The Carnic Alps (; ; ; ) are a range of the Southern Limestone Alps in Austria and northeastern Italy. They are within Austrian East Tyrol and Carinthia, and Italian Friuli (Province of Udine) and marginally in Veneto.
Etymology
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, an age in the Triassic Period.
Geography
They extend from east to west for about between the Gail River, a tributary of the Drava and the Tagliamento, forming the border between Austria and Italy.
Alpine Club classification
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|valign="top" | The Carnic Alps are divided into two distinct areas:
- Carnic Main Crest (') (AVE 57a)
- Carnic Prealps ('), i.e. the Friaul Dolomites and their foothills, the former are, from the Mauria Pass southwards, counted as part of the group known as the Southern Carnic Alps (') (AVE 57b), which also includes the Bellunese Prealps (Venetian Prealps).
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In the Carnic Alps is the southernmost glacier in Austria, the Eiskar, nestling in the Kellerwand massif.
Notable peaks
thumb|Hohe Warte and Kellerspitzen, view from south (Monte Arvenis)
Among the most important mountains of the range are:
- / (2,782 m)
- (2,774 m)
- / (2,694 m)
- / (2,689 m)
- (2,603 m)
- (2,586 m)
- (2,474 m)
- (2,462 m)
- (2,434 m)
- Cresta di Enghe (2,414 m)
- Monte Ferro (2,348 m)
- (2,332 m)
- (2,280 m)
- (2,187 m)
Mountain passes
thumb|Wind turbine on the Austrian side of the Plöcken Pass
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)
- Öfnerjoch (Forni Avoltri to Sankt Lorenzen im Lesachtal), footpath (2,301 m)
- Wolayer Pass (same to Kötschach-Mauthen), footpath (1,922 m)
See also
- Carnic Prealps
- Limestone Alps
References
External links
- Carnic Alps on SummitPost
- Carnic Alps on Hike.uno
- Portal and interactive key to the flora of the S Carnic Alps