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History of the region’s mining areas. Region 1: The “Blaue Grotte” (blue cave) at the top of the Rosengartenschlucht is open to the public. Here visitors can see small-scale surface mining, a couple of short adits as well as fire setting and excavations. The Laaggers is a geological rarity. An additional tectonic level – the Krabachjoch nappe, covers the rock sheets of the large Inntal nappe. Little is known about mining in this region. Region 2: There are several sub areas like the Alpeil mines and the Kratzer mines on the south side of the Heiterwand, above the Heiterwand South trail that leads from Heiterwandhütte to Kratzer Sattel and Steinjöch. The adits and mining systems that still can be found in and around Geschröf are of lesser importance. The mining complex “Krom” is located on the north side. Legend has it that there were once chrome ore deposits here, but more likely the name origins from the local word “grobn” (graben = rift). This is reasonable, because the mining shafts are actually located on partly very steep cliffs. The old mines of the St.Veit are located at an altitude of 1900 meters and more, and had allegedly rich and valuable ore deposits, like for example smithsonite. After a long interruption, this particular ore became interesting again around 1880, and the mines were reopened through the Anton inside adit and gallery at the Schweinseinjoch. The lower 200-meter mother load deposit was hardly touched, and it is estimated that several thousand tons of ore still rests under the bedrock. The Reissenschuh area is located west and below its namesake Reissenschuh pass (2052 m). Together with the neighboring areas between the Alpleskopf and Rauchberg it is mostly made up by calcareous rock, but the carnic stratum also contains some galena. It is believed that mining started here as early as the 15th century. These mines experienced their prime between 1680 and 1740. They never gained major importance. The most important and for prospectors certainly the most interesting area was the Dirstendritt. It is possibly one of the cores for Gurgltal’s galena mining. The highest outcrops, the Fundbaue, are located four km west of Nassereith at the eastern declivity of the Alpleskopfes – at almost 1900 m. 1981 you could still see two obvious depressions in the landscape. Just below is the more than 10-km long miner’s trail, going from Tarrenton down to Tarrenz, and from there continuing past the Sinnesbrunn chapel. The ore body proved worthy, and seemed to get better and more plentiful the deeper they excavated. More adits were built, which of Anna, Antoni, Michaeli, Maria Heimsuchung, Carl-Eduard and Wendelin are most important. It was generally assumed that there were more undiscovered deposits, which led to many prospecting reports and plans to excavate in this region. The operations had to close 1952 due to low quality ore. The only distinctive evidence of mining in the region of Brunnwaldkopf is at the rocky mountainsides of Gafleinbach. The Schurfstollen with surface mines; the short Fuderer and one test adit northwest of the Wildfütterung were built in the mid 20th century close to the valley floor. A proper mine was never built. Region 3: A number of noteworthy mining regions are located in the Mieminger Mountains on the West, Southwest and South sides of Wanning (also called Wanneck). The Sigmundsgrube is an old, important mine, where the adits were still made with the old technique of kerfing. The adit openings of the five known sites are all very hard to access, because they are located on the face of the mountain north of the Nassereither Lake. The Matthiasmine, 600 meter Southwest of the Sigmund mine was of less importance. Several shorter adits are still visible, and a newer prospecting site is still accessible. The three operational adits that allegedly went 250 meter into the mountain are, however, no longer accessible. South of the Wanning, the dumps of Mariahilfstollen, Barbarastollen and Johann-Baptist-Stollen adits are still here today. Below, the opening of the deepest adit of the mining region Feigenstein – the Annastollen, is visible. Most deposits in the region were discovered and mined before 1550, but the Feigensteiner is the exception: it was discovered 1670. Due to this, no traces of the typical early hammer and chisel method can be found. This mine reached inglorious fame due to the severe water blowouts in 1948, 1959, and ultimately the worst one in 1999. The subsequent mudslides caused heavy damages. There is little known about the Lorenzi mine. It was located above the Alm trail that connects the Feigensteiner mines with the Nassereither Alm. If you continue on up this trail, you reach the Blasiental mine. The opening of the deepest Blasius adit is just a few steps above the trail. Somewhat higher, the trained eye can discover surface mine extending deeper into the mountain. The Haverstock mine is located around 700 and 1100 meters northwest of the Blasiental mine. This mine was set into operation relatively early, in 1457. The old, central mining area is located on the hillside of the Riffeltal valley, whereof seven of the adits are known by name. The Hochwart mine is usually seen as a continuation of the Haverstock deposits. It is located above tree limit north of the trail that leads to Wannig. The calcareous rock formations lead from Wanning to the Unteren Schafkopf and on to Marienbergjoch. Several led and zinc deposits have been mined on the south side of this ridge. Region 4: Looking west from the Tschirgant, the local mountain of Gurgltal valley, you can see many obvious signs of past mining. Right next to the trail, just some 10 meters west of the cross on the summit of the mountain, you can see a depression where the highest-altitude surface mine, the “Gipfelbau,” was. The mountain outpost is located somewhat below, at 2100-meter altitude. Towards west, large heaps reveal the site of dumps and rubble remains of adit openings. This is what is left of the “Plateaubauen.” On the south side you can find evidence of earlier galena mining at the Tschirgant. Literature has called this region the “Silver Valley” – here was allegedly once argentiferous ore quite abundant. The trail takes you past the large waste rock heaps, further towards the valley and to the “Wasteles Hütte” at 1845 to 1870-meter altitude. Plenty of once probably deep adit ruins can be found in the mining region of “Silberstuben” located in the Tschirgant forest, especially on the mountainside of the street leading to Karröster Alm, and on both sides of the Geo Nature Trail. As recently as in the beginning of the 20th century, two prospecting drifts were drilled at the Silberstuben mines. No useful minerals were found in the Emmastollen adit, and the Heinrichstollen adit only returned small amounts of minerals. Starting approximately 50 meters below and reaching south all the way to the Gurgltal valley floor, is the Frauenbrunnen mining region, with the deepest adit sporting the same name. It is connected to the Franzstollen adit, which is located almost 200 meter above. Up to the left is then the large surface mine, the Klammkopfstollen adit. Additional remote Tschirgant mines are located east of the Karrer Alm and northwest of Haiming in the Magerbach region. Author: Regional geologist Dr. Peter Gstrein |
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