Wöllaner Nock
2,145 m
Austria
- Elevation
- 2,145 m
- Prominence
- 1,042 m
- Difficulty
- 2/10
- Hike
- Best Season
- Jul–Sep
- Routes
- 1
Routes
1The shortest popular ascent, from the Plagrast car park (about 1,800 m) at the end of the toll road above Arriach: trail 164 (Alpe-Adria-Trail) over the Vorderer Wöllaner Nock (2,090 m) and across a broad hollow to the main summit. Around 485 m of ascent and 3 hours for the loop back via the Walderhütte and the Geigerhütte.
Elevation Profile
- Distance
- 2.5 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +397 m
- start → summit
- High Point
- 2,145 m
- Time Up
- 1h 41m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 1h 11m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
From Arriach follow signs for Laastadt and the Wöllaner Nock up the toll road to the Plagrast car park (about 1,800 m). Walk up the road to the Fliegerkurve, a bend popular with model-aircraft pilots, then leave it on trail 164, part of the Alpe-Adria-Trail. The path is steep at first, then eases on the grassy ridge to the Vorderer Wöllaner Nock (2,090 m). A broad dip leads north to the main summit (2,145 m) and its cross, with views over the Nock Mountains, the Hohe Tauern and the Julian Alps. Descend on trail 163 to the Walderhütte (about 1,960 m, staffed), continue to the Geigerhütte and return along the access road to the Plagrast. The whole loop is about 6 km and 3 hours on good paths over pasture and dwarf-shrub heath; there are no technical difficulties. Longer alternatives start from the Feldpannalm above Feld am See (via the Rossalm and the Kaiserburg, about 8 km and 720 m) or from the Trangonihütte above Afritz.
Start
Plagrast1,770 m
- Post buses serve Arriach; from the village the start can only be reached on foot (about 1,000 m lower).
- Parking at the trailhead
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Plagrast → Wöllaner Nock | 2.5 | 397 | 24 | 1h 41m |
Waypoints
- Parking: Plagrast1,770 m
- Feature: Vorderer Wöllaner Nock2,084 m
- Summit: Wöllaner Nock2,145 m
Key Passages
- Steep start of trail 164 above the Fliegerkurve
- Grassy ridge over the Vorderer Wöllaner Nock
Equipment
0/4 packedDownloads
Route confidence 70%Overview
A broad, grassy double summit (2,145 m) in the southern Nock Mountains of Carinthia, the highest point of Arriach. An easy T2 walk of about 3 hours from the top of the toll road, with wide views from the Hohe Tauern to the Julian Alps.
The Wöllaner Nock rises between the Gegendtal, the Teuchen valley and Bad Kleinkirchheim, a rounded massif of Palaeozoic phyllite and quartzite typical of the Nock Mountains. Together with the Vorderer Wöllaner Nock (2,090 m) it forms a recognisable double summit, and a ridge about 15 km long runs east from it towards Himmelberg. With just over 1,000 m of prominence it stands clear of its neighbours.
It is a much-developed mountain: the Bad Kleinkirchheim ski area reaches the Kaiserburg (2,055 m) on its northern side, and a toll road climbs from Arriach to about 1,800 m on the south. That makes it an easy half-day walk rather than a wilderness outing, and it is popular with families. Above the larch belt the slopes are open pasture and dwarf-shrub heath of alpine rose and bilberry.
The long-distance Salzsteigweg and the Alpe-Adria-Trail cross the summit area, and several staffed alpine huts on the south side make a loop easy to arrange.
Climbing Notes
An easy mountain walk on good paths: about 500 m of ascent and 3 hours for the loop from the Plagrast, suitable for children used to walking. Normal hiking boots, rain gear and water are enough in summer. The open ridges offer no shelter in thunderstorms, so watch the afternoon weather. For a longer day, start from the Feldpannalm above Feld am See or from the Trangonihütte above Afritz (about 4 hours, 600 m). In winter the north side is part of a ski area and the summit is a popular ski-touring and snowshoe objective.
History
The mountain is named after the village of Wöllan (Ober- and Unterwöllan) on its southern flank, first recorded in 1299 as 'auf dem Welein' and probably derived from a Slavic personal name. The geographic centre of Carinthia lies on its south-western slopes below the Buchskopf, above the hamlet of Laastadt.
Season
Best Jul–Sep- January: Possible
- February: Possible
- March: Possible
- 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: Possible
- Jan
- Ski touring and snowshoeing; check avalanche bulletin
- Feb
- Ski touring and snowshoeing
- Mar
- Spring ski touring
- Apr
- Snowmelt; road may be closed
- May
- Snow patches on the ridge
- Jun
- Alpine roses in flower
- Jul
- Afternoon thunderstorms
- Aug
- Busy at weekends
- Sep
- Clear, stable weather
- Oct
- Good until first snow; huts may close
- Nov
- Early snow; huts closed
- Dec
- Winter tours once snow is sufficient
Access & Permits
- Fees
- The road from Arriach/Laastadt to the Plagrast is a toll road (amount not confirmed)
- Rules
- Northern slopes lie in the development zone of the Nockberge biosphere reserve
- Getting There
Arriach; Bad Kleinkirchheim and Feld am See
Klagenfurt Airport (KLU)
- Car: A10 exit Ossiacher See, via Treffen to Arriach, then follow signs to Laastadt and the Wöllaner Nock toll road to the Plagrast
- Feld am See: toll road to the Feldpannalm for the western approach
- Post buses run to Arriach, but there is no public transport to the Plagrast
Hazards
- Weather