Long-Distance Hike
Carnic High Trail

Day 1: Sillian –  Leckfeldalm (1,900 metres) – Sillianer Hütte (2,447 metres) / Obstanserseehütte (2,300 metres)
Elevation gain/loss: 1,373/0 metres, hiking time: 6.5 hours, distance: 13.5 kilometres, highest point: 2,448 metres, difficulty: difficult (black trail)

In Sillian, west of the railway station, cross the second bridge over the Drau river towards Wichtelpark. Continue in a westerly direction following the river, then head up along a series of switchback corners in a southerly direction. Follow the trail east around the Heimkehrerkreuz mountain (2,373 metres) as far as the Leckfeldalm (1,900 metres). Continue in a southerly direction uphill to the Sillianer Hütte (2,447 metres).

Day 2: Sillianer Hütte – Obstanserseehütte (2,300 metres) – Filmoor-Standschützenhütte (2,350 metres)
Elevation gain/loss: 856/950 metres, hiking time: 6.5 hours, distance: 13.6 kilometres, highest point: 2,659 metres, difficulty: intermediate (red trail)

From the Sillianer Hütte head in a south-easterly direction to the Hochgräntensee lake (2,428 metres), then follow the curved trail up to the Demut mountain (2,592 metres). Continue in an easterly direction to the Schöntalhöhe (2,635 metres), Eisenreich (2,665 metres) and the Obstansersee lake – below the hut of the same name (2,300 metres). Walking in a south-easterly direction pass the Pfannspitze (2,678 metres) and the Großer Kinigat (2,689 metres) all the way to the Filmoor-Standschützenhütte (2,350 metres).

Day 3: Filmoor-Standschützenhütte – Porzehütte (1,942 metres)
Elevation gain/loss: 218/628 metres, hiking time: 3 hours, distance: 6.3 kilometres, highest point: 2,350 metres, difficulty: intermediate (red trail)

Follow the trail in a south-easterly direction, then in a north-easterly direction to the Oberer Stuckensee lake (2,040 metres), past the right shore of the lake in a north-easterly direction until the trail turns off sharp right. Continue uphill here until the trail turns off again. Then follow the trail to the Porzehütte hut (1,942 metres).

Day 4: Porzehütte – Hochweißsteinhaus (1,868 metres)
Elevation gain/loss: 1,028/1,094 metres, hiking time: 8 hours, distance: 17.3 kilometres, highest point: 2,488 metres, difficulty: difficult (black trail)

Follow the trail along a series of switchbacks up to the Tilliacher Joch ridge (2,093 metres). Then head east via Bärenbadegg (2,431 metres), Kesselscharte (2,250 metres) and in a southerly direction to the Winkler Joch ridge (2,235 metres). Continuing east, go past the Hochspitz (2,583 metres) and the Steinkarspitz (2,524 metres) to the Luggauer Sattel (2,385 metres). From here, all that remains is the descent to the Hochweißsteinhaus hut (1,868 metres).

Day 5: Hochweißsteinhaus – Obere Wolayer Alm (1,708 metres) – Wolayerseehütte (1,960 metres)
Elevation gain/loss: 1,069/983 metres, hiking time: 7.5 hours, distance: 14.3 kilometres, highest point: 2,011 metres, dificulty: intermediate (red trail)

Follow the trail for a long time in an easterly direction as far as the Giramondopass (2,009 metres), then in a downward arc to the Obere Wolayer Alm (1,708 metres) and the Wolayersee lake, located next to the Wolayerseehütte hut (1,960 metres).

Day 6: Wolayerseehütte – Obere Valentinalm (1,540 metres) – Gasthof Untere Valentinalm (1,221 metres)
Elevation gain/loss: 185/949 metres, hiking time: 3.5 hours, distance: 6.4 kilometres, highest point: 2,141 metres, difficulty: intermediate (red trail)

From the Wolayerseehütte hut head in an easterly direction to the Obere Valentinalm hut (1,540 metres), then via a series of switchbacks down to the Gasthof Untere Valentinalm (1,221 metres). From here there are fine views of the Plöcken mountain pass and into the Angerbach Valley.

Day 7: Gasthof Untere Valentinalm – Gasthaus Plöckenhaus (1,213 metres) – Zollnersee-Hütte (1,750 metres)
Elevation gain/loss: 1,448/905 metres, hiking time: 9 hours, distance: 19 kilometres, highest point: 2,155 metres, difficulty: difficult (black trail)

Follow the trail down from the Gasthof Untere Valentinalm to the Gasthaus Plöckenhaus (1,213 metres). Hikers who wish to can terminate the walk at the road up over the Hier Plöckenpass. At the right shore of the Grünsee lake follow the Angerbach river until the trail heads uphill in a northerly direction to around 1,800m. There then follows a zigzag section up to the Zollnersee-Hütte (1,750 metres).

Day 8: Zollnersee-Hütte – Straniger Alm (1.501 Meter) – Rudnig-Alm (1.619 Meter)
Elevation gain/loss: 820/926 metres, hiking time: 7.5 hours, distance: 20.1 kilometres, highest point: 1,990 metres, difficulty: intermediate (red trail)

Head past the Zollnersee lake and continue in an easterly direction for a long time, then down along a series of switchbacks to the Straniger Alm (1,501 metres), on to the Trogkopfel (2,279 metres) and the Rudnig-Alm (1,619 metres).

Day 9: Rudnig-Alm – Kofelalm (1,600 metres), Alpenhof Plattner (1,600 metres) – Garnitzenalm (1,645 metres)
Elevation gain/loss: 658/639 metres, hiking time: 5 hours, distance: 11.8 kilometres, highest point: 1,901 metres, difficulty: difficult (black trail)

From the Rudnig-Alm hut follow a series of switchbacks to the Madritsche-Nassfeld ridge (1,902 metres). Here hikers have the option of taking the Millennium-Express cable car towards Tröpolach. Those who wish to continue on foot instead head to the Kofelalm (1,600 metres). From the Madritsche-Nassfeld ridge take the trail in an easterly direction past two lakes to the Alpenhof Plattner (1,600 metres). Then, finally, head across the Sonnealpe Nassfeld to the Garnitzenalm hut (1,645 metres).

Day 10: Garnitzenalm – Dellacher Alm (1,382 metres) – Refugio Nordio-Deffar (1,430 metres) – Feistritzer Alm (1,725 metres)
Elevation gain/loss: 1,177/1,094 metres, hiking time: 10 hours, distance: 26.9 kilometres, highest point: 1,861 metres, difficulty: difficult (black trail)

From the Garnitzenalm the trail continues for a long way with no hut or restaurant to the Egger Alpe; follow this trail – past the Egger-Alm-See lake – all the way to the Dellacher Alm (1,382 metres). The hut offers a good opportunity to stop off for a snack and a drink or, alternatively, even stay the night and divide this stage into two. Those who wish to complete the whole stage in one day should continue to the Refugio Nordio-Deffar (1,430 metres). Follow the trail along the southern slopes of the Oistering (2,052 metres) to the Feistritzer Alm (1,725 metres).

Day 11: Feistritzer Alm – Unterthörl (646 metres)
Elevation gain/loss: 613/1,693 metres, hiking time: 8 hours, distance: 18.8 kilometres, highest point: 1,754 metres, difficulty: difficult (black trail)

From the Feistritzer Alm the route leads down into the valley (no huts or restaurants along the way) as far as Unterthörl (646 metres).

Return to Sillian: Unterthörl Süd – Villach railway station (bus), Villach railway station – Lienz (S1 train), Lienz – Sillian (REX train)