Fern Pass
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| Fern Pass | |
|---|---|
 Zugspitze, seen from the Fern Pass parking lot. |
|
| Elevation | 1212 m. |
| Location | Austria |
| Range | Alps |
| Coordinates | |
| Traversed by | B 179 |
The Fern Pass (el. 1212 m.) is a high mountain pass in the Tyrolean Alps in Austria.
It is located between the Lechtal Alps on the west and the Mieming Mountains on the east. The highest peak in Germany, the Zugspitze is only 13.5 km away to the northeast. The pass lies between the Grubigstein (2233 m.) on the northwest, the Wannig (2493 m.) on the southeast, and the Loreakopf (2471 m.) on the west.
The pass was created 10,000 years ago, when a huge avalanche filled part of the valley. The landscape is marked by a series of lakes, the largest of which is the Blindsee.
The pass road is known as the Fernpass Straße (B 179). It connects Reutte through the Lermoos tunnel with Tarrenz and Imst. Via B 187 and B 189, it also leads to Garmisch-Partenkirchen in Germany. It also connects the Lech River valley with the Inn River valley. Therefore, it carries more traffic than almost any other pass in the eastern Alps, except the Brenner Pass. The highest grade is 8 percent, and the elevation gain from Reutte to the pass is 359 m. On the other side to Telfs, the elevation gain is 579 m.
[edit] History
The Via Claudia Augusta was the most important road from the Roman province of Raetia to northern Italy. It has the advantage over the Arlberg that it is passable even in winter.
