Villgraten Mountains
Villgraten Mountains | |
---|---|
Highest point | |
Peak | Weiße Spitze |
Elevation | 2,962 m above sea level (AA) |
Dimensions | |
Length | 44 km (27 mi) |
Geography | |
State | Trentino-South Tyrol |
Range coordinates | 46°52′18″N 12°21′29″E / 46.87167°N 12.35806°E |
Parent range | High Tauern |
The Villgraten Mountains (
Location
The Villgraten Mountains lie mainly in
The Villgraten Mountains are a peaceful backwater in many respects. There are no spectacular mountain peaks nor any comprehensive access with cable cars and roads. By contrast, the mountain hiker and nature lover can still find peace and quiet and enjoy nature in these mountains. The range is well known for a host of picturesquely situated mountain lakes, its rich plant life and the still relatively intact alpine pastures (Almmähder). The eponymous Villgraten Valley and its neighbour, the Gsies Valley to the west, are a ski touring paradise in winter.
Name
Range
The range was formally designated as the Villgraten Mountains (Villgratner Berge or Villgrater Berge) in the AVE, the
The
Following the enforced annexation of
The term Villgraten Mountains is also historically and formally correct in referring to the entire mountain chain between the
Highest summit
In the centre of the group rise two summits of almost equal height (46°52′18″N 12°21′29″E / 46.87167°N 12.35806°E and 46°52′34.86″N 12°20′39.96″E / 46.8763500°N 12.3444333°E), called the Weiße Spitze and Rote Spitze ("White Peak" and "Red Peak"). The more easterly, with a height of 2,962 m above sea level (AA), is the highest point in the group. On that, all the maps and literature are agreed. However, the naming of the two summits is disputed. Whilst the majority of the Alpine literature,[1] the official maps[2][3] and the inhabitants of the southern Villgraten valleys[4] call the higher, eastern summit the Weiße Spitze, and its lower, western, neighbour the Rote Spitze, it is referred to in the Defreggental, north of the mountains, and in one of the hiking books [5][6] the other way around, thus naming the highest point as the Rote Spitze.
Because the sources do not agree on the naming of these peaks, the designation used by the Austrian
Peaks
No peak in the Villgraten Mountains reaches the 3000 metre mark, but there are 20 summits higher than 2,800 m above sea level (AA) They are (sorted by height):
- Weiße Spitze, 2,962 m above sea level (AA)
- Rote Spitze, 2,956 m above sea level (AA)
- Hochgrabe] 2,951 m above sea level (AA)
- Großes Degenhorn, 2,946 m above sea level (AA)
- Gölbner, 2,943 m above sea level (AA)
- Gumriaul, 2,918 m above sea level (AA)
- Storfenspitze, 2,895 m above sea level (AA)
- Regenstein, 2,891 m above sea level (AA)
- Hochleitenspitze, 2,877 m above sea level (AA)
- Kleines Degenhorn, 2,849 m above sea level (AA)
- Wagensam Spitz, 2,849 m above sea level (AA)
- Kärlskopf, 2,836 m above sea level (AA)
- Wildegg, 2,830 m above sea level (AA)
- Deferegger Pfannhorn, 2,820 m above sea level (AA)
- Rote Wand, 2,818 m above sea level (AA)
- Rappler, 2,812 m above sea level (AA)
- Großer Leppleskofel, 2,811 m above sea level (AA)
- Bockstein, 2,805 m above sea level (AA)
- Kugelwand, 2,803 m above sea level (AA)
- Großes Arnhorn, 2,800 m above sea level (AA)
Valleys
Four larger valleys runs from the south into Villgraten Mountains: the uninhabited Wilfernertal, that descends to the village of Thal in the municipality of Assling, the likewise unpopulated Kristein, the Villgraten valley with its municipalities of Außervillgraten and Innervillgraten and the Gsieser valley in South Tyrol with its villages of Pichl, St. Magdalena and St. Martin. The Villgraten Mountains are bounded in the north by the
.Neighbouring mountain groups
The Villgraten Mountains border on the following other mountain groups of the Alps:
- Venediger Group (with its subgroups the Panargenkamm and Lasörling Group) (to the north)
- Granatspitze Group (to the northeast)
- Schober Group(to the east)
- Gailtal Alps (to the southeast)
- Carnic main crest (to the south)
- Dolomites (to the southwest)
- Rieserferner Group (to the northwest)
Huts
In the Villgraten Mountains there is an Alpine Club hut as well as several private huts and mountain cafes or (Jausenstationen):
- Hochstein Hut (Lienz Section, ÖAV): Height: 2,023 m above sea level (AA), managed from early May to end October and from December to mid-March, 4 beds, 8 mattresses, base: Lienz, journey time from the end of the toll road: 10 minutes
- Gölbnerblick Hut (private): Height: 1,824 m above sea level (AA), managed from early June to end September, 4 beds, base: Anras, journey time from the car park in the Kristeinertal: 20 minutes
- Volkzeiner Hut (private, formerly the Sillianer Hut of the ÖAV's Sillian Section): Height: 1,886 m above sea level (AA), managed from about Pentecost to mid-October, 30 beds, 10 mattresses, base: Außervillgraten, journey time from the car park in the Winkeltal: 5 minutes
- Unterstalleralm (private): Height: 1,664 m above sea level (AA), managed from mid-May to mid-October, only a Jausenstation. Rooms may be rented in the surrounding alpine pasture huts, base: Innervillgraten, by the car park in the Arntal
- Jausenstation Kalkstein (private): Height: 1,641 m above sea level (AA), managed in the summer and winter season, accommodation in the Gasthof Bad Kalkstein or Haus Bethanien of the Calasantine order, base: Kalkstein, by the car park.
- Thurntalerrast (private): Height: 1,978 m above sea level (AA), managed von mid-December to Easter and from mid-June to mid-October, 5 holiday apartments, base: Außervillgraten, accessible by road via the Fraktion Unterwalden
- Bonner hut (private, formerly DAV's Bonn Section): Height: 2,340 m above sea level (AA), managed from end May to end October, 8 beds 7 mattresses, base: Toblach, journey time from Kandellen ca. 2–3 hours
References
- ISBN 3763341323
- ^ a b ÖK50
- ISBN 3-211-81556-2, retrieved 2011-04-30
- ^ "The Villgraten valley" (PDF). p. 10. Retrieved 2011-04-30.
- ^ Martin Gasser, Defreggental : Führer für Wanderer and Bergsteiger (PDF) (in German), retrieved 2011-04-30
- ^ Gebietsführer "Defereggental"; Führer für Wanderer and Bergsteiger, von Martin Gasser, 184 Seiten, erschienen in the Selbstverlag, vgl. dort Seite 34 unten
External links
- Villgraten Mountains at www.summitpost.org (English)