From Thörl-Maglern, the signs on trail no. 403 lead westwards through the village. The clear markings then take you along the forest road, past the local spring-house into the wood. A woodland path that sometimes takes a steep uphill course leads after around an hour’s walk to the Habichtsquelle spring, where a bench invites you to stop and catch your breath. Then continue on to the “Habichtsblick” vantage point (1,298m), located about 50m off the hiking trail to the left. This is a great resting place with a table and walkers’ book, and also offers a first view over the Gailtal valley and the Julian Alps. Now the trail heads northwards along a considerably flatter course past the Kapin (1,530m) and along the forest road, where the houses of the Göriacher Alm meadow soon come into sight. You can reach them after leaving the road by heading over woodland and along meadowland paths. Although trail 403 now turns off to the left, continuing in this direction after passing a spring, a massive church bell from the year 1982 hung beneath a wooden roof attracts the hiker’s attention. It is by all means worth while taking a detour to it, ringing it once and then continuing to the Göricher Berg mountain (1,693m). After the well, the forest path soon branches off to the right and leads on an almost even course over Italian territory. After approx. 2km, the trail leaves Italy behind and continues along a woodland path for a short climb until arriving just below the summit of the Kapinberg mountain (1,735m). The narrow trail now turns right, then leading downhill after a flat slope crossing on a short but steep descent. The trail soon heads across more level high forest terrain out to the Ochsenstand mountain, and then through dense mixed woods down to the Bartolosattel pass. This border crossing, which was closed until only recently, is now open again. No matter how inconspicuous the crossing may appear to us, it has always played an important role. Now continue westwards again on a gentle upward incline, first passing briefly through the wood and then taking a forest road with a few sharp bends. The trees soon thin out, opening up the view over the alpine pastures. At the last turn before the Achomitzer Alm meadow, the trail turns towards the NW and a small church can be glimpsed on the opposite hill. After a good 30min, the uphill/downhill route brings you to the "Maria Schnee" chapel. Another 10min will also take you to the destination of this stage, the Feistrizter Alm meadow at the foot of the Oistering (2,052m).
(Eckart Promberger, Andreas Fink, OeAV Section Villach)

Immediately West of the Feistritzer Alm meadow, the trail leads over the Austrian-Italian border and then across alpine meadowland gently downhill to a high-altitude forest. The trail then takes a somewhat steeper downhill course in the woods before climbing upward again to reach the Lomsattel pass, shortly afterwards reaching the Starhand inn after crossing the border once again. Follow the markings then on the road to Vorderberg for a short distance before turning left and crossing the Dolinza stream. Now head steeply uphill through woodland, later coming out onto meadowland and a spring. At a little brook, turn sharply to the right, and the trail will again swing leftward above the edge of the wood. Circumvent a grassy rounded hilltop to arrive in the pass South of the Starhand inn in just 10min. From here, the trail first runs northwards but then soon turns to the left, at which point you can already distinguish the first buildings of the Görtschacher Alm meadow (approx. 2h). From the lowest huts, follow a forest road now that leads in narrow bends into the Kesselwaldgraben rift, down to the Kesselwaldbach stream and on the other side up again until reaching the Almstrasse road after approx. 40min, which leads from the Dellacher Alm meadow to the Poludnig Alm meadow. Next, follow the Almstraße road down to the Dellacher Alm (approx. 2h from the Görtschacher Alm). From the Dellacher Alm, the road is covered in asphalt. After approx. 20min you will reach the wonderful setting of the Egger-Alm-See lake and a further 15min will take you to the Egger Alm meadow. Two alpine guesthouses offer accommodation facilities.
(Andreas Fink, Christina Schwann, OeAV Section Villach, OeAV)

The Carnic Alps have been influenced by their geological history, which goes back 500 million years. On the one hand, geological peculiarities of virtually world-wide uniqueness can be found here, while on the other hand numerous war relics that tell of the front-line battles in the World Wars can also be found. This is likewise the case on the Bartolosattel pass. The way to the pass leads from both the Kanaltal and the Gailtal valleys, first through narrow ravines, where in the early settlement days there was only a mule track. The wide valley floor south of the pass offers extensive, verdant pastureland, the ownership of which was the subject of bitter dispute between the inhabitants in the south and the Lords of Wasserleonburg in the north. A wall plaque in the parish church of Feistritz an der Gail even mentions the killing of a Gailtal farmhand by farmers from Saifnitz during the conflict. As the rather discreet pass crossing that was only controlled on a sporadic basis, it was also targeted by smugglers and national fugitives on both sides. The road from the south dates back to the era of Mussolini, but the rocks there were walked across from a much earlier age. This is where Kugy the climbing teacher trained his "Golden Boys" in 1915. In the Bartolograben rift, there is a memorial plaque on which it can be read in Italian that on 7 October 1813, a "cacciatori otto" battalion launched a fierce attack on the troops of Italian Viceroy, Eugen Beauharnais. These were the liberation wars against Napoleon. In the Feistritzer Alm meadow stands the little chapel of "Maria Schnee". The construction of the chapel is closely linked with the hotel on the Feistritzer Alm. In 1911, the hotel was built in the place of an old, walled refuge hut. Tourism thrived there until the start of World War I. The alpine hotel business run as a high-altitude spa was mainly reserved for nobility or wealthy guests. They were brought here to an altitude of 1,722m by carriage along the 12km macadam road. The hotel proprietor, Anton Achatz, had the chapel of Maria Schnee built in late Gothic style to meet the religious needs of his guests. The square in front of the little church, about 10 minutes on foot south of the pastureland, was carefully chosen. From here, it is possible to see the church of Luschari in the Kanaltal valley and that of Feistritz an der Gail. Just below the Feistritzer Alm meadow, the so-called "black fountain” springs up in a rift, surrounded by dark stone. The powerful thrust of this spring, which does not subside even in extreme drought, provides a guaranteed supply for the alpine farms should the water from the upper pasture spring ever not suffice for the people and animals there.
(Eckart Promberger, OeAV-Sekt. Villach)