Wide mountain pastures and one of the most beautiful mountain lakes in the wide surroundings on the way to the heavenly Zollnersee Hut
You start a few meters on the previous stage towards Rattendorfer Schneid and keep right at the turnoff. Follow this hiking trail until you reach a crossroads near a hunting lodge. Keep to the left here and follow the hiking trail up to the wide saddle of the Rattendorfer Schneid and don't follow the hiking trail along the crest, but take a short loop over the Lanzenboden, the lovely alpine pastureland above the Lanzenalm. At a crossroads keep to the right - the left path offers a detour via the "constellation" hike "Red Planet" down to the managed Lanzenalm (additional time needed for the return 50 min) - and return in a loop to the Karnische Höhenweg between the ring wall and the miniature peak Cima di Lanza.
Now on a very nice path below the wall and the Schulterkofel to a ridge between Straniger Kopf and Schulterkofel. Go down to a cross and turn right (north) until you reach the small peak of the Gugel, where you will find a fantastic geological panorama. Turn left and follow the Karnischer Höhenweg KHW 403 over a forest road to the farmed Straniger Alm. If you want to strengthen yourself then this is the ideal place.
After a rest you choose the right of the two uphill hiking trails (KHW 403) and walk along it up to a crossroads.
Here you have the option to turn right as described below. At the original path of the Carnic Milky Way, however, you choose the left path at the crossroads above the Straniger Alm and shortly afterwards the left hiking path again, leaving the Karnischen Höhenweg. You ascend via the less pronounced Lodintörl to the summit of the Findenigkofel and cross it in succession on a beautiful crest. At the Lodinutpass you leave the crest and soon reach a crossroads with the Karnischen Höhenweg. You turn left into this path and soon you are walking through hilly terrain along the southern shore of the unbelievably idyllically situated Zollnersee.
At the above mentioned crossroads above the Straniger Alm you have the alternative to hike a variant via the Waidegger Alm and Achornacher Alm to the Zollnersee. It is not as scenic as the main route, but you will get to see more of the alpine life in the Carnic Alps. So you choose the right way here, which will bring you to a forest road shortly. Here you hike on the left side to the farmed Waidegger Alm and then on the forest road to the also farmed Achornacher Alm - you are quasi in the "core zone" of the famous Gailtaler Alm cheese.
Shortly after the Achornacher Alm you leave the forest road and ascend on a hiking trail to the Ochsenalm. Now ignore the alpine road and follow the hiking trail south until you reach the crossroads just before the Zollnersee. Here you meet the main variant again and hike as described above over it (and the KHW 403) past the Zollnersee to the Zollnersee Hut.
