Day 24 Nassfeld

What a difference a day makes, woke up stomach back to normal and ready to face the Austrian diet.

Zollnersee Hütte

Met the doctors at breakfast and thanked them for their miraculous blueberry cure. Also met Marcus, the paleo-geologist Christine had spent last night talking to (when not administering blueberries), very interesting. Apparently the area is a bit of a Mecca for geologists and there are trails designed specifically to bring out the highlights. He put right lots of my misconceptions and it would have been great to spend more time with him. As it was we had a schedule, although fossil hunting had now been added to the list of things to slow us down.

Lovely morning, just a bit of mist for the sun to burn off, but perfect for walking. First target was the Zollnersee itself, a little lake which gives the hutte its name, fortunately it was too early for even Paul and Christine to indulge there mad lake swimming habit.

Zollnersee 

A couple of hours later, and after a long high altitude path through Alpine meadows we dropped down to the Straniger Alm, a farm which made its own cheese and served food. We grabbed a second kutchen (cake) breakfast and Paul bought a huge lump of ricotta - good job my appetite is back.

Cheeses at Straniger Alm

Steady climb through trees up to some brilliant high alpine meadows. The weather is perfect and we can see for miles, the Julian Alps to the east (I think), which look a bit like the Dolomites, and in the distance, to the west a large glacier, which we speculate is the Marmarola.

First sight of the Julian Alps

We cross the border (again) into Italy and watch some farmers apparently trying to repatriate a cow who had wandered very high up a mountain and got stuck - a bit like a cat up a tree but without the fire brigade.

Gun emplacement near Rattendorfer Schneid

We then arrive at a wide pass between two outcrops of limestone and come across some of the most intricate trench works we have seen so far. The ground is boggy and wet even in September. Climbing up the second outcrop we see a hole in the side of the mountain which turns out to be a tunnel which runs 10 metres or so to the other side - a gun emplacement pointing south at the Italians.


On the geological front we found a rock with what was either amazing iron pyritees or gold paint, take your choice.

Big golden lump

The walk carries on crossing screw before turning into a dramatic limestone valley going up to the pass at Rudnigsattel which, at 1934 metres, is the day's highest point.

Underneath the Troghöhe

We had had 7 hours wonderful walking and the 8th hour, through the ski runs above the tiny resort of Nassfeld was a bit of an anti-climax. It was great to be in a Hotel again though, get cleaned up and on the internet.

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