Carnic Alps

Carnic Alps
Friulian: Alps Cjargnelis, German: Karnische Alpen, Italian: Alpi Carniche
Range
Volaia Lake in the Carnic Alps
Countries	Austria, Italy
States	East Tyrol, Carinthia, Friuli, South Tyrol
Part of	Southern Limestone Alps
Highest point	Coglians
- elevation	2,782 m (9,127 ft)
- coordinates	46°36′N 12°53′E
Eastern Alps in light grey, Carnic Alps hilighted in yellow

The Carnic Alps are a range of the Southern Limestone Alps in East Tyrol, Carinthia, South Tyrol and Friuli (Province of Udine). They extend from east to west for about 100 km (62 mi) between the Gail River, a tributary of the Drava and the Tagliamento, forming the border between Austria and Italy.

They are named after the Roman province of Carnia, which probably has a Celtic origin.

The mountains gave their name to the stage on the geologic time scale known as Carnian.

The most important peaks of the main ridge are:

• Coglians / Hohe Warte (2,782 m)
• Kellerwand (2,775 m)
• Monte Peralba / Hochweißstein (2,694 m)
• Monte Cavallino / Große Kinigat (2,689 m)
• Rosskopf (2,603 m)
• Helm (2,434 m)

The chief passes of the Carnic Alps are:

• Plöcken Pass (Tolmezzo to Kötschach-Mauthen), road (1,360 m)
• Naßfeld Pass (Pontebba to Hermagor-Pressegger See), road (1,552 m)
• Oefnerjoch (Forni Avoltri to Sankt Lorenzen im Lesachtal), foot path (2,301 m)
• Wolayer Pass (same to Kötschach-Mauthen), foot path (1,922 m)

Carnic Prealps

Location of the Carnic Prealps (yellow) within the Eastern Alps (grey)

The Carnic Prealps, which include the Friulian Dolomites, comprise all the mountains that stretch out from the valley of the Alto Tagliamento river down to the plains. The land in this area dates back to the superior Triassic and the superior Miocene ages.

The most important peaks of the Carnic Prealps are:

• Cima dei Preti (2,703 m)
• Monte Duranno (2,668 m)
• Monte Cridola (2,581 m)
• Monte Chiadenis (2,459 m)
• Monte Cavallo (2,251 m)
• Campanile di Val Montanaia (2,173)

External links

• Carnic Alps on SummitPost