| High Tauern | |
| Country Type: | Countries |
| Subdivision1 Type: | States |
| Parent: | Central Eastern Alps |
| Highest: | Grossglockner |
| Elevation M: | 3798 |
| Map: | Alps |
| Coordinates: | 47.075°N 12.6944°W |
| Range Coordinates: | 47.1667°N 42°W |
| Length Km: | 130 |
| Width Km: | 50 |
| Age: | Paleozoic |
| Orogeny: | Alpine |
The High Tauern (pl.; German: Hohe Tauern, Italian: Alti Tauri) are a mountain range on the main chain of the Central Eastern Alps, comprising the highest peaks east of the Brenner Pass. The crest forms the southern border of the Austrian states of Salzburg, Carinthia and East Tyrol, with a small part in the southwest belongs to the Italian province of South Tyrol. The range includes Austria's highest mountain, the Grossglockner at 3798m (12,461feet) above the Adriatic.
In the east, the range is adjoined by the Lower Tauern. For the etymology of the name, see Tauern.
According to the Alpine Club classification of the Eastern Alps, the range is bounded by the Salzach valley to the north (separating it from the Kitzbühel Alps), the Mur valley and the Murtörl Pass to the east (separating it from the Lower Tauern), the Drava valley to the south (separating it from the Southern Limestone Alps), and the Birnlücke Pass to the west (separating it from the Zillertal Alps).
Its most important subgroups along the Alpine crest are (from West to East):
The eastern end of the High Tauern is formed by the Hafner massif of the Ankogel Group, which includes the easternmost three-thousander peaks in the Alpine chain.
Further parts of the High Tauern south of the main crest of the Alps are (from West to East):
Along 100km (100miles) of the main chain stretches the High Tauern National Park (Nationalpark Hohe Tauern), to which the Austrian Alpine Club as freeholder and the three states of Carinthia, Salzburg and Tyrol have contributed territory. With an area of about 1834km2, it is by far the largest of Austria's seven national parks as well as the largest nature reserve in the Alps.[1] It is divided into a core zone of 1198km2 including the Grossglockner and Grossvenediger massifs, with complete prohibition of agricultural use, and a fringe zone of 638km2 used for forestry and alpine-meadow farming. Five special nature sanctuaries are protected from any human disturbance.
The park of the IUCN II category comprises the Pasterze and numerous further glaciers, the Krimml Waterfalls, several glacial valleys and alluvial fans, as well as extended tundra areas and forests. Among the flora of the Alps, especially Swiss Pines grow along the tree line; above subshrub, mainly alpenrose but also the endemic Saxifraga rudolphiana, up to nival level at about 2,800 m (9,200 ft). The fauna includes chamois, Alpine ibex and red deer, as well as griffon vulture and the golden eagle. The formerly extinct bearded vulture and the Alpine marmot have been successfully reintroduced.
The park was established according to a 1971 declaration signed by the participating states at Heiligenblut, it nevertheless took until 1981, when the first parts around Großglockner and Hochschober in Carinthia were put under protection. The adjacel finally joined in 1992. thumb|260px|The Großglockner from the south]]The main peaks of the High Tauern are:
| Peak | Group | Elevation (m/ft) | Prominence (m/ft) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Großglockner | Glockner | 3798 | 12,461 | 2423 | 7,949 |
| Großvenediger | Venediger | 3666 | 12,028 | 1199 | 3,934 |
| Großes Wiesbachhorn | Glockner | 3564 | 11,693 | 477 | 1,565 |
| Dreiherrnspitze | Venediger | 3499 | 11,480 | 591 | 1,939 |
| Rötspitze | Venediger | 3496 | 11,470 | 653 | 2,142 |
| Johannisberg | Glockner | 3453 | 11,329 | 277 | 909 |
| Rieserferner | 3436 | 11,273 | 1148 | 3,766 | |
| Hoher Eichham | Venediger | 3371 | 11,060 | 325 | 1,066 |
| Hoher Tenn | Glockner | 3368 | 11,050 | 335 | 1,099 |
| Malhamspitze | Venediger | 3368 | 11,050 | 319 | 1,047 |
| Hochalmspitze | Ankogel | 3360 | 11,024 | 942 | 3,091 |
| Großer Geiger | Venediger | 3360 | 11,024 | 293 | 961 |
| Schneebiger Nock | Rieserferner | 3358 | 11,017 | 542 | 1,778 |
| Fuscherkarkopf | Glockner | 3331 | 10,928 | 489 | 1,604 |
| Keeskogel | Venediger | 3291 | 10,797 | 373 | 1,224 |
| Schlieferspitze | Venediger | 3290 | 10,794 | 513 | 1,683 |
| Petzeck | Schober | 3283 | 10,771 | 802 | 2,631 |
| Roter Knopf | Schober | 3281 | 10,764 | 556 | 1,824 |
| Ankogel | Ankogel | 3264 | 10,709 | 570 | 1,870 |
| Hocharn | Goldberg | 3254 | 10,676 | 678 | 2,224 |
| Großer Hornkopf | Schober | 3251 | 10,666 | 456 | 1,496 |
| Hohe Fürlegg | Venediger | 3243 | 10,640 | 385 | 1,263 |
| Hochschober | Schober | 3242 | 10,636 | 438 | 1,437 |
| Großer Muntanitz | Granatspitze | 3232 | 10,604 | 717 | 2,352 |
| Hocheiser | Glockner | 3206 | 10,518 | 577 | 1,893 |
| Glödis | Schober | 3206 | 10,518 | 370 | 1,214 |
| Kitzsteinhorn | Glockner | 3204 | 10,512 | 439 | 1,440 |
| Durreck | Venediger | 3135 | 10,285 | 626 | 2,054 |
| Hoher Sonnblick | Goldberg | 3106 | 10,196 | 271 | 889 |
| Lasörling | Venediger | 3098 | 10,164 | 490 | 1,608 |
| Großer Hafner | Hafner | 3068 | 10,066 | 868 | 2,848 |
| Hoher Prijakt | Schober | 3064 | 10,052 | 470 | 1,542 |
| Weisse Spitze | Villgraten | 2963 | 9,721 | 920 | 3,018 |
| Mölltaler Polinik | Kreuzeck | 2784 | 9,134 | 1580 | 5,184 |
The High Tauern are crossed by three tunnels:
The best-known mountain pass road of the High Tauern is the scenic Grossglockner High Alpine Road inaugurated in 1935, including a tunnel at an elevation of 2505m (8,219feet) under the Hochtor Pass (2573m (8,442feet)). East of it, the Katschberg Pass (1641m (5,384feet)) on B 99 Katschberg Straße highway parallel to the Katschberg Tunnel links Sankt Michael and Rennweg. Another road crosses the Staller Sattel between Sankt Jakob in Defereggen and Rasen-Antholz at 2052m (6,732feet).
Beside there are numerous bridle and footpaths, in part used since ancient times:
| Mountain pass | Location | Type | Elevation (m/ft) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Riffeltor | Kaprun to Heiligenblut | snow | 3051 | 10,010 |
| Bockkarscharte | Ferleiten to Heiligenblut | snow | 3046 | 9994 |
| Sonnblickscharte | Rauris to Heiligenblut | snow | 2979 | 9774 |
| Vörder Umbaltorl | Prägraten to Ahrntal | snow | 2928 | 9607 |
| Obersulzbachtorl | Prägraten to Wald im Pinzgau | snow | 2926 | 9600 |
| Untersulzbachtorl | Innergschlöß to Wald im Pinzgau | snow | 2865 | 9400 |
| Schwarzkopfscharte | Innergschlöß to Bramberg | snow | 2850 | 9351 |
| Prägratertorl | Prägraten to Defereggental | footpath | 2846 | 9338 |
| Glodistorl | Lienz to Kals | snow | 2832 | 9292 |
| Antholzerscharte | Rein in Taufers to Rasen-Antholz | snow | 2820 | 9252 |
| Krimmlertorl | Krimmler Achental to Obersulzbachtal | snow | 2814 | 9233 |
| Goldzechscharte | Rauris to Heiligenblut | snow | 2810 | 9220 |
| Kalsertorl | Lienz to Kals | snow | 2803 | 9197 |
| Ober Tramerscharte | Rauris to Döllach | snow | 2802 | 9193 |
| Kleine Elendscharte | Bad Gastein to Gmünd | snow | 2739 | 8987 |
| Kleine Zirknitzscharte | Rauris to Döllach | snow | 2719 | 8921 |
| Mallnitzerscharte | Mallnitz to Gmünd | snow | 2677 | 8783 |
| Große Elendscharte | Mallnitz to upper Maltatal | snow | 2673 | 8770 |
| Unter Pfandlscharte | Ferleiten to Heiligenblut | snow | 2665 | 8744 |
| Bergertorl | Ferleiten to Heiligenblut | footpath | 2650 | 8695 |
| Kaprunertorl | Kaprun to upper Stubachtal | snow | 2635 | 8645 |
| Virgner or Defereggertorl | Defereggental to Virgen | footpath | 2617 | 8586 |
| Backlenke or Trojerjoch | Defereggental to Prägraten | footpath | 2613 | 8573 |
| Felber Tauern | Matrei in Osttirol to Mittersill | bridle path | 2540 | 8334 |
| Kalser Tauern | Kals to Mittersill | footpath | 2512 | 8242 |
| Hohe Tauern | Bad Gastein to Mallnitz | bridle path | 2463 | 8081 |
| Niedere or Mallnitzer Tauern | Bad Gastein to Mallnitz | bridle path | 2414 | 7920 |
| Fuschertorl | Ferleiten to the Seidlwinkeltal | footpath | 2405 | 7891 |
| Klammljoch | Defereggental to Sand in Taufers | bridle path | 2291 | 7517 |
| Arlscharte | Gmünd to Sankt Johann im Pongau | footpath | 2251 | 7386 |
| Kals Matreiertorl | Kals to Matrei | bridle path | 2206 | 7238 |
| Stanz | Bad Gastein to Rauris | footpath | 2103 | 6900 |