Approaches

From East.  From Lienz a smoothly paved separate bike trail goes to Huben. Here a steep climb leads to a tunnel. At its other end is Hofgarden. During that initial steep climb a road on the opposite side of the Tauerntal appears to be climbing at least as steeply towards the Schobergruppe Mountains. Past Hofgarden the grade relaxes a bit, and the road follows the Deferggen Valley into the Hohen Tauern National Park. Many of the towns lie further up in the hills and require quite a bit of climbing. An exception is Sankt Jakob iD, which is an excellent base for exploring the hikes and mtb climbs in the area. The supermarket in the center of town across from the war memorial has a better selection than most stores in superbly scenic centers like this. Just past Erlsbach the road splits between the Staller Sattel and Klammjoch, and the climb starts in earnest. The switchbacks remain in thick forest until the road climbs into a high valley and follows it almost straight to the summit between large, pile like mountains above treeline. The only two major turns lead around a lake that many motorists use to take a short walk. Tour buses can reach as far as the lake before they have to turn around. At the summit has a enough room for a small statue before you cross into Italy.

From West. (described downwards) The road from the summit to Antholzer See is a narrow one way road that is open for departure for 15 minutes out of the hour in each direction. The access is controlled by a traffic light. Weather you get to the other end of the one way stretch in the allotted time is up to you. The road also leads through a narrow 40m tunnel. When two vehicles meet inside in opposite directions it presents an interesting traffic situation. Antholzer See is a lake surrounded by cliff forming mountains on three sides. It has a laid back luxury hotel feel to it, none of the circus that is common, when ski resorts are present. You pass the training center for Italian biathlon teams at the end of town. From here a fast roll leads down a wide valley (Antholzer Tal), while the divide between Austria and Italy behind seems grows in size and precipitousness from this new perspective. When joining the next larger valley (Pustertal) you can pick up the bikepath (Drauradweg) in either direction. The path does contain a few unpaved, but well drained and very smooth dirt sections.

Tours

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