Lienzer Dolomitenhütte - Laserzwand

Access to starting point:
Through the Karawanks Tunnel, we drive to Austria, and then we continue driving towards Spittal and forward towards Lienz (a little after Spittal highway ends). Further, we drive on a relatively nice and wide road through Drau valley. Few kilometers before Lienz (near the settlement Unterdorf), we will notice signs for mountain hut Lienzer Dolomitenhütte, which point us to the left on a local road. The road then over a bridge crosses the river Drava / Drau and then it brings us in the village Lavant, where we continue right in the direction of village Tristach. Between village Lavant and Tristach we will come to the next crossroad, where we continue left in the direction of "Lienzer Dolomitenhütte". This road which starts ascending steeper we then follow to a large parking lot near mentioned mountain hut. The road is payable (July 2009 7€).
To Lienz we can also come, if instead of through the valley Dravska dolina we drive through the valley Gailtal (Korensko sedlo, Hermagor, mountain pass Ziljsko sedlo/Gailbergsattel), in this case, we get to valley Dravska dolina at settlement Oberdrauburg.

Path description:
From the parking lot, we continue on the road, on which in 2 minutes we get to the mountain hut Lienzer Dolomitenhütte.
From the mountain hut, we cross the fence and we continue the ascent on a panoramic road (a nice view towards serrated ridge - highest is Spitzkofel 2717 meters), which is in the initial part exposed to falling stones. The road then crosses a short lane of a forest and then it brings us on an indistinct saddle Premstall (1625 meters), where there is a smaller crossing.
We continue straight past a trough with water (left upwards Weißtein Alm) on the road which after few minutes of additional walking brings us to a smaller mountain pasture Instein Alm, on which we notice a smaller wooden cottage and a little above it chapel.
We still continue on the road, and it quickly brings us to a marked crossing, where we leave it.
We continue the ascent on a wide mountain path which starts ascending a little steeper, through a thinner forest. The path from which very nice views opening up, few times crosses a mountain road and higher brings us to a smaller wooden cottage. At the cottage, we again leave the road and we continue the ascent through gently sloping high mountain valley, which is surrounded by high peaks. A gently sloping path which runs by the torrent stream, higher turns to the right and for a short time steeply ascends. This panoramic path, we then follow all the way to the mountain hut Karlsbader Hütte (by the mountain hut is also lake Laserzsee), which we reach after few minutes of additional walking.
To the hut, we can also come on the mountain road.
From the mountain hut, we descend few 10 meters on the road, and then we notice numerous hiking signposts, which point us to the right on a footpath. Already after few steps of additional walking, the path splits into two parts. We continue left in the direction of "Roter Turm and Laserzwand" (right Sandspitzen) on the path which at first slightly ascends, and then crosses slopes towards the left. After few minutes of easy walking path steeply ascends and passes on very steep slopes of Kleine Laserzwand. Next follows 15 minutes of a steep ascent on an occasionally exposed slope (besides the risk of slipping there is also a very high risk of falling stones), and then the path slightly flattens (here from the right side joins unmarked, but less steep path, which ascends over extensive scree). We continue on a little less, but still quite a steep path, which higher brings us below the steep walls of Roter Turm, where we also come on a poorly marked crossing. We continue left (straight steeply upwards Roter Turm) on the path which almost entirely flattens and after few steps of additional walking brings us on the saddle between Kleine Laserzwand on the left and Schöttnerspitze on the right (on the latter we notice a smaller cross).
On the saddle, we continue right (straight Kleine Laserzwand 5 minutes) on the path which starts turning towards the left. Next follows crossing of the steep slopes below Schöttnerspitze (possible snow fields), and then the path passes on gentle upper slopes of the mountain. Next follows only few minutes of easy walking and the path brings us on an ample and panoramic Laserzwand.

On the way: Instein Alm (1669m), Karlsbader Hütte (2261m)