Leppner Alm 20.10.2012

We are invited to a wedding in Irschen, Upper Carinthia, situated on a south slope above the Drau valley, about 5 km from the border to Eastern Tyrol and 24 km from Lienz. Wheras Winzendorf is covered by mist, here the sun is shining all day. The feast begins at 11 a.m., so we arrived the evening before. This gave me the opportunity to make use of an early sunny morning and take the car to drive up a good mountain road to the Leppner Alm above Irschen, on the Southwestern slopes of the Kreuzeck group, to do a short morning walk already from an altitude of 1.613 m.

I am heading for a ridge coming down from Scharnik (2.657 m) - here I should get a good view.

I started from the hotel at 7 a.m. and arrived on the Alm at 7:15 a.m., so at this season, it is still a bit dark. Only some summits of the Karnische Alps are already lit by the sun.

After about 45 minutes walk I reach the area of the Alm Zelin, where I turn to the right and walk up the grass. Sunlight on the nearby Schmaßkofel (2.330 m).

Here, everything still is in shadow. The Lienz´ Dolomites in the sun.

The sun appears at last, ...

to turn the larches into gold.

The ridge up to Scharnik (2.657 m)

Lienz´ Dolomites.

Karnic Alps.

With the sun rising, it turns lighter fast.

I have to admit, that at this point I lost control over myself ...

I haven´t seen something like this before. So, I took really many shots, and got huge difficulties to sort them out - this turned out so difficult, that I uploaded nearly all of them.

Panoramiv view of the Gailtaler and Karnic Alps as well as the Lienz´ Dolomites, far right the neighbouring summits of the Kreuzeck group. Click here or into the picture for a larger version.

The Gailtal saddle in the foreground, with the summits of the Karnic Alps on the boarder to Italy.

Lienz Dolomites.

Panoramiv view of the Gailtaler and Karnic Alps as well as the Lienz´ Dolomites, far right the neighbouring summits of the Kreuzeck group. Click here or into the picture for a larger version.

Scharnik and the slopes above the Pirkeralm.

Thin mist over the Drau valley ahich will dissolve in due course.

Click here or into the picture for a larger version.

Karnic Alps

Lienz´ Dolomites

Scharnik

Lienz´ Dolomites ...

 ... and zooming in maximally

Zooming in on the Karnic Alps

Back, a small bit above the Leppner Alm.

Scharnik

Huts at the Leppner Alm.

Leppner Alm

Back at the car. You would´nt have needed to walk to get a nice view.

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