Haunold (2,966) - Spectacular mountain tour

The Haunold in Innichen, a spectacular mountain tour in the Sexten Dolomites

The Haunold is the local mountain of Innichen. With its height of 2,966 meters, it is one of the highest mountains in the Sexten Dolomites. The ascent may not be easy, but in the end you will be generously rewarded with views that one can only dream of. Such panoramas are unique, not many peaks in the Dolomites can offer such views. That is why the Haunold in Innichen is unique. But it is not only the panoramic view from the summit that is sensational, but the entire journey to the destination.

Where exactly is the Haunold located

If you have already been to Innichen (Hochpusteral), you may have noticed the mountain scenery of the Haunold to the south. This is the so-called Haunold Group. It consists of several peaks: the Gangkofel, Haunoldköpfel, Neunerkofel, Birkenkofel and Gantraste. A truly massive rock, you could say. Somehow, this mountain range of the Sexten Dolomites seems to merge with the community of Innichen, as if this mountain were protecting the village. However, reaching the summit of the Haunold is no child's play, as it requires sufficient endurance and above all skill. The mountain itself is very fragile and should not be underestimated, even though many people have already reached this goal.

Starting point for the tour to the Haunold

From the Innerfeldtal valley, which is accessible from a side road between Innichen and Sexten, the tour to the king of the Haunold Group starts. Good footwear is a must here, otherwise there may be dangers. I don't want to spread fear here, but this is a prerequisite for climbing a Dolomite mountain of this magnitude. Usually, this fear quickly fades away when you admire the dreamlike scenery from the Haunold.

The mountain tour

After a comfortable 20 minutes, you reach the Dreischusterhütte in the Innerfeldtal. Just before the mountain hut, on the right side of the path, there is the only sign for the Haunold with the note difficult. From here, the approximately 4.5-hour tour to the Innichen local mountain starts.

At the beginning, it goes rather leisurely uphill through bushes. Again and again, you will be impressed by the view of the opposite Dreischuster Spitze (3,145 m) in the Dolomites. As soon as you are out of the bushes, there are only rocks and stones. Here, the hike to the Haunold really begins and it says: Two steps forward and one step back. Over tons of stones and scree, it only goes uphill until after about 2.5 hours you see the summit cross of the Haunold on the right. Unbelievable how this cross shines. But the goal has not been reached yet. The last 1.5 hours of ascent are characterized by easy climbing, which requires a lot of skill. Then the dream finally comes true and the Haunold with its 2,966 m high summit cross is reached, which celebrated its 50th anniversary this year. Now all you have to do is enjoy the view: The Tre Cime, the Pustertal, the Grossglockner, the Marmolada, the Peitler Kofel and many many other mountains can be admired from the Haunold. Even the Hohe Tauern National Park and the Lienz Dolomites in East Tyrol can be seen.

My conclusion

Stones and brittle rocks characterize the hike to the Haunold. At the end of the day, one can feel proud to have been to one of the highest and most impressive mountains in the Sexten Dolomites. Because such panoramas as seen from the Haunold are not seen every day. The tour to the Haunold in South Tyrol may be a bit demanding, but it is definitely worth it to take a look over the Pustertal, the Tre Cime Nature Park and into the furthest regions of the Hohe Tauern National Park.