3 minute read
Day 1
01 Daily stages
DAY 1
ÙÙÙ Overall rating of the stage
1120 m ascent - descent
13,5 km total distance
6h total time
550 m
This day tour consists of a beautiful hike over the green pastures and meadows of the Karnischer Kamm. There is no via ferrata on route, however with the Knieberg (2,503 m) (Col Quaternà) - a beautifully shaped mountain above the Kreuzbergpass - you can reach a very beautiful peak with a stunning view. The day tour is quite comfortable and technically easy compared to the following ones. Thus it represents an ideal start into the Dolomites without borders.
ROUTE DESCRIPTION
From the Kreuzbergpass to the Knieberg – 4 hours: from the pass (1,636 m) you start on the wide forest path in direction Nemesalm (Malga Nemes)/Coltrondoalm. At a junction with a sign (1,754 m) follow path 149 in the direction of Malga Coltrondo / Rifugio Rinfreddo.
KREUZBERGPASS / PASSO
DREISCHUSTERSPITZE DI MONTE CROCE PUNTA DEI TRE SCARPERI HAUNOLDKÖPFL MALGA RINFREDDO MALGA COLTRONDO
SELLA DEL QUATERNÀ KNIEBERG COL QUATERNÁ ZILLERTALER ALPEN ALPI DELLA ZILLERTAL
The two beautiful alpine huts are inviting you to take a break. Follow path 149 which goes past the alpine huts until you reach a junction (2,053 m) where you turn onto path 173 towards the Sella del Quaternà / Knieberg (Col Quaternà). From this pass (2,379 m), it is worth making a detour to the summit of Knieberg (2,503 m), which can be easily reached via the east ridge. From the Knieberg to the Obstanserseehütte – 2 hours: from the summit you descend again to the Sella Quaterna and now follow path 148 northwards to the Kniebergsattel (Passo Silvella) (2,329 m). From here, take path 160 to the Frugonisattel (2,539 m) (Sella dei Frugoni), from where you descend to the Obstanserseehütte (2,304 m) via path 403 (or alternatively 5A).
!INSIDER TIP Near Sella dei Frugnoni the project Dolomiti senza confini set off in 2018, thanks to Reinhold Messner, Fausto de Stefani, Martin Wenzl and many others. On site, where Eastern Tyrol, the Province of Belluno and South Tyrol meet, a commemorative tree stump was placed. From Sella dei Frugnoni walking along the ridge for a few hundred metres in a north-westerly direction you will find an iron stump, roughly one metre high, donated by Carduccihütte. Near the Obstanserseehütte, you can descend in just 20 minutes to one of Europe’s largest ice caves. Detailed information is available at the hut.
RIESEFERNER-GRUPPE VEDRETTE DI RIES
DOLOMITI SENZA CONFINI statues KNIEBERGSATTEL RÖTSPITZ / PIZZO ROSSO DI PREDOI HOHE TAUERN ALTI TAURI PASSO SILVELLA OBSTANSERSEEHÜTTE
IN CASE OF BAD WEATHER OR EXHAUSTION
The tour can be shortened by walking from the Kreuzbergpass on path 131 to the Malga alp (Malga Nemes) (1,877 m). From there you follow path 146 to the Kniebergsattel (Passo Silvella), from where you can continue the tour as described above. This tour is the same as day 4, when you hike back to the Kreuzbergpass using this alternative route. (4 hours) The tour can also be shortened by taking the car over Malga Coltrondo to the Rifugio Rinfreddo. (Junction on the main road between Kreuzbergpass and Padola). You can park your car at the alp and continue the tour as described above. (3 hours) On day 4 you can hike back to the Rifugio Rinfreddo. This also shortens the day.
ALTERNATIVE ACCOMMODATION
Rifugio Rinfreddo (1.887 m): there are no other huts near the Obstanserseehütte. If this is occupied, the Rifugio Rinfreddo is the nearest place to stay. This extends the tour by about 2.5 hours the next day. (Without ascending the Knieberg) However, in this case you can avoid the difficult Kinigat via ferrata the next day and hike from the Furgonisattel directly over the ridge eastwards to the Kinigat. (See day 2: “In case of bad weather or exhaustion” page 38) This tour, however, is the same as day 4 (5 hours to the Filmoor Standschützenhütte).
From malga Rinfreddo towards sella del Quaternà (© Daniel Rogger) Reinhold Messner along the Cresta Carnica on the day Dolomites without borders was inaugurated (© Harald Wisthalter)
