Out into the untouched nature to explore the open ground on skis ... Rucksack, skins and bindings are the basics needed for an excursion into Carinthia’s ski touring paradise.
A new lead product for winter in Carinthia is the ski-tour trekking on the Nockberge Trail, which connects the five ski areas of Katschberg, Innerkrems, Turrach, Falkert and Bad Kleinkirchheim/St. Oswald with one another. The Nockberge Trail is a multi-day ski crossing which aims to offer enjoyment and well-being.
The whole tour takes four days and it’s a good choice for casual ski tourers who have a good knowledge of ski touring and are in good physical condition, but who aren’t interested in exploring alpine passages and who enjoy the amenities of comfortable hotels and wellness resorts.
Plan for up to six hours of trekking time for each stage. Tourers start in the skiing areas in the morning but will find secluded paths in wintry alpine landscape of the Carinthian Nockberge mountains throughout the day. The available lifts and aerial cableways give skiers the opportunity to save some energy and gain a few metres of altitude at each stage. During the daytime, the focus is on physical exertion and the wonderful experience of unspoilt nature in the Biosphere Reserve, which in winter becomes a nearly untouched wilderness.
The rewards at each of the stage destinations are relaxing wellness facilities and excellent evening meals.
Another special feature: instead of overnighting on mattresses in dormitories, as you do on other multiple-day ski touring trips, on the Nockberge Trail you can stay in premium (wellness) hotels that serve first-class Alps-Adriatic cuisine.
The Nockberge Trail is also Austria’s first ski tour trail which can be booked online! The Trail booking portal offers unlimited options and a comprehensive service. Motto: you start WHEN you want, WHERE you want, go WITH WHOEVER you want and, above all, HOW you want! Along the Nockberge Trail you will find selected partner establishments, a practical luggage and shuttle service and a Trail hotline. This makes a ski tour crossing in the Nockberge mountains an uncomplicated outdoor experience that can be individually organised and assisted by a helpful info and booking centre.
Falkert is the starting point for some of the most beautiful back country tours in the Nockberge Mountains.
(Grossglockner/Heiligenblut, Mölltaler Gletscher, Ankogel)
From the end of autumn, when the first snow covers the mountainsides, until well into spring, a magical silence descends on the Hohe Tauern, a welcome contrast to the prevailing hustle and bustle of modern life. Anyone leaving the ski lifts and busy slopes behind them, climbing to the summits under their own steam, will discover this glittering natural wonderworld: the hidden ski touring paradise of the Eastern Alps.
Away from the masses you will find the most unspoiled landscapes in the Lesach Valley.
Ski touring in Nassfeld:
Discover all the ski touring routes in the region, including GPS data and photos! Try the brand new TourenGuide app. More information
The former ski resort on the Dobratsch is pure bliss for ski tourers. A trip from Rosstratte to the summit is recommended for beginners—you’ll need a good hour for the 430 metres in altitude. More advanced ski tourers can jump in at Heiligengeist and head up the slope with the skins on the bottom of the skis. It’s a stunning tour and is guaranteed to be avalanche free. But you’ll need quite a bit of power in your legs if you want to tackle the 1180 meters of altitude that lie between the starting point and the summit.
Carinthian touring portal - ski touring
Carinthian touring portal - freeriding
