Jauken

The Jauken is a rugged, elongated massif of the Gailtaler Alps in western Kärnten. It stands between the Drautal valley to the north and the Gailtal valley to the south, stretching eight to ten kilometres wide. Five peaks rise between 2 110 and 2 276 metres, with the highest, the Torkofel, bearing a summit cross. The massif is separated from the Reißkofel by the Jaukensattel col at 1 613 metres and the deep Ochsenschlucht gorge. The name comes from the steady southern slope called the Jaukenalm, which leads walkers from the Gailtal up to the Torkofel. On the plateau above Dellach lies the Gurina, settled since the New Stone Age. The northern side is far steeper, cut by rock spurs and a three-kilometre scree slope that drops through the Gießgraben into the Drautal. From the col the massif continues eastward to the Reißkofel, the local mountain of the Weißensee holiday region. Westwards the slopes ease into wooded heights that descend toward the Gailbergsattel. Along the crest the five summits form a striking line, offering wide views over the two great valleys on either side.