Fern Pass

The Fern Pass is a mountain pass in the Tyrolean Alps, Austria. It lies between the Lechtal Alps to the west and the Mieming Mountains to the east. The Zugspitze, Germany’s highest peak, is just 13.5 kilometres away. Three prominent mountains surround the pass: Grubigstein to the northwest, Wannig to the southeast, and Loreakopf to the west. The pass sits at an elevation of 1,212 metres, making it a key route through the rugged landscape. The pass owes its existence to a massive mountain slide around 2,000 BC. The collapse filled part of the valley to a height of 300 to 400 metres, scattering boulders up to 16 kilometres away. Scientists from Innsbruck University dated the event to the 22nd century BC using uranium-thorium dating. The slide created a series of lakes, the largest being Blindsee. These lakes remain a defining feature of the area today. The Fern Pass has long been an important route. The Romans built the Via Claudia Augusta across it to link Raetia with northern Italy. Today, the Fernpass Straße (B 179) carries heavy traffic between Reutte and Imst. The road also connects the Lech and Inn river valleys, making it one of the busiest passes in the eastern Alps. Steep gradients of up to 8 percent challenge drivers on both sides of the pass.