On lovely alpine meadows under the rugged mountain giants Trog- and Rosskofel to the idyllically situated On lovely alpine meadows under the rugged mountain giants Trog- and Rosskofel to the idyllically situated Rattendorfer Alm
Note: If you have stayed overnight at the Alpenhotel Plattner, you will first hike on the final section of the previous stage via the marked Karnischen Höhenweg down to the Nassfeldpass in a few minutes].
DESCRIPTION MAIN VARIATION OF THE PANORAMIC TOUR:
Starting point of the stage is the Nassfeldpass directly at the border. You walk a few meters north on the road and immediately turn left onto a hiking trail that takes you along the Austrian-Italian border, first up to a small reservoir and then to just below the summit of the Madritsches.
You bypass the summit on the south side and descend on the other side of the summit on a slightly larger path to another reservoir. Shortly after a large path through a ditch and then left down the hiking trail (you are at the KHW 403) until you can soon climb uphill to the Rudnigsattel (1.945 m), the wide saddle between Trog- and Rosskofel.
Now you hike along the ridge to below the falls of the mighty Trogkofel. Directly under the rocky south wall you cross to the left (west) for quite a while, until you reach the eastern end of the Rattendorfer Schneid, a very wide grassy saddle, below the Zottachkopf, a satellite of the Trogkofel.
Just on the other side of the Rattendorfer Schneid, you descend on a path along the western flank of the Zottachkopf. In the landscape around the Rattendorfer Alm, the stage's destination, old soldier's paths lie like a spider's web above the alpine meadow and tell of the warlike past of this area.
When you reach today's stage goal, the Rattendorfer Alm, you should taste the Gailtaler Alm cheese. Due to the special sedimentation in the soil, the "Rattendorfer Schichten", the aroma of a special variety of herbs gets into the milk.
DESCRIPTION SIDE VARIATION ALMTOUR:
Admitted: The main route on the panoramic tour is more scenic and the paths are more attractive. However, if you would like to get to know the alpine life a little more, then the variant "Almtour" to the Rattendorfer Alm might be the right thing for you. Up to the Tröpolacher Alm you walk on the "constellation" hike "Lighthouse".
The starting point of this stage is the Nassfeldpass directly at the border. As with the main variant, you walk a few meters north on the road and immediately turn left onto a hiking trail, which takes you along the Austrian-Italian border up to a small reservoir. Now you don't go south but north around the reservoir and on to the Roßalm - here you will meet the "constellation" hike "Lighthouse", which accompanies you to the Tröpolacher Alm.
Via the larger path descending from here you reach the Treßdorfer Alm. Continue in the same direction around the northern ridge of the Treßdorfer Höhe and first on a forest road and then on a path into a ditch below the Rudnig Alm. Cross a bridge over the ditch and continue along the path until, just before you pass under a cable car, you turn sharp left onto a path that takes you up to the Rudnig Alm where you can enjoy excellent home-made products.
From here you walk north along the road and then along the hiking trail straight on until you reach a crossroads. Turn left here and follow a forest road and then a hiking trail up to the unmanaged Lahnhütte. Now you cross the slope on a hiking trail underneath a cable car to the Tröpolacher Alm - an ideal place for an extensive rest with an alpine snack.
You hike briefly back to the crossroads and turn onto the path to the west, which will take you around the Zweikofel - in the meantime do not take the path to the Großer Sattel - to the Rattendorfer Alm.
