From the very first glance at the Garnitzenklamm gorge, the typical features of a gorge are evident on both sides of the Garnitzen brook: the almost vertical cliff walls. The cliff walls are made up of light grey banded limestone, which is the dominant rock type along the Geotrail. The …
An imposing cliff of banded limestone with extremely polished cliff faces can be seen here. These striking surfaces developed because banded limestones and schists were once pushed against one another by unimaginable forces from inside the Earth – so-called endogenous forces. These displacement processes were responsible for the close proximity …
A landscape is the result of the impact of various forces. The roots of the common beech highlight one type of forces which have an effect on shaping the Earth’s surface. These are known as exogenous forces. As they grow thicker, roots develop such high pressure that they can split …
Read more The common beech – rock fractures caused by root forces
The erosive forces of the water are responsible for exposing the second main rock type present along the Geotrail – grey schists. The schists contain sand and were formed in a shallow sea. Rivers washed fine-grained erosion material from a long-gone island or continent into the primordial sea. These conditions …
At this stopping point, from the Ida look-out point a waterfall can be seen rushing down over the light grey banded limestones. Below the waterfall, the limestones come into contact with the much weaker schists along a fault line. Such a fault results in a weakening of the rock structure …
At this stopping point, you can see the narrowest section of the Garnitzenklamm gorge. Here, the brook has carved its way deep down into the green-red-grey banded limestones and sculpted out some impressive kolks. Kolks are cylindrical to trough-shaped indentations which develop when flowing water on a stream bed encounters …
Nowhere else does the gorge offer such striking insights into the interior of a mountain and rocks as on the opposite cliff wall. The exposed folds in the rock are the expression of the enormous forces involved in forming mountains. The rocks are laterally compressed as if they were in …
Read more Rock folds – in the vice of the mountain formation
A large block of red-grey laminated limestone can be seen near the bridge on the banks of the brook. This is one of the most beautiful rocks in the Carnic Alps. Looking more closely, you will see a network-like structure on its surface. This consists of darker clay particles surrounding …
The striking rock debris in the stream bed of the Garnitzenklamm gorge is endlessly fascinating and is the result of various natural forces. The colours of the dominating limestones and schists are multiplied by those rocks which are exposed in the upper part of the gorge and were transported from …