  not  so  to  that  of  prominent  peaks. 
Although  the  actual  summit  of  the  Gross- 
Tenediger  is  a  very  sharp  ridge,  the  i 
peak  is  only  the  highest  central  summit  i 


out  of  many  surrounding  rivals,  one  or 
other  of  which  may  easily  be  taken  for 
it  when  seen  from  different  sides.  But 
on  the  other  hand,  few  mountains  of  such 
moderate  height  display  so  ample  an 
ice-mantle.  From  the  peak,  and  its 
closely  adjoining  subordinate  summits, 
no  less  than  nine  great  glaciers  descend 
into  the  surrounding  valleys.  Most  of  the 
higher  summits  of  this  group  appear  to 
be  accessible  without  much  difficulty, 
and  the  practised  mountaineer  -n-ill  find 
here  scope  for  many  new  excursions,  al- 
though M.  F.  Keil,  Prof.  Simony,  and 
other  Austrian  mountaineers  have  al- 
ready done  much  towards  its  thorough 
exploration.  Under  the  present  heading, 
the  expeditions  are  briefly  noticed  that 
may  be  made  by  a  mountaineer  wishing 
to  cross  to  the  Upper  Pinzgau  from  the 
Isel-Tauernthal.  It  will  be  remarked 
that  no  less  than  four  valleys  descend 
from  the  main  range  towards  thp  Salza 
between  the  Velber  Thai  and  the  Krimm- 
ler  Thai.  It  is  most  probable  that,  when 
the  range  is  more  fully  known,  each  of 
these  will  offer  at  least  one  practicable 
pass  to  the  mountaineer,  but  as  these 
are  «till  imperfectly  known,  we  give 
precedence  to  that  which  is  likely  to  at- 
tract the  larger  number  of  travellers — 
the  way  over  the  summit  of  the  Gross- 
venediger  (12.053'). 

Though  it  appears  certain  that  the  high- 
est peak  was  reached  at  the  end  of  the  last 
century,  the  mountain  was  in  the  neigh- 
bouring valleys  supposed  inaccessible, 
and  its  reputation  was  confirmed  by 
an  accident  which  happened  in  1828, 
when  the  late  Archduke  John  attempted 
the  ascent,  and  one  of  his  guides  was 
carried  down  a  steep  incline  by  an 
avalanche.  In  1841,  the  summit  was  at- 
tained by  MM.  Lasser,  Euthner,  Graven- 
egg,  and  a  numerous  party  from  the 
Pinzgau,  who  ascended  from  the  Obersiilz- 
bachthal.  A  much  shorter  and  easier  way 
from  the  S.  side  has  since  been  frequently 
followed  (see  Ere.  G),  and  another 
equally  easy  route  has  more  recently 
been  found  from  the  Gschloss  Alp  at  the 
head  of  the  Isel-Tauernthal. 

The  summit  is  the  meeting-point  of 


ROUTE    F. — SCHLATEN    GLACIER. 


259 


three  rirlges  that  connect  it  with  as 
many  neighbouring  peaks.  One  of  these 
extends  ENE.  to  the  Klemvenediger 
(11,649'),  another  SE.  to  the  Raincrhoni 
(11.703'),  -while  the  third,  after  sinking 
to  the  Dorfer  Sulzbach-Thorl  (9,438'), 
rises  again  to  the  peak  of  the  Gross- 
Geiger  (10,915').  The  highest  ridge, 
■which  is  almost  precipitous  towards  the 
N.  and  NW.,  seems  to  be  accessible  only 
by  the  EXE.  or  SE.  ridges  above  men- 
tioned. Owing  to  the  sharpness  of  the 
highest  ridge,  the  snow accumidates there 
so  as  to  form  an  overhanging  cornice, 
which,  becoming  over-heavy,  breaks 
away  at  intervals  of  three  or  four  years. 
Hence  the  actual  summit  is  at  times 
positively  unsafe,  and  is  never  a  com- 
fortable resting-place  for  the  traveller 
who  loves  to  spread  his  maps,  and  study 
at  his  ease  the  topography  of  the  sur- 
rounding region.  In  other  respects,  the 
mountain  is  singularly  easy  of  access. 

In  describing  the  path  over  the  Velber 
Tauern  (see  last  Ete.),  it  was  mentioned 
that  above  the  Tauernhaus  the  head  of 
the  Tauernthal  turns  westward  towards 
the  base  of  the  Grossveuediger.  Fol- 
lowing the  upward  path  along  the  N. 
side  of  the  Tauernbach,  after  passing  a 
narrow  place  in  the  valley  where  the 
ascent  is  somewhat  steeper,  the  traveller, 
having  surmounted  this  last  thalstufe,m 
about  f  hr.  enters  the  uppermost  basin, 
wherein  stand  the  Sennhiitten  of 

Gsckloss,  clustered  in  two  groups, 
of  which  the  farther  —  called  Inner- 
G-schloss — is  5,423  ft.  above  the  sea. 
At  the  Birnbaumer  Hiitte,  the  travel- 
ler finds  better  accommodation  than 
usual  in  such  places,  when  it  is  not 
already  occupied  by  tourists,  or  by 
citizens  of  Lienz,  who  come  in  hot 
weather  to  enjoy  the  pure  air  and 
grand  scenery.  This,  in  truth,  is  of  a 
high  order.  The  head  of  the  valley  is 
closed  by  the  Schlaten  Glacier — except- 
ing only  the  Pasterze,  the  greatest  ice- 
stream  of  the  Tauern  range — seen  from 
its  uppermost  head  under  the  summit 
of  theGrrossvenediger  to  its  base,  which 
reaches  a  lower  level  than  any  in  the 
Eastern  Alps,  being  only  117  ft.  above 


Inner-Gschloss.  To  the  rt.  of  the 
highest  peak  is  seen  the  Kleinvenedi^er, 
and  to  the  1.  the  Hoher  Zaun  (11,439'), 
or  Krystallkopf  of  Keil's  map. 

The  glacier  is  guarded  on  its  1.  flank 
by  the  conical  rocky  summit  of  the  Kes- 
sclkopf  (9,448'),  and  on  the  N.  side  of 
this,  not  seen  from  Gschloss,  another 
considerable  ice-stream  —  the  Villragcn 
Glacier — reaches  the  level  of  the  valley. 
This  originates  on  the  KE.  side  of  the 
lOeinvenediger,  and  is  divided  from 
the  Unter-Sulzbach  Glacier  by  the  ridge 
connecting  that  peak  with  the  Hohe 
Fiirl eg  (11,114'),  and  receives  tributaries 
from  the  ridge  eastward  of  the  latter 
peak  that  divides  the  basin  of  the  Isel 
trom  the  Habachthal.  In  his  often-cited 
work,  Sonklar  mentions  some  ciirious 
particulars  respecting  the  structure  of 
this  glacier,  and  states  that,  at  the  time 
of  his  visit,  it  had  advanced  within  a  few 
years  no  less  than  one-third  of  a  mile, 
leaving  only  a  short  space  intervening 
between  its  lower  end  and  that  of  the 
Schlaten  Glacier, 

Gschloss  being,  to  the  lover  of  nature, 
one  of  the  most  attractive  spots  in  this 
district,  it  may  be  hoped  that  a  mountain 
inn  may,  before  long,  be  opened  here, 
which  will,  doubtless,  become  a  favourite 
resort  of  travellers.  The  best  point  of 
view  in  the  neighbourhood  is  the  JRothe 
Sael  (9,728'),  an  eminence  in  the  range 
di\-iding  this  from  the  Hollersbachthal, 
easily  reached  in  3|  hrs,  Eather  more 
difficult  of  access  is  the  Wildefikogd 
(9,901'),  rising  S,  of  Gschloss,  the  highest 
point  in  the  range  dividing  it  from  Fros- 
nitz. 

[The  traveller  who  may  visit  Gschloss 
fi-omWindisch-Matrey,without  intending 
to  cross  the  main  range,  should  visit  the 
Frosnitzthal  either  in  going  or  returning. 
It  offers  much  fine  scenery,  especially  at 
the  upper  end,  where  the  Frosnitz  Glacier 
descends  from  a  high  semicircular  basin 
enclosed  by  the  Krystalhcand  (10,831'), 
the  Klcxerho]if{\  1 ,021'),  and  the  Hinicr- 
Eichamspitz  (10,836').  The  path  to  it 
leaves  that  leading  from  "Windisch-Mat- 
rey  to  the  Tauernhaiis  (last  Ete.)  about 
1|  hr.  above  the  former  place,  and  crosses 
2 


260 


CENTRAL    TYROL    ALPS. 


§    51- 


GROSSGLOCKNER   DISTRICT. 


the  Tauernbach,  to  the  hamlet  of  Grubcn, 
just  above  the  junction  of  the  Frosnitz 
torrent.  The  path  ascends  westward 
very  gently  along  the  1.  bank  of  the  tor- 
rent to  a  considerable  group  of  Senn- 
hiitten,  standing  about  l^-  hr.  from 
Gruben.  Sere  the  valley  turns  north- 
ward, and  a  steep  ascent  leads  to  the 
upper  basin,  where  the  pastures  of  the 
Frosnitz  Alp  surround  the  lower  ex- 
tremity of  the  glacier.  Ascending  to 
NXW.,  the  traveller  may  reach  the 
Lobben-Thbrl  (9,156'),  a  depression  in 
the  ridge  connecting  the  Krystallwand 
with  the  Wildenkogel,  and  descend  thence 
to  G-schloss.  The  pass  is  said  not  to  be 
very  easy,  and  it  would  be  prudent  to 
take  a  local  guide.] 

Host  of  those  who  have  ascended  the 
Grossvenediger  from  Gschloss  have 
been  accompanied  by  a  guide  named 
Patterer,  but  more  commonly  known  as 
Staller  Nandl.  He  is  somewhat  ad- 
vanced in  years,  but  appears  to  be  a 
good  mountaineer.  He  is  content  with 
4  florins  as  daily  pay  for  glacier  expe- 
ditions. In  fine  weather  the  use  of  a 
local  guide  in  the  ascent  is  almost  con- 
fined to  the  preliminary  portion  of  the 
way,  which  is  \isually  accomplished  be- 
fore daylight.  The  true  coiu'se  to  be 
taken  is  sufficiently  obA-ious  to  any 
practised  mountaineer  who  views  the 
mountain  from  the  Gschloss  Alp.  The 
Schlaten  Glacier  descends  from  the  neve 
region  in  one  continuous  ice-fall,  about 
2,500  ft.  in  vertical  height;  but  there  is 
no  difficulty  in  ascending  along  its  1. 
bank,  partly  by  the  lateral  moraine,  and 
partly  by  the  slopes  of  the  Kesselkopf. 
As;  these  slopes  gradually  bend  to  the  rt., 
and  shut  out  the  view  of  the  Gschloss 
Alp,  it  is  best  to  bear  nearly  due  N., 
and  ascend  over  debris,  and  finally  by  a 
snow-slope,  to  the  ridge  connecting  the 
Kesselkopf  with  the  Kleinvenediger, 
and  dividing  the  neve  of  the  Schlaten 
from  that  of  the  Viltragen  Glacier. 
Being  now  nearly  on  a  level  with  the 
great  neve-basin  of  the  f -rmer  glacier, 
this  is  traversed  in  a  WSW.  direction, 
and  before  long  the  traveller  sees  before 
him  the  pyramidal  summit  of  the  prin- 


cipal peak,  with  the  Kleinvenediger  on 
the  rt.,  and  the  Eainerhorn,  or  Hennen- 
kopf,  to  the  left.     The  best  course  is  to 
;  aim  at  a  slight  depression  (about  11,200 
I  ft.  in  height;  in  the  ridge  connecting  the 
i  latter  with  the  central  peak,  and,  follow- 
j  ing  this,  the  traveller,  in  about  5  hrs. 
'  from  Gschloss,  if  the  snow  be  in  g<x)d 
condition,  may  reach  the  summit  of  the 
!       Grossvenediger  (12,053'). — The  name 
'  is  supposed  to  be  derived  from  a  rumoxir, 
j  or  fancy,  of  the  countrymen  who  reached 
I  the  summit  in  the  last  century  that  Ve- 
j  nice  had  been,  or  might  be,  discerned 
from  the  summit.     This  the  writer  be- 
lieves to  be  absolutely  impossible,  owing 
;  to  the  height  of  the  intervening  ranges 
'  of  the  Venetian  and  S.  Tvrol  Alps.     It 
'  is,  however,  rather  remarkable  that  the 
;  peak  lies  exactly  in  the  meridian  of  Ve- 
nice. As  already  mentioned,  the  summit 
is  not,  in  its  ordinary  state,  favourable 
for  a  panoramic  view,  as  the  topmost 
ridge  is  the  overhanging  crest  of  a  snow- 
wave,  whereon  the  climber  may  have  the 
satisfaction  of  setting  his  foot,  but  can- 
not  comfortably  repose   to   survey  the 
view.      For  the   descent   towards    the 
Sulzbachthal,  local   knowledge   on   the 
part  of  the  guide  is  more  needed  than 
for  the  ascent ;  but  the  writer  does  not 
know  that  any  one  of  the  local  guides  is 
well  acquainted  with  both  sides  of  the 
mountain.   The  way  lies  down  the  ridge 
that  connects  the  summit  with  the  Klein- 
venediger, steeper  than  that   by  which 
1  the   ascent  was    effected,  but   nowhere 
I  difficult.     Having  accomplished  about 
j  two-thirds  of  the  distance,  it  is  possible 
to  quit  the   ridge  (turning   sharply  to 
]  \^rN'W.),  and  cross  the   upper   neve  of 
I  the  Unter-Sulzbach  Glacier  towards  a 
I  mass  of  rock  that  projects  from  the  snow, 
called  by  the  guides  Keesschroffen,  and 
incorrectly     marked      '  Ober-Sulzbach- 
Thorl'  on  the  map  annexed  to  Sonklar's 
work. 

If  it  were  possible  to  descend  into  the 
Unter-Sulzbaehthal  by  the  glacier  of  the 
same  name,  that  would  be  the  shortest 
course  for  reaching  the  Pinzgau  ;  but  as 
that  glacier  may  be  said  to  be  unex- 
plored, it  would  be  wiser  to  attempt  the 


ROUTE    F. ASCENT   OF    THE    GROSSVKNEDIGER. 


261 


ascent  rather  than  the  descent  by  that 
route,  and  it  is  better  to  try  the  com- 
l)aratively  well-known  course  by  the 
Ober-Sulzbach  Grlacier.  The  Kees- 
schroffen  (about  9,750')  lies  on  the 
slightly  projecting  ridge  which  divides 
the  neve  of  the  latter  from  that  of  the 
Unter-Sulzbach  Grlacier,  and  from  thence 
the  way  lies  for  a  consideraljle  distance 
nearly  due  W.,  down  slightly  inclined 
snow-slopes,  until  it  approaches  the 
point  where  the  glacier  turns  northward, 
and  descends  into  the  valley.  There  is 
now  a  choice  of  two  courses  to  reach 
the  Ober-Sulzbachthal.  It  is  possible 
to  keep  to  the  slopes  of  the  Stierlaner 
Wand  that  overlook  the  rt.  bank  of  the 
glacier,  and  so  reach  the  valley  without 
again  touching  the  ice.  But  the  rocks 
are  extremely  steep  and  much  broken, 
and  the  passage  is  scarcely  practicable 
without  minute  local  knowledge ;  and  it 
will  be  found  better  to  cross  the  glacier 
diagonally  to  the  1.  bank,  and  descend 
partly  by  the  ice,  partly  by  the  rocky 
slopes.  On  both  sides  of  the  glacier, 
care  is  needed,  owing  to  the  shattered 
condition  of  the  rocks,  which  yield  to 
the  slightest  touch.  With  some  trouble 
from  rough  ground,  and  bridgeless 
glacier  torrents,  the  traveller  may  count 
on  reaching  the  highest  Sennhiitten  of 
the  Ober-Sulzbachthal.  Ample  time 
should  be  allowed  for  the  descent,  as 
the  stranger  must  count  on  encoimtering 
difficulties  by  the  way.  The  scenery  at 
the  head  of  the  Ober-Sulzbachthal  is 
very  tine.  The  conical  snow-peak  seen 
at  the  head  of  the  glacier,  commonly 
pointed  out  as  the  G-rossvenediger  by 
the  people  of  the  valley,  is  the  G-ross- 
geiger  (10,915'),  lying  rather  more  than 
2  m.  WSW.  of  the  true  summit.  The 
valley  is  remarkable  for  the  extreme 
steepness  of  the  ridges  that  enclose  it, 
but  especially  that  on  the  W.  side,  di- 
viding it  from  Krimml.  It  consists  of 
two  nearly  level  tracts,  separated  by  a 
high  step,  wherein  the  torrent  descends 
about  1,600  ft.  in  a  distance  of  1^  m., 
forming  in  one  place,  near  the  Weyeralp, 
a  fine  waterfall  300  ft.  in  height.  Near 
the  same  point,  another  waterfall  is  seen 


on  the  W.  side  of  the  valley,  formed  by 
the  Seebach,  which  descends  from  a 
small  lake,  perched,  at  a  great  height, 
on  the  ridge  dividing  this  from  the 
Krimmler  Thai.  The  track  keeps  all  the 
way  to  the  rt.  bank  of  the  Sulzbach 
torrent  till  it  approaches  the  opening  of 
the  valley.  It  then  passes  to  the  op- 
posite bank,  and  soon  after  crosses  the 
Salza,  and  reaches  the  high-road  (§  50, 
Ete.  A)  at  Rosenthal,  about  20  min. 
from  Wald,  or  ^  lir.  W.  of  NeuJcirchen. 

As  already  mentioned,  the  writer  is 
not  aware  that  any  traveller  has  yet 
effected  the  passage  of  the  main  range 
of  the  Tauern  Alps,  to  the  head  of  the 
Untcr-Sulzbachthal,  but  there  is  little 
doubt  that  such  a  pass  may  be  effected, 
and  that  it  would  be  at  once  interesting 
and  not  very  laborious.  It  may  be  best 
undertaken  from  the  N.  side,  and  the 
following  brief  notes  may  be  found  ser- 
viceable. The  Unter-Sulzbach  joins  the 
Salza  at  a  point  less  tlian  1  m.  E.  of  the 
junction  of  the  Ober-Sulzbach,  and  SW. 
of  the  village  of  Neukirehen.  Close  to 
the  opening  of  the  valley,  it  forms  a 
waterfall,  remarkable  even  in  this  re- 
gion for  the  great  volume  of  water,  and 
the  savageness  of  the  surrounding  scene. 
A  path  and  a  sort  of  platform  have 
been  constructed  to  enable  visitors  to 
see  it  to  advantage.  The  fall  marks 
the  lowest  of  the  five  successive  steps, 
by  which  the  floor  of  the  valley  rises  to 
the  level  of  the  great  glacier  that  fills 
its  head.  This  is  considered  the  wildest 
of  the  tributary  valleys  of  the  Pinzgau, 
being  enclosed  on  either  side  by  ranges 
of  extraordinary  height  and  steepness. 
That  on  the  E.  side,  dividing  this  from 
the  Habachthal,  is  locally  called  Gemsen- 
gebirge,  and  derives  its  name  from  the 
abundance  of  chamois  and  other  game, 
due  to  its  difficulty  of  access.  It  in- 
cludes several  peaks  exceeding  10,500  ft. 
in  height,  and  one  pass — the  Kessel- 
scharte  (8,739') — by  which  chamois  hun- 
ters reach  the  Habachthal.  Another 
pass,  called  Fahkiamm,  leads  to  the 
Ober-Sulzbachthal.  The  lower  part  of 
the  Unter-Sulzbachthal  is  traversed  by 
a  cart  track  leading  to  a  copper  mine, 


262  CENTRAL    TYROL    ALPS.       §  51.    GROSSGLOCKNER   DISTRICT. 


l)ut  beyond  this  the  traveller  finds  only 
a  cattle-track,  which,  after  following  the 
1.  bank  for  a  short  way  above  the  copper 
mine,  returns  to  the  E.  side  of  the  valley, 
and  follows  it  to  the  highest  Sennhiitteu. 
Nothing  can  exceed  the  wildness  of  the 
scenery.  Huge  blocks  of  gneiss,  fallen 
from  the  precipices  above,  almost  bar 
tiie  way,  and  the  path  winds  tediously 
amongst  them.  The  highest  chalets  are 
at  the  Qber-Aschamalp  (5,371')-  From 
the  upper  end  of  the  valley,  none  of  the 
higher  snow-peaks  are  visible,  and  the 
greater  part  of  the  glacier  is  concealed 
by  the  steep  slope  of  its  lower  extremity. 
But  very  fine  views  are  gained  from  the 
slopes  that  overlook  it,  and  especially 
from  a  point  called  Langeck  (9,44:1'),  at 
a  considerable  height  above  its  rt.  bank. 
This  appears  to  be  level  with  the  upper 
neve-basin,  which  is  described  as  gently 
inclined  and  free  from  crevasses,  but  is 
separated  from  the  middle  and  steeper 
part  of  the  ice-stream  by  a  great  trans- 
verse crevasse  or  Bergschrund —  said  to 
run  across  its  entire  breadth.  It  seems 
probable  that  the  upper  plateau  may  be 
attained  from  the  rt.  bank  of  the  glacier, 
but  this  awaits  further  exploration. 
HaA-ing  gained  the  upper  level  of  the 
neve,  there  would  be  no  difficulty  in 
reaching  the  UnUr-Stdzbach-Th'orl 
(9,691'),  a  depression  in  the  ridge  con- 
necting the  Kleinvenediger  with  the 
Hohe  Filrleg,  and  dividing  the  neve  of 
the  Viltragen  Glacier  from  that  of 
the  Unter-Sulzbach.  It  is  doubtful 
whether  the  easiest  way  to  Gschloss 
may  be  to  descend  the  Viltragen  Glacier, 
which  is  much  less  steep  and  crevassed 
than  the  neighbouring  Schlaten  Glacier, 
or  to  cross  nearly  at  a  level  from  the 
Thorl  to  the  ridge  W.  of  the  Kesselkopf, 
and  thence  descend  by  the  way  above 
described  in  the  ascent  of  the  Gross- 
venediger.  It  is  somewhat  remarkable 
that,  while  the  Unter-Sulzbach  Glacier 
has  advanced  of  late  years  about  330  ft, 
the  Ober-Sulzbach  Glacier  should  have 
retired  nearly  an  equal  distance  within 
the  same  period. 

The  next  tributary  valley  of  the  Salza 
eastward  of  the  Unter-Sulzbachthal  is 


the  Habachthal  (a  corrupt  form  of  Heu- 
bachthal).  It  is  in  regard  to  the  range 
at  the  head  of  this  valley  that  the 
widest  diiferences  are  found  between 
the  maps  of  Sonklar  and  Keil,  not  only 
as  to  the  nomenclature,  but  also  as  to 
the  conformation  of  the  ground;  and 
strange  to  say,  a  similar  discrepancy  is 
found  between  the  brief  descriptive  re- 
marks of  these  writers,  both  careful  and 
scientific  observers.  Sonklar  describes 
it  as  being  throughout  a  narrow  cleft, 
enclosed  between  rugged  walls  of  rock, 
through  whose  sombre  and  drearily 
wild  scenery  the  path  mounts  in  a  con- 
tinuous, but  not  steep,  ascent  from  its 
junction  with  the  Salza  at  Habach  to 
the  glacier  that  closes  its  upper  end ; 
while  Keil  finds  that  it  presents  a 
smiling  contrast  to  the  savage  scenery 
of  the  Unter-Sulzbachthal.  It  is  certain 
that  the  valley  is  so  narrow,  and  the 
walls  so  steep,  that  the  snow  from 
winter  and  spring  avalanches  remains 
in  the  valley  unmelted  till  late  in  the 
summer,  and  that  rocks  often  fall  from 
the  surrounding  heights.  Sonklar  no- 
ticed one  enormous  block  that  fell  in 
1859,  near  to  the  Prossing  Alp.  Eme- 
ralds are  found  at  a  height  of  over  8,00') 
ft.  on  the  lofty  and  steep  "Watzfeld 
range  which  separates  this  from  the 
Hollersbachthal. 

The  Habach  Glacier  is  the  smallest 
of  those  that  descend  into  the  valleys 
radiating  from  the  higher  peaks  of  the 
Venediger  group,  but  descends  to  a 
comparatively  low  level — 6,060  ft.  It 
appears  doubtful  whether  a  direct 
passage  between  the  Habachthal  and 
Gschloss  has  yet  been  accomplished. 
There  is  little  doubt  that  native  hunt- 
ers have  traversed  a  pass  (9,528  ft. 
in  height)  between  the  Schwarzkopf 
(10,426')  and  the  Graukogd  (9,946')— 
which  latter  appears  to  be  the  Kratzen- 
bergkopf  of  Keil's  map.  But  this 
pass  does  not  apparently  lead  across 
the  main  chain,  but  rather  to  the  upper 
basin  of  the  Hollersbachthal,  and  to 
reach  Gschloss.  it  would  be  necessary  to 
cross  the  Plenitz-Scharte  mentioned  be- 
low.    In  case,  however,  M.  Keil  be  coy- 


ROUTE    G. WINDISCH-MATREY    TO    ElilMML    BY   THE    VIRGENTHAL.    263 


rect  in   thinking  that  the  Hohe  Fiirleg 
(11,114')    may   be    ascended    without  | 
much    difficulty  from  the  head   of  the  j 
Habachthal,  there  can  be   little  doubt 
that  the  descent  on  the  Grscliloss  side  | 
may  also  be  effected,  although  perhaps  ! 
not  without   difficulty.     In  attempting 
this  expedition,  it  would  be  advisable  to 
start  from  the  Grschloss  side. 

From  the  preceding  pages,  the  reader 
•will  have  drawn  the  conclusion  that  the 
three  uppermost  lateral  valleys  of  the 
Pinzgau,  if  accessible  from  G-schloss, 
can  be  reached  only  by  rather  long  gla- 
cier expeditions,  for  which  the  traveller 
should  have  the  assistance  of  good 
guides,  and  be  favoured  by  weather. 
There  is  a  fourth  valley  through  which 
the  Pinzgau  may  be  reached  from  the 
head  of  the  Isel-Tauernthal,  by  passes 
that  are  much  shorter  than  those 
hitherto  spoken  of,  though  not  so  easy 
as  to  be  recommended  to  inexperienced 
travellers  without  good  guides.  This 
valley  is  the  Holler shachthal,  whose  tor- 
rent enters  the  Pinzgau  at  the  village  of 
Holler shach,  about  3|  m.  W.  of  Mittersill. 
A  track  mounts  from  that  village  along 
the  E.  bank  of  the  stream,  surmounting 
four  successive  steps  in  the  floor  of  the 
valley,  till,  at  the  Ober-Rossgrubalp 
(.5,201'),  the  valley  divides  into  two 
branches.  The  SW.  branch,  locally 
called  Easberg,  leads  up  to  the  Easberg- 
see  (6,736'?),  erroneously  called "Weissen- 
egger  See  on  Keil's  map,  M-hich  re- 
ceives the  drainage  of  the  snow-slopes 
and  small  glaciers  that  surround  the 
head  of  this  glen.  The  SE.  or  Weissen- 
egg  branch  of  the  valley  ascends  more 
gently,  and  is  enclosed  by  ranges  that 
are  nearly  free  from  permanent  snow. 

For  the  traveller  starting  from  the 
Tauernhaus,  the  most  direct  way  to 
Hollersbach  is  by  the  Weisse7iegger 
Scharie  (about  8,800'  ?),  also  known  as 
Hullersbacher  Tauern.  The  ascent  is 
steep,  and  a  small  glacier  which  de- 
scends from  the  pass  on  the  N.  side  is 
steep  and  almost  dangerous  when  the 
surface  is  hard  frozen,  but  easily  tra- 
versed when  the  sun  has  softened  the 
upper  crust.     The  descent  through  the 


"VVeissenegg  is  easy,  and  the  traveller, 
on  reaching  the  junction  of  the  torrent 
with  that  from  the  Easbergsee,  finds  a 
track  leading  in  2-^  hrs.  to  Hollersbach. 
Starting  from  Gschloss,  a  shorter  and 
rather  more  interesting  route  is  by  the 
Flenitz-Scharte.  This  is  a  snow  (or 
glacier)  pass  NW.  of  the  Gschlossalp, 
whence  it  is  said  that  there  is  no  diffi- 
culty in  descending  to  the  Easbergsee. 
The  height  of  the  Plenitz  Scharte  pass 
has  not  been  ascertained.  The  measure- 
ment given  by  Sonklar — 9,630  ft. — ap- 
plies to  an  eminence  in  the  ridge  con- 
siderably higher  than  the  pass. 

Additional  information  as  to  the 
passes  here  noticed  will  be  thankfully 
received. 


EOUTE  Gr. 

WlXDISCH-ilATEEY    TO    KRIMMX    BY    THB 
TIBGEXTHAL. 

In  the  preceding  Ete.  the  higher 
peaks  and  glaciers  of  the  Venediger 
group  were  approached  from  the  E. 
side,  starting  from  the  Tauemthal  or 
northern  branch  of  the  Isel  valley.  In 
the  present  Ete.  the  S.  side  of  the  same 
great  mass  is  to  be  visited  through  the 
Virgejithal,  which  is  pronounced  by 
competent  judges  to  include  scenery 
even  surpassing  in  grandeur  and  va- 
riety that  of  the  other  valleys  of  this 
part  of  the  High  Tauern  range.  The 
4 


2G4 


CENTRAL    TYROL    ALPS.       S   51.    GROSSGLOCKXER    DISTRICT. 


torrent  of  the  Virgenthal  retains  the  , 
name  Isel,  and  is,  in  truth,  the  chief 
branch  of  that  stream,  and  the  valley 
itself  is  sometimes  called  Mittel-Isel- 
thal,  sometimes  Ober-Iselthal,  names 
here  rejected  as  tending  to  create  con- 
fusion. Though  still  rarely  visited  by 
English  travellers,  this  part  of  the  range 
has  been  made  more  accessible,  since 
the  inn  at  Pregratten  has  been  much 
improved,  and  good  shelter  for  the 
night  is  found  at  the  Johannishiitte, 
near  the  base  of  the  Isel  Glacier. 

As  mentioned  in  Ete.  E,  the  Virgen- 
thal opens  due  W.  of  Windisch-Matrey, 
and  as  far  as  Pregratten  it  is  traversed 
by  a  rough  road  over  which  it  may  be 
possible,  though  scarcely  pleasant,  to 
travel  in  a  light  eiyispdmiigen  Wagen. 
This  keeps  to  the  N.  slope  of  the  valley, 
passing  opposite  the  remarkable  church 
of  St.  Nicholas  (see  Ete.  E).  In  about 
1  hr.  the  pedestrian  reaches  Mitteldorf 
(3,924'),  and  in  ^  hr.  farther, 

Virgen  (3,940'),  the  chief  place  in 
the  lower  division  of  the  valley,  with  a 
rather  rough  but  clean  country  inn 
(Panzl's).  Though  the  position  is  not 
so  fine  as  that  of  Pregratten,  this  is  a 
convenient  centre  for  some  excursions. 
The  summits  of  the  Virgen  range,  divi- 
ding this  valley  from  Defereggen, 
several  of  which  exceed  9,000  ft.  in 
height,  must  command  very  fine  pano- 
ramic views,  and  in  this  respect  the 
Zuinigkopf  (9,078')  is  probably  to  be 
preferred. 

[Two  passes  lead  across  the  same 
ridge  to  the  Defereggenthal,  both  com- 
manding very  fine  views.  The  nearer 
of  the  two,  which,  in  default  of  a  local 
name,  may  be  called  Stemkas  Pass 
(about  8,500'?),  is  reached  by  a  path 
that  mounts  SW.  in  about  2  hrs.  to  the 
head  of  a  glen  called  Steinkasthal,  sur- 
rounded by  a  steep  and  high  amphithe- 
atre of  rock  ;  2  hrs.  more  are  required 
for  the  ascent  to  a  point  some  way  E.  of 
the  Steinkasko]^/ {9,006').  The  descent 
on  the  N.  side  is  extremely  steep,  pass- 
ing two  terraces  on  the  slope  of  the 
mountain.  3^  hrs.  (or  less?)  suffice  to 
reach  St.  Veit  (Ete.  K),  which  lies  due 


S.  of  the  pass.  To  reach  the  more 
easterly  and  more  frequented  pass,  lead- 
ing to  St.  Leonhard,  the  traveller  must 
follow  the  lower  road  to  Pregratten 
nearly  as  far  as  Welzelach.  W.  of 
that  village,  the  glen  of  the  Mulitz  sends 
its  torrent  to  join  the  Isel.  Exoni  a 
cross,  which  commands  a  fine  view,  just 
above  the  village,  the  path  through  the 
Mulitz  mounts  above  the  1.  bank,  and 
after  H  m.  of  nearly  constant  ascent 
carries  the  traveller  to  a  comparatively 
level  reach,  where  many  Sennhutten  en- 
liven the  pastures.  Here  the  path 
crosses  to  the  rt.  bank,  and  ascends  to 
the  head  of  the  glen,  which  finally  bends 
to  the  rt.,  or  somewhat  N.  of  W.,  where 
broad  slopes  of  debris  extend  to  the 
flanks  of  the  Lasorling.  The  way  to 
the  pass  keeps  nearly  due  S.,  avoiding 
the  last  bend  of  the  stream,  and  mounts 
over  rocky  slopes,  here  and  there 
patched  with  snow,  to  the  Mulitz-  JTiorl 
(8,911'),  reached  in  4  hrs.  from  Welze- 
lach. The  view  in  both  directions  is  of 
a  high  order.  On  the  S.  side,  the  de- 
scent is  easy,  chiefly  over  Alpine  pastures, 
until  the  pine  forests  are  reached  that 
clothe  the  slopes  of  the  Defereggenthal. 
If  bound  for  St.  Leonhard  or  St.  Jakob, 
the  course  from  the  pass  lies  at  first 
SW.,  then  WSW.,  until  the  glen  of  the 
Tegischbach  is  reached,  which  leads 
southward  into  the  main  valley  near  St. 
Leonhard,  rather  more  than  3  hrs.  from 
the  pass.  St.  Veit  is  about  equally  dis- 
tant, but  lies  SE.  of  the  Thorl] 

In  going  from  Virgen  to  Pregratten, 
the  traveller  has  a  choice  of  ways.  The 
road  descends  towards  the  Isel,  and, 
after  following  the  1.  bank  for  some  dis- 
tance, crosses  to  the  opposite  side  before 
reaching  the  junction  of  the  Mulitz  tor- 
rent. A  short  way  beyond  it,  and 
about  1  hr.  from  Virgen,  it  reaches 
Welzelach  (3,892').  Here  the  main 
valley  seems  to  be  closed  by  the  rocks 
that  rise  abruptly,  and  appear  to  bar 
further  progress.  The  road  enters  a 
narrow  gorge,  through  which  the  Isel 
flows  southward  for  more  than  1  m., 
until  the  valley  turns  abruptly,  and  re- 
sumes its  upward  course  about  due  W. 


ROUTE    G. EXCURSIONS    FROM    PREGRATTEN. 


At  the  hamlet  of  Bowojach,  where  the 
road  returns  to  that  bank,  it  is  joined 
by  the  horse-track  from  Virgen,  which 
is  both  a  shorter  and  more  interesting 
way  for  the  pedestrian.  This  keeps  to 
the  N.  side  of  the  valley,  rather  high 
above,  and  distant  from  the  Isel.  Pass- 
ing the  village  of  Ober-Mauer  (4,305'), 
whose  church  is  noticed  in  Rte.  E,  it 
winds  along  the  slopes,  which  command 
extensive  \'iews  of  the  ranges  to  the  S. 
and  AY.,  till  it  rejoins  the  road,  and 
then  follows  the  1.  bank  of  the  Isel  to 

Fregratten  (4,330'),  the  chief  place  in 
the  upper  Virgenthal,  about  3|-  hrs.from 
Windisch-Matrey.  The  inn,  formerly 
very  poor,  is  said  to  be  improved.  The 
parish  priest  formerly  gave  good  ac- 
commodation to  a  few  travellers  in  his 
house,  but  it  is  uncertain  wlaether  this 
is  still  afforded.  The  position  of  Pre- 
gratten  has  been  compared  to  that  of 
Heiligenblut  without  much  reason. 
There  the  stranger's  interest  is  concen- 
trated on  a  single  picture  of  surpassing 
grandeur ;  while  here  he  finds  far 
greater  variety,  though  no  single  scene 
monopolises  his  attention.  Travellers 
who  intend  making  glacier  excursions 
from  the  Johannishiitte  (mentioned 
below)  must  secure  the  services  of  one 
of  the  Stein  er  family,  to  whom  the  cus- 
tody of  that  building  is  confided.  Three 
of  that  name  now  exercise  the  profession 
of  guide,  and  of  these.  Urban  is  said  to 
be  the  best  moimtaineer.  Besides  these, 
Balthasar  Ploner,  and  Kassian  and 
Andra  Berger,  are  recommended  as  com- 
petent men. 

Pregratten  stands  at  the  junction 
with  the  Isel  of  the  torrent  from  the 
Timmlthal,  a  short  glen  through  which 
it  is  possible  to  make  the  ascent  of  the 
Grossvenediger,  or  the  Eainerhorn. 
The  way  leads  by  the  Wallhorn  Alp, 
and  thence  to  the  head  of  the  glen, 
whence  the  upper  neve  of  the  Mullwitz 
Glacier  is  reached  by  traversing  the 
rather  steep  ridge  of  the  Wallhorn- 
Beharte.  This  is  the  most  direct,  but 
ft  somewhat  difficult  way.  As  it  is 
necessary  either  to  start  from  Pregrat- 
ten or  to  seek  wretched  night-quarters 


265 


at  the  Wallhorn  Alp,  most  travellers 
I  will  prefer  to  start  from  the  Johannis- 
■  hutte  (6,954').  This  is  a  solid  stone  cot- 
tage, giving  good  shelter  for  twelve  per- 
j  sons,  built  by  the  late  Archduke  John* 
and  lately  improved  by  the  Austrian 
!  Alpine  Club,  at  the  upper  end  of  the 
'  Dorferthal,  also  called  Klein- Iselthaly 
^  which  joinsthemaiu  valley  at  Islitzabout 

1  hr.  W.  of  Pregratten.  A  further  walk  of 

2  hrs.  amid  fine  scenery,  enlivened  by 
numerous  waterfalls,  suffices  to  reach  the 
Hiitte.  This  stands  close  to  the  lower 
end  of  two  glaciers  of  the  first  order, 
both  of  which  give  access  to  the  upper 
snow-fields  of  the  Venediger  group.  That 
which  descends  from  the  X.  in  the  pro- 
longation of  the  axis  of  the  Dorferthal 
is  the  Dorfer  Glacier  {Isel  Glacier  of 
Sonklar),  which  is  formed  by  the  union 
of  two  great  ice-streams.  The  larger 
northern  branch  descends  from  a  neve- 
basin  bounded  by  the  Grosshapp 
(10,832'),  the  Gross-Geiger  (10,915), 
the  ridge  extending  thence  to  the  Q-ross- 
venediger,  and  that  connecting  the 
latter  with  the  Aderspitz  (11,493'). 
The  XE.  branch  of  the  Dorfer  Glacier 
(Eainerkees  of  Keil)  is  divided  from 
the  northern  branch  by  a  massive  but- 
tress of  rock  descending  southward  from 
the  Aderspitz,  locally  called  Keesfleck. 
It  must  be  understood  that  the  latter  is 
a  generic  name  given  in  this  district  to 
an  island  of  rock  projecting  through  the 
surface  of  the  Kees  or  neve.  The  Eai- 
nerkees originates  between  the  Ader- 
spitz and  the  Eainerhorn  (11,703'),  and 
is  bounded  on  the  E.  side  by  a  ridge 
— called  Mullwitz  Ader — extending  S. 
from  the  latter  peak  through  the 
Klein-Gdger  (10,507'),  and  terminating 
close  to  the  Johannishiitte.  The  second 
great  glacier  of  the  valley — the  Mull- 

j  witz  Glacier — descends  from  the  E.  side 
of  this  last-mentioned  ridge,  and  comes 
to  an  end  EXE.  of  the  Johannishiitte, 
at  a  height  of  7,503  ft.,  while  the  Dorfer 
Glacier  descends  more  than  600  ft. 
lower,  to  6,886  ft.  A  series  of  wet 
seasons  might,  however,  suffice  to  unite 
these  glacier  streams. 

Professor  Simony  has  given  a  good 


2CG 


CENTRAL    TYROL    ALPS.       §  51.    GROSSGLOCKNER    DISTRICT. 


account  of  the  ascent  of  the  Grossvene- 
diger  from  this  side.  Crossing  dia- 
gonally the  main  branch  of  the  Dorfer 
Glacier  from  the  W.  to  the  E.  moraine, 
his  party  ascended  along  the  ridge,  above 
mentioned,  that  extends  S.  from  the 
Aderspitz,  The  summit  of  this  ridge 
was  reached  by  a  long,  but  seemingly 
not  difficult,  snow-slope  (Schneeleiten), 
and  thence  they  gained  the  depression 
in  the  ridge  between  the  Kainerhorn 
and  the  highest  peak,  which  is  also 
aimed  at  in  the  ascent  from  Gschloss 
(seelastEte.).  In  recent  ascents,  a  some- 
what easier,  but  decidedly  longer,  course 
has  been  preferred.  The  way  crosses 
diagonally  the  Mullwitz  Glacier,  from 
the  1.  to  the  rt.  bank,  and  then  ascends 
the  steep  slopes  until  the  summit  of 
the  Klein-Geiger  is  attained.  Thence- 
forward the  course  is  perfectly  easy,  but 
circuitous,  passing  round  the  E.  and  N. 
sides  of  the  Rainerhorn,  and  gaining 
the  ridge  between  this  and  the  Gross- 
venediger  from  the  N.  instead  of  the 
S.  side. 

When,  as  sometimes  happens,  the  snow 
of  the  Venediger  overhangs  to  a  perilous 
extent,  the  summit  of  the  Eainerhorn 
(11,703')  is  decidedly  a  finer  point  for  a 
panoramic  view.  The  writer  has  adopted 
the  name  given  to  the  summit  by  Keil 
and  Simony  in  honour  of  the  Archduke 
Eainer,  a  good  mountaineer,  who  has 
ascended  the  Venediger  and  several  other 
peaks  of  this  district,  because  of  the 
utter  uncertainty  attached  to  its  other 
designations.  The  name,  Hennenkopf, 
given  on  the  Kataster  map,  and  on  the 
far  weightier  authority  of  Sonklar,  has 
no  foundation  in  local  usage.  The  peak 
is  often  called  Kleinvenediger  on  the 
Pregratten  side,  and  in  Gschloss  ap- 
pears to  be  known  as  Hoher  Zaun. 
Some  of  the  differences  between  Son- 
klar's  map  and  that  of  Keil  may  be  ac- 
counted for  by  the  fact  that  the  former 
traveller  encountered  bad  weather  in 
both  his  attempts  to  reach  the  summit 
of  the  Grossvenediger. 

The  Grosshapp  {10,%Z2'),  rising  NW. 
of  the  Johannishiitte,  and  reached  by  a 
stiff  climb  of  3  hrs.,  commands  an  ex- 


cellent view  of  the  chief  peaks  of  the 
Venediger  range. 

The  traveller  wishing  to  reach  KJrimml 
by  a  glacier  route  may  well  choose  the 
Dorfer- Sulzbacher  77^6VZ  (9,438'),  a  com- 
paratively low  pass  over  the  main  range 
between  the  Gross-Geiger  and  Gross- 
venediger, connecting  the  neve  of  the 
Dorfer  with  that  of  the  Ober-Sulzbach 
Glacier.  The  main  branch  of  the  Dorfer 
Glacier  is  remarkably  free  from  cre- 
vasses, and  the  summit  of  the  pass  is 
reached  with  ease  in  2^  hrs.  from  the 
Hiitte.  Inasmuch  as  the  real  difficulties 
of  this  route  lie  on  the  Ober-Sulzbach 
Glacier  (see  last  Rte.j,  it  is,  perhaps, 
wiser  to  start  from  that  side,  with  the 
advantage  of  a  guide  possessing  minute 
local  knowledge,  not  owned  by  most  of 
the  Pregratten  guides. 

Various  excursions  maybe  made  from 
Pregratten,  on  the  S.  side  of  the  main 
valley,  to  points  commanding  favourable 
views  of  the  snowy  range.  The  most 
easily  reached  is  the  Bergerkopf  {%,10b'), 
lying  due  S.  of  the  village.  Sonklar 
speaks  in  the  highest  terms  of  the  view 
from  the  Lasbrling  (10,171'),  a  peak 
with  two  summits  (of  which  the  southern 
is  lower  by  21  ft.)  somewhat  difficult  of 
access,  from  its  extreme  steepness  on  all 
sides.  With  the  assistance  of  Joh. 
Kratzer,  an  excellent  mountaineer,  ac- 
cidentally met  at  the  Lasnitzen  Alp,  he 
ascended  from  the  head  of  the  Lasnitz- 
entkal,  but  descended  by  a  small  glacier 
on  the  E.  side  of  the  highest  peak  (called 
Musspitz  on  the  Austrian  military  map) 
to  the  head  of  the  Zopatnitze'nthal.  This 
latter  very  picturesque  glen  appears  to 
the  writer  to  offer  the  best  way  to  the 
summit — certainly  the  shortest  from 
Pregratten. 

If  the  traveller  should  not  select  that 
route  to  Krimml,  he  should  not  omit  to 
make  an  excursion  from  Pregratten  to 
the  Maurer  Glacier,  one  of  the  lai^est 
and  most  remarkable  of  those  in  this 
district.  It  falls  into  the  head  of  the 
Maurcrthal,  a  wild  lateral  glen  parallel 
to  the  Dorferthal,  which  joins  the  main 
valley  about  ^  hr.  W.  of  the  latter,  at  a 
farmhouse  called  Strbden  (4,51 4'^     An 


ROUTE  G. — PASSES  AT  THE  HEAD  OF  THE  VIHGENTHAL. 


2G7 


ascent  of  about  600  ft.  by  the  1.  bank  of 
tiie  torrent  leads  to  the  Gbriach  Alp, 
where  a  large  group  of  Sennhutten  stands 
in  the  midst  of  a  comparatively  level 
tract.  To  this  succeeds  a  much  longer 
ascent  of  fully  1,000  ft.,  where  the  glacier 
stream  falls  in  a  succession  of  cascades, 
and  the  traveller  reaches  the  foot  of  the 
glacier  at  a  height  of  6,750  ft.  Here 
two  great  ice-streams  meet  nearly  at  rt. 
angles,  but  do  not,  as  usually  happens 
in  such  cases,  unite  in  a  single  channel. 
The  western  branch — Dellach  Glacier  of : 
Sonklar,  or  Simony-Kees  of  Keil — being 
the  more  copious  of  the  two — flows 
across  the  valley,  and  abuts  against  its 
eastern  slope,  carrying  its  1.  moraine 
across  the  true  Maurer  Glacier,  which, 
descending  from  the  N.,  seems  to  ter- 
minate about  the  point  where  it  meets 
the  other  ice -stream.  The  Dellach  Glacier 
is  excessively  crevassed,  while  the  Maurer 
branch  proper  is  easily  traversed.  Keep- 
ing due  N.,the  traveller  may  reach,  at 
its  head,  a  depression  in  the  main  chain, 
called  Maurer-Sulzbach  Thbrl  (about 
9,540'),  which  leads  to  the  SW.  corner 
of  the  neve-basin  of  the  Ober-Sulzbach 
Glacier.  There  seems  to  be  no  doubt  as 
to  the  possibility  of  reaching  the  neve  of 
the  Ki'imml  Glacier  by  bearing  to  the  1. 
on  the  SW.  side  of  the  Hinter-Maurer- 
kopf  (10,701').  This  is  the  Ileiligen- 
geist-Keeskogel  of  Sonklar ;  but  as  that 
name  originates  in  a  topographical  error 
on  the  part  of  the  people  of  the  upper 
Pinzgau,  it  seems  desirable  to  abandon 
it.  The  possibility  of  descending  into 
the  Krimmler  Thai,  either  by  the  Krimml 
Glacier  or  along  its  lateral  moraine,  and 
thereby  effecting  a  direct  pass  between 
Krimml  and  Pregratten,  remains  to  be 
decided  by  future  explorers.  It  may 
best  be  attempted  by  starting  from  the 
Tauernhaus  on  the  Krimml  side.  The 
traveller  who  does  not  intend  crossing 
the  main  chain  by  the  Maurer-Sulzbach 
Thorl  may  best  visit  the  Maurerthal 
from  the  Johannishiitte,  by  traversing 
a  fine  pass  (known  to  the  local  guides) 
near  to  a  point  called  Thiirml.  He  may  : 
on  the  same  day  return  to  Pregratten, 
or  else  seek  night-quarters  at  the  Bciwell 


Alp  (4,943'),  with  a  view  to  exploring 
the  uppermost  end  of  the  main  valley. 
It  is  unfortunate  for  travellers  that 
there  is  no  inn,  or  even  tolerable  shelter 
for  the  night,  in  the  immediate  neigh- 
bourhood of  the  iJmbal  Glacier.  The 
Bowell  Alp  lies  about  1  m.  W.  of  Stroden, 
near  the  entrance  of  the  fine  defile 
through  which  the  westernmost  branch 
of  the  Isel  descends  from  its  parent 
glacier.  S.  of  the  alp  the  Kleinbach, 
and  a  few  hundred  yards  farther  W., 
the  Grossbach,  joins  the  Isel.  Along 
the  latter  stream,  a  track  mounts  SSW. 
to  the  Troyer  Thorl  (8,495'),  the  easiest 
and  most  frequented  pass  from  the  up- 
per Virgenthal  to  Defereggen.  From 
the  summit,  the  way  lies  SE.,  through 
the  Troyerthal,  to  St.  Jakob  (Ete.  K). 

The  western  extremity  of  the  Virgen- 
thal, above  the  junction  of  the  Gross- 
bach,  is  often  called  Umbalthal,  but  we 
follow  Keil  in  reserving  that  name  for 
the  last  NW.  branch  leading  up  to  the 
Umbal  Glacier.  The  main  valley  comes 
to  an  end  about  2  hrs.  W.  of  Stroden, 
at  the  base  of  a  group  of  lofty  peaks 
whose  highe.'-t  summits  are  the  Bodt" 
spitz {\\,^b^'),  or  Wcletzkopf,  Taharspitz 
(11,154'),  amd  Klei-nglockhaus  (11,238') 
— the  latter  being  several  hundred  ft. 
higher  than  the  Grossglockhaus,  which 
stands  about  2  m.  to  NW.,  overlooking 
Kasern,  in  Prettau.  The  first-named 
peak,  which  is  accessible  without  much 
diflSculty,  must  command  a  remarkably 
fine  panoramic  view.  It  forms  part 
of  the  range  of  the  Tauern  Alps,  ex- 
tending "WSW.  of  the  Dreiherrn  spitz, 
and  dividing  the  head  of  the  Ahrenthal 
from  the  aflSuents  of  the  Drave,  while 
the  others  form  part  of  a  lateral 
ridge  projecting  southward  from  the 
Eodtspitz,  and  dividing  the  Virgen- 
thal from  the  uppermost  NW.  branch 
of  the  Defereggenthal.  At  the  head  of 
the  Virgenthal,  two  short  glens  unite 
tlieir  torrents  to  form  the  main  branch 
of  the  Isel— from  the  SW.  the  Tabar- 
thal,  from  the  NNW.  the  Umbalthal. 
The  Tabarthal  divides  into  three  short 
branches,  through  one  of  which,  called 
Sidzba^h,  the  traveller  may  traverse  a 


26.^ 


:;entral  tyrol  alps.     §  51.  grossglockner  district. 


pass  called  Sidzhach-Tharl,  said  to  be  j 
fatiguing   and  rather  difficult,  and   so 
reach  the  Jagdhaus  Alp  at  the  head  of  ; 
the   Defereggenthal.     Another  branch,  ;' 
turning  to  SE.,  leads  over  the  Kaseck-  \ 
scharte  (erroneously  marked  as  Troyer  ' 
Thorl  on  Sonklar's  map)  to  the  head  of 
the  Troyerthal,  and  so  to  St.  Jakob.   Far  ' 
more  attractive  to  the  mountaineer  than  i 
the  Tabarthal  is  the  Umbalthal.    A  com- 
paratively short  ascent  leads  from  the 
junction    of   the   two   glens — 6,416   ft. 
above  the  sea — to  the  lower  end  of  the 
Umbal  Glacier,  one  of  tlie  greatest  in 
this  district,  pronounced  by  Sonklar  to  ' 
be  a  perfect  model  glacier,  both  in  re-  ! 
spect  to  the  beauty  and  the  regularity  of  ■ 
its  features.     It  originates  mainly  in  a  : 
great  snow-field  on  the  S.  side  of  the  ; 
Dreiherr 71  spitz  (11,494')  and  the  more  I 
eastern  summit,  which,  for  want  of  any 
local  name,  has  been  fitly  denominated 
Simonyspitz  (11,180').      The  ascent  of 
both  summits  may  best  be   attempted 
from  this  side.      The  former  was  first 
reached  in  Nov.  1866    by  B.  Ploner  of 
Pregratten,  and  in   1867  by  Dr.  Wagl. 
The  name  Dreiherrnspitz  originated  in 
the  middle  ages,  when  this  great  corner- 
stone marked  the  meeting  of  the  terri- 
tories of  the  Counts  of  Tyrol  and  Goritz 
with  those  of  the  Bishop  of  Salzburg. 
It  is  more  remarkable  to  the  geographer, 
as  the  peak  which  sheds  its  waters  to- 
wards three  of  the  greatest  rivers  of  the 
Alps — the  Inn,  Drave,  and  Adige. 

Traversing  diagonally  the  lower  part 
of  the  Umbal  Glacier,  the  traveller  will 
find  on  its  rt.  or  AV.  bank  a  faintly 
marked  track.  This  affi^rds  a  not  very 
difficult  route  for  the  traveller  wishing 
to  reach  Krimml  from  Pregratten ;  but 
it  is  a  two  days'  journey,  involving  the 
necessity  of  passing  a  nisht  at  Kasern 
(§  50,  Ete.  E j,  at  th'e  head^of  the  Ahren- 
thal.  There  are  two  practicable  passes 
over  the  ridge  between  the  Dreiherrn- 
spitz and  the  Rodtspitz — the  Vorder- 
Umbal -Thorl  (9,723'),  lying  to  the  SW., 
and  the  Hinter-Umbal-Thiirl  (9,832'?) 
to  NE.  of  the  Eierl-opf  (10,465').  The 
former  is  said  to  be  the  easier,  and  is 
certainly  the  shorter  way.    Both  courses  i 


reunite  on  the  W.  side  of  the  Eierkopf. 
It  is  possible  to  descend  directly  into 
the  head  of  the  Prettau,  above  Kasern, 
by  the  ravine  of  the  Windbach ;  but  it 
is  said  to  be  a  better  way  to  bear  to  the 
1.,  somewhat  S.  of  W.,  towards  a  de- 
pression in  the  ridge  connecting  the 
Pferraspitz  (9,664')  with  the  Eodtspitz, 
and  thence  descend  to  Kasern  through 
the  glen  of  the  Rettenhach. 

The  mountaineer  who  loves  a  high- 
level  glacier  route  may  reach  Kasern 
from  the  Maurerthal  by  ascending  to 
the  Recken-Thbrl  (9,832'),  a  snow  pass 
on  the  N.  side  of  the  Malchamspitz 
(11,023'),  which  connects  the  neve  of 
the  Dellach  Glacier  with  that  of  Umbal, 
There  would  probably  be  no  difficulty, 
for  experienced  ice-men,  in  traversing 
the  neve  of  the  Umbal  Glacier  to  the 
Hinter-Umbal-Thorl ;  but  this  pass  is 
locally  reputed  to  be  not  only  difficult 
but  dangerous. 

It  will  be  seen  that  the  Virgenthal 
offers  numerous  attractions  to  the  enter- 
prising mountaineer,  who  may  devise 
many  other  expeditions  besides  these 
here  indicated. 


ROUTE    H. — LIENZ    TO    UTTENDORF,    BY    THE    KALSERTHAL. 


2C9 


Route  H. 

liexz  to  rttendoef,  or  bruck,  in 
pikzgau,  by  the  kalserthax  and 
stubachthal. 

Hrs.         English 
TvaUdng        miles 
Peischlach  .        .        .    3|  11^ 

KaLs     .        .        .        .    2i  7 

Vellem       .        .        .    S  20 

Uttendorf  ...    2  6 


I'i 


44i 


In  the  preceding  routes,  most  of  the 
valleys  that  penetrate  deeply  into  the 
recesses  of  the  Tauem  Alps  have  been 
described,  and  there  remain  biit  two 
considerable  valleys,  both  of  which, 
however,  offer  to  the  tourist  scenery  of 
a  very  high  order,  and  to  the  moun- 
taineer the  attraction  of  several  first- 
rate  expeditions.  This  is  especially 
true  since  the  discovery  of  a  direct 
route  from  Kals  for  the  ascent  of  the 
Grrossglockner. 

Of  the  paths  leading  across  the  main 
range  from  the  Drave  to  the  Salza, 
adapted  to  ordinary  travellers  who  do 
not  attempt  difficult  expeditions,  that 
of  the  Kaiser  Thorl,  from  Kals  to 
Uttendorf,  is,  perhaps,  the  most  inte- 
resting. The  di.stance  is  rather  less 
than  that  from  Windisch-Matrey  to 
Mittersill  (Ete.  E),  and  the  scenery 
finer. 

The  way  from  Lienz  to  Peischlach 
(2.479'),  in  the  main  valley  of  the  Isel, 
has  been  desci'ibed  in  Rte.  E.  Erom 
that  village  a  track  ascends  NNE.  by 
tlie  E.  side  of  the  narrow  cleft  through 
which  the  Kalserbach  enters  the  Isei- 
thal.  After  mounting  rather  steeply 
for  |-  hr.,  a  very  fine  view  of  the  Gross- 
glockner  is  unexpectedly  gained.  The 
peak  remains  for  some  time  in  view, 
but  as  the  traveller  advances,  the  inter- 
mediate ranges  gradually  come  in  the 
way,  and  finally  eclipse  it  altogether. 
The  valley  is  not  here  broken  into 
«teps  with  intervening  level  spaces,  but 
mounts  continuously.  About  1  hr.  from 
Peischlach  is  Haslach  (3,630'),  near  to 
which  the  traveller  passes  a  fine  water- 
fall.     Nearly   ^   hr.   farther  \a  Aring 


j  (4,317'),  beyond  which  the  track  passes 
!  to  the  1.  bank  of  the  Kalserbach  a  little 
i  below  the  junction  of  the  Lesach,  a 
copious  torrent  charged  with  the  drain- 
age of  several  of  the  glaciers  of  the 
Schober  group,  which  issues  from  the 
Lesachthal,  further  noticed  in  the  next 
Ete.  The  village  of  Lesach  (4,389') 
stands  on  the  slope  above  the  junction. 
Thence  the  way  lies  for  a  while  through 
pine  forest,  till  the  valley,  for  the  first 
time,  opens  out  into  a  comparatively 
broad  basin,  where  stands 

Kals.  This,  in  truth,  includes  two 
villages.  The  larger  of  these,  locally 
called  Grossdorf  (4,472'),  stands  on  the 
W.  slope  of  the  valley,  while  St.  Ewpert 
(4,324')  is  on  the  rt.  bank,  close  to  the 
junction  of  the  torrent  from  the  Kod- 
nitzthal.  Here  is  the  chief  church  of 
the  valley,  and  near  it  an  inn.  A  second 
inn  stands  near  the  bank  of  the  torrent. 
Both  are  rather  rough  country  inns, 
but  are  improved  of  late  years,  and 
offer  tolerable  accommodation.  The 
Kals  people  are  friendly  to  strangers, 
and  remarked  in  Tyrol  as  exceptionally 
sober. 

Many  of  the  most  interesting  excur- 
sions from  Kals  are  mentioned  in  the 
next  Ete.;  but  the  chief  attraction  for 
mountaineers  will  doubtless  be  the  two 
routes  to  the  summit  of  the  Gross- 
glockner,  which  have  been  discovered 
within  the  last  few  years.  A  glance 
at  the  map  will  show  that,  while  all  the 
glaciers  and  snow-slopes  of  the  NNE. 
side  of  the  Glockner  range  lie  in  the 
upper  basin  of  the  Mollthal,  those  of 
the  opposite  or  SSW.  slope  are  di^'ided 
by  the  ridge  that  separates  that  valley 
from  the  Kalserthal.  Four  rather  con- 
siderable glaciers  send  their  drainage 
to  the  Kalserbach,  and  one  only — the 
Leiter  Glacier — is  drained  towards  the 
Moll  through  the  Leiterthal.  It  will 
be  recollected  that  the  way  to  the 
Glockner  from  Heiligenblut — ^long  sup- 
posed to  be  the  only  possible  course — 
lies  through  that  glen,  and  that  the 
base  of  the  highest  peak  is  reached  at 
the  Adlersri'.he,  a  patch  of  rocks  pro- 
'  jecting  from  the  ridge  of  the  mountain 


270  CENTRAL    TYROL    ALPS.       §    51.    GROSSGLOCKNER    DISTRICT. 


on  the  ESE.  side  of  the  summit.  From 
the  Adlersriihe,  a  secondary  ridge  runs 
southward,  dividing  the  valley  of  Kals 
from  Heiligenblut,  and  connecting  the 
Glockner  group  with  that  of  the  Hoch- 
fichober.  Between  this  and  the  Vanit- 
scharte,  another  shorter  and  nearly 
parallel  ridge,  extending  SSW.  from 
the  main  peak,  and  called  Grlocknergrat 
by  the  Kals  guides,  is  a  n^v^-basin, 
whence  descends  the  Kodnitz  Glacier, 
whose  torrent  joins  the  Kalserbach  at 
St.  Eupert.  Starting  from  Kals,  the 
ascent  is  made  either  by  the  Kodnitz- 
kees  or  the  Vanitscharte.  There  are 
several  excellent  mountaineers  amongst 
the  Kals  guides.  Foremost  should  be 
reckoned  Thomas  Groder  and  Josef 
Kehrer,  who  discovered  the  direct  way 
to  the  summit  of  the  Glockner.  Groder 
has  three  brothers,  all  good  guides. 
Besides  these,  Josef  Schuell,  Geurg 
Payer  and  his  two  sons,  Johann  Grafler, 
and  Peter  Hutter,  are  all  well  recom- 
mended. Their  demands  are  consider- 
ably less  than  those  of  the  Heiligen- 
blut men. 

The  way  is  by  the  Jorgenhuttc  (6,444'), 
the  highest  Sennhutte'iu  the  Kochiitzthal. 
The  Kodnitz  Glacier  is  much  crevassed, 
but  there  is  little  difficulty  in  reaching 
the  deep  slope  at  its  NE.  corner,  that 
leads  to  the  Adlersruhe,  where  the  an- 
cient course  from  Heiligenblut  (Rte.  B) 
is  joined.  The  discovery  of  a  much 
shorter  line  to  the  highest  peak  of  the 
Glockner,  by  the  ridge  of  the  Vanit- 
scharte,  is  due  to  the  Kals  guides  named 
above,  and  to  the  perseverance  of  M. 
Egid  Pegger,  who  ascended  three  times 
in  1865.  The  base  of  the  scharte  is 
reached  by  traversing  the  W.  branch  of 
the  Kodnitz  Glacier,  called  Vanitkees, 
which  is  tolerably  free  from  crevasses. 
Here  a  hut  has  been  erected,  about  9.300 
ft.  above  the  sea,  at  the  expense  of  Herr 
Stiidl  of  Prag ;  and  as  it  affords  good 
shelter  for  the  night,  it  has  made  this 
rt«.  much  easier  than  that  from  Hei- 
ligenblut. Thenceforward  the  ascent  lies, 
throughout,  over  rock,  in  some  places 
Ti-ry  steep,  but  apparently  nowhere  dan- 
gerous.    The  scTiuiible  must  be  of  the 


most  interesting  description  ;  and  the 
view  of  the  great  Pasterze  Glacier,  sud- 
denly opened  to  view  as  the  traveller 
gains  the  summit,  transcendently  grand. 
This  description,  however,  refers  to  the 
exceptionally  hot  summer  of  1865. 
Rocks  were  then  bare  which  had  never 
been  seen  bare  before,  as,  for  instance, 
the  second  peak  of  the  Glockner  itself. 
The  Kals  guides,  determined  to  secure 
a  preference  for  the  new  route,  have  im- 
proved the  ascent,  and  in  the  steepest 
places  have  even  attached  wire  ropes  to 
the  rocks. 

The  way  from  Kals  to  the  Pinzgau 
lies  over  the  Kaiser  Tauern,  and,  though 
not  difficult  for  a  mountaineer,  is,  in 
places,  intricate,  and  should  not  be 
taken  without  a  guide.  The  path  fol- 
lows the  main  valley  nearly  due  N. 
from  the  village,  through  the  compara- 
tively level  tract  which  forms  the  limit 
of  permanent  habitations.  At  the  open- 
ing of  the  Teischnitzthal,  through  which 
flows  the  torrent  from  the  Teischnitz 
Glacier  that  descends  to  SW.  from  the 
peak  of  the  Grossglockner,  the  tra- 
veller should  turn  round  to  catch  a  fine 
distant  view  of  the  peaks  of  the  Hoch- 
schober  group.  Above  the  junction  of 
this  torrent,  where  stands  a  group  of 
houses  called  Tav.rtr  (4,806'),  the  main 
valley  appears  to  be  barred  by  a  trans- 
verse ridge,  through  which  the  Kalser- 
bach has  cut  a  very  deep  trench.  The 
path  ascends  the  steep  slopes  above  the 
I.  bank,  and  in  about  \  hr.  the  traveller, 
having  gained  the  summit,  enjoys  a 
view  of  a  picturesque  Alpine  basin, 
whereon  stand  many  Sfnnhuiten.  Above 
this  point  the  main  valley  is  locally 
called  Dorferthal.  But  it  is  desirable 
to  abandon  that  useless  designation, 
liable  to  be  confused  with  the  Dorfer- 
thal, near  Pregi-atten.  The  scenery 
here  is  extremely  fine.  To  the  rt.  rises 
the  great  range  of  the  Grossglockner, 
while  on  the  W.  side  the  valley  is 
divided  from  the  Tsel-Tauernthal  by  a 
high  range — the  Kalserkamm  of  Son- 
klar — which  culminates  in  iheRoIffemer 
(10,666').  The  writer  is  not  aware  that 
HD^  pass  is  known  across  this  range  to 


ROUTE  H. — PASS  OF  THE  KALSER  TAUERN". 


271 


the  Tauernhaus  at  the  S.  foot  of  the 
Velber  Tauern,  neither  has  he  seen  any 
notice  of  the  ascent  of  the  last-named 
summit.  He  is  inclined  to  select  it  as 
likely  to  command  the  finest  view  of  the 
peaks  of  the  High  Tauern. 

After  descending  some  way  across  the 
barrier  that  divides  the  upper  from  the 
lower  valley,  the  traveller  follows  the  on- 
ward track,  alternating  between  masses 
of  dark  pine  forest  and  patches  of  green 
Alpine  pasture.  The  peaks  of  the 
G-lockner  range  naturally  attract  the 
larger  share  of  his  attention.  Several 
of  these  come  into  view  at  the  point 
where  the  torrent  from  the  Frusnitz 
Glacier,  also  called  Dorfer  Glacier,  en- 
ters the  valley.  The  whole  of  this 
tract  is  collectively  known  as  Dorferalm, 
but  each  separate  small  group  of  Hutten 
has  a  special  name.  At  the  highest  of 
these,  called  Boheim  (5,731'),  about  2|- 
hrs.  from  Kals,  travellers  wishing  to 
cross  the  pass  very  early  sometimes 
seek  and  find  shelter  for  the  night.  It 
lies  immediately  S.  of  the  confluencf^  of 
the  torrent  from  the  Laperwitz  Glacier 
— the  northernmost  considerable  glacier 
on  this  side  of  the  Glockner  range. 
Above  this  point,  the  valley  changes  its 
character.  The  Alpine  pastures  in  some 
places  give  place  to  piles  of  debris 
fallen  from  the  surrounding  heights. 
J3efore  long  the  Lorfer-See  (6,227')  is 
reached.  This  is  said  to  originate  in  a 
Bergfall  from  the  Ka^tenkofel  (10,403'), 
•which  overhangs  the  valley  on  the  E. 
side.  The  aspect  of  the  scenery  becomes 
more  and  more  severe  as  the  traveller 
advances.  In  front,  but  a  little  to  the 
1.,  is  seen  the  Tauern  Glacier,  of  small 
dimensions,  but  remarkable  for  its  pure 
tints.  It  lies  in  a  hollow  enclosed  by 
the  Rothe  Tauernspitz  (10,503'),  Gra- 
natenspitz  (10,116'),  and  Bdrenkopf 
(10,093')— the  latter  not  to  be  con- 
founded with  the  summits  so  named  at 
the  head  of  the  Pasterze  Glacier.  After 
approaching  near  the  base  of  the  gla- 
cier, the  path  txxrns  aside  to  KE.  for  the 
ascent  to  the 

Kaiser  Taucm  (8,410'),  reached  in 
2^  hrs.  from  Boheim,  or  5  hrs.  from 


Kals.  This  is  a  wild  and  rather  dreary 
spot,  being  usually  encumbered  with 
much  soft  snow ;  but  the  epithet  '  dan- 
gerous,' applied  to  it  in  the  new  edition 
of  'Schaubach,'  is  as  erroneous  as  several 
other  statements  there  made  respecting 
the  head  of  the  Kalserthal.  In  de- 
scending to  the  Stubachtkal  the  way  lies 
at  first  NXE.,  but  before  long  bears  some- 
what to  the  1.,  or  about  due  N.,  down  a 
steep  rocky  declivity,  with  little  or  no 
trace  of  path.  At  the  base  of  this 
descent,  the  traveller  reaches  the  higher 
of  the  two  lakes  that  occupy  this  branch 
of  the  valley.  This  is  the  Weisssee 
(7,514')  of  Keil's  and  Sonklar's  maps, 
arising  from  the  melting  of  a  rather 
large  glacier  of  the  same  name  that  lies 
on  the  E.  flank  of  the  Sonnblick  (9,954'), 
and  reaches  to  the  lake  shore.  Dr. 
Euthner  has  erroneously  called  it  Griine 
See.  It  may  here  be  observed  that  mi- 
nute local  knowledge,  which  is  not  pos- 
sessed by  all  the  Xals  guides,  is  much 
needed  in  the  upper  part  of  the  Stu- 
bachthal.  The  torrents  have  cut  deep 
and  impassable  gorges,  and  bridges 
(Stege)  are  often  wanting,  or  consist 
only  of  a  single  dangerously  narrow  and 
slippery  pine  trunk.  On  one  occasion. 
Col.  V.  Sonklar,  falling  into  a  furious 
torrent,  had  a  very  narrow  escape  with 
his  life.  In  descending  from  the  Kai- 
ser Tauern  the  traveller  does  not  imme- 
diately enter  the  main  branch  of  the 
Stubachthal.  This  is  traversed  by  the 
torrent  from  the  Oede^nmnkel  Glacier, 
a  very  considerable  ice-stream  flowing 
from  the  NW.  extremity  of  the  Glock- 
ner range.  Half  a  mile  below  the  glacier, 
the  torrent  enters  a  level  plain,  called 
Tau£r7iraoos{6,%^&),  \\va..  long,  and|-m. 
broad,  obviously  the  area  of  an  ancient 
lake,  part  of  which,  not  yet  filled  up, 
occupies  the  northern  end  of  the  plain. 
Escaping  from  this  basin,  the  torrent 
descends  a  high  and  precipitous  step  in 
the  valley  to  the  lower  level  of  the  En- 
zinger  Boden.  At  that  point  it  joins 
the  stream  which  originates  in  the  "Weiss- 
see,  and  drains  the  W.  branch  of  the 
valley,  locally  called  Tauernthal,  The 
main  (OedenwinkeU branch  is  separated 


272  CENTRAL    TYROL    ALPS.       §   51.    GROSSGLOCKNER   DISTRICT. 


from  the  Tauernthal  by  a  low  ridge, 
whose  highest  point  —  the  Schafhilhel 
(8,017') — lies  somewhat  S.  of  theWeiss- 
8ee.  The  course  formerly  followed  in 
descending  from  the  Kaiser  Taiiern  was 
to  cross  this  ridge  by  a  merely  trifling 
ascent  on  the  S.  side  of  the  Schafbiihel, 
and,  passing  along  the  W.  side  of  the 
Tauernmoos,  to  keep  along  the  heights 
on  the  E.  side  of  the  main  valley  to  the 
"Wurfalp,  whence  a  beaten  track  descends 
to  Hopfsbach.  This  involves  crossing 
the  violent  torrent  belowthe  Tauernmoos 
by  the  rough  trunk  of  a  single  tree, 
unsafe  for  many  travellers,  and  most 
prefer  to  keep  along  the  Tauernthal, 
passing  on  the  "W.  side  of  a  second  lake 
that  lies  nearly  1  hr.  below  the  Weisssee. 
As  to  the  name  of  this  lake,  there  is  in- 
tolerable confusion.  It  is  the  Griine 
See  of  Sonklar's  map,  Schwarzsee  of 
Keil,  and  the  Weisse  See  of  Dr.  Ruthner, 
while  ]VIr.  Tuckett,  who  passed  a  night 
in  the  neighbouring  shepherd's  hut, 
declares  that  on  the  spot  it  is  known  as 
the  Blansee  (6,395',  Keil),  which  latter 
name  is  here  adopted.  By  a  rough 
but  not  difficult  track,  the  traveller  de- 
scends, amid  very  fine  scenery,  to  the 
Hopfsbachalp.  The  traveller  who  would 
not  lose  the  far  grander  scenery  of  the 
Oedenwinkel  branch  of  the  valley  has 
three  courses  by  which  he  may  avoid 
the  dangerous  passage  of  the  torrent. 
Crossing  the  ridge  E.  of  the  Weisssee, 
and  keeping  well  to  the  rt.,  he  may 
reach  the  lower  end  of  the  Oedenwin- 
kel Glacier,  which,  like  that  of  Zmutt, 
is  completely  covered  over  with  debris. 
Crossing  over  to  the  rt.  bank  of  the  gla- 
cier, he  may  descend  to  the  Tauernmoos, 
and  keep  along  the  E.  side  of  the  marshy 
flat,  till  he  hits  upon  a  faintly  traced 
cattle-track,  which  may  be  followed 
about  dueN.  to  theWurfalp.  This  would 
involve  rough  scrambling  over  pathless 
ground  on  both  sides  of  the  glacier,  and 
a  considerable  detour,  which  may  be 
avoided  by  a  traveller  who  does  not  ob- 
ject to  wade  through  the  ice-cold  torrent 
below  the  glacier,  where  it  meanders 
throiigh  the  plain  of  the  Tauernmoos. 
A  third  course,  which  is    easier   than 


either  of  the  others,  is  to  return  from 
the  Tauernmoos  to  the  Tauernthal  by 
the  S.  side  of  the  Schaffbiihel.  Which- 
ever route  be  taken,  the  traveller  finally 
reaches  the  floor  of  the  main  valley  at 
the 

HopfshacTialp  (4,148').  This  is  the 
summer  dwelling  of  one  of  the  large 
peasant  proprietors,  who  own  nearly  the 
entire  Stubachthal.  The  class  is  charac- 
teristic of  the  Pinzgau,  but  those  of  this 
valley  enjoy  especial  local  importance, 
both  for  the  extent  of  their  possessions 
and  the  antiquity  of  their  families. 
Though  not  rich,  if  measured  by  a  mo- 
ney standard,  these  men  enjoy  many  of 
the  advantages  and  the  local  influence 
elsewhere  accorded  to  wealth.  They  are 
known  —  like  the  chiefs  of  Highland 
clans — by  local  instead  of  family  names. 
The  owner  of  this,  the  highest  part  cf  the 
valley,  and  another  tract  near  its  open- 
ing, is  known  as  the  Enzinger.  Next 
below  him  is  the  Vellerer,  and  lower 
still  the  Widrechtshauser.  Travellers 
speak  highly  of  the  kindness  and  hos- 
pitality shown  to  them  by  these  peasant 
lords  of  the  valley.  The  traveller  ap- 
proaching from  the  Pinzgau  will  do 
well  to  apply  to  one  or  other  for  local 
information  and  for  a  guide.  A  rough 
road,  passable  for  light  vehicles,  is  car- 
ried through  the  valley  as  far  as  the 
Hopfsbachalp,  but  the  traveller  coming 
from  Uttendorf  will  gain  little  time  by 
taking  a  vehicle  beyond  Vellern  (3,352'), 
about  1  hr.  below  the  Alp.  The  hamlet 
of  Vellern,  where  numerous  houses  are 
gathered  round  that  of  the  proprietor 
above  named,  stands  a  short  way  below 
the  junction  with  the  main  valley  of  a 
western  tributary  glen  called  Dorfer- 
Oed.  This  is  very  rarely  visited  by  a 
stranger.  It  originates  in  a  wild  hol- 
low, in  great  part  occupied  by  snow  and 
glacier,  enclosed  between  the  Sonnbliclc 
(9,954').  BaheiiTcopf  (10,114'),  and  the 
Landcclckopf  (9,440').  A  pass,  said  to 
be  difficult,  leads  over  the  main  range 
between  the  last-named  summits  to  the 
Landcckthal  (Ete.  E),  which  opens  into 
the  Isel-Tauernthal  nearly  3  hrs.  above 
Windisch-Matrey.      If  it  were  mode- 


EOUTE    H. — KAPliUNEli    TIIUliL. 


rately  easy,  it  would  be  a  short  cut  for 
a  traveller  bound  to  that  place  from  the 
lower  Pinzwau. 

From  Vellern  the  road  descends  by  a 
gentle  slope  through  the  lower  Stubach- 
thal,  passes  the  large  farm  establish- 
ment of  the  "Widrechtshauser,  and  lower 
down  the  chief  house  of  the  Enzinger. 
Part  of  the  appurtenances  of  these 
farms  is  a  still  for  making  the  gentian 
liqueur  for  which  the  Talley  is  locally 
renowned.  The  road  enters  the  Pinz- 
gau.  opposite 

Uttendorf  (§  50,  Rte.  A),  which  is 
reached  by  a  bridge  over  the  Salza. 

The  mountaineer  wlio  wishes  to  enjoy 
the  finest  sceneiy  of  this  district  will 
combine  the  passage  of  the  Kaiser 
Tauern  with  a  visit  to  the  Kaprunerthal 
(Rte.  D).  For  this  purpose  he  will 
avail  himself  of  the  fine  pass  of  the 
Kapniner  Thorl.  Sleeping  at  the  Bo- 
heim  hut,  at  the  upper  end  of  the  Kal- 
serthal,  an  active  walker  may  reach 
Kaprun  on  the  following  day.  But  it 
would  be  a  better  plan  to  go  on  the  first 
day  from  Kals  to  the  Hopfsbachalp  by 
the  Blausee,  and  on  the  following  day 
remount  the  E.  branch  of  the  Stubach- 
thal  by  the  "Wurfalp.  Unless  he  should 
have  secured  the  services  of  G-rafler  of 
Kals,  who  knows  the  way,  he  should 
enquire  for  Johann  Berger,  the  best 
guide  in  the  Stubachthal.  In  the  for- 
mer case  he  must  somehow  reach  the 
E.  side  of  the  basin  of  the  Tauernmoos 
from  the  Kaiser  Tauern,  as  above  ex- 
plained ;  in  the  other,  he  will  reach  the 
same  point  bv  the  easier  way  from  the 
Wurfalp.  The  Kcqyruner  TJiorl  (8,74(/) 
is  a  depression  in  the  range  that  divides 
the  upper  end  of  the  Kaprunerthal  from 
that  of  the  Stubachthal,  about  half-way 
between  the  Hnh"  Eiffel  (11,003')  and 
Grosseiscr  (10,361'),  and  immediately  S, 
of  the  Kleineher  (9,699').  Being  a  gla- 
cier pass,  and  lying  out  of  the  line  of 
ordinary  traffic,  it  is  very  rarely  used. 
In  ascending  from  the  Tauernmoos,  it  is 
necessary  to  cross  diagonally  the  Eiffel 
Glacier,  originating  in  a  snow-field  on 
the  NW.  flank  of  the  Holie  Riifel.  The 
last  part  of  the  ascent  is  by  a  steep 

c.  T. 


!  slope  of  debris.  Of  two  depressions 
that  seem  to  oifer  equal  facilities  for 
crossing  the  ridge,  that  lying  to  the  left 
is  to  be  preferred.  The  rt.  hand  pas- 
sage, marked  by  the  remains  of  a  wooden 
cross,  though  formerly  easier,  is  now 
abandoned.  From  the  summit  the 
w.iy  lies  at  first  ENE.  over  neve,  but 
gradually  bears  to  the  1.,  and  before 
long  reaches  the  ice-stream  which  de- 
scends north-eastward  towards  the  Moo- 
serboden.  This,  which  is  the  Tkorl- 
gletscher  of  Sonklar,  is  so  completely 
covered  with  debris,  that  from  a  dis- 
tance it  is  not  recognised  as  a  glacier. 
In  order  to  avoid  very  rough  ground, 
and  tinbridged  glacier  streams,  it  is 
advisable  to  leave  the  Thorlgletscher 
by  the  rt.  bank,  and,  crossing  diagon- 
ally the  adjoining  much  greater  ice- 
stream  of  the  Karlinger  Glacier,  de- 
scend to  the  Mooserboden  by  its  rt.  bank. 
(See  Ete.  D.) 

From  the  Hopfsbachalp  the  traveller 
vixQ.y  reach  the  Pinzgau  at  a  point  nearly 
half-way  between  Uttendorf  and  Ka- 
pnm,  by  traversing  the  easy  pass  of 
the  Muhlbacher  Thorl  {1,10T).  This  lies 
at  the  head  of  the  Milhlbachthal,  a  short 
glen  that  opens  into  the  valley  of  the 
Salza  at  Miihlbach,  a  little  below  Leng- 
dorf  (§  50,  Rte.  A).  Descending  to  the 
Lakoral'p  (6,731'),  the  traveller  finds 
a  cattle-track  that  leads  him  in  2  lirs.* 
rapid  descent  to  Miihlbach. 


274  CENTKAL    TYKOL   ALPS.       §    51.    GROSSGLOCKXER   DISTRICT. 


EoUTE   I. 
HEILIGENBLrT    TO    WINDISCH-MATRET. 

The  mountaineer  visiting  the  range  of 
the  High  Tauern  will  naturally  endea- 
vour to  avoid  descending  into  the  com- 
paratively hot,  and  not  very  interesting, 
main  valleys  of  the  Pinzgau  and  Pu- 
sterthal,  and  to  keep  as  near  as  possible 
to  the  peaks  of  the  main  range.  For 
this  pui-pose  he  will  necessarily  have 
occasion  to  pass  from  Heiligenblut,  his 
head-quarters  in  the  Glockner  group,  to 
Windisch-Matrey,  which,  as  has  been 
seen  in  Etes.  F  and  G,  gives  ready  access 
to  the  innermost  recesses  of  the  Venedi- 
ger  range.  A  good  walker,  taking  the 
easier  of  the  passes  here  enumerated, 
may  easily  accomplish  the  distance  in  a 
single  day.  Whichever  he  may  select 
of  the  various  passes  leading  to  Kals, 
he  must  not  fail  to  traverse  the  short 
and  easy,  but  very  beautiful,  pass  lead- 
ing from  the  latter  place  to  Wicdisch- 
Matrey,  and  should  arrange  his  course 
so  as  to  be  at  the  summit  either  early 
in  the  morning,  or  a  little  before  sun- 
set, so  as  to  enjoy  to  advantage  the  very 
remarkable  view. 

The  direct  way  from  Heiligenblut  to 
Kals  is  through  the  Leiterthal,  which 
was  described  in  Rte.  B,  in  connection 
with  the  ascent  of  the  Grrossgloekner. 
On  the  1.  hand,  ascending  the  Leiter- 
thal, a  siiort  steep  glen  ascends  at  first 
SSW.,  then  SW.,  and  leads  to  the  Pel- 
schlach-T/iorl  {S,062'),  on  the  S.  side  of 
the  Kaarherg  (9,058').  A  few  hundred 
yards  beyond  the  point  where  the  path 
diverges  into  the  Peischlachthal,  another 
track  diverges  from  the  Leiterthal,  and 
mounts  no  less  steeply  to  the  Berger 
Thorl  (7,971',  Keil),  another  pass  on 
the  N.  side  of  the  same  summit.  The 
latter  is  generally  preferred,  being 
rather  shorter  and  easier.  The  height 
of  8,714  ft,  attributed  to  this  pass  is 
probably  one  of  the  numerous  blunders 
of  the  '  Kataster,'  Whichever  pass  be 
chosen,  it  is  necessary  to  descend  into 
the  Kudnitzthal,  and  the  paths  reunite 
at  the   WSW.   base   of  the  Kaarberg.  ' 


The  torrent  of  the  Kodnitzthal,  after 
flowing  nearly  due  S.  for  some  miles, 
turns  westward  at  the  junction  of  the 
stream  from  the  Peischlach-Thcirl. 
Just  below  the  junction,  on  the  N,  side 
of  the  valley,  is  a  group  of  farm  build- 
ings called  Grader  (4,802'),  whence  a 
beaten  path  along  the  rt,  bank  leads  to 
Kals,  From  6  to  7  hrs,  are  allowed  for 
the  walk  from  Heiligenblut. 

The  mountaineer,  not  over-pressed 
for  time,  may  desire,  on  his  way  from 
Heiligenblut  to  Kals,  to  see  something 
of  the  range  of  high  peaks  between 
those  valleys,  whose  chief  summits  are 
the  Petzeck  (10,761'),  and  Hochschoher 
(10,628').  Of  the  ascent  of  the  former, 
the  writer  has  no  information.  The 
second  is  most  easily  reached  from 
Aineth,  or  St.  Johann,  in  the  Iselthal 
(Rte,  E).  Although  it  does  not  approach 
the  highest  summits,  the  most  interest- 
ing of  the  lateral  valleys  of  this  group 
is  the  Gossnitzthal.  The  very  fine  water- 
fall in  which  its  torrent  descends  to  the 
level  of  the  MoUthal  is  noticed  among 
the  excursions  from  Heiligenblut. 
Above  the  ravine  of  the  waterfall,  the 
path,  which  keeps  to  the  1.  bank,  enters 
on  an  alluvial  plain.  H  m.  long,  whereon 
stands  a  group  oi  H'utten,  called  '  In  der 
Eben '  (5. .447').  Another  ascent  leads 
to  a  higher  basin  at  the  extreme  head 
of  the  valley,  into  which  the  Oossnitz 
and  Hornkogel  Grlaciers  send  their  tor- 
rents. The  only  pass  said  to  lead  west- 
ward from  hence  to  the  Kaiser  Thai  is 
that  of  the  Krystdlscharte  (9,217'), 
mentioned  by  Sonklar  as  connecting 
this  with  the  Lesachthal,  which  opens 
into  the  Kaiser  Thai  about  ^  hr,  below 
Kals.  From  his  map,  however,  it 
would  appear  that  the  descent  on  the 
W.  side  from  that  pass  must  be  to- 
wards the  Kodnitzthal,  but  doubtless, 
when  this  range  is  better  knoTvai,  a  pass 
to  the  Lesachthal  will  be  discovered. 
The  wTiter  suggests  the  ascent  of  the 
Pei.^chlach-Kcsselko])/  (10,221')  of  Keil 
—  Bosps  AVeibele  of  the  '  Kataster ' — 
as  likely  to  command  a  singularly  fine 
view. 

Having    reached    Kals    by    one    or 


EorxE  K. 


LIENZ   TO    ST.  VALENTIX,  BY   THE   DEFER- 
EGGEN'THAL. 


ROUTE    K. — LIENZ    TO    ST.    VALENTIN,    BY    THE    DEFEREGGENTHAL.    275 

Other  of  the  passes  above  named,  the 
course  to  Windisch-Matrey  lies  due  W., 
up  a  short  but  rather  steep  lateral  glen. 
A  guide  is  scarcely  required,  unless  it 
be  to  find  the  shortest  way  through  the 
fields  in  the  valley.  Ascending  steadily 
f-jr  2  hrs.,  the  traveller  reaches  the 
summit  of  the  Matnyer  Kaher  Thorl 
(7,277');  which  is  visible  both  from  Kals 
and  Windisch-jVTatrey.  At  this  very 
moderate  height,  accessible  to  the  most 
moderate  walker,  a  view  of  extraordi- 
nax'y  beauty  and  variety  is  gained.  The 
eye  penetrates  into  the  adjoining  valleys 
of  Kals  and  Matrey,  along  the  Yirgen- 
thal,  and  through  part  of  the  valley  of 
Kodnitz,  and  contrasts  these  with  the 
snowy  ranges  which  form  the  back- 
ground on  either  side.  To  the  W.  the 
chief  summits  of  the  Glockner  and 
Schober  ranges  are  all  in  view,  and 
eastward  the  more  distant  range  of 
peaks  from  the  Kleinvenediger  to  the 
Lasorling.  In  the  descent  it  is  well  to 
remember  that  the  way  lies  by  the  S.  side 
of  the  Bretterthal,  through  which  a  tor- 
rent descends  to  Windisch-Matrey  that 
has  often  carried  destruction  to  the 
houses  and  gardens  of  its  inhabitants. 
The  larches  here  extend  to  a  height 
little  below  the  summit  of  the  pass,  and 
the  way  is  partly  under  the  shade  of 
forest,  with  charming  views  at  intervals 
over  the  Iselthal,  and  along  the  Virgen- 
thal.  From  3  to  3^  hrs.  are  quite  suffi- 
cient for  this  pass,  but  most  travellers 
will  be  tempted  to  linger  by  the  way. 

The  pass,  above  described,  between 
Matrey  and  Kals  is  so  interesting  that 
it  is  well  worth  while  for  a  traveller 
going  from  Lienz  to  Kals  to  make  the 
detoui'  that  way,  which  involves  but 
little  delay.  Taking  a  light  carriage 
from  Lienz  to  Windisch-Matrey,  he  will 
have  time  not  only  to  make  the  pass  to 
Kals,  but,  if  needful,  to  push  on  to  the 
Jorgenhiitte  or  the  Boheimhiltte  on  the 
same  day. 


In  der  Huben 
Hopfgarten 
St.  Jakob     . 
Jagdhausalp 
St.  Valentin 


Hrs. 
walking 
.    H 
.    1 
.     4f 

.  4 

.     4 


English 
miles 

'I' 

12 
10 


18  44i 

Carriage-road  to  In  der  Huben ;  horse-track 
to  the  Jagdhausalp  ;  on  foot  thence  to  St.  Va- 
lentin. 


In  the  preceding  Etes.  all  the  prin- 
cipal valleys  of  this  district  have  been 
described,  with  the  sole  exception  of 
the  Defereggenthal,  often  written  Tefer- 
ecJccnthal.  This  lies  parallel  to  the 
Pusterthal,  and  to  the  general  direction 
of  the  High  Tauern  range,  and  about 
I  half-way  between  them.  The  direction 
I  of  the  upper  end  of  the  valley  is  indeed 
!  towards  SE.,  or  transverse  to  that  of 
i  the  Antholzer  and  Ahrenthal  ranges, 
[  between  which  it  originates,  but  from 
I  the  Patscher  Briicke  to  its  junction  with 
the  Isel — a  distance  of  nearly  20  m. — 
I  the  course  of  the  torrent  is  due  £.  On 
i  the  one  side,  the  valley  is  divided  from 
I  the  Virgenthal  by  the  range  noticed  in 
Ete.  G,  which  culminates  in  the  Lasor- 
ling, and  on  the  other,  the  somewhat 
lower,  but  not  insignificant,  range  called 
by  Sonklar  Dcftreggenkamm  separates 
it  from  the  Pusterthal.  The  latter  is 
much  less  steeply  inclined  on  either 
2 


276  CENTRAL   TYROL    ALPS.       §    51.    GROSSGLOCKNER   DISTRICT. 


side   than  most  of  the  ranges  of  this  | 
district.     Tho  main   valleys  on   either  j 
side  are   12  or  13  m.  apart,  and  com-  j 
paratively  long  lateral  glens  penetrate  i 
deeply  into  the  mass,  which  does  not  i 
usually    surpass    9,000   ft.   in   height,  j 
The  Ete.  here  described  may  be  con- 
venient for   a   pedestrian  going    from 
Lienz  to  the  head  of  the  Ahrenthal,  but 
if  unwilling  to  achieve  a  glacier  pass, 
he  should  prefer  the  easier  and  less  fa- 
tiguing -^ay  from  St.  Jakob  to  the  Ah- 
renthal by  the  Klamml  Joch  and  Bret- 
terscharte  (Rte.  31),  while  the  mountai- 
nesr  bound  for  the  same  place  will  un-  i 
doubtedly  prefer  the  route  through  the  i 
Virgfnthal,   which   offers  scenery  of  a 
higher  order.     The  Defereggenthal  will  | 
probably  be  oftener  used  by  travellers  I 
starting  from  Bruneck,  who,  traversing  ' 
one  or  other  of  the  passes  mentioned  in 
the  following  Rtes.,  may  reach  Kals  and 
Heiligenblut    by    an    easy,   agreeable, 
and  direct  way,  avoiding  the  high-road 
through  the  Pusterthal. 

The  torrent  of  the  Defereggenthal — 
called  Schwarzbach — dpscends  through 
a  narrow  cleft  to  join  the  Isel  imme- 
diately above  the  good  inn  at  In  der 
Huben,  close  to  Peischlach  (Ete.  E) ; 
and  there  is  a  path  on  either  side  lead- 
ing to  Hopfgarten  (3,611'),  the  most 
considerable  village  in  the  valley.  Like 
the  re=;t  of  the  people  of  this  valley,  the 
inhabitants  follow  the  trade  of  hawking 
carpets  and  rugs  throughout  Germany, 
where  they  pass  as  natives  of  the  Puster- 
thal. Above  the  village,  the  path 
enters  a  gorge,  but  the  valley  soon 
widens,  and  the  scenery,  without  rising 
to  grandeur,  is  varied  and  agreeable. 
As  usual  in  the  transverse  valleys  of 
the  Alps,  the  villages  for  the  most  part 
stand  on  the  northern  slope,  and  the 
opposite  side  presents  alternations  of 
r^ok,  pine  forest,  and  rough  pasture. 
The  path  is  in  most  places  near  to  the 
stream,  and  about  half-way  between 
Hopfgarten,  it  passes  below 

St.  Veit  (4,883'),  a  village  seen  from 
afar,  as  it  is  nearly  800  ft.  above  the 
level  of  the  valley.  Thence  ascends  the 
path  to  the  Steinkas  Pass,  noticed  in 


Ete.  Gr.  Following  the  valley  path,  the 
traveller  passes  the  hamlet  of  Gort- 
schach  (4,156'),  and  about  2  m.  farther 
crosses  to  the  rt.  bank,  and  keeps  along 
the  stream  as  far  as  St.  Leonhard 
(4,553'),  the  only  village  on  the  S.  side 
of  the  valley.  Several  tributary  glens 
enter  the  main  valley  near  here.  On 
the  JST.  side,  the  Tegischbach  descends 
through  a  narrow  glen,  up  which  lies 
the  way  to  the  Mulitz-Thorl  (Ete.  G), 
A  little  farther  W.  is  the  opening  of  the 
Trover  Thai,  by  which  the  head  of  the 
Virgenthal  is  reached,  either  by  the 
Grossbach  or  the  Kaseckscharte  Csee 
Ete.  G).  On  the  S.  side  opens  the  Lag- 
nitzenthal,  descending  from  the  highest 
part  of  the  Defereggen  range,  where 
four  summits  near  together  exceed 
9,500  ft.  in  height.  Thelirack  descends 
slightly  from  St.  Leonhard  to  the 
Schwarzbach,  crosses  to  the  1.  bank, 
and  goes  along  level  ground  to  the 
opening  of  the  Troyer  Thai,  just  beyond 
which  is  the  highest  village  in  the 
valley — 

St.  Jakob  (4,470').  There  are  tole- 
rable country  inns  here  and  in  the  othe? 
villages  of  the  valley.  The  best  is  ap- 
parently that  nearest  the  church  (Bas- 
ler's  ?),  but  there  have  been  complaints 
of  extortion.  Either  here  or  at  Erlsbach 
is  the  best  stopping-place  on  the  way  to 
St.  Valentin  or  to  Bruneck.  For  about 
1^  hr.  above  St.  Jakob,  the  main  valley 
preserves  its  original  direction,  and  the 
path  ascends  westward  towards  the 
peaks  of  the  Antholzer  Alps,  which  ap- 
pear to  bar  further  progress.  Soon 
after  passing  Erlshach  (5,128') — a  small 
hiimlet  with  a  very  clean  inn — this 
divides.  Along  the  lesser  torrent  of 
the  Stallerbach,  that  descends  from  the 
SW.,  mounts  a  path  to  Antholz  (Ete. 
L) ;  while  the  main  stream  flows  from 
the  NW.,  and  the  path  for  some  time 
follows  its  1.  bank.  It  crosses  to  the 
rt.  bank,  however,  at  the  opening  of 
a  short  and  steep  lateral  glen  called 
Patschthal,  but  presently  recrosses  the 
torrent  by  the  Fatscher  Brucke  f5,384'). 
Henceforward,  the  way  lies  through  h 
green  highland  valley,  in  which  large 


ROUTE  L. BRUNECK  TO  HOPFGARTEN. 


277 


herds  of  horned  cattle  are  pastured  in 
summer.  Excepting  occasional  clumps 
of  P'mus  cemhra,  timlaer  is  scarce,  and 
the  numerous  Sennhutten  are  built 
of  flags  of  gneiss,  piled  up  in  such  a 
way  that,  except  for  the  smoke,  they 
are  scarcely  recognisable.  The  people 
of  this  valley,  except  in  the  chief  vil- 
lages, speak  a  dialect  unintelligible 
even  to  Austrian  s,  and  are  shy  of 
strangers.  The  milk-maids  are  said 
often  to  retreat  into  the  Hiitten,  and  bar 
the  doors  so  as  to  disappoint  the  travel- 
ler, who  merely  seeks  a  draught  of  milk. 
At  the  Oberhausalp,  the  path  returns 
to  the  rt.  bank,  which  it  follows  for  a 
long  distance.  Fully  2  hrs.  above  the 
PatscherBriicke,the  valley  again  divides. 
The  branch  of  the  stream  which  retains 
the  name  Schwarzbach  descends  due  S. 
from  a  glacier  between  the  Rodtspitz  and 
the  Grossglockhaus,  while  the  Affen- 
bach  flows  ESE.,  from  the  uppermost 
head  of  the  valley,  which  forms  the 
western  extremity  of  the  basin  of  the 
Drave.  A  short  distance  above  the 
junction  of  these  torrents,  a  rough  path, 
still  keeping  to  the  rt.  bank,  leads  to 
the 

Jaffdhausalp  {6,602'),  a  summer  Tillage 
of  Sennhutten,  with  a  little  chapel.  In 
ascending  the  valley,  this  is  reckoned  5 
hrs.  from  St.  Jakob.  The  direct  way  to 
the  head  of  the  Ahrenthal  lies  along 
the  Aflfenbach.  It  ascends  at  first  NW., 
and,  having  approached  close  to  the  low 
pass  that  leads  to  the  Eainthal  (Rte. 
M),  bears  at  first  N.,  and  finally  NXE., 
in  the  final  ascent  to  the  MerbjiJchl 
(9,280'),  about  2^  hrs.  above  the  alp. 
The  pass,  which  commands  a  very  fine 
view  of  tiie  Zillerthal  Alps,  has  been 
described  as  the  '  Ochsenleute-Tauern,^ 
a  name  apparently  borrowed  from  the 
much  lower  pass  of  Ochsenlenk,  or 
Bretterscharte,  leading  from  the  head 
of  the  Eainthal  to  the  Ahrenthal,  for 
which  see  Ete.  M.  There  is  a  small, 
but  rather  steep,  glacier  on  the  N.  side 
of  the  ^Nlerbjoehl,  for  which  crampons, 
or  the  use  of  the  ice-axe,  are  generally 
required.  From  the  foot  of  the  glacier, 
a  rapid  but  not  difficult  descent  leads 


to  St.  Valentin  (§  50,  Ete.  E).  There 
is  another  pass  from  the  Jagdhausalp 
to  the  head  of  the  Ahrenthal,  said  to  be 
higher  and  more  diflScult  than  the 
Merbjochl,  but  likely  to  be  very  inte- 
resting to  the  moimtaineer.  This,  which 
is  approached  by  following  the  glen  of 
the  Schwarzbach,  is  called  io^c/^oc/i;  it 
lies  about  half-way  between  iheRodtsjntz 
(11,459')  and  GrossglocJihaus  (10,546'), 
and  must  apparently  command  fine  near 
views  of  the  adjoining  peaks,  as  well  as 
the  remarkable  range  of  the  Zillerthal 
Alps  to  the  N.  and  W.  The  descent  to 
Kasern  follows  the  glen  of  the  Eodten- 
bach,  and  joins  the  path  by  which  the 
descent  from  the  Umbal-Thorl  (Ete.  Gr) 
is  usually  effected. 


Route  L. 
brrneck  to  hopfgarten. 

In  describing  the  road  from  Bruneek 
to  Lienz  (Ete.  A),  we  noticed  two  late- 
ral valleys,  whose  torrents  join  the 
Eienz  some  way  E.  of  the  former  town, 
each  of  which  offers  a  convenient  roiite 
for  a  traveller  going  thence  to  Windisch- 
Matrey,  Kals,  or  Heiligenblut.  The 
more  interesting  is  that  first  described. 

1.  By  the  Antholzer  rA«/.— About  9  m. 
by  road  to  the  baths  of  Antholz  ;  \{\\ 
hrs.'  walking  thence  to  Hopfgarten. 


278  CENTRAL    TYROL    ALPS.       §    51.   GROSSGLOCKXER    DISTRICT. 


The  traveller  will  do  well  to  engage  i 
a  light  vehicle  from  Bruneck,  as  far  as  ' 
the  baths.  About  o  m.  from  the  towu, 
lie  leaves  the  high-road  of  the  Puster- 
thal,  and  turns  XNE.  into  the  open  i 
valley  of  Antholz,  which,  for  several  j 
miles,  is  comparatively  broad,  and  | 
ascends  with  a  very  gentle  slope.  After 
passing  the  "vnllages  of  ^leder-Rasen 
(3.409')  and  Ohcr-Uascn  (3,565'),  with 
several  old  castles  in  more  or  less 
ruinous  condition,  the  Baths  of  Antholz, 
about  4  m.  from  the  entrance  of  the 
valley,  are  reached.  The  mineral  spring 
is  locally  known  as  Salomonsbrunnen, 
and  is  somewhat  frequented  in  summer. 
The  establishment  supplies  humble  ac- 
commodation, and  the  arrangement  of 
the  baths  argues  a  condition  of  primitive 
innocence  or  ignorance.  The  position 
is  very  picturesque.  To  the  N.  and 
NXE.  the  fine  range  of  the  Antholzer 
Aliys,  here  commonly  known  by  the  col- 
lective name  Eiesenferner,  is  seen  to 
great  advantage.  This  is  a  remarkable 
detached  range  of  lofty  peaks,  parallel 
in  its  general  direction  to  the  Zillerthal, 
and  the  western  portion  of  the  Taueru 
Alps,  from  which  latter  it  is  separated 
by  the  Eainthal,  described  in  the  next 
Ute,  The  highest  summits  are  the 
Hochgall  (11, 284'),  also  known  as  Eieser, 
and  Wildgall  (10,785'),  both  rising  above 
the  upper  end  of  the  Antholzer  Thai,  a  nd 
the  Schnecbige  Nock  (11,068'),  which 
crovrns  a  promontory  extending  towards 
the  Eainthal.  There  are  two  villages 
higher  up  in  the  valley,  each  of  which 
is  sometimes  called  Antholz.  The  first, 
about  1  m.  above  the  baths,  is  locally 
known  as  Niederthal  (3,728'),  or  Wcd- 
hurg;  and  the  second,  nearly  1  hr.'s  walk 
farther,  is  the  principal  place  in  the  valley 
— called  Mitterthal  (4,075'),  or  Gassen 
— with  a  tolerable  country  inn  (Brug- 
ger  s).  This  is  the  best  starting-point 
for  several  Alpine  excursions,  amongst 
which  the  ascent  of  the  Hochgall,  not 
yet  effected,  will  attract  mountaineers. 
Two  fine  glacier  passes  lead  to  the 
Eainthal  (Ete.  M).  That  of  the  Ant- 
holzer Shartc  (9,281')  leads  to  the  head 
of   the  Bachernthal,   one   of    the   two 


uppermost  brandies  of  the  Eainthal; 
while  the  GansebiichJ-Joch  (9,407')  is 
a  more  direct  way  to  Taufers,  as  it  leads 
through  the  Geltthal  to  the  lower  part 
of  the  same  valley.  Another  way  to 
Taufers  keeps  on  the  S.  side  of  the 
higher  summits  of  the  Antholzer  range, 
but  is  fatiguing,  as  it  involves  the  pas- 
sage of  three  ridges,  and  the  descent 
into  two  intermediate  glens.  The  pass 
from  Mitterthal  to  Gsiess  over  the 
Ochsenfelder  Alps  is  likely  to  give  a 
fine  view  of  the  Antholzer  range. 

Above  Mitterthal,  the  valley  bends  to 
ENE.,  parallel  to  the  main  range  of 
the  Zillerthal  Alps,  and  to  the  inter- 
mediate ridges  and  valleys.  The  track, 
passable  for  country  carts,  mounts, 
chiefly  by  the  1.  bank  of  the  torrent, 
through  the  rather  broad  valley  into 
which  great  masses  of  detritus  have 
been  carried  down  by  torrents  from  the 
surrounding  heights.  In  about  l\  hr. 
from  the  village,  the  traveller  reaches  the 
Antholzer  See  (5,305'),  one  of  the  most 
beautiful  Alpine  lakes  in  Tyrol,  about 
two-thirds  of  a  mile  in  length,  and  half 
that  width,  seemingly  owing  its  origin 
to  two  great  mounts  of  detritus  that 
have  descended  from  opposite  sides  of 
the  valley.  Pine  forest  and  rock  en- 
close the  lake,  and  from  above  these, 
the  snowy  peaks  of  the  Hochgall  and 
its  attendant  summits  are  reflected  in 
the  waters.  The  track  passes  along 
the  S.  and  E.  shore,  and  then,  crossing 
the  torrent,  ascends,  in  another  hour, 
to  the  summit  of  the  Stcdler  Sattel 
(6,738'),  the  low  pass  that  marks  the 
division  between  the  Defereggen  and 
Antholzer  Alps.  A  few  minutes'  de- 
scent on  the  EXE.  side  leads  to  the 
Stcdler  See  (6,600'),  a  mere  tarn  at  the 
head  of  a  short  pastoral  glen,  called 
Stalleralp,  which  joins  the  main  branch 
of  the  Defereggenthal  about  1^  hr. 
above  St.  Jakob,  for  which  see  last 
Ete. 

2.  Bg  the  Gsiessthal  and  Gsiess  Jock. 
About  10  ro.  by  road;  12  hrs.'  walking 
thence  to  Hopfgarten.  The  traveller, 
following  the  high-road  of  the  Puster- 
thal,  who,  at  Welsberg  (Ete.  A),  crosses 


ROUTE    M. — TaUFERS    TO    ST.    JAKOB,    BY    THE    RAINTHAL. 


'9 


an  unijiiportant  torrent  that  issues  from 
a  narrow  cleft  in  the  side  of  the  valley, 
would  not  suppose  that  it  drains  a  con- 
siderable valley  at  least  15  m.  in  length, 
and  containing  numerous  villages.  The 
barrier  at  the  mouth  of  the  valley  is 
formed  by  a  ridge  of  metamorphic  slate 
running  E.  and  W.,  which  has  impressed 
that  direction  on  the  lower  part  of  the 
valley.  The  shortest  way  for  a  traveller 
coming  from  Bruneck  is  to  leave  the 
high-road  about  a  mile  before  reaching 
Welsberg,  and  ascend  gently  to  Tcmten 
(3,991'),  a  village  on  the  N.  side  of  the 
gorge  ;  but  the  more  frequented  track, 
passable  for  country  carts,  ascends 
from  Welsberg  by  the  S.  side  of  the  old 
castle,  and  only  crosses  to  the  N.  side 
of  the  Pnd7iigbach  (as  the  main  torrent 
is  called)  about  1^  hr.  from  that  vil- 
lage. It  is  soon  joined  by  the  path 
from  Taisten.  and  in  If  hr.  from  Wels- 
berg, the  traveller  reaches 

Ausser-Fichl  (4,104')>  the  chief  vil- 
lage of  the  lower  valley,  often  called 
G-siess  ;  but  that  name  is  also  given  to 
St.  Martin.  M.  Huter,  the  priest  of 
this  village,  is  an  excellent  botanist. 
A  path  leads  hence  over  the  Speikrirdl 
to  Xiederthal,  in  the  valley  of  Antholz. 
Above  Pichl,  the  Gsiessthal  turns  to 
NE.,  with  a  gradual  ascent;  and,  in 
about  H  hr.  more, 

St.  Martin  (about  4,500'  ?)  is  reached. 
This  remote  village  is  remembered  as 
the  birthplace  of  the  Capuchin   Has- 
pinger,  whose  fiery  spirit  so  often  led 
the    Tyrolese    to   victory   against   the 
French  and  Bavarian  invader  in  1809. 
There  is  an  inn  ;  but  few  travellers  will 
break  the  journey  to  St.  Jakob.     Here 
the  valley  is  somewhat  contracted ;  but 
it  opens  again,  and  forms  a  green  basin 
round   St.    Magdalena    (4,664'),    about 
f  hr.  above  St.  Martin.     A  path  runs  | 
from   this,    the  highest  village  in  the  j 
valley,    to   Kalchstein,    in  Villgratten  j 
(Rte.  N).     The  head  of  the  Gsiessthal  ! 
now  lies  nearly  due  N.,  and  the  ascent  i 
is   continuous,   but    not   steep,   to   the  [ 
summit  of  the  j 

Gsiesser  Joch   (7,353'),   the    deepest  i 
depression    in   the   Defereggen   range. 


It  lies  between  tlie  Pfannhorn  (9,242  ) 
—  also  called  Kaschkosel  —  and  tii- 
Planl-fdd  (8,651').  The^'descent  to  St. 
Jakob  (about  7^  hrs.'  steady  walking 
from  Welsberg),  follows  the  Lapcsthal, 
a  short  sinuous  glen,  whose  torrent 
flows  at  first  N.,  and  then  westward, 
to  join  the  Defereggenthal  at  Lapp — 
less  than  i  hr.  above  St.  Jakob. 


EOUTE  M. 

TAUFERS   TO    ST.   JAXOB    IN   DEFEREGGEN, 
BY   THE    EAINTHAL. 

About  lOi  hrs.'  steady  walking,  exclusive  of 
halts. 

In  the  last  Rte.  two  paths  leading 
from  Bruneck  to  St.  Jakob,  the  highest 
village  in  Defereggen,  have  been  de- 
scribed, and  in  the  preceding  route  is  a 
notice  of  the  glacier  passes  connecting 
the  head  of  that  valley  with  that  of  the 
Ahrenthal.  There  remains  a  xevy  agree- 
able and  interesting  way,  passable  on 
horseback,  intermediate  between  those 
already  described,  which  leads  from  Tau- 
fers,  in  the  lower  Ahrenthal,  to  the  head 
of  the  Defereggenthal,  through  the 
Bainthal.  This  lateral  valley,  dividing 
the  Antholzer  range  from  the  western 
extremity  of  the  Tauern  chain,  opens 
into  the  beautiful  basin  of  Taufers  at 
Winkel  (§  50,  Ete.  E),  in  a  narrow- 
cleft  that  leaves  space  only  for  the 
Rainbach  torrent.  To  reach  the  path, 
which  follows  the  heights  above  the  K 


280 


CENTRAL   TYROL    ALPS.       §    51.    GROSSGLOCKNTER    DISTRICT. 


side  of  this  cleft,  the  traveller  crosses 
the  main  valley  to  Moritzen  (2,841'), 
and  immediately  commences  to  ascend 
by  a  rather  steep  horse-track,  -which 
commands  fine  views  of  the  rich  valley 
that  stretches  hence  to  Bruneck,  and  the 
more  Alpine  scenery  of  the  Miihlwalder 
Thai  (§  50,  Rte.  Gr).  After  a  hot  climb 
up  the  sunny  slopes,  the  traveller  vrill- 
ingly  follows  the  path  to  the  1.  bank  of 
the  Eainbach,  along  which  he  ascends 
for  fully  3  m.,  amid  the  frequent  shade 
of  pine  trees,  and  near  the  brawling 
torrent,  but  without  any  distant  view. 
Another  pleasant  change  occurs  when 
thp  path  returns  to  the  rt.  bank,  at  a 
point  near  a  saw-mill,  where  the  torrent 
springs  over  a  ledge  in  a  waterfall. 
Here  the  first  view  of  the  glaciers  of  the 
Antholzer  Alps  is  gained  on  the  SSE. 
side,  through  the  opening  of  the  Gdt- 
thal,  and  tte  traveller  sees  before  him 
tfi  ENE.  the  picturesque  Alpine  basin 
of  St.  Wolfgang  (5,238'),  evidently  the 
filled-up  bed  of  an  ancient  lake.  It  is 
a  dead  level  space,  marshy  in  places, 
enclosed  on  every  side  by  high  peaks. 
The  village,  which  is  sometimes  called 
Eain,  stands  about  f  hr.  from  the  bridge 
mentioned  above,  or  3  hrs.  from  Taufers, 
and  immediately  below  the  meeting  of 
the  two  Alpine  glens,  whose  torrents 
form  the  Rainbach.  Of  these,  the 
most  attractive  to  the  mountaineer  is 
the  Bachenxthal,  which  originates  at 
the  base  of  the  glaciers  of  the  Hochgall 
and  the  adjoining  peaks,  and  through 
which  lies  a  pass,  said  to  be  difficult, 
to  Xitterthal,  in  Anthok.  The  NE. 
branch  of  the  vaUey,  called  Knutten- 
thal,  leads  to  Dofereggen. 

St.  "Wolfgang  offers  many  attractions 
to  the  lover  of  nature.  The  scenery  is 
of  a  high  order,  and  many  interesting 
excursions  afford  scope  for  the  activity 
of  the  mountaineer.  The  inn  is  very 
poor,  and  travellers  are  received  at  the 
priest's  house,  or  Vidum,  close  to  the 
church.  Johann  Bacher,  the  teacher 
of  the  village  school,  and  G-eorg  "Weiss 
are  recommended  as  guides.  Sonklar 
recommends  the  ascent  of  the  Stutten- 
nock  (8,991'),  for  the  sake  of  the  pano- 


ramic view,  which  includes  all  the  higher 
peaks  of  the  neighbouring  Alps.  The 
most  remarkable  of  these,  and  the  most 
attractive  to  the  motmtaineer,  is  the 
Schneehige  Nock  (11,068'),  ov  Rv.thner- 
horn  of  Sonklar.  This  bold  obelisk  of 
rock  crowns  a  short  promontory  that 
extends  NNW.  fr^om  the  main  ridge  of 
the  Antholzer  Alps,  between  the  head 
of  the  Geltthal  and  that  of  the  Bachern- 
thal.  It  was  climbed  for  the  first  time 
in  1866,  by  the  Archduke  Rainer,  with 
Coimt  "Wurmbrand  and  the  two  guides 
above  named.  They  reached  the  steep 
ridge  from  the  Bachernthal  side,  and 
thence,  with  little  further  difficulty, 
attained  the  summit. 

The  way  from  St.  "Wolfgang  to  Defer- 
eggen  lies  through  the  Knuttenthal. 
The  scattered  houses  that  make  up  the 
village  extend  some  way  into  that  glen, 
and  also  into  the  Bachernthal,  with  the 
difference  that  the  latter  is  level  for 
some  distance,  while  the  floor  of  the 
EJiuttenthal  ascends  rapidly.  The  sce- 
nery is  not  interesting,  as  the  slopes 
are  bare,  and  no  remarkable  objects  are 
in  view.  In  about  1^  hr.  the  huts  of 
the  Knuttenalp,  at  the  head  of  the  glen, 
are  reached.  A  beaten  track  mounts 
nearly  due  E.  from  the  alp  by  gentle 
slopes  to  the  KlammlJoch  (7,606'),  one 
of  the  easiest  passes  in  Tyrol.  The 
crags  of  the  G-raunock  (10,118'),  rising 
S.  of  the  pass,  above  a  little  tarn  called 
Elammlsee,  are  striking  objects.  From 
the  oratory  that  marks  the  summit  of 
the  ridge,  above  2^  hrs.  from  St.  "Wolf- 
gang, several  of  the  high  peaks  that 
enclose  the  head,  of  the  Uefereggenthal 
are  well  seen.  A  very  short  descent 
leads  to  the  Affenbaeh,  and  following 
that  torrent,  the  traveller  in  \  hr.  from 
the  pass  reaches  the  Jadghausalp.  ra- 
ther less  than  2^  hrs."  steady  walking 
from  Erlsbach  (see  Rte.  K). 

A  comparatively  easy  pass — though 
rougher  and  steeper  than  the  Klaraml 
— leads  northward  from  the  Knuttenalp 
over  the  Bretterscharte  (8,242') — also 
known  as  Ochsenlenk  —  and  descends 
into-  the  upper  Ahrenthal,  about  \  hr. 
above  St.  Peter  (§  50,  Rte.  E).    By  this 


ROUTE    N. STLLIAX    TO    HOPFGARTEX,    BY    THE    VILLGRATTENTHAL.   281 


way  a  traveller  may  reach  St.  Valentin, 
or  Kasern,  in  a  moderate  day's  walk 
from  St.  AVolfijang,  or  a  long  day  from 
St.  Jakob,  in  Defereggen,  as  the  latter 
involves  the  passage  of  the  Klamml  as 
well  as  the  Bretterscharte. 

Among  the  excursions  from  St.  Wolf- 
gang, not  above  specified,  is  the  ascent 
of  the  Hirhanock  (9,85-i'),  rising  nearly 
due  X.  of  the  village.  It  is  higher  and 
more  difficult  than  the  Stuttennock, 
and  scarcely  so  well  situated,  except  for 
the  view  of  the  Zillerthal  Alps ;  but,  if 
the  descent  on  the  NW.  is  not  too 
troublesome,  this  would  aiFord  a  very 
interesting  way  from  St.  Wolfgang  to 
Steinhaus,  in  the  Ahrenthal. 


EotTTE   N. 

SILLIAN    TO    HOPFGARTEX,    BY   THE   YILL- 
GRATTENTHAL. 

The  traveller  who  enters  the  Puster- 
thal  from  the  Gailthal,  or  the  Ampezzo 
road,  somewhere  not  far  from  Sillian, 
and  whose  aim  is  to  reach  Heiligenblut 
or  Windisch-Matrey,  may  be  glad  to 
find  a  direct  way  by  which  to  avoid  the 
detour  through  the  main  valley  of  the 
Drave,  or  that  by  Antholz  or  Grsiess. 
The  Villgrattenthal,  which  opens  into 
the  Pusterthal  about  1  m.  E.  of  Sillian, 
and  soon  divides  into  two  branches  of 
about  equal  length,  offers  a  convenient 


way  for  this  pm-pose,  as  through  its  E. 
branch  Hopfgarten  is  reached  in  8^  hrs. 
By  following  the  path  through  the  W. 
branch  leading  to  St.  Jakob,  in  Defereg- 
gen, it  is  equally  easy  to  reach  the  head 
of  the  Ahrenthal,  or  Pregratten,  in  the 
Virgenthal. 

Like  many  other  valleys  of  this  dis- 
trict, the  VillgraUentlial,  at  its  lower 
extremity,  shows  a  narrow  cleft  merely 
giving  space  fur  the  torrent,  and  the 
track  (practicable  for  country  carriages?) 
mounts  by  Heimfels,  above  the  1.  bank, 
and  then  ascends  very  gently  to  Ausser- 
Villgratten  (4,205'),  little  more  than  1 
hr.  from  the  opening  of  the  valley,  or  1^ 
hr.  from  Sillian.  This  village  is  often 
called  Brucken,  and  thence  the  lower 
part  of  the  valley  Brucker  Thai.  There 
is  a  poor  but  tolerable  inn,  and  travel- 
lers may  also  seek  accommodation  from 
the  priest.  The  village  stands  at  the 
junction  of  the  two  upper  branches  of 
the  valley,  of  which  the  NE.  branch,  or 
Winkelthal,  is  the  way  to  Hopfgarten. 
For  about  2  hrs.  the  path  ascends 
through  this  narrow  glen — where  many 
saw-mills  are  cutting  into  planks  the 
timber  that  once  clothed  the  slopes — 
and  then  begins  to  mount  in  a  NE.  di- 
rection to  the  Villgrattner  Jock  (aboiit 
8,300'?),  by  which  Hopfgarten  is  reached 
in  about  7  hrs.  from  Aust-er-Villgratten. 
With  a  good  local  guide,  it  is  likely 
that  Hopfgarten  may  be  avoided,  and  a 
more  direct  course  taken  to  reach  the 
inn,  'In  der  Huben,'  at  the  junction  of 
Defereggen  with  the  Iselthal.  By  fol- 
lowing the  Winkelthal  for  nearly  2  hrs. 
farther  than  the  point  where  it  is  left  to 
reach  Hopfgarten,  the  traveller  may 
reach  the  Weiherwand  (8,-lro8'),  a  pass 
lying  at  the  extreme  northern  end  of 
the  valley,  and  leading  to  St.  Veit  (Ete. 
K).  The  chief  torrent  of  the  Winkel- 
thal does  not  originate  in  the  Defei'eg- 
gen  range,  biit  flows  eastward  from  the 
short  but  lofty  range  which  extends 
thence  southward,  between  the  two 
branches  of  the  Villgrattenthal,  culmi- 
nating in  the  Hochgrabe  (9,673').  At 
the  base  of  the  Weiberwand,  the  torrent 
turns  southward,  and  finally  flows  SW. 


282 


CK;NTRAL    TYROL    ALPS. 


§  52. 


to  meet  the  other  principal  torrent  of 
the  valley  at  Aiisser-Villgratten.  The 
western  branch,  which  for  some  distance 
preserves  the  name  Villgrattenthal,  is 
more  thickly  inhabited  than  the  Win- 
kelthal.  For  about  6  m,  the  track 
ascends  gently  to  WNW.,  passing  Inner- 
Villgratten  (4.506'),  to  Senfte  (4J04'). 
Just  below  this  latter  hamlet,  a  lateral 
glen  opens  to  the  W.,  wherein  stands 
the  remote  village  oi  Kalchstein  (5,370'). 
Easy  passes  lead  thence  to  Toblach  over 
the  Kiihbacher  Thbrl,  and  to  St.  Martin, 
in  G-siess.  Above  Senfte,  the  Villgratten- 
thal ascends  for  nearly  4  m.  somewhat 
W.  of  due  N.,  and  comes  to  an  end  at  a 
point  where  two  torrents  unite.  The 
lesser  of  these  flows  eastward  from  the 
range  dividing  this  valley  from  Grsiess  ; 
while  the  more  important  stream  de- 
scends westward,  through  an  upland 
glen  called  Arnthal,  from  the  same  range 
whence,  on  the  opposite  side,  rises  the 
main  torrent  of  the  Winkelthal.  From 
the  point  where  the  Arnthal  turns  ab- 
ruptly southward,  two  tracks  cross  the 
ridge  that  forms  the  northern  boundary 
of  the  valley.  That  hang  farther  W. 
leads  to  St.  Jakob,  the  other  to  St. 
Leonhard.  Both  are  said  to  be  rough 
and  fatiguing  passes. 

Following  the  Arnthal  to  its  head,  the 
traveller  may  cross  the  range  dividing 
this  from  the  head  of  the  "Winkelthal — 
called  Ober-Arnthaler  Lenke — and  so 
descend  to  Ausser-Yillgratten ;  thus 
making  the  tour  of  both  branches  of  the 
valley  in  one  hard  da/s  walk  from  the 
latter  village. 


GASTEIN   DISTRICT. 


SECTION  52. 


GASTEIN   DISTRICT. 


I  In  the  preceding  sections,  the  main  chain 
of  the  Eastern  Alps,  which  we  have  de- 
I  signated  the  Central  Tyrol  Alps,  have 
I  been  described,  -with  the  exception  of  the 
I  eastern  extremity  of  the  chain,  which 
I  happens  to  lie  beyond  the  political 
I  boundary  of  Tyrol,  and  to  be  divided 
'  between  the  ancient  territories  of  Salz- 
burg and  Carinthia.  It  was  observed  in 
the  introduction  to  this  chapter  that  the 
eastern  limit  of  the  central  chain  should, 
on  orographic  grounds,  be  fixed  at  the 
Arlscharte,  where  originate  the  two 
ranges  that  enclose  the  valley  of  the 
Mur.  For  the  purposes  of  this  work,  it 
is  more  convenient  to  extend  the  bound- 
ary of  the  district  now  described  a  few 
miles  eastward,  to  the  far  better  known 
pass  of  the  Eadstadter  Tauern;  while 
its  western  limit,  as  fixed  in  the  last 
section,  is  the  track  from  Lienz  to  Bruck, 
in  the  Pinzgau,  over  the  Hochthor  Pass, 
which  divides  t£ie  great  group  of  peaks 
surrounding  the  Pasterze  Glacier  from 
the  summits  rising  farther  east.  These 
are  distributed  in  two  ridges  running 
from  "WXW.  to  ESE.  The  westernmost, 
dividing  the  MoUthal  from  the  upper 
valleys  of  Eauris  and  G-astein,  culmi- 
nates in  the  Hochnarr  (10,692'),  and 
includes  five  or  six  other  summits  that 
slightly  exceed  10,000  ft.  in  height. 

The  eastern  range,  connected  with  the 
former  by  a  transverse  ridge  of  moderate 
height,  has  one  peak — Hochalpenspitz — 
that  exceeds  11,000  ft.,  and  four  or  five 
surpassing  10,000  ft.  Still  farther  east, 
and  separated  from  the  Hochalpenspitz 
range  by  the  Arlscharte,  is  the  much 
smaller  group  culminating  in  the  Haf- 
nereck  (10,044'),  which  sheds  its  drain- 
age eastward  to  the  Mur,  northward  to 
the  Salza  through  the  Grossarl  Ache, 
and  southward  to  the  Drave  through  the 
Malta.  This  group  is  remarkable  as 
being  the  eastern  limit  at  which  con- 
Biderable  glaciers  are  found  in  the  central 
chain,  and  as  the  origin  of  the  double 
lange  enclosing  the  valley  of  the  Mur. 


ROUTE    A. —  SALZBURG    TO    BAD    GASTEIN. 


283 


It  •will  be  seen  that,  at  its  eastern 
end,  the  High'Tauern  range  attains  an 
altitude  much  inferior  to  that  of  the 
portions  hitherto  described,  and,  though 
not  deficient  in  fine  scenery,  the  district 
now  to  be  noticed  certainly  does  not 
rival,  in  this  respect,  the  choicer  spots 
pointed  out  in  the  four  preceding  sections, 
unless  the  head  of  the  Maltathal,  with 
which  the  writer  is  not  personally  ac- 
quainted, should  form  an  exception.  For 
this  reason,  it  is  expedient  to  take  this  dis- 
trict at  the  beginning  rather  than  the  end 
of  a  tour  in  the  Tauern  Alps.  While  the 
remaining  valleys  are  almost  unknown 
to  strangers,  that  of  Gastein  has,  through 
various  causes,  acquired  European  cele- 
brity. It,  therefore,  naturally  gives  its 
name  to  the  entire  district;  the  more 
especially  as  it  affords  very  good  head- 
quarters for  the  traveller,  whose  aim  is 
to  enjoy  fine  natural  scenery,  as  well  as 
for  the  invalid  and  the  politician. 

The  eastern  and  western  boundaries 
of  the  district  comprised  in  this  section 
have  been  already  mentioned.  To  the  N. 
it  is  limited  by  the  line  of  valley  tra- 
versed by  th.e  road  from  Bruck,  in  the 
Pinzgau,  to  Eadstadt  on  the  Enns ;  and 
to  the  S.  it  is  equally  well  defined  by  the 
valley  of  the  Drave  between  Lienz  and 
Spittal. 

The  reported  suspension  or  abandon- 
ment of  the  mines  of  Eauris  may  be 
inconvenient  to  mountaineers,  who  may 
fail  to  find  expected  food  and  shelter. 


EOUTE  A. 

SALZBrRG  TO  BAD  GASTEIN,       EXCURSIOXS 
FROM    GASTEIN, 


Lend  . 
Hof  Gastein 
Bad  Gastein 


Austrian 
miles 


English 

miles 

49i 

14" 

7 

70i 


Post-road.  The  distances  charged  between 
Lend  and  Bad  Gastein  are  somewhat  exagge- 
rated. 

The  baths  of  Gastein  have  enjoyed  a 
high  reputation  for  their  healing  virtues 
during  the  last  three  centuries,  and  the 
valley  has  been  famous  for  its  gold 
mines  from  the  remotest  period ;  but  of 
late  years  the  celebrity  of  the  place  has 
been  much  increased  by  the  accident 
that  it  has  been  resorted  to  by  sovereigns 
and  ministers  of  state.  The  telegraphic 
wire  that  penetrates  this  remote  Alpine 
valley,  instead  of  discharging  its  cus- 
tomary ofl&ce  of  ordering  rooms  or  horses 
for  invalids,  has  been  engaged  in  carrying 
messages  on  which  depended  the  peace 
of  the  civilised  world.  It  is  easy  of  ac- 
cess for  travellers  approaching  from  the 
N.  side  of  the  Alps,  and  the  diligence 
from  Salzburg,  which  plies  daily  in  sum- 
mer, brings  the  tourist  to  this  convenient 
starting-place  for  a  tour  in  the  Eastern 
Alps  on  the  third  day  from  London. 

The  road  from  Salzburg  to  Lend  is 
described  in  §  45,  Ete.  E.  At  the  latter 
village,  the  road  turns  aside  from  the 
Salza  to  enter  the  Gasteinerthal,  one  of 
that  long  series  of  nearly  parallel  valleys 
through  which  the  drainage  of  the  High 
Tauern  Alps  is  borne  northward  into  the 
great  transverse  valley  of  the  Salza.  As 
happens  in  many  other  valleys  of  this 
region,  this  is  not  locally  known  by  any 
single  designation,  but  the  name  '  Die 
Gastein'  is  given  to  its  lower  portion, 
containing  the  greater  part  of  the  popu- 
lation, and  has  been  appended  to  the 
designation  of  its  three  chief  villages. 

The  real  distance  from  Lend  to  the 
baths  is  not  more  than  18  m.  =  6  hrs.' 
walk,  ascending  the  valley,  cr  3j  hrs.  in 


284 


CENTRAL   TYROL    ALPS.       §    52.    GASTEIN   DISTRICT. 


a  carriage.  The  charge  for  vehicles  ■with 
two  horses  is  8  florins.  A  small  carriage 
that  carries  the  letters  takes  one  or  two 
passengers,  but  no  luggage  beyond  a 
knapsack.  The  narrow  defile  through 
which  the  Grasteiner  Ache  descends  to 
the  level  of  the  Salza  is  called  the  Klamm. 
Those  who  would  approach  near  the 
series  of  fine  cascades  formed  by  the 
torrent  may  follow  a  very  rough  path ; 
while  the  road  winds  up  the  steep  rocky 
Bide  on  the  1.  side  of  the  gorge.  The 
present  road,  made  in  1832,  is  quite  safe 
in  summer,  but  exposed  to  avalanches 
in  winter  and  spring.  Though  the  ascent 
is  not  great,  the  scenery  is  unexpectedly 
grand,  and  the  traveller  will  be  glad  to 
mount  it  on  foot.  Before  issuing  from 
the  defile,  the  road  passes  to  the  rt.  bank 
by  a  bridge  (2,473')— 265  ft.  above  the 
post-house  at  Lend — leading  to  the 
ruined  castle  of  Klammstein,  which  once 
completely  commanded  the  entrance  to 
tlie  valley.  A  short  additional  ascent 
of  about  150  ft.  carries  the  road  to  the 
level  of  the  lower  valley.  Through  green 
fields,  along  the  rt.  bank  of  the  now 
tranquil  stream,  the  road  goes  nearly  at 
a  level  to 

Dorf  Gastein  (2,649'),  a  scattered 
village,  with  a  tolerable  country  inn, 
whence  a  path  runs  eastward  over  the 
mountain  in  3  hrs.  t9  Grossarl  (Kte.  F). 
Here  the  road  makes  a  slight  circuit, 
and  the  pedestrian  finds  a  short  cut  over 
the  meadows.  The  general  direction 
hitherto  followed  has  been  about  SSE. ; 
henceforward,  as  far  as  the  baths,  it  is 
nearly  due  S.,  bending  somewhat  to  the 
W.  as  far  as 

Hof  Gastein  (2,846'),  the  chief  village 
in  the  valley,  whose  records  go  back  to 
a  period  of  remote  antiquity.  The  earliest 
church  was  built  in  the  ninth  century  on 
the  site  of  a  still  more  ancient  chapel. 
It  has  several  inns  (Moser's,  good ; 
Blaue  Traube;  Schwarzer  Adler;  and 
others).  Since  the  waters  from  the  famous 
mineral  spring  have  been  led  here  in 
wooden  pipes,  still  retaining  a  tempera- 
ture of  93°  Fahr.,  many  invalids  prefer 
this  place,  either  for  economy,  or  because 
of  the  greater  certainty  of  fi.nding  accom- 


modation. The  position  is,  however, 
much  less  favourable  for  mountain  excur- 
sions, excepting  only  the  ascent  of  the 
G-araskahrkog^^i,  which  is  rather  nearer 
this  village  than  the  baths.  The  chief 
existing  evidence  of  the  wealth  once  de- 
rived from  the  neighbouring  mines  is 
found  in  the  stately  monuments  preserved 
in  the  church  and  adjoining  cemetery. 
Moser's  Hotel,  whose  architecture  recalls 
that  of  Venice,  once  the  home  of  the 
Strasser  family,  adjoins  the  new  baths. 
An  outburst  of  serpentine  through  the 
surrounding  mica  schist  is,  as  usual, 
associated  with  the  appearance  of  many 
rare  minerals.  It  is  on  reaching  Hof 
G-astein  that  the  traveller,  for  the  first 
time,  gains  a  view  of  the  high  peaks  at 
the  head  of  the  G-asteinerthal,  among 
which  the  Ankogl,  crowning  the  high 
range  that  divides  the  main  branches  of 
the  valley,  is  the  main  object  of  attrac- 
tion. The  old  road  to  the  baths — rather 
shorter  for  the  pedestrian — kept  to  the 
rt.  bank  of  the  torrent,  but  the  modern 
road  crosses  to  the  opposite  side  a  short 
way  above  Hof  G-astein,  near  the  point 
where  the  path  to  Eauris  mounts  west- 
ward through  the  short  glen  of  the 
Angerthal  (Ete.  B).  After  passing  the 
so-called  Englische  Kaffeehaus,  much 
resorted  to  by  visitors,  the  road  soon 
reaches 

Bad  Gastein — often  called  Wildbad 
Gastein.  The  position  of  this  place  is 
very  singular,  just  at  a  high  step  in  the 
valley,  where  the  torrent  descends  about 
600  ft.  in  two  waterfalls  connected  by 
rapids.  Between  the  waterfalls  is  a 
narrow  shelf  whereon  stand  most  of  the 
houses  and  baths,  while  the  remainder 
are  scattered  over  the  slopes  on  either 
side  of  the  valley.  Save  a  house  built 
by  the  late  Archduke  John,  and  a  few 
others  of  less  note,  all  the  buildings 
here  are  either  hotels  or  lodging-houses 
for  the  accommodation  of  visitors.  Of 
the  former,  the  first  in  rank  is  Strau- 
binger's,  with  table  d'hote,  reading-room, 
and  various  modern  comforts,  rather 
dear  for  Germany.  The  landlord  is  the 
present  representative  of  a  family  which 
has  here  exercised  the  same  profession 


ROUTE    A. BAD    GASTEIN. 


Bince  1602.  To  him  also  belongs  the 
Schweizerhaiis,  prettily  situated,  but 
some  way  from  the  Laths.  Tolerably 
good  accommodation  is  also  found  at 
Grruber's  inn,  the  Hirsch,  Grabenwirth, 
and  Mitterwirth,  not  to  name  others  of 
lower  rank.  Many  visitors  prefer  to 
engage  lodgings,  and  take  their  meals  at 
Straubinger's  or  some  other  hotel.  The 
handsomest  rooms,  for  which  the  charges 
are  rather  high,  are  in  the  Badeschloss, 
built  by  an  Archbishop  of  Salzburg; 
they  are  let  only  when  not  required  for 
royal  or  imperial  visitors.  The  lodging- 
houses  called  Bellevue  and  Solitude  are 
recommended.  As  there  is  not  accom- 
modation here  for  more  than  about  500 
%'isitors  at  a  time,  every  room  is  often 
occupied  during  the  season ;  and  families 
intending  a  visit  should  not  fail  to 
write  beforehand  to  the  Bade-Director, 
to  secure  necessary  rooms.  In  the  hotels 
the  baths  are  made  of  wood,  and  alto- 
gether rather  rough ;  in  the  Badeschloss 
are  a  .few  baths  lined  with  porcelain 
tiles,  but  these  are  often  secured  before- 
hand, and  are  not  always  accessible.  As 
a  general  rule,  all  charges  here  are  regu- 
lated by  tariff,  and  visitors  can  suit 
themselves  as  to  their  expenses. 

The  mineral  springs,  seven  in  num- 
ber, all  issue  in  the  immediate  neigh- 
bourhood, one  of  them  in  the  midst  of 
the  cascade.  They  seem  to  have  iden- 
tical properties,  and  are  remarkable  for 
their  high  temperatui-e— 116°  to  120° 
Fahr.  Chemical  analysis  fails  to  ac- 
count for  the  energetic  action  of  these 
tasteless  waters,  which  contain  ordinary- 
earthy  salts  in  quantity  little  greater 
than  in  most  spring  water.  It  is,  how- 
ever, worthy  of  note  that  the  water  is 
found  to  possess  unusually  high  con- 
ductivity for  electricity.  The  usual 
course  of  cure  recommended  to  patients 
includes  twenty-one  baths,  and  they  are 
sometimes  advised  to  conclude  by  a  short 
course  of  the  waters  at  St.  Wolfgang,  in 
the  neighbouring  valley  of  Fusch  (§  51, 
Kte.  C).  The  climate  of  Grastein,  espe- 
cially in  July,  is  often  wet  and  rather 
cold ;  and  visitors  are  not  seldom  reduced 
to  take  exercise  in  a  long  gallery  covered 


285 


with  glass — called  the  Wandelbahn  — 
which  is  a  conspicuous  but  not  pictu- 
resque object  from  a  distance,  as  it  is 
carried  along  the  verge  of  the  rocks 
immediately  above  the  great  waterfall 
of  the  Grasteiner  Ache.  The  latter  is 
the  ruling  genius  of  the  place.  The 
ceaseless  clouds  of  spray  bedim  the 
windows  of  the  Wandelbahn,  and  of 
many  of  the  houses  ;  and  the  hollow 
roar  of  the  waters  is  found  by  some  to 
be  soothing,  while  it  irritates  the  nerves 
of  more  delicate  persons  who  are  lodged 
in  the  adjoining  houses. 

The  church  of  St.  Nicholas,  dating 
from  the  fourteenth  centuiy,  and  the 
adjoining  cemetery,  are  interesting  to 
the  antiquary.  Numerous  paths  enable 
visitors  to  visit  with  ease  the  more  at- 
tractive spots  in  the  immediate  neigh- 
boui'hood,  but  not  without  a  little  climb- 
ing up  or  down  hill.  Above  tne  baths, 
the  cascade  and  rapids  of  the  Ache  have 
excavated  a  deep  and  impassable  cleft 
in  the  slate  rocks,  above  which  a  pic- 
turesque bridge  —  the  Schreckbrilcke 
(3,524') — is  thrown  over  the  torrent. 
Having  gained  this  elevation,  the  visitor 
may,  without  further  labour,  wander 
along  the  nearly  level  reach  of  the 
upper  valley  that  extends  some  way 
beyond  the  village  of  Buckstein  (see 
below).  Another  favourite  stroll  is  to 
descend  to  the  opening  of  the  Kotschach- 
thal,  and  follow  the  path  up  that  glen. 
The  junction  of  the  Kotschachbach  is 
about  ^  m.  below  the  baths,  and  2,870 
ft.  above  the  sea,  but  a  path  winds 
along  the  slopes,  so  that  to  enter  the 
glen,  it  is  not  necessary  to  descend  so 
low.  The  bridge  above  the  great  water- 
fall, near  to  Straubinger's  hotel,  is  3,152 
ft.  above  the  sea. 

A  glance  at  the  map  shows  that  the 
upper  valley  of  Gastein  runs  transverse 
to  the  general  direction  of  the  main 
ridges  of  the  adjoining  Alps.  It  comes 
to  an  end  in  the  Nassfeld,  at  the  base  of 
the  ScharrecJc  (10,277')»  and  receives 
from  the  ESE.  three  tributaries  from 
as  many  parallel  glens.  The  highest 
of  these  —  the  Weissenbachthal  —  ap- 
proaches the  Malnitzer  Tauern(Ete.C); 


286 


CENTRAL    TYROL    ALPS.       §    52.    GASTEIN   DISTRICT. 


the  next  is  the  Anlaufthal  (mentioned 
in  the  same  Rte.) ;  and  the  lowest  the 
Kotschachthal,  which  joins  the  main 
valley  below  the  baths,  and  is  further 
noticed  in  Rte.  Gr. 

The  charges  for  guides  at  Grastein  are 
quite  unreasonable,  and  there  is  a  heavy 
extra  demand  for  carrying  baggage. 
Johann  Freyberger  is  recommended  as 
intelligent,  and  a  good  walker.  For 
the  Ankogl,  and  other  high  summits 
towards  the  head  of  the  valley,  the  best 
man  is  probably  the  Schmied  (Komeck? ) 
at  Bockstein,  but  he  is  now  advanced  in 
years. 

Of  the  easier  excursions  from  G-astein, 
by  far  the  most  interesting  is  that  to 
the  Nassfeld,  for  which  see  Ete.  C. 

The  favourite  mountain  excursion 
from  Bad  Gastein  is  the  ascent  of  the 
Gamskahrkogel  (7,91 7')»  a  summit  rising 
nearly  due  E.  of  Hof  G-astein.  A  bri- 
dle-path leads  from  that  place  to  the 
summit,  and  many  persons  therefore 
descend  thither,  and  engage  horses — 
charged  at  the  unreasonable  rate  of  8  fl. 
per  horse,  and  2  fl.  for  the  guide.  A 
much  more  direct  way  from  Bad  Ga- 
stein is  found  by  crossing  the  lower  part 
of  the  Kotschachthal,  and  following  a 
nearly  direct  course  to  the  summit,  for 
the  most  part  up  steep  grassy  slopes. 
A  person  used  to  mountain  walking 
does  not  require  a  guide.  "With  favour- 
able weather  ,  the  panoramic  view  is 
extensive  and  interesting,  but,  in  the 
writer  s  opinion,  it  has  been  somewhat 
ovei^i'aised  by  German  writers.  Eather 
more  laborious,  and  in  many  respects 
more  interesting,  is  the  ascent  of  the 
Badhausberg  (often  written  Eathhaus- 
berg).  This  is  a  considerable  mountain 
mass  that  rises  S.  of  Bockstein,  between 
the  above-mentioned  glens  of  Anlauf 
and  Weissenbach.  The  NW.  summit, 
conspicuous  from  Gastein,  measures 
8,218  ft.  but  the  highest,  SE.,  summit, 
locally  called  Kreuzkofel,  attains  8,804 
ft.  The  mountain  has  been  fiimous  for 
its  mineral  wealth  from  the  most  remote 
antiquity  ;  the  fame  of  its  golden  pro- 
duce having  led  the  Eomans  to  drive 
out  the  Noric  tribes,  who  had  already 


established  themselves  in  this  remote 
corner  of  the  Alps.  The  highest  shaft 
— long  since  abandoned — is  8,170'  ft. 
above  the  sea.  The  mineralogist  may 
here  find  many  rare  minerals  and  ores 
of  lead  and  copper,  associated  with 
silver,  antimony,  and  arsenic,  with  oc- 
casional particles  of  gold.  The  gneiss 
of  which  the  mountain  is  chiefly  formed 
varies  much  in  structure,  and  often 
assumes  a  porphyritic  character.  Crys- 
tals of  beryl  have  been  found  in  the 
quartz  veins  of  the  Ivreuzkofel.  The 
botanist  may  gather  Sileae  immilio, 
LinncBa  horealis,  Primula  Ion qi flora,  and 
other  rare  plants.  The  most  direct  way 
is  to  ascend  from  Bockstein,  by  a  well- 
traced  path  that  begins  to  mount  a  short 
way  above  the  bridge. 

As  the  working  of  the  mines  is  said 
to  be  suspended  for  the  present  (1869), 
travellers  may  no  longer  be  able  to 
return  in  a  miner's  car  on  a  very  steep 
slide,  which  shot  down  a  slope  of  about 
2,300  feet  vertical  height  in  a  few 
minutes.  Although  the  shaft,  called 
Christoph-Stollen,  which  once  produced 
gold  and  silver  to  the  annual  value  of 
80,000  ducats,  has  been  long  unworked, 
it  may  be  easily  traversed  with  a  miner 
for  guide.  Entering  at  the  N.  end, 
the  traveller  comes  out  at  a  point  l^- 
m.  distant,  and  7,205  ft.  above  the 
sea,  just  below  the  topmost  ridge  of 
the  mountain.  From  the  summit  of 
the  Kreuzkofel,  which  in  fine  weather 
commands  a  very  fine  view  of  the  neigh- 
bouring snowy  peaks,  the  traveller  may 
descend  eastward  through  the  Hiekahr 
to  the  Anlaufthal,  or  AVSW.  through  the 
Weissenbachthal  to  the  Xassfeld  (Ete. 
C).  The  miners  show  a  house  on  the 
mountain — called  Christophen-Berghaus 
— built  more  than  300  years,  which  has 
survived  the  annual  fall  of  at  least  one 
avalanche  every  spring,  while  all  the 
other  buildings  have  been  repeatedly 
destroyed. 

The  mountaineer  who  may  make  a 
halt  at  Gastein  will  be  tempted  to 
undertake  the  ascent  of  the  AnJcogl 
(10,674:'),  This  fine  peak  sends  nearly 
all  its  drainage  to  the  Drave  through 


ROUTE    B. LEND    TO   HEILIGENBLUT,    BY    KAURIS. 


287 


tlie  IMaltarha],  or  through  the  Seethal, 
which  is  one  of  the  tributaries  of  the 
MoUthal,  but  its  NE.  slope  rises  above 
the  head  of  the  Anlaufthal ;  and  from 
the  Eadeckalp  (5,657').  at  the  head  of 
that  glen,  the  ascent  may  be  effected. 
It  is  an  expedition  for  practised  moun- 
taineers, involving  (it  is  said)  some  stiff 
glacier  work  ;  and  the  final  climb  is 
along  a  very  narrow  arete  of  treacher- 
ously loose  rocks.  The  view  is  not 
equal  to  that  from  the  Hochnarr.  For 
a  notice  of  the  ascent  from  Maluitz,  see 
Rte.  C. 


EoirrE  B. 

LEXD    TO    HEILIGEXBLrT    BY   BAURIS,    OE 

HOF    GASTEIN. 

The  valley  of  Eauris,  lying  between 
those  of  Fusch  and  G-astein,  offers  the 
most  direct  route  for  a  traveller  ap- 
proaching Heiligenblut  from  Salzburg ; 
but  it  is  little  frequented.  The  superior 
attractions  of  the  scenery  of  the  Fuscher 
Thai,  and  the  great  resort  of  strangers 
to  Bad  G-astein,  leave  few  to  follow  the 
intermediate  route.  This  is,  however, 
by  no  means  uninteresting  ;  and  it 
enables  the  traveller  to  reach  Heiligen- 
blut on  the  second  day  from  Salzburg, 
sleeping  at  Eauris.  The  mountaineer, 
travelling  in  the  opposite  direction,  who 
may  take  the  summit  of  the  Hochnarr 
on  his  way  from  Heiligenblut,  can  de- 
scend to  the  Salza  either  by  way  of 
Eauris  or  of  G-astein. 


1.  By  Eauris  and  the  HocMhor. 
Carriage-road  to  Eauris — about  11  m. 
Bridle-track  thence  to  Heiligenblut — 
about  10  hrs.  The  high-road  of  the 
Pinzgau  (§  oO,  Ete.  A)  is  followed  for 
about  5  m.  from  Lend  to  Taxenbach. 
From  that  place  to  Eauris  a  little 
time  is  saved  by  taking  a  carriage. 
The  traveller,  on  entering  the  valley  of 
Eauris,  should  on  no  account  omit  to 
visit  the  Waterfall  of  the  Kitzloch,  re- 
markable not  only  for  the  volume  of 
water  of  the  Eauriser  Ache,  which  here 
springs  from  the  level  of  its  own  valley 
to  that  of  the  Salza,  but  especially  for 
the  imposing  effect  of  the  dark  and 
savage  cleft,  in  which  visitors  are  enabled 
to  approach  the  waterfall  by  steps  and 
wooden  planks  attached  to  the  rocky 
walls.  After  this  slight  detour,  the 
traveller  follows  the  road  above  the  rt. 
bank  of  the  torrent,  leaving  to  the  rt. 
the  village  of  Enihach  (3,325'),  which 
commands  a  noble  view  along  the  Pinz- 
gau, and  northward  to  the  crags  of  the 
Uebergossene  Alp,  rising  behind  the 
Dienten  mountains.  The  pedestrian 
coming  from  Lend  may  take  this  vil- 
lage on  his  way  to  Eauris,  by  a  slight 
short  cut  ;  but  he  thus  loses  the  re- 
markable waterfall.  On  reaching  the 
level  of  the  valley  of  Eauris,  the  fine 
snowy  peaks  at  the  head  of  the  valley 
come  into  view.  They  are  here  indis- 
criminately known  as  the  Hohe  Gold- 
berg. The  very  small  but  ancient 
market-town  of  Eauris  (3,141')  is  said 
to  have  a  good  inn  (Beim  Brauer). 
The  landlord  possesses  three  fine  dishes 
of  Urbino  majolica  ware,  one  of  which 
bears  the  date  154:2.  Two  paths  lead 
from  hence  E.  and  SE.  to  the  valley  of 
G-astein.  About  1  hr.  above  Eauris,' the 
main  valley,  which  mounts  due  S.  to 
the  mines  at  the  foot  of  the  Goldberg 
Glacier,  is  joined  by  a  considerable 
lateral  glen  from  the  SW.  The  way  to 
Heiligenblut  is  through  this,  which  is 
known  as  the  Seidelicinkelthal.  Leav- 
ing the  nearly  level  cart-road  on  the  rt. 
bank  of  the  main  torrent,  the  traveller 
crosses  to  the  opposite  bank  some  way 
below  the  junction,  in   order  to  reach 


2«8 


CENTRAL    TYROL    ALPS.       §    52.    GASTEIN   DISTRICT. 


the  hamlet  of  Worth  {^A9T),  at  the  open-  | 
ing  of  the  Seidelwinkelthal.  This  is  a  I 
nnrrow  glen  not  offering  any  very  re-  ■ 
markable  object,  yet  the  scenery  is 
pleasing,  and  the  frequent  shade  of  \ 
pine  trees  makes  the  walk  the  more  I 
agreeable.  Nearly  3  hrs.  of  steady  | 
walking  from  Worth  are  required  to 
reach  the 

Tauernhaus  (5,049'),  locally  called 
Taurach.  This  is  a  humble  Alpine 
hostelry  of  the  same  kind  as  those 
mentioned  in  the  last  section.  It  is 
one  of  the  best  of  its  class,  offering 
tolerable  refreshment,  and  endurable, 
though  far  from  comfortable  night- 
quarters.  The  forest  which  clothes  the 
lower  part  of  the  glen  comes  to  an  end 
a  short  way  above  the  Tauernhaus  ;  but 
for  some  way  the  ascent  is  still  gentle, 
keeping  a  SW.  direction  till,  on  rounding 
a  corner,  the  path  begins  to  mount  to- 
wards S.,  winding  up  a  rather  steep 
stony  slope.  The  solitary  traveller 
must  take  care  not  to  choose  a  path  to 
the  1.,  which  leads  to  the  Fuscher  Thorl, 
and  to  keep  a  general  direction  but  little 
W.  of  S.  till  he  reaches  the  last  slopes 
that  lead  to  the  Hochthor.  That  pass, 
as  well  as  the  path  from  Fusch  over  the 
Fuscher  Thorl,  is  described  in  §  51, 
Ete.  C.  From  5|-  to  6  hrs.  suffice  to 
reach  Heiligenblut  from  the  Tauernhaus. 
The  traveller  wishing  to  vary  the  or- 
dinary way  from  the  Tauernhaus  to 
Heiligenblut  may  cross  the  Weissenhach- 
scharte  (8,651'),  a  pass  lying  about  1^  m. 
E.  of  the  Hochthor,  and  involving 
about  an  hour's  walk  more  than  the 
usual  route.  The  descent  lies  through 
a  wild  glen  called  Grosse  Fleiss,  which 
joins  the  Kleine  Fleiss  (mentioned below) 
about  1  hr.  from  Heiligenblut. 

2.  Bi;  Hof  Gastein  and  the  Hochthor. 
Carriage-road  to  Hof  G-astein — 14  m. 
Bridle^track  thence  to  Heiligenblut — 
about  15^  hrs.  The  only  frequented 
path  between  the  valleys  of  Gastein 
and  Kauris  is  that  mentioned  in  Ete. 
A,  which  mounts  to  SW.  through  the 
Aiujerthal.  This  is  a  short  open  glen 
that  joins  the  main  valley  of  Gastein, 
nea'  the  hamlet  of  Aigen,  between  Hof 


and  Bad  Gastein.  Those  who  start 
from  the  latter  place  need  not  descend 
to  Aigen  ;  but  they  must  allow  half  an 
hour  more  time  than  from  Hof.  A 
broad  track,  practicable  for  light  vehi- 
cles, mounts  through  the  lower  part  of 
the  Angerthal.  The  glen  originates  at 
the  N.  base  of  the  Bockhardtscharte, 
but  the  way  to  the  Eauriser  Thai  lies 
through  a  western  tributary  that  joins 
the  main  branch  of  the  glen  rather 
more  than  1  hr.  above  Aigen.  Keeping 
to  the  track  along  the  N.  slope,  usually 
at  some  distance  from  the  stream,  the 
traveller  gradually  attains  a  considerable 
height,  without  thereby  obtaining  a  wide 
view,  until,  on  attaining  the  summit  of 
the  pass — Auf  der  Stanz  (6,920')  —  a 
grand  scene  is  suddenly  opened  before 
him.  The  peaks  at  the  head  of  the 
Eauriser  Thai,  and  the  range  dividing 
the  latter  from  Fusch,  are  reduced  to 
comparative  insignificance  by  the  nobler 
summits  of  the  Glockner  and  the  Wies- 
bachbom  that  tower  above  the  nearer 
mountains.  The  botanist  will  do  wisely 
to  allow  abundant  time  for  this  walk, 
as  he  will  find  many  rarities.  In  ascend- 
ing from  Gastein,  Willemetia  apargioidcs 
is  abimdant  in  marshy  Alpine  meadows; 
on  the  opposite  side,  near  the  top,  Lo- 
nuitogonium  carinthiacum  is  found  on 
the  dry  grassy  slopes.  Fully  4  hrs. 
must  be  allowed  to  reach  the  summit 
from  Hof  Gastein,  and  less  than  half 
that  time  is  needed  for  the  rapid  descent 
to  Biichehen  (3.641').  This  ranks  as  a 
village — the  highest  in  Eauris — because 
it  possesses,  along  with  half  a  dozen 
houses,  a  church  and  an  inn.  The  latter 
has  undergone  several  vicissitudes,  but 
the  latest  accounts  that  have  reached 
the  writer  are  favourable.  The  stranger 
seeking  information  as  to  the  neighbour- 
ing mountains  will  find  a  friendly  recep- 
tion from  the  parish  priest.  An  easy 
walk  of  I  hr.  down  the  main  valley, 
keeping  always  to  the  1.  bank,  leads 
from  Bueheben  to  Worth,  at  the  opening 
of  the  Seidelwinkelthal,  where  the  travel- 
ler joins  the  regular  track  from  Eauris 
to  Heiligenbhit,  already  noticed. 

[The  traveller  wishing  to  reach  St. 


ROUTE    B. BL'CHKBEN    TO    THE    MIXES    OF    RAURIS. 


289 


Wolfgang,  in  Fusch  (§  61,  Rte,  C) 
from  Kauris  or  Gastein  mt\y  take  a 
rather  steep,  but  very  agreeable,  path 
that  mounts  on  the  rt.  hand  from  the 
Seidehvinkflthal  to  the  pass  of  the 
Weicksdbachwand  (7,258')  (also  locally 
called  Schiitterriedl  ?).  The  summit, 
commanding  a  noble  view  of  the  Wies- 
bachhurn,  is  reached  in  3  hrs.  from 
Worth,  and  H  hr.  suffices  for  the  de- 
scent to  St.  Wolfgang.] 

Those  who  may  not  be  inclined  to 
undertake  the  laborious  and  somewhat 
difficult  passes  next  described  will  do 
well  to  make  an  excursion  from  Buch- 
eben  to  the  mines  at  the  head  of  the 
Eauriser  Thai.  The  scenery  is  fine,  and 
will  well  reward  the  sliglit  excursion  ; 
but  it  is  a  still  better  plan  to  take  the 
mines  on  the  way  from  Bad  Gastein  to 
Bucheben  (see  below).  In  descending 
from  Auf  der  Stanz  to  Bucheben,  it  is  not 
easy  to  lose  the  way,  but  those  who  tra- 
vel in  the  opposite  direction  should  take 
a  local  guide,  as  there  are  many  cattle- 
tracks  in  various  directions. 

3.  Bi/  the  -/nines  of  Rauris,  and  the 
Goldzech-Tav.ern.  Eoad  or  bridle-path 
to  the  Neubau — 9^  hrs.  Grlacier-pass 
thence  to  Heiligenblut — 7  hrs.  This  is 
undoubtedly  the  most  interesting  route 
for  a  mountaineer  going  from  Rauris  to 
Heiligenblut,  especially  in  clear  weather, 
when  the  ascent  of  the  Hochnarr  may 
be  combined  with  the  expedition,  and 
involves  only  about  1  hr.'s  addition  to 
the  day's  walk.  It  is,  however,  far 
more  easily  accomplished  by  starting  at 
an  early  hour  from  Heiligenblut,  where 
Pius  Granogger  and  other  guides  are 
acquainted  with  the  way.  On  the  Eau- 
ris  side,  the  only  guicle  who  is  recom- 
mended is  the  Hutmann  Stockl  at  Ivolm- 
♦Saigurn.  The  writer  has  been  informed 
that  the  so-called  gold  mines  at  the  head 
of  the  Eauriser  Thai  have  been  recently 
(1869)  closed,  and  it  is  unsafe  to  count 
on  the  rough  accommodation  formerly 
found  at  Kolm-Saigurn.  The  pass  is 
sometimes  difficult,  owing  to  the  cre- 
vassed  state  of  the  glacier,  and  at  times 
there  is  some  risk  from  falling  rocks. 
The  mines  are,  or  were,  if  not  the 
c.  T. 


highest  worked  in  Europe,  certainly  thosa 
carried  on  in  the  face  of  the  greatest 
difficulties.  One  of  the  ancient  shafts 
is  now  covered  over  by  a  glacier, 
and  even  the  path  leading  to  the 
works,  which  appears  so  easy  in  sum- 
mer,   is   in    winter   much    exposed   to 

j  avalanches. 

The  portion  of  the  High  Tauem  range 
that  forms  the  boundary  between  Salz- 
burg and  Carinthia  at  the  head  of  the 
valleys  of  Eauris  and  Gastein,  and  may 
be  called  from  its  highest  summit  the 
Hochnarr  range,  preser^-es  that  general 
direction  from  WNW.  to  ESE.  which  is 
characteristic  of  the  region  E.  of  the 
Velber  Tauern.  For  a  distance  of  abou'" 
11m.  from  the  Weissenbachscharte  to 
the  Goiselspits  (9,739'i,  it  forms  the 
dividing  ridge  between  the  Salza  and 
the  Moll.  From  the  last-named  sum- 
mit, a  much  lower  transverse  ridge  con- 
nects this  with  the  parallel  range  of  the 
Ankogl  and  Hochalpenspitz,  but  the 
axis  of  the  Hochnarr  range  extends  6  m. 
farther  to  ESE.,  terminating  in  the- 
Lonzaberg  (7,088')  over  Ober-Vellach 
(Ete.  C).  The  Hochnarr  (10,692')  con- 
siderably overtops  all  the  other  summits 
of  this  range  ;  the  other  most  conspicu- 
oi;s  points  are  the  Goldberqspits  [10, OQo) 
and  the  ScluD-reck  (10,277'). 

A  short  way  above  Bucheben,  the  cart- 
track  from  Eauris  passes  to  the  rt.  bank 
of  the  Ache.  The  way  along  the  main 
branch  of  the  valley — locally  known  as 
Hidtwinkelthal — is  rendered  the  morg 
interesting  as  the  peaks  and  glaciers  at 
its  head  are  almost  constantly  in  sight. 
At  the  Zottbriicke  (about  4.200'),  near 
the  junction  of  the  Krummelbach,  which 
issues  from  a  narrow  cleft  on  the  W. 
side  of  the  valley,  the  track  returns  to 
the  1;  bank,  and  soon  after  ascends  a 
projecting  eminence,  that  commands  a 
fine  view  in  both  directions  along  the 
valley.  Here  begins  the  region  of  Al- 
pine pastures,  -with  which,  in  unusuul 
combination,  are  seen  various  build- 
ings connected  with  the  mines.  The  Bo- 
denhaus,  where  refreshnients  are  found, 
served  as  a  she'.ter  in  bad  weather  for 
the  miners  travelling  to  or  fro.     Amid 

u 


290 


CENTRAL    TYROL    ALPS.       §  52.    GASTEIN   DISTRICT. 


very  fine  scenery  the  traveller  continues 
to  ascend  to 

Kolm-Saiffurn{r), Z78'),  the  head-quar- 
ters of  the  miners,  where  the  gold-bear- 
ing ore  is  crushed,  and  the  precious 
metal  extracted  by  amalgamation.  The 
chief  Hutmann.  or  foreman,  keeps  a  sort 
of  rude  hostelry,  where  refreshments, 
and,  in  case  of  need,  rough  night-quar- 
ters, are  found.  Fine  specimens  of  rare 
minerals  are  often  to  be  obtained  here. 

The  most  direct  w'ay  from  Kolm-Sai- 
gurn  to  the  Hochnai'r  is  by  the  Lange 
G-asse  and  the  Keestrachter,  but  re- 
cently travellers  have  usually  passed  by 
the  Neuhau  (7,115'),  a  building  intended 
mainly  to  afford  a  shelter  for  the  por- 
ters who  carry  down  the  freshly  ex- 
.tracted  ore.  Although  a  little  circuit- 
ous, this  course  probably  saves  time, 
as  there  is  a  beaten  track  as  far  as  the 
Xeubau.  The  highest  shaft  now  worked 
is  about  h  hr.  higher  up.  On  a  rock 
rising  but  little  above  the  level  of  the 
surrounding  glacier,  just  7,700  ft.  above 
the  sea,  stands  the  miner's  house  {Knap- 
penhaus),  *  Am  Boden.'  Here,  under 
physical  conditions  of  extreme  difficulty, 
the  miners  labour  throughout  the  year. 
Those  who  see  these  regions  during  the 
short  summer  season  have  no  adequate 
idea  of  what  the  life  here  must  be  during 
the  remainder  of  the  year.  According  to 
M.  Reissacher,  the  director  of  the  mines 
in  this  district,  the  diminished  density 
of  the  air  is  the  chief  cause  of  the  inju- 
rious effects  of  the  labour  on  the  health. 
It  is  necessary  to  allow  the  men  weekly 
periods  of  absence  to  descend  into  the 
valley.  He  has  found  it  impossible  to 
keep  dogs  or  cats  alive  for  more  than  a 
few  weeks.  There  may,  however,  be 
local  causes  at  work  in  addition  to  that 
which  he  regards  as  alone  important. 

[From  the  house  '  Am  Boden,'  an  ac- 
tive mountaineer  may  in  3  hrs.  reach 
the  summit  of  the  Sckarrcck  (10,277')> 
which  is  easy  of  access  from  this  side, 
and  commands  a  very  fine  view.] 

Of  the  glaciers  that  are  drained  into 
the  headof  the  Rauriser  Thai,  by  far  the 
most  considerable  is  the  Goldberg- Glet- 
^cJver,  which  is  fed  by.  the  snows  lying 


within  a  great  semicircle  extending  from 
the  Herzog  Ernst  (9,695')  on  the  E.  to 
the  Hmfer-Sonnblick  (9,591').  The  way 
to  Heiligenblut  lies  westward  across 
this  glacier,  and  along  moraine,  tiU  the 
much  crevassed  Hochnarr  Glacier  is 
reached.  The  lower  part  of  this,  which 
bears  the  singular  name  Pilatus-See, 
is  crossed,  and  thenceforward  the  course 
is  cliiefly  over  neve,  passing  under  the 
N.  side  of  a  steep  ridge  of  crumbling 
rock,  whence  loose  blocks  are  not  sel- 
dom detached.  It  wovdd  appear  (?) 
that  this  part  of  the  route  may  be 
avoided  by  a  traveller  aiming  directly 
at  the  pass  to  Heiligenblut,  which  lies 
S.  of  the  peak  of  the  Hochnarr.  This, 
however,  commands  so  fine  a  view,  and 
is  so  easy  of  access,  that  no  mountaineer 
can  willingly  leave  it  on  one  hand.  The 
pass  of  the  Goldzech-Tauern  does  not 
seem  to  have  been  accurately  measured, 
but  must  be  at  least  9,500  ft,  in  height. 
It  immediately  overlooks  the  head  of 
the  wild  glen  of  the  Kleine  Fleiss,  whose 
torrent,  after  uniting  with  that  of  the 
Grosse  Fleiss,  joins  the  Moll  at  Pock- 
horn,  below  Heiligenblut.  Both  these 
glens  were  formerly  the  scene  of  mining 
activity,  but  most  of  the  shafts,  which 
extended  as  high  as  9,400  ft.,  are  now 
covered  by  glacier.  The  descent  is  over 
glacier  to  a  small  lake  called  Zirmer 
See,  which  lies  in  the  midst  of  scenery 
of  the  wildest  character.  This  is  ap- 
parently the  same  as  the  Goldzech-See 
of  Sonklar,  8,602  ft.  above  the  sea-level. 
Following  the  remains  of  an  ancient 
horse-track,  the  traveller  descends  to 
St.  Anton,  a  hamlet  jixst  below  the  junc- 
tion of  the  Grosse  Fleiss,  and  in  another 
^  hr.  reaches  Heiligenblut. 

There  is  another  glacier  pass,  some- 
times followed  by  native  cliamois  hunt- 
ers, which  leads  from  Rauris  through  the 
Krummelthal  (mentioned  above),  and 
over  the  Weissenbacher  Kees  to  the  head 
of  the  Grosse  Fleiss.  This  is  probably 
quite  as  laborious  a  route  as  that  by 
the  Goldzech-Tauern,  and  apparently 
much  less  interesting. 

4.  Bi/  Bad  Gastein,  Neiihau,  and  the 
Goldzech-  Tauern.    By  road  to  Bad  G-a- 


ROUTE    C. — BAD    GASTEIN    TO    SPITTAL,    BY    MALLNITZ. 


291 


stein,  21m.;  thence  to  Heiligenblut,  on 
foot,  11^  hrs.,  exclusive  of  halts.  By 
the  coui'se  here  indicated,  an  active 
mountaineer  may  accomplish  the  dis- 
tance between  Bad  Grastein  and  Heili- 
genblut in  one  rather  long  day's  walk  ; 
but,  in  the  absence  of  any  guide  at  G-a- 
stein  well  acquainted  with  the  route,  it 
is  scarcely  practicable  except  from  the 
Heiligenblut  side.  The  writer  was  fa- 
voured with  a  note  by  the  late  Dr.  Brin- 
ton,  who  made  the  exciirsion  in  1861  with 
Herr  v.  Mojsisovics.  Having  ascended 
through  the  Kleine  Fleiss,  they  gained 
the  summit  of  the  Hochnarr,  and  de- 
scended thence  to  the  Neubau  by  the 
course  already  described.  From  the 
Neubau  a  track,  called  Verwaltersteig, 
oiten  used  by  the  miners  in  simiraer, 
leads  to  the  Riffelscharte  (8,103'),  a 
slight  depression  in  the  range,  which 
diverges  northward  from  the  Herzog 
Ernst  between  the  valleys  of  Gastein  and 
Kauris.  This  way  should  not  be  taken 
late  in  the  autumn,  nor  at  any  season 
after  much  fresh  suow,  as  it  is  much 
exposed  to  avalanches,  and  numerous 
accidents  from  that  cause  are  recorded. 
The  descent  on  the  E.  side  is  through 
the  short  glen  of  the  Siefflitcthal,  where- 
in are  seen  several  ruined  buildings, 
connected  with  now  abandoned  mining 
works.  On  reaching  the  Moserhiitte,  at 
the  N.  end  of  the  Nassfeld,  the  travel- 
ler joins  the  beaten  track  leading  from 
the  Mallnitzer  Tauern  to  Bad  Gastein 
(see  Ete.  C).  The  following  times 
were  noted  by  Messrs.  Brinton  and 
Mojsisovics,  both  fast  walkers  :  Heili- 
genblut to  the  summit  of  the  Hoch- 
narr, 5  hrs. ;  descent  thence  to  the  Neu- 
bau, 3  hrs ;  ascent  to  the  Eiffelscharte, 
f  hr. ;  descent  to  the  Moserhiitte,  nearly 
1  hr.;  thence  to  Bad  Gastein,  1^  hr. 

Travellers  who  do  not  undertake  diffi- 
cult excursions  may  very  well  make  the 
circuit  from  Bad  Gastein  to  Bucheben 
by  the  route  here  described — reaching 
the  Neubau  by  the  Sieglitzthal,  and 
descending  thence  to  Bucheben.  This 
is  in  fine  weather  quite  free  from  diffi- 
cidty,  but  involves  a  rather  long  day's 
walk.      A  rather  shorter  course  is  to 


mount  from  the  Ober-Bockhardt  See 
(Ete.  C),  to  the  pass  of  the  Ober-Lrk- 
hardtschartc  (7,445'),  which,  as  well  as 
the  Eiffelscharte,  commands  a  very  fine 
view.  Thence  a  path  leads  down  to 
Kolm-Saigurn. 


v2 


EOTJTE   C. 

BAD    GASTEIX   TO    SPITTAL,    ON   THB 
DRATE,    BY    MALLNITZ. 

The  valley  of  Gastein  is  connected 
with  that  of  the  Moll,  in  Carinthia,  by 
the  most  frequented  pass  over  the  main 
range  between  the  Brenner  and  the  Ead- 
stadter  Tauern.  Thougli  higher  by  14 
ft.  (?)  than  the  Yelber  Tauern  (§  51, 
Ete.  E),  it  is  much  easier  of  access,  and 
in  summer  is  traversed  daily  by  beasts 
of  burden.  This  important  pass  is  most 
generally  known  by  the  name  Mall- 
nitzer Tauern,  which  it  bears  on  the 
Carinthian  side,  but  at  Gastein  it  is 
better  known  as  the  Nassfelder  Tauern. 
Two  other  passes,  rather  shorter  in 
distance,  but  much  more  laborious,  con- 
nect the  baths  of  Gastein  with  Mallnitz. 
These,  though  noticed  below,  are  little 
used,  but  apparently  deserve  more  atten- 
tion than  they  have  hitherto  obtained 
from  travellers. 

1.  By  the  Mallnitzer  Tauern.  7|  hrs, 
on  foot,  or  8^  hrs.  on  horseback,  to 
Mallnitz;  about  26  m.  thence  to  Spittal. 
Although  the  easiest  pass  over  the  High 


292 


CENTRAL    TYROL    ALPS.       §  52.    GASTEIN    DISTRICT. 


Tauern  Alps,  this  is  not  a  light  under- 
taking for  ladies.  Those  who  prefer 
that  course  may  engage  horses  (at  10  fl. 
each)  for  the  whole  distance  from  Bad 
Gastein  to  Ober-Vellach — reckoned  10 
hrs. ;  but  as  the  descent  on  the  S.  side 
is  very  steep,  those  who  can  walk  a  few 
miles  do  better  to  take  the  horses  only 
to  the  summit  of  the  pass  (5  fl.  each), 
and  descf-nd  on  foot.  From  Mallnitz 
there  is  a  road  to  Ober-Vellach,  and  a 
vehicle  of  some  sort  is  usually  to  be  had  ; 
but  the  way  is  so  rough  that  those  who 
can  do  so  may  better  walk,  the  distance 
being  about  6  m.  It  is  possible  to  go 
in  a  char  from  Bad  Gra stein  to  Bockstein 
(about  f  hr.),  and  to  engage  the  horses 
required  from  the  landlord  of  the  inn  at 
that  place. 

A  singular  contrast  is  presented  to 
the  visitor  at  Bad  G-astein,  where  he 
lives  between  the  roar  of  the  great  water- 
fall below  the  baths  and  the  angry  whirl 
of  the  foaming  cataracts  above,  when, 
after  a  short  accent,  he  passes  the 
Schreckbriicke  (Rte.  A),  and  a  few  steps 
farther  gains  the  level  of  the  upper 
valley,  which  stretches  peacefully  to  the 
S.,  with  a  range  of  partially  snow-clad 
summits,  stern  rather  than  grand  in 
aspect,  rising  in  the  background.  Here, 
about  f  hr.  from  the  baths,  is  tke 
mining  village  of 

BbcJcstein  (3,607').  ''^ith  a  tolerably 
comfortable  inn,  which  some  mountain- 
eers find  preferable  to  the  crowded 
hotels  of  Bad  Gastein.  Here  the  ore 
from  the  Eadliausberg  (Ete.  A)  is 
crushed  and  washed,  and  the  gold  ex- 
tracted. Leaving  to  the  1.  the  opening 
of  the  Anlmifthal,  noticed  below,  the 
way  lies  SW.  through  the  valley,  now 
contracted  by  a  buttress  projecting  from 
the  Radhausberg.  Keeping  to  the  rt. 
bank  of  the  torrent,  the  path  ascends 
gradually  through  a  long  and  narrow 
defile,  and  unexpectedly  leads  to  the  very 
fine  waterfall  called  Kesselfall.  This  is, 
however,  only  the  first  of  a  series  that 
enliven  the  scenery  of  this  part  of  the 
valley.  A  path  made  by  the  late  Arch- 
duke John,  which  turns  to  the  rt.  from 
the  main  track,  leads,  with  very  little 


loss  of  time,  by  two  other  waterfalls' 
whose  effect  is  much  heightened  by  the 
grandeur  of  the  surrounding  scener3\ 
These  are  called  the  Bdrcnfdlle.  In  the 
back -ground,  the  Scharreck,  which  here 
presents  a  bold  pyramidal  outline,  is  a 
striking  object.  Scarcely  has  the  tra- 
veller left  the  Barenfalle  when  another 
cascade  comes  into  view.  Behind  the 
precipitous  rocks  that  rise  above  the  1. 
bank  of  the  main  torrent,  lies  an  upland 
glen  called  BockJiardt,  but  often  written 
Poekhart,  containing  two  Alpine  lakes. 
The  stream  that  drains  the  lower  lake, 
not  finding  a  channel  through  which  to 
reach  the  level  of  the  Gasteiner  Ache, 
attains  the  verge  of  the  precipitous  rocks 
enclosing  the  defile,  and  springs  or  slides 
down  their  face  in  a  singular  fall,  called 
SchleurfaU.  Returning  hence  to  the 
bridle-track,  the  traveller  soon  crosses 
the  torrent  to  its  1.  bank,  by  the  E'lg- 
thorhriicJce  (4,950')-  One  path  mounts 
the  very  steep  rocks  to  reach  the  level 
of  the  Bockhardt  glen,  while  the  main 
track  follows  the  1.  bank  of  the  Ache. 
[The  Bockhardt  well  deserves  an  ex- 
cursion from  Gastein.  It  is  a  short, 
comparatively  broad,  glen,  or  rather 
hollow  in  the  mountains,  resembling, 
though  on  a  larger  scale,  those  often 
seen  in  N.  Wales,  and  there  called  cwm. 
To  such  hollows  the  designation  Kahr  is 
commonly  given  in  the  Eastern  Alps ; 
and  the  name  is  probably  in  its  original 
form  Pochkahr,  the  first  syllable  refer- 
ring to  the  crushing  process  to  which  the 
gold-bearing  ore  of  this  region  is  sub- 
jected. The  mines,  which  formerly  pro- 
duced both  gold  and  silver,  have  been 
long  since  abandoned.  The  traveller 
may  mount  directl}-  by  the  path  near 
the  Engthorbriicke,  or,  after  visiting  the 
Nassfeld,  take  a  less  steep  way  by  a 
track,  anciently  used  by  miners,  that 
diverges  from  the  main  valley  near  the 
Moserhiitte.  Another  path,  shorter  than 
either,  leads  back  to  Bockstein.  The 
Bockhardt  is  divided  into  two  terraces, 
each  partly  occupied  by  a  lake.  The 
Unter-Boc'khardtsce  (6,069')  is  a  com- 
paratively large  sheet  of  waicr,  about 
150  ft.  in  depth.   A  comparatively  steep 


ROUTE  C. MALLXITZER  TAUERN. 


293 


ascent  leads  thence  to  the  Oher-BocJc- 
hardtsee  (6,679'),  a  smaller  basin,  sur- 
rounded by  Alpine  vegetation,  in  which 
the  botanist  will  recognise  Saxifraga 
planifoUa.  It  is  surrounded  by  rugged 
stony  slopes  wherein  are  seen  very 
numerous  'openings  of  the  shafts  for- 
merly worked  here.  Like  most  of  the 
other  mountain  lakes  of  this  neighbour- 
hood, these  contain  no  fish,  doubtless 
owing  to  the  presence  of  metallic  salts. 
From  the  npper  lake,  the  traveller  may 
reach  Kolm-8aigurn  in  Rauris,  by  a  pass 
mentioned  in  the  last  Rte.  Another  pass 
—  Unter-BockhurdUcJutrte  (7,383') — lies 
]NNE.  of  the  lower  lake,  and  leads  to 
the  head  of  the  Anger  thai.  By  that 
way  an  active  walker  may  return  to 
Gastein.] 

After  passing  the  Engthorbriicke,  a 
short  ascent  leads  the  traveller  to  the  N. 
end  of  the  Kassfeld,  a  level  basin,  2  m. 
long  and  about  ^  m.  broad,  doubtless 
the  area  of  an  ancient  lake.  The  name 
Nassfeld  is  often  locally  given  to  similar 
spots  in  the  Eastern  Alps ;  but  this, 
happening  to  lie  in  the  way  of  a  fre- 
quented highway,  is  the  only  one  gene- 
rally known  by  that  name.  The  timber 
that  once  clothed  the  slopes  having  been 
consumed  centuries  ago  by  the  miners, 
it  is  perfectly  bare  of  trees — a  green 
carpet,  through  which  meander  many 
gentle  streams,  surrounded  by  stern 
slopes,  above  which,  to  the  S.  and  SW., 
rise  the  snowy  summits  of  the  Hochnarr 
range,  extending  from  the  Scharreek  to 
the  Goiselspitz.  It  is  so  nearly  level 
that  the  Moserhiitte,  at  the  N.  end,  close 
to  the  opening  of  the  Sieglitzthal,  is  only 
16  ft.  lower  than  the  Straubingcrliillte 
(5,403'),  more  than  a  mile  farther  S. 
At  these  Sennhiitten,  wayfarers  find  the 
usual  dairy  refreshments,  for  which  they 
are  expected  to  pay  handsomely. 

Besides  several  glacier  streams  de- 
scending from  the  higher  peaks,  the 
Isassfeld  receives  at  its  upper  end  a  tor- 
rent that  flows  from  ESE.  through  the 
Wcisscnbachthal,  vrhich  may  be  con- 
sidered the  chief  source  of  the  Gasteiner 
Ache.   The  traveller  bound  for  the  Mall- 


nitzer  Tauern  must  avoid  the  path  that 
follows  the  torrent  through  iho  last- 
named  glen,  and  leads  across  the  ridge 
dividing  this  from  the  Anlaufthal,  and 
should  keep  the  more  beaten  track  that 
winds  up  the  slopes  on  the  S.  side  of  the 
glen.  The  ascent  is  easy,  and,  after 
winding  round  a  hollow  just  below  the 
top  of  the  ridge,  in  2^  hrs.  from  the 
Moserhiitte,  or  o  hrs.  from  Bad  Gastein, 
the  traveller  reaches  the 

Mcdlnitzer  Tauern  (8,038'),  marked  by 
a  wooden  cross.  It  commands  an  ex- 
tensive view  on  the  Carinthian  side, 
extending  to  the  Terglou,  and  this  may 
be  increased  by  a  slight  ascent  to  an 
adjoining  eminence.  A  few  min.  below 
the  summit,  on  the  S.  side,  is  the  Tauern- 
haus,  the  highest  of  the  refuges  bearing 
that  name.  The  person  who  keep*;  it  is 
occasionally  absent,  but,  as  a  general 
rule,  there  are  found  here  wine,  coffee, 
bread,  butter,  and  milk,  ample  refresh- 
ment for  an  Alpine  tourist,  and  a  hay 
couch  for  the  benighted  traveller.  Posts 
mark  the  track  when  the  ground  is 
covered  with  snow  ;  otherwise  no  diffi- 
culty is  found  until  lower  down,  where 
care  is  required  not  to  be  misled  by  the 
numerous  cattle-tracks.  The  Kreuz- 
Kapelle  (7,221')  is  passed  in  descending 
to  a  large  group  of  Sennhiitten — called 
Manhartalp  (5,810') — at  the  head  of  the 
Mcdlnitzer  TAa/.  a  trilnitary  of  the  Moll- 
thai,  through  which  lies  the  way  to  Ober- 
Vellach.  Keeping  mainly  to  the  rt. 
bank  of  the  torrent,  2^  hrs.'  steady  walk- 
ing suffice  to  reach 

'Mallnitz  (3,860'),  the  first  village  in 
Carinthia,  with  a  tolerable mounUiiu  inn, 
improved  of  late  years.  The  landlord 
is  well  acquainted  with  the  surrounding 
mountains,  especially  the  neighbourhood 
of  the  Ankotrl  (.see  below).  A  very 
rough  road  leads  hence  to  the  Mollthal, 
and  equally  rough  vehicles  are  usually 
to  be  found  by  those  who  prefer  severe 
jolting  to  travelling  on  foot.  After  pass- 
ing Lassach  (2,980').  the  road  crosses  to 
the  1.  bank  of  the  3Iailnitz,  and  the  eye 
accustomed  to  tho  stern  scenery  of  this 
part  of  the  Tauern  range  rejoices  in  the 


294 


CENTUAL    TYROL    ALPS.       §   52.    GASTEIN    DLSTRICT. 


i-icli  foliage  of  fine  walnut  trees  as  the 
]o;id  descends  rather  steeply  to 

Oher-Vellach  (2,221'),  a  small  town, 
the  chief  place  in  the  Mullthal,  nearly 
one  m.  below  the  junction  of  the  Mallnitz 
with  the  Moll.  There  are  two  inns  (Zum 
Prinzen  Lichtenstein  ;  Post),  of  which 
tlie  first  is  said  to  be  the  best,  but  rather 
d^'ar.  A  chamois-hunter,  named  Guri, 
is  well  acquainTed  with  the  neighbouring 
Alps.  A  small  post-carriage  plies  three 
times  a  week  up  the  valley  from  Spittal 
to  "Winklern,  and  returns  on  the  alternate 
days  :  but  the  chance,  even  of  a  single 
seat,  is  uncertain.  From  this  place  to 
its  junction  with  the  Drave,  the  Mollthal 
extends  nearly  straight  to  ESE.,  although 
the  road,  which  crosses  the  valley  twice, 
and  winds  along  the  base  of  the  bound- 
ing slopes,  is  very  sinuous.  The  scenery 
is  throughout  very  pleasing,  but  more 
interesting  in  ascending  than  descending, 
as  some  of  the  peaks  of  the  Ilochnarr 
range  are  often  m  view.  IS^umerous 
Roman  remains  have  been  found  here  ; 
the  way  through  the  Anlaufthal,  noticed 
below,  having  been  a  frequented  Eoman 
road.  On  the  top  of  a  hill,  called 
Danlehberg  (3,188'),  that  rises  imme- 
diately above  the  1.  bank  of  the  Moll, 
about  6  m.  below  Ober-Vellach,  stands  a 
chapel  which  was  once  a  temple  of  Her- 
cules, as  is  testified  by  an  inscription 
built  into  the  wall.  This  spot  commands 
a  fine  view  up  and  down  the  valley,  and 
the  pedestrian  does  well  to  avoid  the 
road,  which  here  follows  the  rt.  bank  of 
the  Moll,  and  follow  a  path  from  the 
village  of  Penk  which  passes  over  the 
Danielsberg.  He  rejoins  the  road  where 
it  returns  to  the  1.  bank,  at  the  opening 
of  the  Einkenthal.  The  detour  scarcely 
costs  an  hour's  additional  walk.  After 
passing  KoJmitz  (1,993'),  aiid  Miihldorf, 
tlie  road  from  Ober-Vellach  joins  the 
high-road  through  the  valley  of  the 
Drave  at  Mvllhr'ucke  ( 1 ,829'),  rather  more 
than  13  m.  from  Ober-Vellach.  Tra- 
vellers intending  to  ascend  the  valley  of 
the  Drave  cross  the  Moll  just  above  its 
.junction  with  the  latter  river,  by  the 
bridge,  which  is  only  \\  m.  from  Sach- 
eenburg  (§  51,   Kte.    A),   while  those  I 


bound  for  Villach  follow  the  road  along 
the  1.  bank  of  the  Drave  to  Spittal.  [The 
wi'iter  has  not  seen  any  notice  of  the 
ascent  of  the  PoZm?V7^  (9,123'),  a  fine  peak 
that  rises  about  4  m.  SW.  of  Ober- 
Vellach.  As  it  is  the  highest  summit  in 
the  mountain  range  that  divides  the  val- 
ley of  the  Moll  from  that  of  the  Drave, 
it  must  necessarily  command  a  very  fine 
panoramic  view.] 

2.  BytheWoigstensc'karte{^,OW).  If 
the  height  of  the  Mallnitzer  Taueru  has 
not  been,  as  the  writer  suspects,  some- 
what exaggerated,  this  is,  by  a  few  feet, 
the  lowest  pass  over  the  main  range  be- 
tween the  Pfitscher  Joch  and  the  Arl- 
scharte,  and  is,  at  the  same  time,  the 
most  direct  way  from  Gastein  to  Mallnitz, 
In  spite  of  these  apparent  recommenda- 
tions, it  is  rarely,  if  ever,  used  by  travel- 
lers ;  the  writer  has  never  heard  the 
pass  named  at  Bad  Gastein,  nor  has  he 
seen  any  notice  of  it  seeming  to  be 
derived  fr6m  personal  observation.  The 
cause  of  this  disfavour  seems  to  be  the 
existence  of  a  small  glacier  on  the  N. 
side  of  the  pass,  which  may  possibly 
make  the  passage  difficult.  The  Woi<j- 
stenscharte  may  be  reached  by  a  circuitous 
path  that  mounts  from  the  Nassfeld 
through  the  Weissenbacltthal,  mentioned 
above,  but  there  is  a  much  more  direct 
way  throxigh  the  Hiekahr,  a  tributary' 
glen  of  the  Anlaufthal,  further  noticed 
below.  To  jiidgp  from  maps,  the  pass 
must  be  nearer  to  Bad  Gastein  by  several 
miles  than  the  Mallnitzer  Taueru  ;  while 
it  is  not  more  distant  from  Mallnitz. 
Further  information  is  desired. 

3.  B?/  the  Anlavf thai  and  HohcrTav.cr?!. 
This  way  is  rougher  and  more  laborious, 
but  somewhat  shorter,  than  that  over  the 
Mallnitzer  Tauern.  It  is  little  used  in 
summer,  but,  Ijeing  exposed  to  avalanches, 
is  often  preferred  by  natives  of  the  val- 
ley who  attempt  the  passage  in  winter. 
According  to  an  ancient  tradition,  this 
was  the  course  followed  by  the  Eoman 
road  that  connected  the  mines  of  Gastein 
with  the  valley  of  the  Drave, 

As  mentioned  in  Ete.  A,  the  Atilauf- 
thal  ]oms  the  main  branch  of  the  Ga- 
steiner  Thai  by  Bocksttin,  at  the  X.  base 


ROUTE    C. — ASCENT    OF    THE    ANKOGL. 


295 


of  the  Eadhausberg.  Throughout  the 
greater  part  of  its  length,  it  is  a  defile 
enclosed  between  steep  slopes,  partly 
covered  with  pine  forest.  The  finest 
ecenerj  is  in  two  lateral  glens  opening 
on  the  1.  hand  as  the  traveller  ascends 
the  valley.  Following  the  path  along 
the  1.  bank  of  the  torrent,  he  reaches, 
in  I  hr.  from  Bockstein,  the  first  of  these 
glens,  called  HieJcahr.  This  presents 
itself  as  a  cirque,  or  amphitheatre,  with 
one  tier  of  rocks  rising  above  another. 
On  the  1.  hand,  a  cascade  is  seen  at  a 
great  height  on  the  steep  face  of  a  rock  ; 
the  same  torrent  forms  a  more  consider- 
able waterfall  lower  down,  not  far  from 
the  point  where  it  enters  the  Anlaufthal. 
A  very  steep  path  mounts  about  1,600 
ft.  to  the  Hiekahralp,  a  high  terrace 
whereon  lie  two  Alpine  tarns.  By  that 
way,  the  Woigstenscharte,  mentioned 
above,  is  not  very  distant ;  and  by  bear- 
ing to  the  rt.  it  is  possible  to  reach  the 
summit  of  the  Radhausberg  (Ete.  A). 
In  2^  hrs.  from  Bad  Gastein  the  open- 
ing of  the  Taiiernthal,  the  second  tri- 
butary glen  of  the  Anlaufthal,  is  reached. 
It  is  marked  by  another  waterfall,  the 
finest  in  the  valley,  called  Tauernfall. 
From  the  junction  of  the  two  glens,  a 
•well-beaten  cattle-track  mounts  to  the 
Badeckalp  (5,657'),  at  the  head  of  the 
main  branch  of  the  valley,  under  the  TV. 
face  of  the  Ankogl.  From  the  same 
point,  a  hunter's  path  leads  NE.  over  a 
high  and  rough  pass  to  the  Prossaualp, 
in  the  Kotschachthal.  The  way  to  the 
Holier  Tauern,  also  locally  called  Korn- 
Taicern,  mounts  SSE.  through  the 
Tauernthal.  After  attaining  a  con- 
siderable height,  the  traveller  comes,  in 
two  places,  upon  the  remains  of  a  broad 
substantial  causeway,  paved  with  large 
flags  of  gneiss.  The  doubt  whether  any 
of  the  subsequent  rulers  of  this  region 
were  capable  of  undertaking  such  a  mas- 
sive work  gives  some  colour  to  the  tra- 
dition that  these  are  poilions  of  the 
ancient  Roman  way.  In  2  hrs.  from  tlie 
opening  of  the  Tauernthal,  a  steady 
walker  will  reach  tlie  summit  of  the 
pass,  8,089  ft.  above  the  sea.  The  view 
is  unexpectedly  grand,  and  far  superior 


!  to  that  from  the  Mallnitzer  Tauern,  in- 
I  eluding  on  the  one  hand  the  near  range 
j  from  the  Ankogl  to  the  Hochalpenspitz, 
i  and  to  the  we.st  the  chief  summits  of  the 
j  Glockner  group.     The  descent  on  the  S. 
I  side  is  by  a  steep  track  that  zigzags  down 
I  the  E.  side  of  a  narrow  glen  opening 
1  into  the  Seethal.     The  latter  is  the  E. 
branch  of  the  Mallnitz  valley,   which, 
at  the  village  of  that  name,  joins  the 
main  branch,  descending  from  the  Mall- 
nitzer Tauern.     From  2^  to  3  hrs.  from 
the  summit  of  the  pass  are  reqmred  to 
reach  the  village  of  Mallnitz. 

[The  ascent  of  the  Ankogl — noticed 
in  Rte.  A,  among  the  excursions  from 
Gastein — may  best  be  undertaken  from 
the  village  of  Mallnitz,  whither  an  active 
mountaineer  may  return  on  the  same 
day,  or  even  descend  by  the  Radeck 
Grlacier  to  Bad  Gastein.  The  way  lies 
through  the  Seethal,  above  mentioned, 
one  of  the  finest  Alpine  glens  of  this  dis- 
trict, especially  at  its  upper  end,  where, 
under  the  name  Lassacher  Winkcl.  it 
extends  to  the  base  of  the  Hochalpen- 
spitz.  About  1  hr.  above  Mallnitz.  just 
beyond  the  point  where  the  track  to 
the  Hohe  Tauern  turns  northward  out 
of  the  Seethal,  the  traveller  passes  close 
to  the  Stajntzsee  (3,942'),  a  little  lake 
lying  on  one  side  above  the  1.  bank  of 
the  Seebach.  An  hour  farther  are  the 
huts  of  the  LassacJwr  Alp  (4,272'), 
where,  in  case  of  need,  shelter  for  the 
night  may  be  obtained.  Here  opens  a 
very  fine  \'iew  through  the  Lassacher 
Winkel,  which  stretches  toESE.  at  least 
2  Stunden,  to  the  base  of  a  glacier  that 
lies  on  the  ridge  connecting  the  Hooh- 
alpenspitz  wdth  the  Sdulcck  (10,108'}. 
From  the  Lassacher  Hiitten,  the  way  to 
the  Ankogl  lies  up  a  slope  of  debris, 
and  then  through  a  band  of  pine  forest 
tlaat  girdles  the  valley,  till  tlie  traveller 
enters  a  ravine,  named  the  Trom,  which 
leads  up  to  a  glacier  that  extends  to  a 
southern  peak  of  the  mountain,  called 
at  Mallnitz,  Kleiner  Ankogl.  The  gla- 
cier is  reached  in  2|-  hrs.  Irom  the  Las- 
sacher Alp;  and  in  1|  hr.  more  of  iee- 
work,  in  part  rather  steep  and  requiring 
caution,  the  traveller  reaches  the  ridge 


296 


CENTRAL    TYROL    ALPS.       §   52.    GASTEIN    DISTRICT. 


on  tlie  rt.  of  the  Kleine  Ankogl.  The 
ascent  may  be  completed  by  keeping 
to  the  ridge  that  connects  the  latter 
with  the  main  penk,  or  else  by  follow- 
ing the  steep  neve  slope  along  the  base 
of  the  same  ridge  (by  its  E.  side  ?). 
There  is  nnotherway  (rather  easier,  but 
longer,  than  that  by  the  Trom)  by  the 
Luokenthorl.  With  a  good  guide — more 
easily  found  at  Malinitz  than  at  Ga- 
stein — the  traveller  may  descend  by  the 
Eadeck  Glacier  to  the  head  of  the  An- 
laufthal,  and  so  reach  Bad  Gastein  on 
the  same  evening. 

A  rather  rough  map  by  F.  Keil,  con- 
tained in  the  '  Jahrbuch  of  the  Vienna 
Alpine  Club  for  1865,'  will  be  useful 
for  thia  excursion;  but  the  names  in- 
serted do  not  all  agree  with  those  used 
at  Malinitz.] 


KOUTE   D. 

BAP    GASTEIX    TO    OBER-YELLACH    BY  THE 
'ilBKNITZTHAL,    OE    FltAGANTTHAL. 

In  Rte,  B  we  have  pointed  out  a 
course  by  which  an  active  mountaineer 
may  accomplish  the  distance  between 
Bad  Gastein  and  Heiligenblut,  at  the 
head  of  the  Mollthal,  in  a  single  long 
day's  walk ;  and  in  the  last  Rte.  three 
passes  have  been  named  by  any  one  of 
which  a  moderate  walker  may  easily 
reach  Ober-Vellach,  in  the  lower  Moll- 
thai,  in  one  day  from  the  baths.     Be- 


tween  these  two  places — Ileiligcnblut 

and  Ober-Vellaeh — extends  the  iu.ig  and 

,  sinuous  valley  of  the  Moll,  of  which  the 

I  upper  portion  only,  between  AVinklern 

,  and  Heiligenblut,  is  described  in  §  ol, 

Rte.  B. 

In    the    present    Rte.    attention    is 
I  called  to  three  different  glacier  passes, 
j  by  which,  starting  early  from  Bad  Ga- 
,  stein,  they  may  reach  the  Mollthal  either 
:  at  Dollach,  in  the  upper  valley,  or  at 
j  fragant,  about  1^  hr.  above  Ober-Vel- 
lach.    As  in  any  case  it  is  needful  to 
!  pass  by  the  Neubau,  at  the  mines  of 
,  Raiaris,  it  is  obvious  that  these  passes 
j  may  be  taken  from  Bucheben,  inRauris, 
j  more  easily  than  from  Gastein.    As  both 
1  passes  are  better  known  than  the  Gold- 
;  zech-Tauern  (noticed  in  Rte.  B,,  it  is 
j  believed  that  a  traveller  starting  from 
j  Gastein  or  Bocksttin   may  there   find 
a  competent  guide,  which  can  scarcely 
I  be  said  for  the  other  pass.     Those  who 
I  dislike  so  long  a  day's  walk,  or  wish  to 
see  something  of  the  Rauris  mines,  may 
best  go  on  the  first  day  by  the  Buck- 
hardt    to  Kolm-Saiguru,    and,   taking 
there  a  guide  for  the  glacier,  may  reach 
Dollach   or  Fragant   m  good   time  ua 
the  follov.ing  day. 

Starting  from  Bad  Gastein,  or  Bock- 
stein,  the  traveller  may  reach  the  Xeu- 
bau,  at  the  foot  oi'  the  Goldberg  Glacier, 
in  5  hrs.  The  way  then  lies  over  the 
latter,  and  nearly  due  S.  towards  the 
TrainerJcojjf{%,M^'),  or  Altenkogel,  ris- 
ing at  the  S.  extremity  of  the  neve  basin 
of  that  great  glacier.  If  desirous  to  take 
the  shortest  way  to  Dollach,  he  should 
bear  somewhat  to  the  1.  to  reach  a  de- 
pression immediately  AV.  of  the  Tramer- 
kopf.  This  is  the  pass  of  the  Tramer- 
scharte  (8,391'),  also  known  as  Win- 
dischscharte.  It  lies  immediately  at 
the  head  of  the  northern  branch  of  the 
Zirknitzthal,  which  opens  into  the 
Mollthal  at  Ddllach  (§  51,  Rte.  B). 
This  pass  is,  however,  said  to  involve 
some  diflEicuit  glacier  work,  and  to  be 
sometimes  impracticable.  It  is  certain 
that  the  natives  generally  prefer  the 
other  pass  over  the  main  range,  which  lies 
a  short  way  E.  of  the  Tramerkopf.  Thia 


KOUTE    D. — KLEIX-ZIRKNITZSCHARTE. 


297 


is  the  Klein-Zir/oiitc'scharte  (8,855'). 
On  reaching  the  summit,  the  traveller 
sees  before  him  a  snowfiekl  that  gra- 
dually falls  toAvards  the  SSE.,  forming 
the  Wurten  Glacier,  which  sends  its 
rorrent,  to  the  Fragantthal.  To  reach 
Dollach,  it  is  necessary  to  bear  to  the  rt. 
from  the  summit  of  the  pass,  scarcely 
descending  below  its  level,  in  order  to 
traA'erse  a  ridge,  diverging  southward 
from  the  Tramerkopf,  which  divides 
the  valleys  of  Zirknitz  and  Fi'agant. 
Having  reached  a  stone  man  which 
marks  the  summit  of  this  latter  ridge, 
the  descent  lies  into  the  eastern  branch 
of  the  Zirknitzthal,  often  called  Klein- 
Zirknitz.  At  the  foot  of  the  glacier  is 
the  Gross- Zirknit^sce  (7,^93'),  a  glacial 
lake  on  which  often  float  detached  ice- 
masses.  The  scenery  of  both  branches 
of  the  Zirknitzthal  is  said  to  be  of  a 
vt-ry  high  -order,  but  little  accm'ate  in- 
formation respecting  these  parses  has 
reached  the  writer. 

Should  the  traveller  have  reached 
Dollach  sufficiently  early,  he  may  push 
on  (in  a  vehicle  or  on  foot)  to  the  com- 
fortable inn  at  Winklern  (§  51,  Ete. 
B),  a  distance  of  S^  m. 

The  distance  by  road  from  Winklern 
to  Ober-Yellach  is  about  28  m.,  and  as 
the  road  is  tolerably  good,  much  time 
is  saved  by  taking  a  vehicle ;  but  the 
scenery  is  sufficiently  varied  to  make 
walking  agreeable.  The  pedestrian  may 
save  a  little  cime  by  crossing  the  Moll 
below  Winklern,  and  following  the  path 
on  the  1.  bank  till  the  road  crosses  to 
that  side  of  the  stream  about  3  m.  far- 
ther doAvn.  Few  considerable  Alpine 
streams  hare  so  sinuous  a  course  as 
that  of  the  MciU.  Keeping  from  Heili- 
genblut  a  general  southward  direction, 
and  flowing  SSW.  for  some  miles  above 
Winklern,  where  it  is  separated  from 
the  Drave  only  by  the  low  and  narrow 
isthmus  of  the  Iselsberg,  it  bends  at 
first  SE.  for  about  3m.,  and  then  turn- 
ing again  nearly  at  rt.  angles,  flows 
about  ENE.  fur  many  niiles  to  Fragant, 
beyond  which  its  course  is  at  first  E.  to 
Ober-Vellach,  whence  its  channel,  after 
uniting  with  that  of  the  Drave,  is  ESE. 


to  Villach,  In  descending  the  valley, 
the  traveller  will  not  fail  to  remark  the 
vast  masses  of  debris  and  loose  soil 
borne  down  by  lateral  torrents.  One 
great  mass,  the  accumulated  result  of 
many  separate  operations,  is  traversed 
before  reaching  Stall  (2,778'),  a  villago 
nearly  half-way  from  Winklern  to  Ober- 
Vellach.  Still  more  signal  are  the  effects 
of  another  mound  of  deliris  borne  down 
through  a  ravine  called  Klausengraben, 
about  4  m.  below  Stall.  Within  the  last 
ten  years,  this  has  formed  a  new  lake, 
l^-  m.  long,  Mhich  has  robbed  the  inha- 
bitants of  an  equal  extent  of  cultivated 
ground.  About  3  m.  farther  is  Fragant 
(2,300'),  at  the  opening  of  the  lateral  val- 
ley bearing  the  same  nan)e.  The  inn  hex'o 
is  said  to  be  tolerably  good,  and  the 
villlage  shoemaker  is  recommended  as 
a  guide  for  Alpine  excursions.  The  tor- 
rent from  the  Fragantthal  is  ill-famed 
for  the  destruction  which  it  has  often 
caused  in  the  main  valley.  Here  the 
valley  widens  out,  and  extends  nearly 
at  a  level  for  about  5  m.  to  Ober-Vel- 
lach, mentioned  in  the  last  Kte, 

The  traveller  wishing  to  take  a  direct 
course  from  the  Neubauto  Fragant,  may 
descend  from  the  Klein-Zirknitzscharte 
along  the  Wurten  Glaciir  into  the  heaei 
of  the  Wxirtcnthal,  or  northern  branch 
of  the  Fragantthal.  There  is  another 
pass — Goldberg  Tauern  (9,070') — con- 
necting the  Goldberg  with  the  Wurten 
Glacier.  It  is  a  little  higher,  but  rather 
more  direct.  Some  explorer  will  doubtless 
find  a  more  direct  way  from  Bad  Gastein 
to  the  Wiu'tenthal  by  a  glacier  pass  from 
the  S.  end  of  the  Nassfeld,  on  either 
side  of  the  summit  of  the  Muramr  Spitz 
(9,858');  but  this  remains  to  be  dis- 
covered. The  Wurtenthal  is  said  to 
be  a  very  wild  and  dreary  glen, 
through  which  the  traveller  descends 
for  nearly  3  hrs.  to  its  junction  with 
the  Sadniggthal,  which  is  the  W.  branch 
of  the  Fragaut  Valley.  A  hamlet, 
called  Inner- Fragant,  stands  at  the  junc- 
tion, and  below  this  the  valley  is  known 
as  Fragantthal.  In  the  last  century,  Inner- 
Fragant  was  frequented  for  its  mineral 
spring,  now  deserttd.      In  little  more 


208 


CENTRAL    TYROL    ALPS.       §  52.    GASTEIN    DISTRICT. 


tliHU    1   hr.   the   village  of   Pragant  is 
reac-hed. 

Tlie  mountaineer  travelling  up  or 
down  the  Mollthal  may  with  little  or 
no  loss  of  time  avoid  the  long  circuit 
between  Dollach  and  Fragant,  by  leav- 
ing the  Mollthal  at  the  latter  village, 
and  taking  a  path  through  the  Sadnigg 
branch  of  the  valley  which  mounts  by 
the  Sehober  Alp  to  a  pass  connecting 
this  with  the  head  of  the  Aitcnthal. 
Keeping  along  the  slope  at  a  consider- 
able height  above  the  rt.  bank  of  the 
Asrenbach,  a  slight  ascent  suffices  to 
reach  the  Astmer  Battel  (6,518'),  a  de- 
pression in  the  range  dividing  the 
Astenthal  from  the  Zirknitzthal.  From 
this  second  pass,  the  path  descends 
direct  to  Dollach.  If  the  weather  be 
favourable,  it  is  well  worth  while  to 
lengthen  this  excursion  by  about  4  hrs. 
in  order  to  reach  the  summit  of  the 
Stdlkopf  (9,554'),  the  highest  point  of 
a  promontory  projecting  southwards 
from  the  Hocbnarr  range.  This  rises  a 
short  way  northward  from  the  head  of 
the  Astenthal,  and  appears  to  be  mode- 
rately easy  of  access.  Between  the 
summit  and  Dollach,  the  traveller  may 
pass  either  by  the  Zirknitzthal,  or  by 
the  path  above  mentioned  along  the 
JsW.  side  of  the  Astenthal.  It  is  ex- 
pedient to  start  very  early  from  Dollach 
or  Fragant,  or  else  to  sleep  at  the  high- 
est Hutten  in  the  Astenthal. 


EOUTE    E. 


ST.    jnHA>rX  IN  POXGATJ   TO   VILLACH,    BY 
THE    EADSTADTEB   TAUEEN. 


Radstadt    . 
Untertaiiem 
Tv.-eng 
St.  ilichael 

Austrian 
miles 

f 

4 
3 

English 
miles 

3 

14 

Rennweg    . 
Giniind       . 
Spittd 
YiUach      . 

2 
2 
2 

9i 

9 

9 

Post-read.    Diligence  twice  a  week  between 

Salzburg  and  Yillach,  passing  by  Kadstadt,  but 

'  not  by  St.  Johann.    Extra  horses  are  required 

for  rhe  passage  of  the  Piadstadter  Tauem  and 

the  Kaischberg. 

We  have  already  seen  that  for  a  dis- 
tance of  more  than  100  m.  eastward  of 
I  the  Brenner  Pass  no  carriage-road  tra- 
verses the  central  range  of  the  Eastern 
I  Alps.     It  is  only  on  the  E.  side  of  the 
I  mountain  mass  that  culminates  in  the 
I  Hafaereck,  where  the  main  chain  divides 
I  into  the  two  parallel  ranges  enclosing 
the  valley  of  the  rilur,  that  the  barrier 
between  the  waters  flowing  to  the  Drave 
and  those  of  the  Danube  subside  low 
enough   to  permit   the   construction  of 
the  road  which  is  known  as  that  of  the 
Eadstadter  Tauem.    That  name  belongs 
to  the  higher  pass  traversed   by  that 
road,  connecting  the  valley  of  the  Enns 
with  the  head  waters  of  the  ]Mur,  and  a 
second  pass  (the  Katschberg)  must  be 
surmounted  before  the  traveller  can  de- 
scend to  the  valley  of  the  Drave. 

The  traveller  who  takes  this  road 
from  SaLzbm'g  to  Villach  does  not  keep 
to  the  main  road  along  the  Salza  to  St. 
Johann  in  Pongau  (§  45,  Kte.  E),  but: 
quits  that  stream  a  short  way  above 
Werfen,  and  follows  the  post -road 
through  the  Fritztbal,  which  is  noticed 
in  §  46,  Ete.  F.  The  distance  from 
Werfen  to  Eadstadt  is  4|-  Austrian,  or 
21  English,  miles.  Those  who  come  from 
Gastein  or  the  Pinzgau  will  natirrally 
take  the  road  here  described  from  St. 
Johann  in  Pongau  to  Ea-^Istadt,  which 
shortens  the  distance  by  14  English  m. 


ROUTE  E. — PASS  OF  THE  RADSTADTER  TAUERN. 


299 


That  portion  of  the  road,  formerly  very 
rough,  has  been  recently  improved,  hut 
the  postmaster  at  St.  Johann  sometimes 
objects  to  supply  horses,  so  that  it  is 
often  a  better  plan  to  hire  a  carriage 
from  Lend  to  Eadstadt,  From  the 
latter  place,  the  traveller  may  pursue 
his  journey  either  by  diligence  or  post- 
ing. 

Although  the  road  from  St.  Johann 
to  Eadstadt  traverses  the  water-shed 
between  the  Salza  and  the  Enns,  it  lies 
along  the  great  line  of  valley  which, 
with  trifling  exceptions,  forms  the 
northern  boundary  of  the  crystalline 
rocks  in  the  Eastern  Alps.  The  height 
of  land  over  which  the  road  is  carried 
is  only  about  900  ft.  above  the  level  of 
the  Salza,  and  scarcely  200  ft.  above 
the  Enns  at  the  point  where  it  is  first 
approached.  For  some  miles  from  St. 
Johann,  the  new  road  mounts  at  a  con- 
siderable height  above  the  Kleinarl- 
bach,  gaining  a  fine  view  over  the 
Pongau,  backed  by  the  crags  of  the 
Uebergossene  Alp  ;  it  then  runs  nearly 
at  a  level  till  it  reaches  Wagraiit  (2.743'), 
a  village  about  7  m.  from  St.  Johann, 
with  a  tolerable  country  inn,  at  the 
opening  of  the  Kleinarlthal  (Ete.  I). 
A  very  easy  ascent  leads  hence  to  the 
pass,  or  height  of  land,  dividing  the 
basin  of  the  Salza  from  that  of  the 
Enns,  2,933  ft.  above  the  sea.  An 
interesting  view  is  gained  along  the 
upper  Ennsthal,  especially  when  clouds 
do  not  cover  the  bold  peaks  of  the 
Pachstein  group,  here  seen  to  great 
advantage.  A  short  descent  along  a 
gentle  slope  leads  to  the  Enns.  This 
is  here  an  insignificant  mountain  stream 
that  issues  from  the  Flochau.  its  parent 
glen,  further  noticed  in  Ete.  I. 

The  first  village  on  the  Enns  is  Beit- 
dorf  (2,751').  A  little  farther,  on  the 
rt.  bank  of  the  Enns,  is  Altenmarkt 
(2,707')>  supposed  to  be  the  Eoman  sta- 
tion Ani,  and  certainly  the  original  site 
of  Eadstadt,  which  stands  about  3  m. 
lower  down,  on  the  opposite  bank  of 
the  Enns,  just  above  its  junction  with 
the  Tauern  Ache.  It  is  noticed  in  §  47 
Ete.  A. 


The  lladsladter  Tauern  is  one  of  tliose 
Alpine  routes  that  deserves  more  ceie- 
brity  than  it  has  hitherto  obtained. 
The  scenery  offers  i-AV  more  of  variety 
and  interest  than  the  more  famous  pass 
of  the  Brenner,  and  has  special  attrac- 
tions for  the  geologist  and  the  botanist, 
who  should  arrange  their  journey  so  as 
to  pass  some  hours  at  the  summit.  The 
ascent  commences  close  to  the  town  of 
Eadstadt,  where  the  stream  of  the 
Tauern  Ache,  descending  from  the  pass, 
unites  with  the  Enns.  ^Eirst  by  the  1., 
then  by  the  rt.  bank,  the  road  ascends 
gently  through  the  lower  part  of  the  glen 
to  the  pictiu-esque  village  of 

Unter- Tauern  (3,338').  The  nearer 
wooded  slopes  are  backed  by  the  rugged 
mass  of  the  Wmdsfdd  (8,532')  which 
rises  to  the  rt.  of  the  pass.  Here  the 
ascent  becomes  more  rapid,  and  the 
road  passes  through  a  defile— the  Tau- 
ernklamm — close  to  the  foaming  rapids 
of  the  Ache.  Higher  up,  that  torrent 
forms  a  high  waterfall,  but  partially 
seen  from  the  road.  Tourists  usually 
make  a_  slight  detour  to  visit  it,  ba 
may  enjoy  the  view  of  a  second,  less 
lofty,  but  more  picturesque  fall  without 
quitting  the  road.  Higher  up,  on  reach- 
ing the  level  pastures  of  the  Gnadou- 
alp  (4,055'),  the  road  bears  to  the  1. 
away  from  tlie  torrent,  and  begins  to 
mount  the  slope  of  the  mountain.  To 
attain  the  vippermost  shelf  in  the  valley, 
the  road  turns  abruptly  eastward,  nearly 
at  rt.  angles  to  its  previous  direction, 
while  the  torrent  disappears  altogether 
from  view.  It  is  usual  to  halt  where  a 
path  turns  aside  with  a  finger-post  in- 
scribed '  Nach  dem  JohannsfalL'  It  is 
worth  while  to  follow  the  indication, 
not  so  much  for  the  sake  of  the  water- 
fall as  for  the  remarkable  conformation 
of  the  rocks  around  it.  Issuing  from  a 
narrow  cleft,  the  torrent  springs  into  a 
hollow  abyss  600  ft.  deep,  and  is  turned 
into  a  cloud  of  spray  before  it  reaches 
the  bottom.  A  last  ascent  leads  from 
this  point  to  the  Tauernhaus,  locally 
known  by  the  name  WicsenecJc.  The 
group  of  houses,  including  the  large 
inn  and  refuge,  a  chapel,  and  a  priest's 


300 


CENTRAL    TYROL    ALPS. 


52.    GASTEIN    DISTRICT. 


h:<ise,  lies  in  the  centre  of  an  amphi-  | 
tlieatre  of  peaks  wIiIl-Ii  somewhat  exceed  | 
8,000  ft.  in  height,  broken  through  only 
liy  the  depression  forming  the  pass,  and 
the  way  Ijy  which  the  road  ascends  from 
Untertauern.  The  naturalist  who  would 
halt  here  finds  rough,  but  tolerable, 
accommodation  at  the  Tauernhaus.  The 
geologist  will  find  occupation  in  exam- 
ining the  limestone  masses,  apparently 
of  Triassic  age,  that  are  inserted  be- 
tween the  gneiss  and  mica  schist  of  the 
Hafnereek  range  to  the  SW.,  and  the 
cLiy  slate  and  other  Palaeozoic  rocks  that 
prtn-ail  to  the  east  of  the  pass.  As 
usual,  variety  in  the  mineral  composi- 
tion of  the  rocks  is  accompanied  by  a 
rich  and  varied  flora.  Nowhere  does 
the  beautiful  Rhododendron  hirsidum 
cover  the  slopes  with  richer  masses  of 
colour.  Among  the  rare  plants  of  the 
.surrounding  heights  may  be  named 
lianuyiculns  Tufcsfvlms,  Arahis  jpuraUa, 
Chirleria  imhricata,  Saxifraga  Burser- 
iana,  Cineraria  crispa,  Campanula  pulla, 
Lomatogonium  carinthiacum  (close  to 
the  summit  of  the  pass),  Juncus  casta- 
neus,  &c.  A  scarcely  perceptible  ascent 
leads  from  the  Tauernhaus  to  the  sum- 
mit of  the 

Radstddter  Tauern  (5,703').  On  the 
very  summit  is  a  cemetery  (Friedhof) 
for  the  accommodation  of  wayfarers 
lost  in  crossing  the  pass  in  winter — a 
somewhat  lugubrious  arrangement  for  a 
pass  not  exposed  to  unusual  risks,  yet 
pleasing  becauseof  the  serene  tranquillity 
of  the  spot.  A  tombstone  three  hun- 
dred years  old  marks  the  resting-place 
of  W.  Wieseneck,  the  builder  of  the 
Tauernhaus.  A  Roman  milestone  was 
dug  up  close  to  the  summit.  In  de- 
scending, the  road  passes  a  second 
Tauernhaus  at  a  spot  called  Scheidberg. 
Farther  on,  a  view  is  gained  on  the  rt. 
hand  up  the  Lantschthal,  a  short  glen 
leading  to  the  Flaehau  (Ete.  I).  A  rapid 
and  continuous  descent  leads  to 

Tv:eng  (3,846') — -more  properly  called 
Weng — the  post-station,  with  a  clean, 
comfortable,  and  reasonable  inn,  offer- 
ing good  head-quarters  for  a  naturalist. 
Peter  Simmerl  is  recommended  as  a  good 


guide.  This  is  the  first  place  in  Lungau^ 
by  which  name  is  designated  the  upper- 
most valley  of  the  Mur,  along  with  the 
numerous  glens  through  which  tributary 
streams  are  poured  into  that  river. 
Being  traversed  by  the  main  high-road 
leading  from  Salzburg,  through  Carin- 
thia,  to  Italy,  this  district  has  been  for 
ages  separated  from  Styria,  to  which  it 
naturally  belongs,  and  annexed  to  the 
dominions  of  the  Archbishops  of  Salz- 
burg. *  Prom  Tweng,  the  road  runs 
ESE.  along  the  Taurach  torrent  for 
about  7  m.  to  MauUrndorf  (3,454'),  a 
very  ancient  little  town,  the  annals  of 
whose  castle — granted  to  the  ecclesias- 
tical rulers  of  Salzburg  by  the  Emperor 
Henry  II. — are  full  of  grim  records  of 
mediaeval  valour  and  cruelty.  From 
Mauterndorf  (Inn  :  Post),  the  Taurach 
flows  a  little  N.  of  E.  to  join  the  nearly 
parallel  stream  of  the  Mur  at  Tams- 
weg;  and  along  it  runs  the  road  that 
follows  that  river  to  Judenburg  and 
Brack  (§53,  Rte.  A).  The  road  to 
Villach  winds  over  the  low  ridge  between 
Mauterndorf  and  the  Mur  crossing  the 
so-called  Staig  Pass,  to  reach  the  post- 
station  at 

St.  Michael  (3,507'),  a  small  town, 
busy  with  frequent  through  traffic,  with 
several  inns  (Post ;  Wastl ;  &c.).  The 
passing  tourist  does  not  suspect  the 
immediate  vicinity  of  fine  Alpine  scenery 
at  the  head  of  the  Murthal,  and  in 
the  Zederhausthal  (Rte.  I).  Almosc 
immediately  on  leaving  St.  Michael, 
commences  the  ascent  of  the  Katschherg 
(5,261').  Though  this  pass  is  not  500 
ft.  lower  than  that  of  the  Radstadter 
Tauern,  it  offers  a  marked  contrast. 
The  latter  in  its  general  aspect  and 
vegetation  is  purely  Alpine  in  character, 
whereas  this  recalls  merely  the  moun- 
tainous region  on  the  outskirts  of  the 
Alps.  In  the  ascent  from  St.  Michael, 
a  view,  however,  is  gained  of  the  head 
of  the  Zederhauswinkel,  enclosed  by  a 
high  range,  of  which  the  most  prominent 
summit  is  the  Moserwandl  (8,790'). 
On  the  summit  of  the  Katschberg,  the 
traveller  passes  the  frontierof  Carinthia, 
and  descends  rapidly  io Rmau-eg  {Z,!  'io')t 


ROUTE    F, ST.  JOHANN    TO    GMUND    BY   THE    AI?LSCHARTE, 


301 


the  post-station,  with  a  rather  poor  inn, 
where  delicious  trout  are  kept  alive  in 
a  tank  to  furnish  a  meal  for  passing 
travellers,  Jager  Hiesl  is  recommended 
as  a  guide.  Here  the  stream  of  the 
Lieser,  which  springs  from  the  SE.  base 
of  the  Hafnereck,  is  joined  by  the  road 
which  accompanies  it  to  its  junction 
with  the  Drave.  Though  the  higher 
peaks  to  W.  and  NW.  are  scarcely  any- 
where in  view,  the  scenery  of  the  Lieser- 
thal  is  throughout  interesting  and  agree- 
able. At  Krevisbrucke  (2,891'),  said  to 
have  a  good  inn,  the  Kremsergrahen 
opens  eastward,  and  through  the  north- 
ern branch  of  that  glen  a  path  leads,  by 
the  N.  side  of  the  Konigsstuhl,  to 
Turrach  (§  ob,  Rte.  D).  Lower  down 
in  the  valley,  at  the  village  of  Leoben 
(2,814') — not  to  be  confounded  with 
the  Styrian  town  of  that  name — another 
parallel  glen  leads  along  the  Leohen- 
back  to  the  same  place.  The  latter  is 
the  better  way  for  a  traveller  wishing 
to  take  the  summit  of  the  Konigsstuhl 
on  his  way.  From  Leoben,  where  the 
Lieserthal  becomes  narrower  and  steeper, 
the  road  descends  to 

Gmiind  (2,385'),  a  pretty  little  town, 
finely  situated  at  the  opening  of  the 
Maltathal,  whose  attractions,  yet  little 
known  to  strangers,  are  noticed  in  the 
following  Rtes.  Of  several  inns,  that 
kept  by  Lax  (who  is  well  acquainted 
with  the  neighbouring  Alps)  and  the 
Post  are  recommended.  After  a  glimpse 
of  the  snowy  peaks  that  guard  the  upper 
end  of  the  Maltathal,  the  road  descends 
rather  rapidly  along  the  slopes  above 
the  rt.  bank  of  the  Lieser.  About  7  m. 
from  G-miind,  a  broad  valley  opens  to 
ESE.,  wherein  lies  the  Millstadter  See, 
one  of  the  largest  lakes  in  this  part  of 
the  Alpine  chain,  about  8  m.  long  and 
more  than  1  m.  broad,  further  noticed 
in  §  00,  Rte.  F.  The  lake,  which  is 
1,904:  ft.  above  the  sea-level,  is  drained 
from  its  "WNW.  end  into  the  Lieser. 
That  stream  runs  to  join  the  Drave 
through  a  deep  and  narrow  channel, 
while  the  road  passes  over  the  low  pine- 
grown  ridge  that  divides  the  lake  from 
the  valley  of  the  Drave.     The  physical 


geologist,  who  may  here  speculate  on 
recent  theories  as  to  the  origin  of  Alpine 
lakes,  should  be  aware  that,  although 
the  terrace  on  which  the  town  of  Spittal 
stands  is  only  2  ft.  above  the  level  of 
the  lake,  the  bed  of  the  Drave  at  the 
junction  of  the  Lieser  is  lower  by  245 
ft.,  or  ],649  ft.  above  the  sea.  The 
road  from  Spittal  to  V'^illach  is  described 
in  §  51,  Rte.  A. 


RotJTE  F. 

ST.    JOHANN,    IN    PONGAU,    TO   GMlJND   BY 
THE    ARLSCHABTE. 

Char-road  to  Hlittschlag,  about  15  m. ;  on 
foot  to  Flugelhof ,  9i  lirs. ;  char-road  thence  to 
GmUiid,  about  9  m. 

The  course  here  described,  which  is 
entirely  free  from  difficulty,  and  practi- 
cable for  every  moderate  walker,  enables 
the  traveller  to  enjoy  much  of  the  fine 
scenery  of  the  Maltathal,  though  it  does 
not  offer  attractions  equal  to  those  of 
the  following  Rtes.  It  may  be  taken 
by  one  going  from  Salzburg  to  Villach 
with  little  or  no  loss  of  time,  as  on  the 
first  day  from  Salzburg  he  may  easily 
reach  Hlittschlag,  in  Grossarl,  and  on 
the  following  day  may  arrive  at  the 
Fliigelhof  in  time  to  go  on  to  Grmiind.  It 
must  be  said  that  there  is  little  chance 
of  finding  a  vehicle  at  the  Fliigelhof, 
unless  it  should  be  ordered  beforehand 
by  a  letter  to  the  postmaster  at  G-miind. 

The  Grossarithal  opens  into  the  val- 


302 


CENTRAL    TYROL    ALPS.       §  52.    GASTEIN   DISTRICT. 


ley  of  the  Salza  just  at  the  point  where 
that  river,  after  flowing  duo  eastward 
from  its  soui'ce,  turns  at  rt.  angles  to 
its  previous  course,  and  runs  northward 
towards  Salzburg,  Thus  it  happens 
that  the  Grossarl  Ache  is  nearly  con- 
tiinious  with  the  lower  course  of  the 
Salza.  The  road  from  St.  Johann 
crosses  the  Kleinarlbach,  and  ascends 
above  the  rt.  bank  of  the  Salza,  till  in 
about  5  m.  the  road  reaches,  at  Stcgen- 
vmcht,  the  entrance  of  the  savage  defile 
through  which  the  Grrossarl  Ache  de- 
scends to  join  the  Salza.  In  this  defile 
thermal  springs  exist  similar  in  charac- 
ter to  those  of  Gastein,  and  have,  at 
various  periods,  been  used  with  similar 
salutary  effects  ;  but  inundations,  ava- 
lanches, and  similar  accidents,  have  as 
often  made  the  spot  inaccessible,  or 
diverted  the  channels  of  the  warm 
springs.  In  3  hrs.  from  St.  Johann  the 
road  reaches 

G-rossarl-Borf  {2,^W),  the  chief  place 
in  the  valley.  An  active  walker  may  from 
hence  reach  Dorf  Gastein  in  3  hrs.  over 
the  ArWtbrl,  and  another,  rather  longer, 
pass    leads   to   Hof   Gastein   over   the 
Aigenalp.     Following  the  road,  which 
is  constructed  for  the  sake  of  the  copper 
mines,  the  traveller  passes,  about  1^-  hr.  i 
above   Grossarl,    the    opening    of    the  \ 
Tofirntlial,  by  which  way  Bad  Gastein  | 
may  be  reached  in  4  hrs.,  crossing  the  j 
shoulder   of    the    Gamskahrkogel.      A  I 
short  way  farther  up  the  valley,  5  hrs.'  I 
walk  from  St.  Johann,  is  | 

HuttschJag  (3,125'),  a  mining  village,  j 
where  copper  of  excellent  quality  is  ex- 
tracted and  refined.  The  veins  are  near 
the  junction  of  the  metamorphic  slates 
with  the  trias.  As  much  as  100  tons  of 
sulphujf  are  said  to  be  annually  extracted 
from  the  ore.  Above  this  place,  the 
track,  which  for  some  distance  is  practi- 
cable for  rough  carts,  follows  the  valley 
in  a  SE.  direction  to  the  hamlet  of 
Stockham,  1^  hr.  from  Hiittschlag.  Not 
much  higher  up  is  the  last  permanent 
dwelling,  a  farmhouse  near  a  little  lake, 
appropriately  named  Hof  am  See  (3,490'). 

'  Here  the  valley  narrows  to  a  stony 
defile,  but  the  path  continues  to  ascend 


gently  as  far  as  the  Schoderalp.  The 
MUte  stands  on  a  huge  pile  of  debris, 
the  remains  of  a  bergfall  from  the  E. 
side  of  the  valley,  which  bridges  over 
the  torrent  for  a  distance  of  700  or  800 
yards.  Here  the  path  to  the  Arlscharte 
turns  to  SAV.,  and  ascends  rapidly  along 
the  slope  of  a  promontory  that  projects 
between  the  Marchkaar  and  the  Kolben- 
kaar.  After  ascending  for  1  hr.  the 
path  reaches  a  sort  of  terrace,  called 
'Am  Kolben'  (5,991'),  where  the  forest 
comes  to  an  end.  The  path  now  turns, 
first  to  the  1.,  then  back  to  the  rt.,  and 
ascends  over  piles  of  debris  to  the  Arl- 
scharte  pass,  reached  in  4  hrs.  from  Hof- 
am  See '  [K.  S.]  Beside  the  summit  is 
a  knoll,  called  Arlhohe,  only  62  ft. 
higher,  found  by  Sonklar  to  be  7,561  ft. 
above  the  sea.  It  commands  an  exten- 
sive view  in  both  directions. 

Here  the  traveller  looks  alongthf  main 
branch  of  the  Maltathal — more  correctly 
written  Maltcinthal,  but  we  adhere 
to  the  commoner  usage.  This,  by  the 
unanimous  testimony  of  the  few  travel- 
lers who  have  traversed  it,  is  one  of  the 
grandest  and  most  picturesque  in  the 
Eastern  Alps.  A  rapid  descent  leads 
the  traveller  from  the  pass  to  the  Samer- 
Mitte,  the  highest  alp  in  the  main  branch 
of  the  valley.  On  the  way  to  Graiind  he 
will  enjoy  scenery  that  offers  a  rare  com- 
bination of  all  the  elements  of  scenic 
grandeiu'  and  beauty.  Eock  masses  of  the 
boldest  and  most  fantastic  forms,  luxu- 
riant vegetation  of  pine  and  larch,  and, 
above  all,  a  marvellous  variety  of  water- 
falls, leave  nothing  wanting  to  enhance 
the  effect.  The  upper  portion  of  the 
valley  from  the  Flilgelhof  to  the  Wastel- 
alp — called  for  distinction  Maltagrdben 
— is  nearly  throughout  a  narrow  defile, 
opening,  at  intervals,  into  a  little  basin, 
containing grf  en  pasture  and  a  Sennhutte. 
In  this  space  Dr.  Euthner  reckons  a 
dozen  fine  waterfalls,  without  counting 
those  in  the  lateral  valleys.  *  Nowhere 
in  the  Alps,'  says  Sonklar, '  are  the  traces 
of  glacial  action  to  be  seen  on  a  vaster 
scale.'  These  are  well  exhibited  a  little 
below  the  Samerhutte.  Here  the  main 
torrent   of  the    Malta   flows   into    the 


ROUTE    F. — MALTATHAL. 


803 


proper  head  of  the  ralley.  Ic  is 
formed  by  the  union  of  tv,-o  glacior 
streams  from  the  Grosse  Elend  and 
Kleine  Elend  glens,  mentioned  in  the 
following  lltes.,  ■which  join  their  wa- 
ters about  a  mile  W.  of  the  Samer- 
hiitte.  The  character  of  the  scenery 
here  is  that  of  an  upland  Alpine  glen, 
nearly  bare  of  timber,  enclosed  be- 
tween a  high  ridge  that  extends  north- 
ward from  the  Hochalpenspitz  to  the 
Brannkahrnock,  and  that  connecting 
the  Markkahrspitz  with  the  Hafnereck. 
Descending  over  rough  ground,  first  by 
the  1.,  then  by  the  rt.,  bank  of  the  Malta, 
the  traveller,  in  about  one  hr.,  reaches 
the  Wastclalp,  or  ^\^astelbauerhiitte. 
This  is  the  largest  Sennhiitte  in  the 
valley,  but  more  commodious  night- 
quarters  are  now  to  be  found,  as  men- 
tioned in  the  next  Rte.  Here  we  enter  upon 
the  characteristic  scenery  of  the  Malta- 
graben.  For  a  considerable  distance, 
the  path  keeps  to  the  rt.  bank.  The 
Bossturnpel,  a  fine  fall  of  the  I^.Ialta,  is 
followed  by  that  of  a  torrent  descending 
from  a  ravine  on  the  rt.  Nearly  one  hr. 
is  required  to  reach  the  Adambaucrhiltte, 
which  lies  on  the  1.  bank,  and  the  path 
keeps  that  side  of  the  torrent  through 
the  remarkable  defile  which  extends 
hence  to  the  Traxhiitte. 

Supported  in  places  on  projecting 
beams,  or  cut  into  the  face  of  the  live 
rock,  the  footway  finally  returns  to  the 
rt.  bank  by  a  bridge  flung  across  from 
rock  to  rock,  at  a  great  height  above  the 
torrent.  Shortly  below  this  the  travel- 
ler reaches  what  is,  perhaps,  the  most 
remarkable  spot  in  the  valley,  and  which, 
therefore,  forms  the  turning-point  for 
most  tourists  who  visit  it  from  G-miind. 
With  a  background  of  bold  rocks  and 
noble  pine-trees,  two  waterfalls  are 
brought  together  into  the  same  picture. 
As  seen  from  below,  the  Hochalpenbach, 
which  drains  the  chief  glacier  of  the 
Hochalpenspitz,  forms  on  the  1.  hand  a 
double  fall — above  a  cataract,  below  a 
bolder  spring  from  the  edge  of  a  ledge 
of  rocks.  On  the  rt.,  and  close  at  hand, 
the  more  copious  stream  of  the  Malta 
is  abruptly  hurried  over  a  barrier  some 


■  50  ft.  high,  into  a  deep  circular  cnl- 
'•  dron.  from  the  colour  of  the  water  in 
j  this  '  Ivessel,'  the  waterfall  is  known  as 
ihe  Blaxie  Tumj[)f.  Scarcely  h  ra.  below 
this  singular  spot  is  the  Traxhutte 
I  (3,775'),  about  2  hrs.  from  the  Wastel- 
I  alp.  The  huts  lie  in  a  little  basin 
closed  at  the  lower  end  by  a  projecting 
buttress  of  the  mountain,  and  it  is 
necessary  to  ascend  some  way  before  re- 
suming the  descent,  which  is  hencefor- 
ward rather  rapid.  Near  a  fine  fall  of 
the  Mollniggbach  is  a  picturesque  bridge 
—Hochstg  (3,205')— below  which  the 
last  Sennhiitte  is  passed.  Though  long, 
the  valley  is  so  interesting  that  it  is 
almost  Vi'ith  regret  that  the  traveller 
reaches  the  highest  hamlet,  a  group  of 
very  poor  houses,  called  Brandstall. 
This  lies  only  a  short  way  above  the 
junction  of  the  Gossgraben,  a  consider- 
able glen  described  in  Rte.H.  Close  to 
the  junction,  on  the  rt.  bank  of  the 
Malta,  is  the 

Flilg'lhof  (2,762'),  a  large  farming 
establishment,  surrounded  by  fine  lime 
trees,  belonging  to  Count  Lodron,  the 
owner  of  a  large  modern  residence  in 
the  town  of  Gmiind,  and  one  of  the 
chief  proprietors  of  the  adjoining  dis- 
striet.  The  farmer  here  will  give  re- 
freshment, and,  doubtless,  in  case  of 
need,  night  accommodation.  At  another 
house,  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  Malta, 
the  farnier  (der  Klampferer)  sometimes 
has  a  vehicle  available  for  hire.  This 
place  is  commonly  reckoned  11  hrs. 
from  Hiittschlag,  but  an  active  walker 
will  reach  the  pass  in  5  hrs.,  and  de- 
scend to  Fliigelhof  in  4^  hrs. 

Below  the  junction  of  the  Gossgra- 
ben, the  Maltathal  completely  changes 
its  character,  and  is  henceforth  a  broad 
and  nearly  level  valley,  with  numerous 
farmhouses,  and  a  good  deal  of  land 
available  for  tillage.  About  half-way 
to  Gmiind  is  the  village  of  Malta 
(2,562'),  with  a  tolerable  inn,  kept  by 
Anderl  Krammer.  The  parish  priest, 
Herr  Kohlmayr,  has  largely  contributed 
to  dispel  the  general  ignorance  which, 
till  very  lately,  prevailed  as  to  this 
beautiful  valley,  and  has  published  a 


304 


CENTRAL    TYROL    ALPS. 


little  descriptive  work  which  the  writer 
lias  not  been  able  to  procure.  He 
strongly  recommends  tourists  to  ascend 
to  a  point  called  Faschauner  27/6W  (about 
6,200'),  reached  by  a  good  path  in  3 
hrs.  from  the  village,  and  kindly  lends 
to  strangers  a  panorama  by  which  they 
may  identify  the  principal  peaks.  By 
persevering  in  the  same  direction,  nearly 
due  N.  from  Malta,  the  traveller  may 
reach  the  s.ummit  of  the  Fanchauner  Nock 
(9,130').  one  of  the  chief  summits  in  the 
range  dividing  the  Malta-  from  the 
Lieser-Thal.  A  gentle  descent  along  a 
good  road  leads  from  Malta  to  Gyyiilnd 
(Rte.  E). 


EoTJTE   Gr. 

GMtJND   TO    BAD  GASTEIN,  BY  THB  KLEINE 
ELEND. 

By  road  to  Fliigelhof ,  9  m. ;  14  hrs.  on  foot, 
exclusive  of  halts,  thence  to  Bart  Gastein. 

Of  the  glacier  passes  connected  with 
the  inner  recesses  of  the  Makathal,  the 
least  laborious  and  difficult  is  that  lead- 
ing to  Bad  Gastein  by  the  Klein-Elend- 
Bcharte,  but  it  is  certainly  inferior  in 
interest  to  the  passes  leading  to  the 
Mallnitzthal,  enumerated  in  the  next  Rte. 
The  Makathal,  despite  its  undoubted 
attractions,  has  been  under  a  decided 
disadvantage  as  compared  with  most 
other  considerable  valleys  in  the  Eastern 
Alps,  owing  to  the  want  of  an  inn  above 
the  village  of  Malta,  and  to  the  diffi- 
culty of  finding  competent  guides.  The 
best  guide   for   the    glacier   passes    is 


§   52.    GASTEIX    DISTRICT. 

probably  Jager  Plorian,  a  gamekeeper, 
usually  to  be  found  at  Count  Lodron'a 
Jagdschloss,  or  shooting-lodge,  at  Dorn- 
bach,  about  half-way  between  Gmii^d. 
and  Malta.  Johanii  Fercher,  of  Milta, 
has  also  been  recommended.  He  asks 
10  fl.  (too  much)  for  the  pass  to  Gastein. 
A  mountaineer  planning  excursions  will 
do  well   to  apply  to   Herr  Kohlmayr, 

;  the  parish  prie.^t  at  Malta.  A  traveller, 
accompanied  by  an  experienced  guide, 
who  designs  merely  to  effect  the  pass 

:  from  the  Kleme  El  end  to  Gastein.  may 
count  on  finding  sufficient  local  guidance 
at  the  highest  Sennhiitten,  and  need  not 
engage  a  man  in  the  lower  part  of  the 
valley.  The  difficulty  as  to  accommo- 
dation in  the  upper  part  of  the  valley 
has  been  to  a  grent  extent  overcome 
through  the  liberality  of  Baron  "Werue!-, 
who  has  built  two  shooting-lodges — one 
at  Schonau,  the  other  (smaller)  at  the 
Sommerhiitte  under  the  Klobenhuhe — 
and  kindly  makes  them  available  as 
night-quarters  for  tourists. 

At  the  SamerhiittP,  where  the  path  to 
the  Arlscharte  is  left  on  th^-  rt.  hand, 
the  ti-aveller  bound  for  Gastein  turns  to 
the  1.,  along  the  torrent  which  unites 
the  waters  of  the  Klein-  and  Gross- 
Elendbach,  and,  keeping  along  the  1. 
bank  for  ^  hr.,  reaches,  in  6  hrs.  from 
the  Fliigelhof,  the  R.chenbuchlhutte. 
This  group  of  Hiitten  stands  at  the 
junction  of  the  Ivleine  Elend,  which 
mounts  due  W.,  with  the  Grosse  Elend, 
which  bears  at  first  SW.,  then  nearly 
due  S.  The  scenery  here  is  wild  and 
impressive.  Eight  in  front,  in  ascending 
from  the  Samerhiitte,  is  the  Schwarz- 
horn,  a  double-pointed  peak — Vorder- 
Schioarzhorn  (9,444') ;  Hi7iter-Schwarz- 
horn  (9,536')  — whichs  crowns  a  massive 
buttress  projecting  NE.  from  the  Ankogl, 
and  divides  the  two  Eiend  glens.  The 
Grosse  Elend  lies  between  this  and  a 
longer  ridge,  extending  due  N.  from  the 
Ho^^halpenspitz  to  the  Brunnkahrnock 
(9.003').  The  Rhine  Eloid,  through 
which  lies  the  way  to  Gastein,  is  en- 
closed at  its  head  and  on  its  N.  side  by 
a  portion  of  the  main  range  of  tha 
Tauern   Alps,  dividing  Salzburg   from 


ROUTE    G. — GMUND    TO    BAD    GASTEIN    BY    THE    KLEINE    ELEND.      305 


Carinthia.  From  the  summit  of  the 
Ankogl,  this  extends  nearly  due  N.  to 
the  W,  summit  of  the  TischelJcahrkopf 
(9,288').  At  that  point,  it  tarns  at  rt. 
angles,  and  -extends  due  E.  to  the  Arl- 
scharte,  and  thence  to  the  Markkahr- 
spitz.  There  is  a  Sennhiitte  in  Kleine 
Elend,  1  hr.  higher  up  than  the  Eeehen- 
buchlhiitte,  but  it  supplies  very  con- 
tracted and  comfortless  quarters.  It 
may  be  liere  noted  that  the  nam-e  Elend, 
giveu  to  these  glens,  is  almost  certainly 
derived  from  Eleun  (elk),  which  animal 
inhabited  this  part  of  the  Alps  within 
the  historic  period.  It  is  here  necessary 
to  note  a  serious  error  in  Sonklar's 
generally  excellent  map.  He  there 
places  the  pass  to  Gastein  between  the 
above-mentioned  "W.  peak  of  the  Tischel- 
kahrkopf  and  the  more  southerly  summit 
of  the  Fa»cknock  (9,698') ;  whereas  it 
appears  that  the  pass  is  more  nearly 
where  it  is  shown  in  the  sketch  map  by 
E.  Keil,  in  the  '  Jahrbuch  of  the  Austrian 
Alpine  Glub  for  1865,'  some  way  E.  of 
the  E.  summit  of  the  Tischelkahrkopf, 
and  not  far  from  the  spot  where  Sonklar 
lays  down  a  track  leading  to  Grossarl. 
In  regard  to  this,  and  one  or  two  other 
errors  in  this  part  of  the  range,  it  must 
be  observed  that  Sonklar's  map  is  partly 
based  upon  that  of  the  Austrian  Etat- 
Major,  which  is  in  this  district  by  no 
means  completely  accurate. 

After  following  the  1.  bank  of  the 
Klein-Elendbach  for  about  f  hr.  from 
the  above-mentioned  Hiitten,  the  tra- 
veller turns  to  the  rt.,  nearly  due  !N".,  and 
commences  a  steep  and  long  ascent.  On 
approaching  the  snow-slopes  that  cover 
the  sximmit,  it  is  necessary  to  bear  some- 
what to  the  1.,  till,  in  3|  hrs.  from  the 
Epchenbiichlhiitte,  the  summit  of  the 
KJcm-ElenclscJmrte,  also  known  as  Kes- 
selkakrscharte,  is  attained.  Though  only 
8,231  ft.  above  the  sea,  this  displays 
a  considerable  field  of  neve,  which,  on 
the  N.  side,  is  developed  into  a  glacier 
of  some  extent.  The  view  is  said  to 
be  extremely  fine.  At  first,  the  course 
lies  well  to  the  1.,  or  nearly  due  W., 
in  order  to  avoid  crevasses;  but  soon 
it  becomes  expedient  to  bear  to  the  rt. 

C.  T. 


hand,  in  a  northerly  direction,  along  the 
E.  side  of  the  glacier  {Kessclkahrkees), 
soon  leaving  the  ice,  so  as  to  avoid  the 
crevassed  extremity  of  the  glacier, 
whence  numerous  glacier  streamlets 
trickle  down  the  face  of  steep  ledges  of 
rock.  Without  local  knowledge  there 
may  be  a  little  difficulty  in  effecting  the 
descent  to  the  Kcsselkahralp  (5,987')- 
The  Hutte,  reached  in  1^  hr.  from  the 
summit  of  the  pass,  lies  in  a  hollow  a 
little  on  the  N.  side  of  the  head  of  the 
Kotschachthal,  where  the  torrent  of  that 
valley  is  formed  by  the  confluence  of 
several  glacier  streams. 

The  Kotschachthal,  through  which  lies 
the  course  to  Gastein,  is,  undoubtedly, 
one  of  the  finest  valleys  of  this  district, 
though  it  must  yield  the  palm  to  the 
Maltathal.  It  is  a  favourite  haunt  of 
chamois  and  other  game.  Too  rarely 
nsited  by  the  tourist,  it  well  deserves 
an  excursion  from  Bad  Gastein.  In 
descending  from  the  Kcsselkahralp 
into  the  valley  the  assistance  of  one 
of  the  herdsmen  may  be  required  to 
find  the  way,  which  is  rather  cir- 
cuitous, passing  on  one  side  of  a  very 
fine  waterfall.  The  main  branch  of  the 
valley  is  reached  at  the  Frossau-Alp 
(4,188').  This  is  very  finely  situated  at 
the  junction  of  three  considerable  glacier 
torrents,  each  of  which  forms  a  consider- 
able waterfall  in  its  descent  to  the  level 
of  the  main  valley.  Above  the  forest- 
clad  slopes  that  surround  the  alp  is  a 
circuit  of  rugged  peaks,  whose  flanks  are 
clad  with  glaciers  or  snow-slopes.  A 
beaten  track  descends  the  valley  from 
the  Prossau-Alp,  first  by  the  rt.  bank  of 
the  Kotschache,  afterwards  by  the  oppo- 
site side  of  the  stream.  The  traveller 
bound  for  Bad  Gastein  must  not  follow 
the  torrent  to  the  Badbriicke,  on  the  old 
road  from  Hof  Gastein,  whence  he  would 
have  to  reascend  to  the  baths,  but  take 
a  well-made  path,  frequented  by  the 
bath  visitors,  that  winds  round  the  slope 
of  the  hill,  and  involves  only  a  trifling 
ascent.  The  descent  from  the  Kcssel- 
kahralp to  Bad  Gastein  is  effected  in  % 
hrs.'  steady  walking. 


306 


CENTRAL    TYROL    ALPS. 


EOUTE  H. 

GiliJND  TO  OBER-VELLA.CH.       ASCENT    OF 
THE   HOCHALPENSPITZ. 

The  finest  passes  connected  -wdth  the 
Maltathal  are  those  leading  westward 
to  Mallnitz  or  Ober-Vellach  ;  and  there 
is  little  doubt  but  that  the  active  moun- 
taineer may  take  on  his  way  the  ascent 
of  the  Hochalpenspitz,  so  as  to  reach 
Mallnitz  on  the  second  day  from  G-miind. 
It  is  certain  that  the  ascent  of  that  peak 
may  be  effected  from  the  G-rosse  Elend ; 
and  a  mountaineer  who  wishes  in  a 
single  excursion  to  enjoy  the  finest 
scenery  of  the  Maltathal  cannot  do 
better  than  go  on  the  first  day  to  the 
highest  Hiitten  in  G-rosse  Elend,  ascend 
the  peak  on  the  following  day,  and,  if 
possible,  descend  to  the  Fliigelhof  by 
the  G-ossgraben. 

"  We  shall,  in  the  first  place,  enumerate 
the  passes  leading  from  Malta  to  Ober- 
VeUach. 

1.  By  the  PUschnitzscharte.  This  is 
the  most  circuitous  way  from  Malta, 
involving  a  walk  of  13  hrs.,  exclusive  of 
halts,  from  the  Fliigelhof;  but  for  a 
traveller  intending  to  make  but  one  ex- 
cursion through  the  Maltathal,  it  de- 
serves a  preference,  as  this  shows  more 
of  its  noble  scenery  than  the  passes 
approached  through  the  Gossgraben. 
The  first  day  from  Malta   or  Grmiind 


§   52.    GASTEIN    DISTRICT. 

will  be  employed  in  reaching  the  Rechen- 
biichlhiitte,  at  the  junction  of  the  tor- 
rents from  G-rosse  Elend  and  Kleine 
Elend ;  but  it  is  possible  to  go  about 
1  hr.  farther,  to  the  highest  Hiitten  in 
Grosse  Elend,  which  afford  tolerable 
shelter.  The  glen  of  Grosse  Eleyicl  is 
said  to  present  a  pecuJiarly  stern  and 
desolate  aspect,  but  rises  to  grandeur  at 
its  upper  end,  where  it  forms  the  centre 
of  a  vast  amphitheatre  of  glacier-clad 
peaks.  On  the  rt.  is  the  ridge,  dividing 
this  from  Kleine  Elend,  that  extends 
from  the  Ankogl  to  the  Schwarzhom; 
in  front  the  much  longer  and  higher 
range,  extending  from  the  Ankogl  to 
the  Hochalpenspitz ;  and  on  the  ] .  the 
scarcely  less  lofty  ridge  connecting  the 
latter  with  the  Brunnkahmock  (see  last 
Ete.).  Ihe  great  mass  of  glacier  falling 
into  the  head  of  the  valley  is  collectively 
called  G-ross  -  Elendkees  ;  but,  though 
usually  connected  by  snow-slopes,  so  as 
to  appear  a  nearly  continuous  mass,  this, 
in  fact,  includes,  at  least,  four  distinct 
glaciers.  On  Sonklar's  map,  two  of  these 
are  indicated,  and  a  third  is  inserted  on 
F.  Keil's  sketch  map,  mentioned  in  the 
last  Ete.  That  descending  very  steeply 
from  the  peak  of  the  Ankogl  is  the 
Kaltewand  Glacier;  S.  of  this  is  the 
gently  sloping  Pleschnitzkees  ;  SE.  of  the 
latter,  from  the  part  of  the  range  between 
the  Thorlspitz  and  Karlspitz,  descends 
the  FaUhachkees,  which,  like  it,  is  little 
crevassed ;  divided  from  the  Fallbach 
Glacier  by  a  ridge  called  Kalberriegel, 
is  the  Brunnkahrkees  (Gross-EIend-Glet- 
scher  of  Sonklar),  the  most  considerable 
of  these  glaciers,  fed  by  the  snows  that 
accumulate  on  the  NW.  side  of  the 
Hochalpenspitz.  From  the  Eechen- 
biichlhiitte,  the  way  to  Mallnitz  lies  along 
the  main  torrent,  till,  at  the  junction  of 
the  streams  from  the  Pleschnitzkees  and 
the  FaUhachkees,  it  bears  somewhat  W. 
of  N.  along  the  former  torrent.  The 
glacier  is  free  from  difficulty,  and  in 
about  3^  hrs.  from  the  Eechenbiichlhiitte, 
the  traveller  reaches  the  summit  of  the 
Plrschnitzscharte  {^hout  8,500'?).  The 
name  is  written  in  various  ways,  and  it 
appears  that  the  pronunciation  at  Mall- 


ROUTE    H. PASS   OF    THE   DOSSNER    SCHARTE. 


307 


nitz  corresponds  best  to  Blasiskscharte  ! 
The  pass  is  sometimes  called  Gross- 
'Elendscharte,  but  that  designation  is 
vague,  being  often  extended  to  the  entire 
ridge  connecting  the  Ankogl  with  the 
Hochalpenspitz.  The  view  in  both  di- 
rections is  extremely  fine,  and  the  tra- 
veller moderately  favoured  by  weather 
will  not  fail  to  make  a  long  halt  on  the 
summit  of  the  ridge.  The  near  peaks 
of  the  Ankogl  and  Hochalpenspitz — 
especially  the  latter — first  claim  atten- 
tion; and  in  the  eastern  background, 
the  range  of  the  Hafnereck,  on  the  op- 
posite side  that  of  the  Hochnarr,  are 
objects  of  further  interest.  The  descent 
lies  in  a  SW.  direction,  over  a  steep 
slope  set  with  loose  blocks,  more  or  less 
covered  with  snow  according  to  the  sea- 
son. After  a  while,  the  ground  becomes 
easier,  but  continues  to  be  steep  and 
pathless  until,  in  about  1^  hr.  (descend- 
ing from  the  pass),  the  Ochsenhiitte, 
surrounded  by  the  scanty  remains  of  an 
ancient  larch  forest,  is  attained.  A 
tolerably  good  path  leads  hence  along 
the  Pleschnitzbach  to  the  uppermost 
group  of  Hiitten  of  the  Lassacher  Alp, 
mentioned  in  Rte.  C,  in  connection  with 
the  ascent  of  the  Ankogl  from  Mallnitz. 
That  village  may  be  reached  in  3^  hrs. 
from  the  summit  of  the  pass,  or  7  hrs. 
from  the  Eechenbiichlhiitte ;  but  as  it 
lies  at  least  1,500  ft.  lower  than  the 
Eiitte,  8  hrs.  should  be  allowed  when 
the  pass  is  taken  in  the  opposite  direc- 
tion— i.e.  2  hrs.  to  the  Lassacher  Alp; 
4  hrs.  thence  to  the  summit ;  2  hrs.  de- 
scending from  the  pass  to  the  Eechen- 
biichlhiitte. 

Mountaineers  may  be  tempted  to  effect 
a  pass  from  the  Lassacher  Winkel,  at  the 
head  of  the  Mallnitzthal,  to  the  Grosse- 
Elend,  by  the  ridge  connecting  the  Thorl- 
spitz  with  the  Karlspitz  (9,689'),  de- 
scending on  the  NE.  over  the  Fallbach 
Glacier.  The  scenery  must  be  even  finer 
than  that  of  the  pass  above  described  ; 
but  as  the  ridge  on  the  Lassacher  side 
is  very  steep,  it  would  be  best  to  make 
the  attempt  from  that  side.  There  are 
two  guides  at  Mallnitz — Schoberl,  and 
Filipp  Sauper,  both  rather  advanced  in 


years,  who  are  well  acquainted  with  the 
upper  end  of  the  Maltathal.  They  are 
satisfied  with  2  fl.  for  daily  pay. 

Of  late  years,  a  few  travellers  have 
made  their  way  from  Mallnitz  to  Ga- 
stein  by  crossing  on  the  first  day  the 
Pleschnitzscharte,  sleeping  at  the  Hiitten 
in  Kleine  Elend,  and  on  the  following 
day  crossing  the  Klfin-Elendscharte 
(Rte.  G).  Those  who  take  this  course 
should  not  follow  the  path  through  the 
Grosse  Elend  to  its  junction  with  the 
other  glen,  but  keep  along  the  slope  of 
the  Schwarzhorn  at  a  height  of  about 
7,300  ft.,  and  pass  a  little  lake  at  the 
foot  of  the  peak  of  the  Vorder-Schwarz- 
horn,  which  commands  a  noble  view  of 
the  surrounding  Alps.  Thence  they  can 
descend  to  the  Hiitten  in  Kleine  Elend. 

2.  Bt/  the  Dossner  Scharte.  10  hrs.*" 
walking  from  Fliigelhof  to  Ober-Vellach. 
The  chief  lateral  glen  of  the  Malta- 
thai  is  the  Gossffrabcn,  which  opens  due 
westward  from  the  Fliigelhof.  It  offers 
scenery  which  in  this  region  is  second 
only  to  that  of  the  main  valley,  and 
leads  by  at  least  three  fine  passes  to  the 
Moll  Valley.  Besides  Florian,  of  Dorn- 
bach,  named  in  the  last  Etc.,  Simou 
Moser,  and  Moidle  Franz,  are  named  as 
good  guides.  Filipp  Sauper,  of  Mallnitz, 
is  also  acquainted  with  the  pass  here 
described.  Travellers  wishing  to  under- 
take this  pass,  or  that  of  the  Kapponig 
Thorl,  from  Ober-Vellach,  should  en- 
quire for  a  hunter  named  Guri.  He  is 
also  acquainted  with  the  way  up  the 
Sauleck. 

The  finest  scenery  of  the  Gossgraben 
is  in  the  lower  portion,  extending  from 
the  Fliigelhof  to  the  Zwillingfall.  There 
is  no  lack  of  fine  waterfalls  to  rival 
those  of  the  Malta.  The  first  is  the 
Treskafall,  where  the  Goss  springs  in 
one  mass  of  foam  down  a  ledge  168  ft. 
in  height.  Another,  less  considerable 
in  volume,  is  formed  by  a  tributary  tor- 
rent that  joins  the  Goss  at  the  Wvialp. 
This  is,  perhaps,  the  most  beaiitiful 
point  of  view  in  the  valley.  The  fine 
pyramidal  peak  in  the  further  back- 
ground is  the  Sauleck  (10.108  ).  and  to 
the  1.  is  the  pass  of  the  Dossner  Scharte, 
2 


308 


CENTRAL    TYROL    ALPS.       §  52.    GASTEIN   DISTRICT. 


over  which  the  traveller  is  to  make  his 
way  to  the  Mollthal.  Another  remark- 
able point  is  reached  some  way  farther, 
at  the  so-called  ZwiVinfifall.  As  in  the 
main  branch  of  the  Maltathal,  we  have 
here  two  fine  waterfalls,  very  different  in 


I  to  be  locally  known  as  WinJcelkees. 
'  Above  the  Tripphiitte  are  many  cattle- 
;  tracks,  but  apparently  no  defined  path. 
{  The  ascent  for  some  distance  lies  over 
I  Alpine  pasture,  and  gradually  enters  a 
stony  hollow,  with  scattered  pools  of  ice- 


character,  placed  side  by  side.     One  is  i  cold  water,  leading  to  a  ravine  or  cou- 


formed  by  a  slender  stream  descending 
from  the  Trippenalp.  the  other  by  the 


main  torrent  of  the  Goss,  falling  through  |  summit  of  the 


loir,  up  which,  over  a  rather  steep  snow- 
slope,  lies  the  way  to  the  pass.     The 


a  vertical   height  of  250  ft.     A  steep 
ascent  by  a  narrow  track  on  the  S.  side 
of  the  main  fall  leads  to  a  higher  step 
in  the  valley,  and,    keeping  chiefly  to 
the   rt.    bank,   the   path   ascends   very 
gently  till  another  rocky  step  is  reached, 
above  which  is  the  Ulrichkufie  (Z,926'),  a 
large  Sennhiitte  offering  the  best  night- 
quarters  to  be  found  in  the  valley.     Up 
to  this  point,  the  ascent  has  been  very 
gentle,  except  where  the  two  Tliahtnfen, 
mentioned  above,  have  to  be  surmounted. 
Here,  as  we  approach  the  head  of  the 
Gossgraben,   the    slope   becomes    more 
rapid  and  continuous.     Traversing  the 
Goss   by  a   solid   wooden   bridge,   and 
mounting    among  scattered   groups   of ; 
larch  wood,   the   path   leads  from   the  j 
Ulinchhiitte   to   the  Obere   Tripphiitte,  \ 
which  is  an  excellent  resting  place  for  | 
an  Alpine  luncheon,  as  it  commands  a  I 
complete  view  of  the  peaks  that  enclose 
the  head  of  the  valley.     The  giant  of  ; 


Dossner  Scharte  (8,748'),  sometimes 
called  Mallnitzer  Scharte,  is  a  narrow 
gateway  between  steep  rocks,  command- 
ing a  remarkable  view  that  on  the  E.  side 
extends  along  the  whole  length  of  the 
Gossgraben,  and  in  the  opposite  direc- 
tion through  the  Dossenthal.  From 
hence,  the  summit  of  the  Sauleck  was 
reached  with  little  difficulty  in  1^  hr. 
by  Dr.  P.  Grohmann.  On  the  W.  side 
of  the  pass,  the  descent  lies  over  a  long 
slope,  covered  with  huge  blocks  of  gneiss 
set  at  a  high  angle.  Except  in  seasons 
when  these  are  covered  with  snow,  this 
demands  much  caution  and  patience 
from  a  traveller  not  well  used  to  such 
ground.  The  slope  is  locally  known  as 
Das  bose  Gemauer;  nearly  1  hr.  must 
be  allowed  for  the  descent,  and  rather 
more  for  the  ascent  when  the  pass  is 
taken  the  other  way.  At  the  foot  of  the 
steep  slope  lies  a  large  tarn,  about  1  m. 
in  circumference,  seemingly  formed  by 
an  ancient  Bergfall  (or  ?  moraine),  as  it 


the  group — the  Hochalpenspitz — is  con 

nected  by  the  Trippeskamm,  a  long  and  !  lias  no  visible  outlet.  Keeping  well  to 
steep  ridge,  with  the  Sauleck  ;  adjoin-  '  the  rt.,  a  faintly  marked  track  leads  the 
ing  the  latter  is  the  Grossgbssachspitz  i  traveller  from  this  vrild  and  dreary  scene 
(9,657'))  ^^^  then  the  Kleingossachspitz  j  to  the  head  of  the  Dossenthal.  On  tum- 
(9.588'),  with  the  Dossner  Scharte  be-  ing  round  to  view  the  head  of  the  valley, 
tween   them.      The  next  depression  to  |  this  seems  to  be  completely  barred  by 


the  1.  is  the  Kapponig  Thorl  (mentioned 
below),  and  then  follows  the  ridge  di^nd- 
ing  the  Malta  from  the  Moll,  whose  most 
conspicuous  summits  are  the  Dristcn- 
sjAtz  (9,605'),  and  the  BeissecJc  (9,693'). 
A  considerable  glacier,  lying  on  the  S. 
declivity  of  the  Hochalpenspitz,  is  con- 
cealed from  view  at  the  Tripphiitte  by 
an  intermediate  ridge,  but  is  seen  from 
various  points  on  the  way.  By  all  the 
travellers  who  have  written  about  this 
district,  this  is  called  Trippcnkees,  but, 
at  least  on  the  Lassacher  side,  it  seemg 


a  dam  formed  of  colossal  blocks  of 
j  gneiss,  which  sustains  the  lake.  The 
I  Bosscnthal  is  a  short,  rather  steep,  glen, 
that  pours  its  torrent  into  the  Mallnitz, 
nearly  half-way  from  the  village  of  that 
name  to  Ober-Yellach.  It  offers  much 
pleasing  scenery,  and,  in  descending, 
the  peak  of  the  Grossglockner  is  fre- 
quently seen  above  the  intermediate 
ranges ;  while  in  ascending  the  glen, 
the  "Sauleck  is  always  a  striking  object. 
The  highest  Hiitten  are  those  of  the 
Egger  Alp.     Below  these  the  path  de- 


KOUTE    H. — ASCENT    OF    THE    HOCHALPENSPITZ. 


309 


scends  a  steep  slope,  and  before  long 
reaches  another  Hiitte,  where  it  is  well 
to  obtain  local  guidance,  in  order  to 
avoid  losing  time  at  the  opening  of  the 
glen.  A  path  to  the  1.,  which,  below  the 
junction  of  the  Dossenbaeh,  k^eps  the  1. 
bank  of  the  Mallnitz,  leads  to  the  road 
f  hr.  above  Ober-  Vdlach  (Ete.  C).  Those 
who  are  bound  for  Mallnitz  follow  a 
track  along  the  slope  of  the  mountain 
overlooking  the  lower  end  of  the  Dos- 
senthal,  passing  two  farmhouses,  and 
finally  descend  to  the  main  valley  close 
to  the  village. 

3.  By  the  WinJcchcharte.  In  a  paper 
contained  in  the  '  Jahrbuch'  of  the  Aus- 
trian Alpine  Club  for  1865,  Dr.  "Wagl 
mentions  the  existence  of  the  pass  here 
named,  connecting  the  head  of  the 
Lassacher  Winkel  with  the  Trippenalp 
in  the  Gossgraben.  No  fm-ther  infor- 
mation has  reached  the  writer,  but,  as 
it  appears  to  lead  through  the  very 
finest  scenery  of  this  part  of  the  range, 
it  must  deserve  the  attention  of  moun- 
taineers. The  ridge  which  is  crossed 
between  the  two  valleys  is  that  which 
has  been  called  Trippeskamm  by  Mojsis- 
ovics. 

4.  By  the  Kajrponig  Thbrl.  This  is 
the  most  direct  way  from  the  head  of 
the  Gossgraben  to  Ober-Yellach,  and 
is  said  to  be  shorter  by  from  1  to  2  hrs. 
than  that  by  the  Dossner  Scharte.  The 
summit,  which  is  also  called  Yellacher 
Thorl,  is  8,732  ft.  above  the  sea-level. 
On  the  "WSW.  side,  the  descent  lies 
through  the  Kapi^onig  Grabcn,  a  narrow, 
steep  ravine,  whose  torrent  flows  in  a 
nearly  direct  line  from  the  summit  of 
the  pass  to  the  town  of  Ober-Yellach. 

5.  By  the  Zwengberger  Thorl  (about 
8,700').  Of  this  pass,  which  lies  SE.  of 
the  Dristenspitz  (9,605'),  no  information 
has  reached  the  writer.  It  is  approached 
from  the  upper  part  of  the  Gossgraben, 
and  the  descent  lies  through  the  Ziceng- 
berger  Thai,  which  opens  into  the  Moll- 
thai  about  3  m.  below  Ober-Yellach. 
The  ascent  of  the  Dristenspitz,  which 
must  command  nearly  the  same  view  as 
the  Eeisseck,  might  probably  be  taken 
on  the  way. 


6.  By  the  Eichen-Thbrl  This  is  a 
pass  which  avoids  altogether  tlie  Malta- 
thai,  as  it  connects  the  head  of  the 
Eadlgraben,  a  glen  opening  into  the 
Lieserthal  ^  hr.  below  Gmiind,  with. 
that  of  the  Binkc7ithal,  which  joins  the 
Mollthal  a  little  above  Kolmitz.  The 
chief  inducement  to  take  this  course  is 
in  order  to  combine  with  it  the  ascent 
of  the  Beisseck  (9,693'),  a  detached 
summit  which  commands  one  of  the 
finest  views  of  the  eastern  portion  of 
the  High  Tauern  Alps.  The  Badlgra- 
ben  is  a  narrow  glen,  originating  in  two 
Alpine  tarns  at  the  SE.  side  of  the 
Eeisseck.  It  contains  iron-works,  and 
an  alkaline  spring  near  its  opening, 
where  accommodation  for  the  night 
may  probably  be  obtained.  Dr.  Groh- 
mann,  who  ascended  the  Eeisseck  from 
this  side,  took  as  guide  Michael  Elreidel 
of  Aich.  The  Eeisseck  may  be  ascended 
from  the  Gossgraben ;  and  a  travc,"  ^r 
sleeping  at  the  Ulrichhiitte  might  take 
the  summit  on  his  way  to  Gmiind, 
descending  through  the  Eadlgraben. 


It  seems  desirable  to  give  here  a 
slight  notice  of  the  ascent  of  the  Hoch- 
alpenspitz  (11,026'),  a  peak  surpassing 
by  several  hundred  feet  all  those  lying 
E.  of  the  Grossglockner  and  Yisch- 
bachhoru,  whose  importance  until  very 
lately  liad  been  strangely  overlooked. 
The  engineers  engaged  in  the  triangula- 
tion  for  the  Austrian  Military  Map, 
instead  of  measuring  the  highest  point 
in  the  range  dividing  the  Maltathal 
from  the  Mallnitzer  Thai,  fixed  their 
attention  on  a  minor  summit,  forming 
the  easternmost  extremity  of  that  range, 
which  rises  between  the  Maltagraben 
and  the  Giissgrabeu.  To  this,  which  is 
but  8,561  ft.  in  height,  and  is  apparently 
a  point  called  Gamsnoek  by  the  herds- 
men, they  gave  the  name  Hoehalpen- 
spitz.  Most  travellers  preferred  oificinl 
authority  to  the  evidence  of  their  own 
senses,  and  the  received  height  of  the 
Hochalpenspitz  continued  to  be  8,568 
ft.  until  Dr.  Euthner  reached  the  second 
peak  in  1859,  and  found  its  height  by 
the  barometer  to   be  10,979  ft.      The. 


310 


CENTRAL    TYROL    ALPS.       §   52.    GASTEIN   DISTRICT. 


highept  summit  was  first  attained  in 
the  follow-ing  year  bj  Dr.  G-rohmann, 
and  ht^  was  succeeded  in  1S61  by  Herr 
V.  3Io;sisovics,  M-hose  barometric  obser- 
vations, b)-  comparison  with  Klagenfurt, 
give  a  height  of  11,288  ft.  We  have 
here  preferred  Col.  v.  Sonklar's  deter- 
mination, intermediate  between  the 
others,  and  resting  on  nearly  concord- 
ant observations  from  three  different 
points.  The  best  guide  for  the  ascent 
is  probably  Lenzbaner,  of  the  village 
of  Malta.  Hans  Fercher,  of  the  same 
place,  cannot  be  recommended ;  but 
Franz  Weinzierl,  the  '  Senner '  at  the 
Stranerhiitte,  who  accompanied  M.  Moj- 
sisovi.-^s,  showed  himself  a  good  moun- 
taineer. 

The  three  ascents  known  to  the  wri- 
ter -were  all  effected  from  the  Hochalp. 
This  is  reached  from  the  Hocbsteg,  in 
the  Maltatlial,  a  short  way  below  the 
Traxhiitte.  A  steep  ascent  leads  to 
the  upper  pastures,  where  the  traveller 
reaches  in  succession  the  Stranerhiitte 
(5,318'\  the  Anemannhiitte,  and  the 
Hochalpenhiitte  (6,360').  The  second 
of  these  offers  the  best  night-quarters. 
It  is  here  necessary  to  point  out  an 
error  in  Sonklar's  usually  excellent 
map.  The  second  peak  of  this  group, 
the  Preimehjjifz  (10,648'\  is  placed  by 
him  too  far  E.  of  the  ridge  extending 
northward  to  the  Brunnkahrnock,  and 
the  ridge  laid  down  on  the  map  con- 
necting it  with  the  Steinerne  Mandl 
has  no  existence.  The  Hochalpenkees, 
a  considerable  gla<:ier,  flows  at  first 
ESE.  from  the  ridge  connecting  the 
highest  peak  with  the  Preimelspitz, 
but  it  gradually  bends  to  EXE.  round 
the  base  of  the  latter  peak,  and  sends 
its  torrent  by  the  Preimelalp  to  feed 
the  fine  waterfall  above  the  Traxhiitte 
(Rte.  F).  The  stream,  passing  by  the 
Hochalpenhiitte,  which  some  way  lower 
down  unites  with  that  glacier  torrent, 
originates  in  a  wild  stony  hollow, 
wherein  lie  three  tarns.  This  hollow 
is  divided  from  the  Hochalpen  Glacier 
by  a  ridge  called  Thurriegel,  but  this  is 
in  several  places  overflowed  by  the  ice- 
Btream,   and  one  arm  of   the  glacier 


descends  as  far  as  the  uppermost  turn, 
whose  height  is  8.217  ft.  It  is  by  this 
lake,  and  the  above-mentioned  arm  of 
the  glacier,  that  the  main  ice-stream  is 
most  easily  reached.  M.  Mojsisovics 
is  convinced  that  the  best  course  is  to 
reach  a  projecting  point  in  the  main 
ridge — called  Steincrncs  Mandl{lO,Z\  7'), 
and  follow  the  ridge  to  the  apparent 
summit  ;  but  the  guides  have  always 
preferred  a  more  circuitous  course  keep- 
ing considerably  to  the  rt.  of  the  direct 
line.  On  attaining  the  highest  point 
in  the  snowy  ridge  forming  the  bound- 
ary of  the  glacier-basin,  the  traveller 
finds  that  this  is  overtopped  by  a  rocky 
point  near  at  hand,  which  projects  from 
the  ridge  connecting  this  with  the  Saul- 
eck.  This  highest  peak  is  connected 
with  the  lower  snow  summit  by  a  very 
narrow  arete,  similar  in  character  to 
that  uniting  the  tvro  peaks  of  the  Gross- 
glockner.  None  of  the  travellers  who 
have  reached  the  summit  appear  to  have 
been  fortunate  in  point  of  weather,  but 
the  view  must  be  both  very  extensive 
and  very  interesting,  from  its  overlook- 
ing many  of  the  greater  valleys  of  the 
Eastern  Alps. 

The  innkeeper  at  Malta,  who  ac- 
companied Dr.  Euthner,  effected  a  de- 
scent towards  the  Grosse-Elend  by  the 
Brunnkahrkees,  but  it  is  yet  to  be  seen 
whether  it  may  not  be  possible  to  reach 
directly  the  Lassacher  Winkel,  or  to 
make  a  descent  (probably  less  difScult) 
by  the  Trippenkees  to  the  Gossgraben. 


EOUTE  I. ST.  JOHANN  TO  THE  SOURCES  OF  THE  MUR. 


311 


KOUTE   I. 

ST.    JOHANN    IN   PONGAU  TO  ST.    MICH  AFX 
IN    LUNGATJ.       THE    HAFNERECK. 

In  Ete.  E,  the  circuitous  carriage- 
road  from  St.  Johann  to  the  head  of 
the  Mur  Valley  by  Eadstadt,  and  the 
Radstadter  Tauem,  has  already  been 
described.  It  may  not  occur  to  many 
travellers  that  there  is  a  choice  among 
various  paths,  by  which  the  same  point 
may  be  reached  much  more  directly, 
which  offer  the  attractions  of  fine  scen- 
ery, and  the  advantage  of  making  closer 
acquaintance  with  a  mountain  mass  that 
has  some  special  interest  for  the  physi- 
cal geographer.  Although  the  course 
of  recent  geological  investigation  tends 
to  modify  the  belief  in  the  extreme 
antiquity  of  the  rocks,  forming  what  is 
commonly  called  the  central  chain  of 
the  Alps,  there  can  be  no  doubt  of  the 
relative  antiquity  of  these  masses  as 
compared  with  the  ranges  which  flank 
them  on  the  N.  and  S.  sides  ;  and  some 
special  interest  attaches  itself  to  the 
district  in  which  this  central  chain 
bifurcates,  and  extends  eastward  as  a 
double  range,  divided  by  a  broad  and 
deep  valley,  whose  existence  dates  from 
a  date  anterior,  at  all  events,  to  the 
latest  period  of  geological  history. 
The  point  at  which  this  bifurcation 
occurs  is  the  peak  of  the  Markkahrspitz, 
one  of  the  summits  of  the  Hafnereek 
range,  which  has  been  already  referred 
to  as  forming  the  NE.  boundary  of  the 
Maltathal.  This  range,  whose  direction 
is  parallel  to  that  of  the  Hochalpen- 
gpitz,  and  to  that  of  all  the  chief  ridges 


of  the  High  Tauern  Alps  E.  of  the 
Velber  Tauern,  is  also  remarkable  as 
being  the  easternmost  portion  of  the 
central  chain,  lofty  enough  to  produce 
glaciers  of  notable  dimensions.  One 
such,  at  least,  is  found  on  the  flanks  of 
the  Hafnereek,  while  E.  of  this  group 
we  find  indeed  patches  of  permanent 
snow,  but  nothing  deserving  the  title  of 
glacier.  It  will  be  seen  lower  down 
that  the  most  interesting  of  the  passes 
here  enumerated  may  be  taken  quite  as 
conveniently  from  Gastein  as  from  St. 
Johann,  and  involves  no  loss  of  time  to 
a  mountaineer  going  from  that  place  to 
Vienna  or  Gratz. 

The  better  to  understand  the  orogra- 
phy of  these  valleys,  the  reader  should 
fix  his  attention  for  a  moment  on  the 
MarkTiohrs'pitz  (9,245'),  the  corner- 
stone at  which  meet  the  basins  of  the 
Mur,  Drave,  and  Salza.  At  its  N.  and 
E.  sides,  this  peak  sends  its  drainage 
into  the  uppermost  branches  of  the 
Murwinkel ;  its  NW.  face  overlooks  the 
head  of  the  Grrossarlthal ;  while  on  the 
S.  side  it  rises  above  the  head  of  the 
Maltathal.  Erom  this  central  point,  a 
high  range  extends  ESE.  parallel  to 
the  latter  valley;  but  this  forms  only 
for  a  short  distance  the  watershed 
between  the  Drave  and  the  Mur.  From 
the  Hafnereek  (10,044'),  a  much  lower 
ridge  diverges  to  the  E.,  and  forms  the 
dividing  range  between  those  rivers. 
In  the  opposite  direction,  from  the 
summit  of  the  Markkahrspitz,  the 
boundary  between  the  waters  of  the 
Mur  and  those  of  the  Salza  extends 
nearly  due  N.  for  about  9  m.,  and  then, 
at  the  summit  of  the  Rothhorn,  turns 
eastward,  forming  the  northern  limit  to 
the  basin  of  the  Mur,  and  dividing  its 
waters  from  those  of  the  Enns.  Of 
the  three  parallel  valleys  lying  between 
the  G-asteiner  Thai  a-nd  the  Radstadter 
Tauern,  the  Grossarlthal  alone  ap- 
proaches the  base  of  the  Markkahr- 
spitz, while  Kleinarl  and  Elachau  ter- 
minate farther  N.,  near  the  Rothhorn 
and  the  adjoining  summit  of  the  Moser 
Wandl  (8,790'). 

1.  By  Kleinarl  and,  the  Zederhamthal^ 


312 


CENTRAL    TYROL    ALPS. 


Char-road  to  Kleinarl,  about  13  m. 
On  foot  thence  to  St.  Michael,  10  to  11 
hrs.  In  following  the  road  from  St. 
Johann  to  Eadstadt,  the  opening  of  the 
Kleinarlthal  was  passed  at  Wagrain, 
about  7  m.  from  the  first-named  place. 
The  geologist  will  be  struck  by  the 
vast  dimensions  of  the  terraces  of  dilu- 
vium (or  glacial  drift?)  about  this  point. 
A  tolerable  road  goes  as  far  as  Kleinarl 
(3,105'),  the  only  village  of  the  valley. 
By  starting  in  a  light  carriage  very 
early  from  St.  Johann,  the  traveller 
may  reach  St.  Michael  on  the  same  day. 
About  1  hr.  above  the  village  is  the 
Jdgcrsee  (3,588'),  with  a  little  shooting- 
box  beside  it.  Another  hour's  walk 
leads  to  the  uppermost  part  of  the 
Kleinarlthal,  called  Tappenkahr.  This 
is  a  deep  recess,  surrounded  by  steep 
slopes,  in  the  centre  of  which  lies  the 
Tappenkahrsee  (5,407'),  a  rather  large 
and  deep  lake,  famous  for  its  saibling. 
The  farthest  head  of  the  valley  above 
the  lake,  locally  known  as  Kahrhoden, 
is  a  FreigeUrg,  or  open  pasture,  to  which 
the  people  of  the  adjoining  valleys  are 
entitled  to  send  their  cattle.  One  con- 
sequence of  this  is  to  produce  a  con- 
vergence of  numerous  cattle-tracks,  and 
the  traveller  on  that  account  wiU  find 
the  aid  of  a  local  guide  almost  indis- 
pensable, the  more  so  as  the  maps  of 
this  district  are  discordant.  There  are 
paths,  leading  on  the  one  side  to  thft 
Grossarlthal,  and  on  the  other  to  Flach- 
au ;  but  the  most  frequented  is  that 
to  Lungau  over  the  SchierecJc,  4  hrs. 
from  Kleinarl.  The  pass  may  be 
reached  from  Grossarl,  by  a  path  over 
the  Tappenkahralp,  in  little  more  time 
than  by  Kleinarl.  The  Schiereck  over- 
looks the  upper  end  of  the  Zederhaus- 
thal,  through  which  lies  the  easiest  way 
to  St.  Michael ;  but  the  traveller  wish- 
ing to  enjoy  the  finer  scenery  of  the 
Murwinkel  may  reach  the  head  of  that 
glen  (without  descending  into  Zeder- 
haus  ?)  by  a  path  passing  by  the  Gling- 
spitz  (7,976'),  which  involves  only  a 
slight  detour. 

The  Zederhaustkal,   more  commonly  . 
called  here  Zederhauswinkel,  is  said  to  I 


§   52.    GASTEIN    DISTRICT. 

offer  less  interesting  scenery  than  that 
of  the  adjoining  Murwinkel.  It  is  a 
long  pastoral  glen  with  many  Senn- 
hiitten.  The  name  Zederhaus  (cedar 
house)  is  derived  from  the  Pinus  cem- 
hra — one  of  whose  many  designations 
in  the  Alps  is  Zeder — here  used  for 
building.  The  uppermost  end  of  the 
valley,  called  Hinterridmg,  descends,  at 
first,  towards  ENE. ;  the  stream  then 
bends  to  the  rt.  ;  and  from  Hof  to  St. 
Michael  its  direction  is  ESE.  Eully 
3  hrs.,  or  perhaps  more,  are  required 
to  reach  Hochpichl,  the  highest  hamlet. 
Hof,  G-ries,  and  other  groups  of  houses 
are  passed  in  succession,  before  the 
traveller  reaches  Zederhaus,  the  only 
village,  where,  in  case  of  need,  accom- 
modation may  be  had  for  the  night. 
He  will  probably  prefer  to  push  on  2|- 
hrs.  farther  to  St.  Michael  (Ete.  E). 

The  geologist  may  be  tempted  to 
diverge  from  the  direct  course  above 
pointed  out,  in  order  to  visit  the  ad- 
joining valley  of  Flachau,  whence  the 
head-waters  of  the  Enns  enter  the  main 
valley  above  Eadstadt  (Ete.  E).  The 
valley  contains  important  iron  mines, 
said  to  be  the  most  productive  in  the 
Salzburg  territory ;  but  the  chief  inte- 
rest to  the  geologist  arises  from  the 
presence  of  undoubted  miocene  tertiary 
deposits  near  the  opening  of  the  valley. 
The  geological  map  annexed  to  this 
volume  shows  that  similar  deposits  are 
believed  to  exist  elsewhere,  in  the  main 
valleys  of  Styria  and  Carinthia,  bat 
they  are  not  always  to  be  identified 
with  certainty.  The  scenery  of  the 
Elachau  is  said  not  to  be  very  interest- 
ing, but  it  is  a  comparatively  short 
valley,  and  an  easy  pass  over  the  JVinds- 
feld  (7,037')  leads  to  Zederhaus,  and 
thence  to  St.  Michael.  Another  pass, 
noticed  in  Ete.  E,  leads  from  the 
Flachau  to  Tweng  ;  and  another,  higher 
and  more  laborious,  to  theTappenkahr,at 
the  head  of  the  Kleinarlthal.  Schwarz- 
pichler,  to  be  heard  of  at  Zederhaus  or 
Hochpichl,  is  recommended  as  a  guide. 

2.  By  Grossarl  and  the  Murthorl. 
Char-road  to  Hiittschlag,  about  15 
m, ;   thence   to  Mur,  8  hrs.'  walking; 


ROUTE    I. THE    ROTHGILDENSCHARTE. 


313 


char-road  from  Mur  to  St.  Michael, 
10  m. 

At  Stockham  (Kte.  F),  about  U  hr. 
above  Hiiltschlag,  the  path  leading  to 
the  sources  of  the  Mur  quits  That  lead- 
ing to  the  Arlscharte.  Passing  the 
Krahalp,  this  leads  to  the  Murthbrl, 
a  depression  in  the  range  connecting  the 
Mureck  with  the  Wachteck.  -The  Joch 
is  marked  by  a  cross,  and  there  is 
every-nhere  a  findable  path.  On  reach- 
ing the  head  of  the  Mur  valley,  turn  to 
the  W.,  and  climb  one  of  the  adjacent 
mountains.  The  "Wachteck  is  the  best, 
though  difficult,  if  I  recollect  aright.' 
[W.  B.]  The  upper  valley  of  the  Mur, 
into  which  the  traveller  descends  from 
the  pass,  exhibits  a  singular  parallelism 
to  the  Zederhaus  Valley,  already  de- 
scribed. The  extremity  of  the  valley, 
containing  the  chief  source  of  the  Mur, 
descends  for  some  distance  towards  the 
ENE.,  and  that  portion  is  called 
Schmalzgrahn.  On  bending  round  to 
ESE.,  the  valley  assumes  the  name 
Murwinkel,  which  it  retains  till  its 
junction  with  the  Zederhausthal,  close 
to  St.  Michael.  The  scenery  of  the  Mur- 
winkel is  fine,  but  it  rises  to  grandeur 
only  in  the  two  lateral  glens  which  are 
passed  on  the  rt.  hand  by  a  traveller 
descending  the  valley.  The  first  of 
these  is  the  Moritzenthal,  the  second 
the  Rothirildenthal,  both  leading  to  the 
Maltathal  by  passes  mentioned  below. 
In  8  hrs.'  steady  walking  from  Hutt- 
scblag,  the  traveller  reaches 

Jf«r(3,638'),thehighestvillage  on  the 
river  of  that  name.  Inn  (G-frererwirth), 
'small,  but  bearable,  15  years  ago.' 
[W.  B.]  Near  the  village  are  the 
abandoned  smelting-houses  of  Schell- 
gadcn,  at  the  opening  of  a  sliort  glen 
called  Gangthal  which  mounts  to  SSW., 
and  is  said  to  oifer  many  attractions  to 
the  mineralogist  and  the  botanist.  A 
tolerable  road  leads  from  Mur  to  St. 
Michael. 

2.  Bii  the  Maltathal  and  the  Moritzen- 
thal. The  passes  above  described  are 
free  from  difficulty,  and  to  find  his  way, 
the  traveller  can  have  recourse  to  the 
herdsmen   who    aj.*e    always    found  in 


summer  at  the  highest  pastures.  The 
case  is  different  in  regard  to  the  passes 
leading  from  the  Murwinkel  to  the 
Maltagraben.  These  can  scarcely  bf> 
undertaken  except  from  the  E.  side, 
where,  at  the  village  of  Mur,  severaJ. 
competent  guides  are  to  be  found  Leo- 
pold Genser,  Peter  Simmerl,  KuperC 
Schiefer,  and  Paul  Konig  are  all  re- 
commended. .Che  pass  here  mentioned 
as  well  as  thzu  over  the  Eothgilden- 
scharte,  next  en  ^merated,  are  not  likely 
to  be  selected  b}  a  traveller  going  from 
St.  Johann  to  St.  Michael,  or  vice  versa, 
as  they  involve  a  considerable  detour, 
yet  show  nothing  of  the  finest  portions 
of  the  Maltathal.  But  the  way  through 
the  Moritzenthal  offers  a  very  direct 
route  from  St.  Michael  to  Bad  Gastein ; 
going  on  the  first  day  to  the  Eechen- 
biichlhiitte,  and  on  the  next  crossing 
the  Klein-Elendscharte  to  the  Kot- 
schachthal  (Rte.  0).  Supposing  that 
the  distance  from  Mur  to  the  Rechen- 
i  biichlhiitte  can  be  accomplished  in 
7  hrs.,  the  whole  distance  from  Mur 
to  Bad  Gastein  rpquires  15  hrs.,  ex- 
clusive of  halts.  This  was  accomplished 
in  one  day  by  the  late  Archdulie  John, 
before  Alpine  Clubs  had  come  into 
existence.  The  opening  of  the  Moritzen- 
thal is  about  3  hrs.  above  Mur.  It  is 
said  to  be  a  short  wild  glen,  encom- 
passed by  rocks  and  snow-slopes,  in  the 
midst  of  which  lie  three  small  lakes. 
Above  these  lies  the  pass  which  leads  to 
the  head  of  the  Maltagraben  at  the 
Samerhiitte.  The  way  is  said  to  be 
laborious  and  rather  difficult ;  but  no 
details  have  reached  the  writer. 

4.  By  the  Rothgildenscharte.  Eor 
the  reason  above  mentioned,  this  pass 
must  be  approached  from  the  E.  side. 
The  Bothgildenthal  is  the  finest  of  the 
lateral  glens  of  the  upper  Murthal,  and 
the  traveller  whose  course  lies  eastward 
along  that  river  or  its  tributaries  may 
here  bid  adieu  to  the  characteristic 
scenery  of  the  high  Alps.  In  this  glen 
are  important  mines  of  arsenical  ores, 
from  which  as  much  as  100  tons  of 
white  arsenic  are  said  to  be  annually 
extxacted.     The  process   is   carried  on 


314 


CENTRAL   TYROL    ALPS.       §  52.    GASTEIN   DISTRICT. 


in  winter,  when  the  ground  is  covered 
with  snow,  in  order  to  avoid  poisoning 
the  cattle  pastured  on  the  surrounding 
slopes.  The  glen  contains  two  lakes,  of 
which  the  larger,  called  Rogeler  See,  is 
enclosed  between  steep  faces  of  rock, 
above  which  rises  the  rugged  peak  of 
the  Hafnereck,  and  others  scarcely  in- 
ferior in  height.  Masses  of  permanent 
snow  rest  in  the  rifts  ;  while  in  the 
uppermost  hollow,  N.  of  the  main  peak, 
lies  a  rather  considerable  glacier. 

To  the  rt.  of  the  Hafnereck  is  the 
pass  of  the  Bothgildenscharte.  It  is 
described  as  difficxilt,  and  even  danger- 
ous, on  account  of  a  crumbling  mass  of 
steep  rocks,  a  little  below  the  summit 
on  the  E.  side,  which  must  be  climbed 
in  order  to  reach  the  ridge.  The  descent 
is  to  the  Wastelalp  in  the  Malta- 
graben  (Rte.  F),  It  is  said  that  those 
bound  for  the  lower  part  of  the  Malta- 
thai  may  reach  that  valley  at  a  point 
lower  than  the  Wastelalp,  by  bearing 
to  the  1.  to  the  Mairalp.  But  by 
ta,king  this  course  the  traveller  would 
lose  some  of  the  finest  scenery  of  the 
Maltagraben. 

The  ascent  oi  t\ie  Hafiicreck  (10,044') 
is  said  to  be  impracticable  from  the 
side  of  the  Murwinkel,  and  the  course 
taken  by  the  few  travellers  who  have 
climbed  the  peak  has  been  to  mount 
from  the  village  of  Mur,  along  the  ridge 
dividing  the  Murwinkel  from  the  head  of 
the  Lieserthal,  and,  passing  round  the 
peak,  to  reach  the  summit  from  the  SE. 
side.  The  ascent  may  probably  be 
shorter  and  easier  from  the  Traxhiitte, 
in  the  Maltagraben. 

The  pass  from  Mur  to  the  head  of 
the  Lieserthal  by  the  Buchlwand  is  said 
not  to  be  difficult,  and  a  fine  walk  may 
thus  be  made  to  Eennweg,  on  the  high- 
road from  St.  Michael  to  Gmiind. 

Much  information  respecting  the  Lun- 
gau  district,  including  the  upper  valley 
of  the  Mur  and  its  tributaries,  is  fouiid 


in  a  paper  by  Dr.  Wallmann,  in  the 
'  Mittheilungen  of  the  Austrian  Alpine 
Club  for  1864,'  but  more  detailed  and 
accurate  information  as  to  the  passes 
connected  with  the  Maltathal  and  the 
upper  branches  of  the  Mur  Valley  is 
much  to  be  desired,  and  will  be  thank  - 
fully  received  by  the  writer. 


BALL'S    ALPINE    GUIDES, 

LATEST   EDITIONS. 


The  Alpine  (jUide.  By  John  Ball,  M.R.I.A.  late  Presi- 
dent of  the  Alpine  Club.  Post  8vo.  with  Maps  and  other 
Illustrations,  in  Three  Volumes,  as  foUows : — 

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District,  price  7s.  Cd. 

Introduction  on  Alpine  Travelling  in  general,  and  on  the 

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DucTiON  prefixed,  price  Is.  extra. 


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Sections  as  follows,  each  complete  in  itself,  with  General  and  Special  Maps : — 

THE  BEKNESE  OBERLAND,  price  2s.  6d. 
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