Lienzer Dolomitenhütte - Große Sandspitze (Panorama Kletterweg)

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

Path description:
From the parking lot, we continue on the road, on which in 2 minutes we arrive at the mountain hut Lienzer Dolomitenhütte.
From the hut, we cross the fence and continue the ascent on a panoramic road (nice view of the serrated ridge - highest is Spitzkofel 2717 m), which in the initial part is exposed to falling rocks. The road then crosses a short stretch of forest and brings us to the indistinct saddle Premstall (1625 m), where there is a smaller junction.
We continue straight past the water trough (left upward to Weißtein Alm) on the road, which after a few minutes of further walking brings us to the smaller alpine pasture Instein Alm, on which we notice a smaller wooden hut and slightly above it a chapel.
We continue further on the road, which quickly brings us to a marked junction, where we leave it.
We continue the ascent on a wide mountain path, which starts to ascend somewhat more steeply through increasingly sparse forest. The path, from which very nice views open up, crosses the mountain road several times and higher brings us to a smaller wooden shelter. At the shelter we leave the road again and continue the ascent through a gently sloping high alpine valley surrounded by high peaks. The gentle path, which runs along the torrent stream, higher turns right and ascends steeply for a short time. We follow this panoramic path all the way to the mountain hut Karlsbader Hütte (near the hut there is also Laserzsee lake), which we reach after a few minutes of further walking.
We can also reach the hut via the mountain road.
From the hut we descend a few dozen meters on the road, then we notice numerous hiking signposts that direct us right onto the footpath. Already after a few steps of further walking, the path splits into two parts. We continue left in the direction of "Roter Turm and Laserzwand" (right Sandspitzen) on the path which first ascends gently, then crosses the slopes to the left. After a few minutes of easy walking the path ascends steeply and leads onto the very steep slopes of Kleine Laserzwand. Follows 15 minutes of steep ascent on an occasionally exposed slope (besides slip risk there is also very high risk of falling rocks), then the path flattens slightly (here an unmarked but less steep path joins from the right, which ascends over extensive scree). We continue on a somewhat less but still quite steep path, which higher brings us below the steep walls of Roter Turm, where we arrive at a poorly marked junction.
At the junction we continue right and after a short ascent we are again at a junction. Again we continue right, left upward leads the path to Roter Turm. The path further crosses the slope below the sheer walls of Roter Turm and brings us to the start of the climbing section. Here the path turns left and begins to ascend steeply on rocky terrain along the steel cable. Further the path ascends almost vertically several times, then brings us to the indistinct summit of Kleine Laserzkopf. The section of the path to the mentioned summit is marked with difficulty level A/B.
From Kleine Laserzkopf we continue right along the initially still fairly level ridge. Follows again an almost vertical ascent with the aid of the steel cable and then a less steep ascent along the narrow ridge to the summit of Große Laserzkopf (2718 m).
From the summit we continue along the ridge and begin descending toward the notch between the summits Laserzkopf and Galitzenspitzen. The descent toward the notch becomes steeper and steeper, secured only by the steel cable. After the steep descent into the notch follows an even more demanding ascent. First we ascend almost vertically along the steel cable, then we bypass the ridge on the north side. Here first in a short ascent we cross sheer slopes toward the east, then follows a demanding vertical ascent back toward the ridge. On this section of the path, besides the steel cable, we are aided by a few pegs. When we reach the ridge again, a short ascent along the ridge to the summit of Galitzenspitzen follows.
Further the path along the ridge descends and ascends steeply several times along the steel cable all the way to the notch below the summit Daumen. In the notch, located before the most difficult part of the path, there is also a path junction, so we have the option to leave the ridge path and descend toward the Karlsbader hut.
From the notch we first continue onto the north side of the mountain and ascend very steeply several times with the aid of the steel cable. Follows a vertical ascent toward the summit Daumen, which is also the most difficult point on the entire path. This part of the path is marked with difficulty level C/D. The vertical ascent is otherwise well secured with the steel cable, aided by a few pegs.
From the summit Daumen we descend steeply with the aid of steel cables into the notch between the summits Daumen and Sandspitze. From the notch follows again a vertical ascent of difficulty C/D. After surmounting the vertical rock step follows an ascent along the steel cable on the northwest face of Sandspitze. A little below the summit the easier Ari Schübel path joins, then only a short ascent to the very panoramic summit remains.
The described path is extremely demanding and suitable only for the most experienced mountaineers with sufficient arm strength and mandatory self-belaying.
Descent recommended via the Ari Schübel path.

On the way: Instein Alm (1669m), Karlsbader Hütte (2261m), Laserzkopf (2718m), Galitzenspitzen (2710m), Daumen (2720m)