Coglians
2,780 m
Austria, Italy
Also known as Hohe Warte, Monte Coglians, +3Also known as
Hohe Warte · Monte Coglians · Colians · Monte Cogliàns · Monte Cogliàns / Hohe Warte
- Elevation
- 2,780 m
- Prominence
- 1,144 m
- Difficulty
- 4/10
- Alpine hike
- Best Season
- Jul–Sep
- Routes
- 1
Hut closedReported 21 Jul 2026
Rifugio Marinelli is closed for the whole 2026 summer season for maintenance and modernisation and because no new manager was found; the Società Alpina Friulana has given no reopening date. There is no water or refreshment above Malga Moraret.
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Routes
1Sources differ: EE (CAI scale (Italian sources)) · T3 (outdooractive / Turismo FVG)
The line of the first ascent, from Friuli: from the Rifugio Tolazzi car park above Collina (1,350 m) on path 143 to the Rifugio Marinelli on the Forcella Morarêt (2,112 m), then over the shoulder of the Pic Chiadin, two short cabled walls and two long, tiring scree slopes, with a few easy exposed hands-on moves (I) to the highest summit of the Carnic Alps. About 1,450 m and 4–4½ hours up.
Elevation Profile
approximate line- Distance
- 6.6 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +1,465 m
- −60 m lost on the way up
- High Point
- 2,780 m
- Time Up
- 5h 49m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 3h 57m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
From the car park at the Rifugio Tolazzi (1,350 m) above Collina, follow the forest road that leads round the hut; at the second hairpin the first of the path 143 shortcuts (red-and-white marks) cuts the bends of the long track. Pass the meadows of Malga Moraret (refreshments in season) and climb to the Forcella Morarêt and the Rifugio Marinelli (2,112 m), about 2 hours. The track can be followed all the way; it is longer but easier. Behind the hut path 143 leaves the track and climbs part way up the Pic Chiadin, then drops to a grassy saddle (about 2,230 m); beyond it a couple of short exposed rock walls are passed with the help of wire cables. Path 145 is an alternative; both meet at about 2,300 m. Now comes the first and longer of the two scree slopes, steep and slippery, ending at 2,525 m where the path turns left up a small stepped rock wall and then zigzags comfortably over rock. Above about 2,600 m a second, shorter scree slope leads to the point where the path enters a small gully on the left (waymarked); from there to the summit, about 15 minutes, there are a couple of exposed passages and easy hands-on moves (I). Descend the same way, about 3 hours to the car park. No special equipment is needed, but the route is long, sunny and tiring, with no water above the Marinelli. The harder north side from the Austrian Wolayerseehütte, the Koban-Prunner-Weg (sparsely cabled, a few II and I moves), and the stonefall-prone 'Weg der 26er' via ferrata are for experienced parties.
Start
Rifugio Tolazzi1,375 m
- No public transport to the Rifugio Tolazzi was found; the nearest bus-served villages are in the Val Degano (Forni Avoltri), reached from Tolmezzo. Check current regional (TPL FVG) timetables or use a taxi.
- Parking at the trailhead
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rifugio Tolazzi → Coglians | 6.6 | 1,465 | 60 | 5h 49m |
Waypoints
- Parking: Rifugio Tolazzi1,375 m
- Waypoint: Malga Moraret1,711 m
- Hut: Rifugio Marinelli2,111 m
On the Forcella Morarêt; closed for the 2026 season
- Feature: Pic Chiadin2,273 m
Path 143 climbs part of its flank, not to the top
- Summit: Coglians2,780 m
Key Passages
- Short cabled rock walls beyond the grassy saddle
- Long, slippery scree slope to 2,525 m
- Second scree slope above 2,600 m
- Summit gully with easy exposed moves (I)
Equipment
0/6 packedDownloads
Route confidence 78%Overview
The highest summit of the Carnic Alps and of Friuli Venezia Giulia, a limestone peak on the Austrian–Italian border with a 650–1,200 m north wall. From the Italian side a long, sunny path with scree and a few easy hands-on moves leads to the top; no climbing gear needed.
Monte Coglians (2,780 m; German Hohe Warte, Friulian Colians) is the highest point of the Carnic Alps, on the border between Carinthia and Friuli Venezia Giulia above Collina and Forni Avoltri. Together with the Kellerwarte, Kellerwandturm and the Kellerspitzen to the east it forms a closed line of walls on the north side, dropping 650 m to the Valentintörl and 1,200 m to the Obere Valentinalm. With over 1,100 m of prominence and more than 30 km to the next higher mountain, it commands a view from the Dolomites and Hohe Tauern to the Julian Alps.
The south side is far gentler. The normal route, the line of the first ascent, climbs from the Rifugio Tolazzi past the Rifugio Marinelli and up two long, slippery scree slopes and a few short rock steps. It needs no special equipment and is not very exposed, but it is long and tiring and calls for experience of alpine terrain. From Austria, the Wolayerseehütte is the base for the harder Koban-Prunner-Weg through the north face and the steep 'Weg der 26er' via ferrata.
Climbing Notes
Fitness for about 1,450 m of ascent and sure-footedness on steep, loose scree are the main requirements; a couple of short walls are cabled and the last 15 minutes involve easy scrambling with some exposure. Start early: the route faces south and there is no water above the Marinelli, which stayed closed through 2026. Avoid the summit gully when wet, icy or snow-covered, and turn back if thunderstorms build. Allow 7–7½ hours return from the Rifugio Tolazzi.
The Austrian north-side routes are a different proposition: the Koban-Prunner-Weg has UIAA II moves with sparse cables, and the 'Weg der 26er' is one of the hardest via ferratas in the Carnic Alps and exposed to stonefall.
History
The first recorded ascent was made on 30 September 1865 by Paul Grohmann with Nicolò Sottocorona of Collina and a farmer named Hofer from Birnbaum in the Gailtal, from Collina by today's normal route. The first winter ascent, on the south side, was made in February 1898 or 1899 (sources differ) by Graziadio Bolaffio, Andrej Komac, Julius Kugy and Pietro Samassa. Hans Kofler climbed the north face alone on 2 September 1895. The Società Alpina Friulana opened the Ricovero Marinelli on 22 September 1901; destroyed in the First World War, it reopened in 1922 and was rebuilt by 1928. The 'Weg der 26er' via ferrata was built by the Austrian Army's Jägerbataillon 26.
Season
Best Jul–Sep- January: Not advisable
- February: Not advisable
- March: Not advisable
- April: Not advisable
- May: Possible
- June: Good
- July: Best (best window)
- August: Best (best window)
- September: Best (best window)
- October: Good
- November: Not advisable
- December: Not advisable
- Jan
- Winter; avalanche-prone scree slopes
- Feb
- Winter conditions
- Mar
- Winter conditions
- Apr
- Snow on the upper slopes
- May
- Snow in the gullies and on the scree
- Jun
- Old snow may linger above 2,500 m
- Jul
- Usually snow-free; start early because of heat and storms
- Aug
- Usually snow-free; afternoon thunderstorms
- Sep
- Often stable and cooler
- Oct
- Good in dry weather before the first snow; short days
- Nov
- Snow and ice likely
- Dec
- Winter conditions
Access & Permits
- Hut Booking
- Rifugio Marinelli (Società Alpina Friulana, CAI Udine) normally opens June–September but was closed for the whole 2026 season; check the SAF website for 2027.
- Getting There
Forni Avoltri (Collina), Friuli Venezia Giulia
Trieste (TRS); Venice (VCE)
- By car: A23 to Carnia/Tolmezzo, then the Val Degano road to Forni Avoltri and up to Collina and the Rifugio Tolazzi car park (1,350 m)
- From Austria: Gailtal to Kötschach-Mauthen, then over the Plöckenpass to Paluzza and on to Forni Avoltri
- No regular public transport to the trailhead was found
Hazards
- Exposure
- Rockfall
- Weather
Huts & Shelters
1- 2,112 m
Rifugio MarinelliRefugeUnstaffed
Normally June to September; closed in 2026