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| Geology and Water Balance |
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 The two sides of the Sexten Valley are different from a geological point of view. On the north-eastern side there are the foothills of Karnischer Kamm including the Helm mountain (2,434 m). These gently shaped, green hills are made up of porphyroid slate and tuff. On the other side of the Sexten Valley , there are the north-eastern Dolomites.
 Between the beginning of the valley and Kreuzbergpass the entire sedimentations of the Dolomites can be found. The Mendel Dolomite is followed by the imposing rock faces of Schlern Dolomite with its many crevices. The Haunold group, the Dreischuster- group and the Birkenkofel group owe their bizarre shape to this rock. The Haunold Group is situated at a tectonic fault line, the so called "Pustertal line". In the southern part of Sextner Dolomiten, the Schlern dolomite builds the base of some of the most impressive monuments of this mountain group: Elfer (3,092 m), Hochbrunner Schneid (3,046 m), Zwölfer (3,094 m), Paternkofel (2,744 m) and the unique Drei Zinnen (2,999 m) are all made up of Dachstein dolomite.
 The argillaceous Raibl Strata cover the Schlern dolomite in many places and protect it from erosion. In hollows, lush green mats and shimmering lakes can be found on the Raibl Strata (Bödenalm, the Böden Lakes ). This is due to their capacity to store great amounts of water. Dürrensee in the Höhlenstein Valley is the only bigger lake in the nature park. But there are several small and shallow ponds, such as Zinnenseen, Bödenseen and Mitteralplsee, which are of great scenic interest.
  The huge mountain faces of Sextner Dolomiten convey a feeling of eternity to park visitors. Yet, they represent only one of the many phases in the dynamic process of development of the Alps and the Dolomites. This is proved by the rock debris which continuously drops of the peaks, ridges and rock faces. At the bottom of the mountains, this debris material can form large slopes. Some valleys, such as Innerfeldtal, Fischleintal and Rienztal have been partially submerged and many rivulets run under this debris. |
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