Almandine garnets

Location :

From Obergurgl (Nordtirol), follow the path rising to the Gaisberg glacier, and then climb the frontal moraine. On the other side, you’ll be in front of the glacier. The site, the “Granatwand”, is on your left, in the Granatenkogl Mont’s South face.

Obergurgl is located in a valley surrounded by some glaciers

Rising to the Gaisberg, you'll walk under the whistlings of lots a marmots

4 glaciers dominate the valley

View on the lateral moraine and the garnet's location

Mineralization :

Here you can find lots of almandine garnets, frequently eroded, but sometimes intact. Their quality increase with the height, but it becomes rapidly dangerous ! Those garnets can reach 8 cm long. They are opaque, and only the smaller ones can have a gemmy red color, the bigger ones are almost black. They are generally easy to extract thanks to their matrix of micashists.

Garnets from the Granatwand :