the first stage from Arnbach to Obstanserseehütte, at 8hr 45min, as too long, and indeed other guides split this stage into two, staying at the Sillianer Hütte on the first night. This makes for a dull first day, however, spent climbing up through pine to the main ridge. If 8hr 45min is felt to be too long, then consider taking one of the ski lift options. The stretch of walking from the Sillianer Hütte to the Obstanserseehütte is awesome and guarantees that the trip along the Karnischer Höhenweg starts with a bang rather than a whimper.
The route summary tables at the beginning of this guide provide information on timings and distance for each stage of the walk. Appendix A offers a full route breakdown, with a summary of accommodation options and intermediate timings, to help you plot your own itinerary.
On the Sentiero Spinotti (Stage 4A)
The tables below suggest two alternative itineraries: an 8-day trek taking in the highlights of the Karnischer Höhenweg; and a more leisurely 12-day option.
| Highlights of the Karnischer Höhenweg: 8-day trek | |||
| Day | Time | Distance (km) | Notes |
| Day 1: Arnbach to Obstanserseehütte | 8hr 45min | 18.3 | Consider taking ski lift |
| Day 2: Obstanserseehütte to Porzehütte | 7hr 30min | 13 | Climb Große Kinigat |
| Day 3: Porzehütte to Hochweißsteinhaus | 8hr | 17.8 | |
| Day 4: Hochweißsteinhaus to Rifugio Marinelli | 8hr 50min | 19.9 | |
| Day 5: Rifugio Marinelli to Plöckenpass, with Monte Coglians | 7hr 15min | 13.9 | Return along route and climb Monte Coglians |
| Day 6: Plöckenpass to Casera Pramosio | 7hr 15min | 11.2 | |
| Day 7: Casera Pramosio to Straniger Alm | 6hr 15min | 13.4 | Climb Hoher Trieb and continue to Straniger Alm |
| Day 8: Straniger Alm to Tröpolach | 6hr | 14 | Take the Millennium Express from Madritsche Ski Station down to Tröpolach for trains to Villach |
| Total | approx. 60hr | 121.5 |
| More leisurely option: 12-day trek | |||
| Day | Time | Distance (km) | Notes |
| Day 1: Arnbach to Sillianer Hütte | 4hr 30min | 8.6 | Consider taking ski lift |
| Day 2: Sillianer Hütte to Obstanserseehütte | 4hr 15min | 9.7 | |
| Day 3: Obstanserseehütte to Porzehütte | 6hr 30min | 12.2 | Consider staying at Standschützenhütte after 3hr 40min |
| Day 4: Porzehütte to Hochweißsteinhaus | 8hr | 17.8 | |
| Day 5: Hochweißsteinhaus to Wolayerseehütte | 6hr | 14.7 | |
| Day 6: Wolayerseehütte to Plöckenpass | 5hr 15min | 10.4 | Take the Austrian route but head south at Plöckenhaus; or go via Rifugio Marinelli and consider climbing Monte Coglians |
| Day 7: Plöckenpass to Casera Pramosio | 7hr 15min | 11.2 | |
| Day 8: Casera Pramosio to Straniger Alm | 5hr | 13.4 | |
| Day 9: Straniger Alm to Nassfeld | 6hr 20min | 17 | |
| Day 10: Nassfeld to Eggeralm | 4hr | 14.2 | |
| Day 11: Eggeralm to Gasthaus Starhand | 4hr 20min | 15.8 | |
| Day 12: Gasthaus Starhand to Arnoldstein | 8hr 30min | 28 | |
| Total | approx. 70hr | 173 |
Getting to and from the route
The small cemetery at Hochgränten Pass is the highest wartime cemetery in the Alps (Stage 1)
How much time you need is also influenced by where in the world you live, but getting to and from the Karnischer Höhenweg, located as it is right in the middle of Europe, is relatively easy. Getting on and off the Höhenweg, both at each end and at various points along the route, is particularly convenient, and for much of the route you are never more than 3 hours’ walk from a railway station. The valley to the north of the ridge, known as the Lesachtal at its western end and the Gailtal at its eastern end, has a train running along it from Kötschach-Mauthen to the mainline station at Villach.
International connections to the route are also good, and all the cities listed below have international airports. Of these, Munich, Vienna and Venice have the best international connections. Particularly convenient for Sillian are:
Innsbruck – train journey involving just one change (4hr) or there is also a bus that is just as fast as the train
Salzburg – train journey via Lienz (4hr 30min)
Munich – train via Innsbruck (5hr 30min)
Venice – where a bus via Cortina provides the best route (6hr)
Ljubljana – train journey via Lienz (6hr)
Vienna – train journey via Lienz (6hr 30min).
From Arnoldstein it is possible to get to:
Ljubljana – train and bus (2hr 30min)
Venice – train (once daily) (2hr 30min)
