High Tauern

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High Tauern
Venedigergruppe.jpg
Panorama of the Venediger Group
Highest point
Peak Grossglockner
Elevation 3,798 m (12,461 ft)
Coordinates 47°04′30″N12°41′40″E / 47.07500°N 12.69444°E / 47.07500; 12.69444
Dimensions
Length130 km (81 mi)
Width50 km (31 mi)
Geography
Alps location map.png
Red triangle with thick white border.svg
High Tauern
Location in the Alps
CountriesAustria and Italy
States Salzburg, Carinthia, Tyrol and South Tyrol
Range coordinates 47°10′N12°30′E / 47.167°N 12.500°E / 47.167; 12.500
Parent range Central Eastern Alps
Geology
Orogeny Alpine
Age of rock Paleozoic
Type of rock Gneiss and Schist

The High Tauern (pl.; German : Hohe Tauern, Italian : Alti Tauri) are a mountain range on the main chain of the Central Eastern Alps, comprising the highest peaks east of the Brenner Pass. The crest forms the southern border of the Austrian states of Salzburg, Carinthia and East Tyrol, with a small part in the southwest belongs to the Italian province of South Tyrol. The range includes Austria's highest mountain, the Grossglockner at 3,798 metres (12,461 ft) above the Adriatic.

Contents

In the east, the range is adjoined by the Lower Tauern. For the etymology of the name, see Tauern.

Geography

According to the Alpine Club classification of the Eastern Alps, the range is bounded by the Salzach valley to the north (separating it from the Kitzbühel Alps), the Mur valley and the Murtörl Pass to the east (separating it from the Lower Tauern), the Drava valley to the south (separating it from the Southern Limestone Alps), and the Birnlücke Pass to the west (separating it from the Zillertal Alps).

Its most important subgroups along the Alpine crest are (from West to East):

High Tauern subgroups Hohe Tauern 2.png
High Tauern subgroups

The eastern end of the High Tauern is formed by the Hafner massif of the Ankogel Group, which includes the easternmost three-thousander peaks in the Alpine chain.

Further parts of the High Tauern south of the main crest of the Alps are (from West to East):

High Tauern National Park

The national park area Nationalpark hohe tauern.png
The national park area

Along 100 kilometres (62 mi) of the main chain stretches the High Tauern National Park (Nationalpark Hohe Tauern), to which the Austrian Alpine Club as freeholder and the three states of Carinthia, Salzburg and Tyrol have contributed territory. With an area of about 1,834 square kilometres (708 sq mi), it is by far the largest of Austria's seven national parks as well as the largest nature reserve in the Alps. [1] It is divided into a core zone of 1,198 square kilometres (463 sq mi) including the Grossglockner and Grossvenediger massifs, with complete prohibition of agricultural use, and a fringe zone of 638 square kilometres (246 sq mi) used for forestry and alpine-meadow farming. Five special nature sanctuaries are protected from any human disturbance.

The park of the IUCN II category comprises the Pasterze and numerous further glaciers, the Krimml Waterfalls, several glacial valleys and alluvial fans, as well as extended tundra areas and forests. Among the flora of the Alps, especially Swiss Pines grow along the tree line; above subshrub, mainly alpenrose but also the endemic Saxifraga rudolphiana , up to nival level at about 2,800 m (9,200 ft). The fauna includes chamois, Alpine ibex and red deer, as well as griffon vulture and the golden eagle. The formerly extinct bearded vulture and the Alpine marmot have been successfully reintroduced.

The park was established according to a 1971 declaration signed by the participating states at Heiligenblut, it nevertheless took until 1981, when the first parts around Großglockner and Hochschober in Carinthia were put under protection. The adjacel finally joined in 1992. [[Touriut has become less harmful to the environment. A particular emphasis is pution and the maintenance of traditional ways of life in the Alps.

Peaks

The Grossglockner from the south Grossglockner1.JPG
The Großglockner from the south
The Dreiherrnspitze from the west in the year 1890 Dreiherrnspitze.jpg
The Dreiherrnspitze from the west in the year 1890
The Hochgall in winter from the west Hochgall fromW.jpg
The Hochgall in winter from the west
The Hochalmspitze from the south Hochalmspitze vom Reisseck aus.JPG
The Hochalmspitze from the south

The main peaks of the High Tauern are:

PeakGroupElevation (m/ft) Prominence (m/ft)
Großglockner Glockner379812,46124237,949
Großvenediger Venediger366612,02811993,934
Großes Wiesbachhorn Glockner356411,6934771,565
Dreiherrnspitze Venediger349911,4805911,939
Rötspitze Venediger349611,4706532,142
Johannisberg Glockner345311,329277909
Hochgall Rieserferner343611,27311483,766
Hoher Eichham Venediger337111,0603251,066
Hoher Tenn Glockner336811,0503351,099
Malhamspitze Venediger336811,0503191,047
Hochalmspitze Ankogel336011,0249423,091
Großer Geiger Venediger336011,024293961
Schneebiger Nock Rieserferner335811,0175421,778
Fuscherkarkopf Glockner333110,9284891,604
Keeskogel Venediger329110,7973731,224
Schlieferspitze Venediger329010,7945131,683
Petzeck Schober328310,7718022,631
Roter Knopf Schober328110,7645561,824
Ankogel Ankogel326410,7095701,870
Hocharn Goldberg325410,6766782,224
Großer Hornkopf Schober325110,6664561,496
Hohe Fürlegg Venediger324310,6403851,263
Hochschober Schober324210,6364381,437
Großer Muntanitz Granatspitze323210,6047172,352
Hocheiser Glockner320610,5185771,893
Glödis Schober320610,5183701,214
Kitzsteinhorn Glockner320410,5124391,440
Durreck Venediger313510,2856262,054
Hoher Sonnblick Goldberg310610,196271889
Lasörling Venediger309810,1644901,608
Großer Hafner Hafner306810,0668682,848
Hoher Prijakt Schober306410,0524701,542
Weisse Spitze Villgraten29639,7219203,018
Mölltaler Polinik Kreuzeck27849,13415805,184

Tunnels and passes

The Grossglockner toll road Grossglockner road.jpg
The Grossglockner toll road

The High Tauern are crossed by three tunnels:

The best-known mountain pass road of the High Tauern is the scenic Grossglockner High Alpine Road inaugurated in 1935, including a tunnel at an elevation of 2,505 metres (8,219 ft) under the Hochtor Pass (2,573 metres (8,442 ft)). East of it, the Katschberg Pass (1,641 metres (5,384 ft)) on B 99 Katschberg Straße highway parallel to the Katschberg Tunnel links Sankt Michael and Rennweg. Another road crosses the Staller Sattel between Sankt Jakob in Defereggen and Rasen-Antholz at 2,052 metres (6,732 ft).

Beside there are numerous bridle and footpaths, in part used since ancient times:

Mountain passLocationTypeElevation (m/ft)
Riffeltor Kaprun to Heiligenblut snow305110,010
Bockkarscharte Ferleiten to Heiligenblut snow30469994
Sonnblickscharte Rauris to Heiligenblut snow29799774
Vörder Umbaltorl Prägraten to Ahrntal snow29289607
ObersulzbachtorlPrägraten to Wald im Pinzgau snow29269600
Untersulzbachtorl Innergschlöß to Wald im Pinzgausnow28659400
SchwarzkopfscharteInnergschlöß to Bramberg snow28509351
PrägratertorlPrägraten to Defereggental footpath28469338
Glodistorl Lienz to Kals snow28329292
Antholzerscharte Rein in Taufers to Rasen-Antholz snow28209252
KrimmlertorlKrimmler Achental to Obersulzbachtalsnow28149233
GoldzechscharteRauris to Heiligenblutsnow28109220
KalsertorlLienz to Kalssnow28039197
Ober TramerscharteRauris to Döllach snow28029193
Kleine Elendscharte Bad Gastein to Gmünd snow27398987
Kleine ZirknitzscharteRauris to Döllachsnow27198921
Mallnitzerscharte Mallnitz to Gmündsnow26778783
Große ElendscharteMallnitz to upper Maltatal snow26738770
Unter PfandlscharteFerleiten to Heiligenblutsnow26658744
BergertorlFerleiten to Heiligenblutfootpath26508695
KaprunertorlKaprun to upper Stubachtalsnow26358645
Virgner or DefereggertorlDefereggental to Virgen footpath26178586
Backlenke or TrojerjochDefereggental to Prägratenfootpath26138573
Felber Tauern Matrei in Osttirol to Mittersill bridle path25408334
Kalser TauernKals to Mittersillfootpath25128242
Hohe Tauern Bad Gastein to Mallnitzbridle path24638081
Niedere or Mallnitzer TauernBad Gastein to Mallnitzbridle path24147920
FuschertorlFerleiten to the Seidlwinkeltalfootpath24057891
KlammljochDefereggental to Sand in Taufers bridle path22917517
ArlscharteGmünd to Sankt Johann im Pongau footpath22517386
Kals MatreiertorlKals to Matreibridle path22067238
StanzBad Gastein to Raurisfootpath21036900

See also

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References

  1. The largest nature reserve of the Alps ... at www.hohetauern.at. Accessed on 10 Jul 2011.