Julius Kugy three-country trail in 30 stages - E 3

instructions

Valley towns: Zell-Sele, 948 m, bus (postbus.at) from Ferlach and Klagenfurt and Bad Eisenkappel, 558 m, bus (postbus.at) from Klagenfurt.

Starting point: Koschutahaus, 1280 m, accessible by bus (postbus.at) from Klagenfurt to Zell-Sele, then trail no. 6, 603; 1.20 hrs.

Connection 3b/Access Koschutahaus: From the Gallizien stop, 437 m, via the Annabrücke power station, 415 m, the Berghof inn, 895 m, the Freibachtal valley and the Terklbauer inn, 862 m, to the Mejniksattel saddle, 1484 m (if you hike anticlockwise). From there continue on the Kugyweg to the Koschutahaus, 1280 m. Medium-difficulty mountain hike: 8.00 hours, 26.6 km, 1,290 m ascent and 450 m descent.

Connection 3a/Access Vellachtal: From the Jure bus stop in St. Margarethen im Rosental via the Freibachtal valley to the Terklbauer hut, 862 m. From there continue on the Kugyweg to Vellachtal/Christophorusfelsen, 797 m. Medium-difficulty mountain hike: 10.00 hours, 32.5 km, 1,370 m ascent and 1,280 m descent.

Alternative 1: From Mejniksattel, 1484 m, via the Zell-Freibach area to Gasthaus Terklbauer, 862 m, (saving: 2.30 hours, 4.2 km, 400 m ascent and 410 m descent).

Alternative 2: From Potoksattel, 1411 m, via the Zell-Freibach area to Gasthaus Terklbauer, 862 m (saving: 1 hour, 2.1 km, 100 m ascent and 100 m descent).

Alternative 3: Approx. 700 m after the Pasterksattel, at a sharp right-hand bend, follow an older marking (to the left of the gravel path) down to the Pasterk estate (a shortcut that is no longer maintained).

Hints:

1. with the cab company Johann Smrtnik, Tel. +43 4238 8211 or 0664-4533725 from the Trögerner Klamm (children's playground) to Bad Eisenkappel (saving: 4.45 hours, 12.7 km, 870 m ascent and 840 m descent).

2. from Christophorusfelsen to Vellach: The Gh. Podobnik in Vellach, Tel.+43 4238 202, podobnik.at, also offers a pick-up service from Christophorusfelsen (saving: 1.20 hrs, 5.8 km, 210 m ascent and 210 m descent).

Summit destinations/possibilities: Lärchenberg, 730 m, 2.10 hours, black; Koschutnikturm, 430 m, 1.30 hours, black; Kärntner Stroschitz, 130 m, 45 min, blue.

Water: 2 fountains, 3 tapped springs and 4 streams.

SHORT ROUTE DESCRIPTION:

Koschutahaus-Kärntner Grenzweg/KGW and Panoramaweg Südalpen/PWS/642-Grosalm-nördl. Koschutnikturm/Dicke Koschuta-Potoksattel/642/603A-Kališnikturm-Reschounikturm KGW/PWS/603A/641/617/10-Meležniksattel-Schaidasattel/KGW/PWS/641/PWS/10-Schaidasattel Straße-ehem. Gh. Srienc/L 108/Taxi-Trögener Klamm/Via Alpina/Eisenwurzenweg 608/L 131-Gh. "Für Leib Und Seele"-Trögern/Zum Heiligen-Kreuz-südl. Mariahütte-Kepp-nördl. Kärntner Storschitz-Pasterksattel/Eisenwurzenweg 608-Pasterk-B 82/628-Bad Vellach-Vellachtal/Christophorusfelsen/Gh. Podobnik (cab)

EXACT ROUTE DESCRIPTION:

1. we walk from the hut in a southerly direction to the information boards at the PP - immediately behind them we meet the long-distance hiking trails (WWW) Südalpenweg (SAW) 603, Panoramaweg Südalpen (PSA), Kärntner Grenzweg (KGW) and trails 642 and 643. we hike up to the Grosalm - immediately afterwards a path on the right leads to the Lärchenberg/tower. After approx. 550 m we come to the Mejniksattel (1484) - here the Südalpenweg 603 leaves us to the left.

ALTERNATIVE 1: From Mejniksattel, 1484 m, via the Zell-Freibach area to Gasthaus Terklbauer, 862 m, (saving: 2.30 hours, 4.2 km, 400 m ascent and 410 m descent).

Variant 2: please mark in red: From Potoksattel, 1411 m, via the Zell-Freibach area to Gasthaus Terklbauer, 862 m (saving: 1 hour, 2.1 km, 100 m ascent and 100 m descent).

2. a path leads us somewhat steeper up to the northern foothills of the Breitwand and the Koschutnikturm - we reach the tree line after approx. 400 m. We pass to the northwest of the Koschutnikturm (in the cirque) and take our first break at a path to the right (path no. 643 leads to the Koschutnikturm) , 2.3 km, 1660 m.

3. we approach the Dicken Koschuta in the cirque and on a path, hike around it in a slight right-hand bend [surefootedness] and walk down a natural path from the edge of the forest - after about 300 m the geotrail (from the Kleine Koschuta) comes from the right. After approx. 300 m, the nature trail takes you to the Potoksattel (2nd break, 5 km, 1411 m).

ALTERNATIVE 2: From the Potoksattel, 1411 m, via the Zell-Freibach area to the Terklbauer inn, 862 m (saving: 1 hour, 2.1 km, 100 m ascent and descent - if the Terklbauer inn is chosen as overnight accommodation).

4. we continue on natural paths and trails to the NE, accompanied by the Südalpenweg 603A, Panoramaweg Südalpen, the KGW and paths no. 641, 617 and 10. after approx. 900 m we walk past the Kališnikturm to the south and after approx. 500 m, just before the Reschounikturm, we come across signs [surefootedness] pointing to the left, NE, to the Schaidasattel.

5. leave path no. 617 (due to the safety barrier), turn half-left and walk northeast past the Reschounikturm - immediately afterwards a hiking trail joins from the right. Walking downhill, we reach the Meležniksattel/Sedice after approx. 600 m at a chapel and a waterhole. In a semi-circle to the right, we walk past the chapel of a mountain patron saint to the Schaidasattel (3rd break, 9.3 km, 1,068 m).

6. we walk along the Schaidasattel road L 108 down to the NE (approx. 150 m after the saddle we leave the WWW 603), later to the S, SE and E and meet the Eisenwurzenweg 608 coming from the left (Trögerner Straße L 131) and the Via Alpina, purple - near the former Gh. Srienc/Radlwirt we take the 4th break, 14.8 km, 692 m.

7. we walk along the two WWWs on the asphalt road heading S to a PP and to information boards that refer to the three areas: Geology, water habitat and forest in the Trögerner Klamm nature reserve - walking alongside the Trögernbach stream, we reach a large children's playground and the "Für Leib Und Seele" snack station after approx. 3 km [enquire about opening times!] (5th break, 18 km, 758 m).

8. from here we hike with the three WWW on the asphalt path in a southerly direction, past the former Gh. Franzl and ignore a main farm track (HWW) to the left after approx. 600 m. After approx. 400 m we leave the Trögernbach and the asphalt path and walk half-left along the HWW to Trögern - near the church we take our 6th break, 21 km, 998 m.

9. we stay on the HWW for approx. 400 m and ignore a path to the right at a left-hand bend - now we leave the HWW on a path heading SE and go straight ahead at a fork after approx. 600 m. After a further approx. 600 m, we walk on a HWW coming from the left, only to leave it again shortly afterwards at an acute angle to the north. After approx. 150 m we turn half right at a fork and after approx. 500 m take the 7th break at a fork , 23 km, 1,370 m.

10. after approx. 400 m we ignore a path coming from the right, on which we walk briefly, but then leave it again straight ahead at a fork - after approx. 150 m we reach a HWW, which we cross. After approx. 500 m, the FWW leads us along a natural path to another HWW, which we cross twice - after approx. 500 m, we reach the hiking trail coming from Kärntner Storschitz at a junction in an S-shape (path) - we take our 8th break in an open field in Kepp , 24.6 km, 1,633 m.

11. with the three FWW (Eisenwurzenweg 608, KGW and Via Alpina) we walk to the left, NE and down, cross a HWW twice after approx. 550 m and leave the Eisenwurzenweg 608 and the Via Alpina after approx. 550 m at the Pasterksattel (1401). We hike with the KGW and path no. 628 on a meadow path approx. 200 m to the NE to reach a HWW, which takes us down to the Pasterk estate (ignore the paths to the right at 2 R bends) (9th break, 28 km, 1,147 m).

ALTERNATIVE 3: Approx. 700 m after the Pasterksattel, at a sharp right-hand bend, follow an older marking (to the left of the gravel path) down to the Pasterk estate (a shortcut that is no longer maintained).

12. the HWW (the access gravel road) takes us down into the Vellachtal, to the Vellach and Seeberg federal road B 82 - we follow the road to the left, N/NE and after approx. 800 m reach the stage destination, the Christophorusfelsen (31.2 km, 797 m)

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