My GF and me had pretty much ended the hiking/climbing season for this year when last week's weather forecast predicted a couple of unusually warm and sunny days for this week. We quickly decided to take a few days off and spend some time in Innsbruck, Tyrol.

After two nice tours in the Innsbruck region the main objective was set for Tuesday: the Paternkofel summit (2.744m) next to the famous Drei Zinnen in the Dolomite Alps.

Already the drive towards the Lago Misurina and the steep, winding road to the Auronzo refuge provided some marvellous scenery:



Getting out of the car we are greeted by this view:



We get going and soon pass the Lavaredo refuge. All refuges are already closed for the winter season and due to the late date we barely meet anyone all day. During the summer holidays this is an extremely frequented area due to its accessibility by car. Right now this looks like the end of the world:




After a reaching the Dreizinnenh�tte and a little snack we continue towards the foot of the Paternkofel. To the left can be seen the small rock steeple called Frankfurter W�rstel.



Yours truly preparing to enter the gallery that climbs through the lower mountain. This whole area of the Alps was the scene of terrible fighting in WW1 from 1915-18. The front line literally went up and over the very summits of the mountains.

Note the SimHQ cap!



One of the embrasures cut into the mountain in the lower part of the gallery. In the distance the Rote Wand massif.



We finally leave the tunnels, put on our security harness and helmets and prepare for the Klettersteig (fixed rope route) part.



Here we go...



She_who_must_be_obeyed climbing up. It's her 3rd Klettersteig and she's doing very well already. I consider myself a lucky man that I can share my love for mountains and climbing with her.



The most difficult part of the route: steep and quite exposed. Fun to climb though.



And finally: the Paternkofel summit!



There's a small monument to Sepp Innerkofler here. Innerkofler was a well-known mountain guide and ran the old Dreizinnenh�tte before WW1. When Italy entered the war in 1915 the Austrian army was heavily engaged versus Serbia and Russia and no military forces were immediately ready to deploy against the Italian Alpini troops. Innerkofler led a militia troop of Standsch�tzen in guerilla-style hit and run warfare against the Italians in defence of the strategically important summits until reinforcements in the form of the famous Kaiserj�ger regiments arrived. The tragedy of this fighting was that on both sides mountaineers and guides who often had known each other well before the war now fought each other.
He was killed during an assault on the summit, the Italians recovered his body under difficult circumstances and buried it with full military honours on top of the summit.

And now: the famous Drei Zinnen



Time for a Brotzeit!

View towards the Zw�lferkogel:



We climb down towards the Paternsattel. Quite steep, often without security cables. Really have to watch your step here.



Again we pass old WW1 fortifications, view towards the Monte Cristallo:



Passing the Paternsattel we climb back down, view back towards the Paternkofel west wall:



At the end of the day




What a beautiful tour. The weather was great, we had the mountains (almost) all for ourselves and the scenery is simply breathtaking.

I've seen quite a few beautiful places in my life but few rival the beauty and grandeur of the Dolomite Alps.



Hope you did enjoy this little tour.

Outstanding pics Para!! Marvellous scenery.

Fantastic!

Beautiful pictures! Your mountains are steeper than ours

Pics 3 and 4 remind me of Emyn Muil from LOTR!

WOW !

Those are some magnificent photos. Thanks for sharing.

Awesome pictures as usual, para_bellum. You are indeed a very luck guy, both with your girlfriend and where you can easily go and hike/climb.

damn, that's beautiful scenery!

Very nice, thanks for sharing for those of us who stay at sea level.

Nicely done! <S>

Again, I really like your mountain photos. Very nice. Thank you for doing all the hard work to get them.

Thanks for sharing I always enjoy your pictures posted after a good hike.

Thanks for the kind comments, much appreciated.

I just remembered. I assume your girlfriend made a full recovery from her auto accident? I'm glad she's ok!

Thank you for asking, PM. Yes, she has fully recovered.

She was very, very lucky.

Wow, amazing stuff. I'm a bit jealous.

Awesome area ! Thanks for sharing that. A lady with the same interest as you - you are a lucky man indeed !

The Dolomites are a mountain range located in northeastern Italy. They form a part of Southern Limestone Alps and extend from the River Adige in the west to the Piave Valley in the east

In August 2009, the Dolomites were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site