Dürre Wand and Gutenstein Alps

February 10, 2012

Duerrewand_301211_abraham

Photographer
: Tamas Abraham; Tamas' Web site
Summary Author: Tamas Abraham

As 2011 came to a close, I decided to hike up the ridge of the Dürre Wand (Barren Wall) in southeastern Austria. This area is part of the Gutenstein Alps; a mountain range in the Eastern Alps region consisting largely of limestone and dolomite. The relatively narrow edge of the Dürre Wand can be readily seen on the photo above. After approximately two hours on the trail, I reached my destination at the top of the Plattenstein (3,786 ft or 1,154 m), where I was rudely greeted by fog and strong winds. Spruce and larch are the dominant tree species at these elevations. In the foreground, the gnarled trunk of a long-dead spruce remains erect as its roots still clutch firmly to the rocky subsurface. Photo taken on December 30, 2011.

Photo details: Camera Maker: Canon; Camera Model: Canon EOS 400D DIGITAL; Lens: EF-S18-55mm f/3.5-5.6; Focal Length: 18.0mm; Aperture: f/7.1; Exposure Time: 0.017 s (1/60); ISO equiv: 100; Exposure Bias: none; Metering Mode: Matrix; Exposure: Manual; White Balance: Auto; Flash Fired: No (enforced); Orientation: Normal; Color Space: Adobe RGB (1998); Software: ACD Systems Digital Imaging.