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Alpine pastures, lakes, glaciers, couloirs, harsh, solitary rock faces, mountain peaks of over 3000 metres, breathtaking views. To sum up in just two words: “Berg Heil”,  long live the mountains!  This marvellous route links Austria and Italy, crossing the High Tauern, the Lienz Dolomites, theCarnic Alps, the Cadore Dolomites and the Friuli Dolomites. The Alta Via Großglockner [1] - Peralba [10] High Mountain Route, together with the Alta Via dei Silenzi,  from Monte Peralba to Vittorio Veneto, make up the Alta Via Europa 6, an 180 km-long itinerary of 100 hours walking over 19 days: just as good as a prestigious trekking trip in the mountains of Nepal, if not even better. The complete route is recommended for expert hikers only, but anyone can choose to cover  one or more parts of it, depending on their ability and the amount of time they have available.

The itinerary starts out from the Glocknerhaus Mountain Centre. After the two containing walls of the Margaritzensperre, follow the path which leads to the Stockerscharte saddle [2] and continue on to the Glorer Hütte refuge. From here, through basins, little valleys and detritus, you come to the Kesselkees Sattel [3] at around 3000 m, and after a particularly long, steep descent, to the Elberfelder Hütte refuge[4]. From here, set off for the Adolf Noßberger Hütte refuge [5], the highest point on the whole route. There are two variants which lead to the refuge: through the icy zone of the Klammerscharte or over the Hornscharte to the north-east. From the Adolf Noßberger Hütte refuge, take path number 918 of the Niedere Gradenscharte, which in about four and a half hours will take you to the Wangenitzsee Hütte refuge. From here, across fairly flat land, an overhanging bridge, lakes and streams, continue on to the Winklerner Hütte refuge [6]. To get to the Karlsbader Hütte refuge [7], you can either take a taxi ride or  walk for two hours down to the bus stop on the trunk road and from there take a bus towards the Dolomiten Hütte refuge. From here, continue on foot towards the fork from which the Rudl-Eller-Steig path sets out and leads to the Karlsbader Hütte refuge, alternating easy stretches with steep, exposed passages, sometimes aided by fixed ropes and iron stirrups. After the Kerschbaumer Törl  saddle and the Zochenpass pass, go down to the Tuffbad spa area and to St. Lorenzen im Lesachtal [8]. When you come to the parking area at the Frohnalm mountain hut,  the climb begins up to the Hochweißsteinhaus [9], the last stage in Austrian territory.

The route follows the Öfner Joch path, which then joins an old military road which leads to the Hochalpljochs-Oregone  pass, on the border between Austria and Italy. Not far from here you can spot  Monte Peralba [10] and the Chiadénis. To get from here to Sappada [11] you can follow the first stage of the Alta Via dei Silenzi  route (the Italian part of the Alta Via Europa 6), which leads to the  Pier Fortunato Calvi Refuge, and from the Sorgenti del Piave Refuge onto the Òlbe Lakes. The path continues on to Erto and Cimolàis across the Èlbel Pass, Forcella Lavardêt, saddle and  Forcella Spe saddle. From Cimolàis you can get to Col Nudo, the Semenza Refuge and finally to Vittorio Veneto [12]. This is a harsh, solitary Alta Via route, which requires training and experience; it requires  ten days’ walking amid the spectacular views afforded by three splendid mountain groups: firstly the Peralba, Rinaldo, Clap and Tiàrfin; then the Crìdola, Spalti del Toro and Monfalcóni, with the Preti-Duranno peak; and finally Col Nudo and Cavallo. [T.S.]