Carnic Alps

Carnic Alps
Alps Cjargnelis(Friulian) Karnische Alpen(German) Alpi Carniche(Italian) Karnijske Alpe(Slovene)
View from Pfannspitze along the main ridge to the east.
Highest point
Peak	Coglians
Elevation	2,782 m (9,127 ft)
Coordinates	46°36′N12°53′E
Geography
Countries	AustriaandItaly
Länder,Regioni	Tyrol,Carinthia,Friuli-Venezia GiuliaandVeneto
Range coordinates	46°30′N13°00′E
Parent range	Southern Limestone Alps
Geology
Orogeny	Alpine orogeny

TheCarnic Alps(Italian:Alpi Carniche;German:Karnische Alpen;Slovene:Karnijske Alpe;Friulian:Alps Cjargnelis) are arangeof theSouthern Limestone AlpsinAustriaand northeasternItaly.They are within AustrianEast TyrolandCarinthia,and ItalianFriuli(Province of Udine) and marginally inVeneto.

Etymology

They are named after theRomanprovince ofCarnia,which probably has aCelticorigin.

The mountains gave their name to the stage on thegeologic time scaleknown asCarnian,an age in theTriassicPeriod.

Geography

They extend from east to west for about 100 km (62 mi) between theGail River,a tributary of theDravaand theTagliamento,forming the border betweenAustriaandItaly.

Alpine Club classification

The Carnic Alps are divided into two distinct areas: Carnic Main Crest (Karnischer Hauptkamm) (AVE57a) Carnic Prealps (Karnische Voralpen), i.e. theFriaul Dolomitesand their foothills, the former are, from theMauria Passsouthwards, counted as part of the group known as the Southern Carnic Alps (Südliche Karnische Alpen) (AVE 57b), which also includes theBellunese Prealps(Venetian Prealps).

In the Carnic Alps is the southernmostglacierinAustria,theEiskar,nestling in theKellerwandmassif.

Notable peaks

Hohe Warte and Kellerspitzen, view from south (Monte Arvenis)

Among the most important mountains of the range are:

• Coglians/Hohe Warte(2,782 m)
• Kellerspitzen(2,774 m)
• Monte Peralba/Hochweißstein(2,694 m)
• Monte Cavallino/Große Kinigat(2,689 m)
• Rosskopf(2,603 m)
• Monte Terza Grande(2,586 m)
• Monte Bìvera(2,474 m)
• Creta Forata(2,462 m)
• Helm(2,434 m)
• Cresta di Enghe(2,414 m)
• Monte Ferro(2,348 m)
• Gailtaler Polinik(2,332 m)
• Trogkofel(2,280 m)
• Monte Sernio(2,187 m)

Mountain passes

Wind turbine on the Austrian side of the Plöcken Pass

The chiefpassesof the Carnic Alps are:

• Plöcken Pass(TolmezzotoKötschach-Mauthen), road (1,360 m)
• Naßfeld Pass(PontebbatoHermagor-Pressegger See), road (1,552 m)
• Öfnerjoch (Forni Avoltrito Sankt Lorenzen imLesachtal), footpath (2,301 m)
• Wolayer Pass (same to Kötschach-Mauthen), footpath (1,922 m)

See also

• Carnic Prealps
• Limestone Alps

External links

• Carnic Alps on SummitPost
• Carnic Alps on Hike.uno
• Portal and interactive key to the flora of the S Carnic Alps