Schanzsattel - Leopold-Wittmaier-Hütte

Access to starting point:
Highway A2 Graz - Vienna we leave at the exit for Gleisdorf west, then follow the signs for Hartberg and Weiz, and later only Weiz. At the start of the town Weiz, we exit the roundabout toward the settlement Birkfeld and follow the road to that settlement. From there, we follow signs for the settlement Fischbach, but we continue driving a bit further to the mountain pass Schanzsattel, where we park. By the mountain pass is also the guesthouse Alpengasthof Schanz. The parking lot by the guesthouse is intended for its guests, so we park in the parking lot by the ski slope (ski lift) Schanzlift.
b) We leave the highway S6 Bruck an der Mur - Neunkirchen at the exit Kindbergdörfl, then follow the signs for Birkfeld and Stanz. Further, we begin ascending and follow the road to the mountain pass Schanzsattel, where we park. By the mountain pass is also the guesthouse Alpengasthof Schanz. The parking lot by the guesthouse is intended for its guests, so we park in the parking lot by the ski slope (ski lift) Schanzlift.

Path description:
From the parking lot by the mountain pass Schanzsattel, we first walk to the inn Alpengasthof Schanz and another parking lot to the yellow mountain signposts, from where we proceed on path number 706 A, or on the path in the direction of Stanglalm. The path initially leads along a cart track, a few minutes higher crosses a macadam road, and then continues again along a cart track, following the blazes at a few crossings.
After some time, we cross the road again, then reach the saddle northwest of the peak Teufelstein, where we join the path starting at the cross Zeller Kreuzter and continue following the signs for Stanglalm.
After the crossing, we walk briefly on a cart track, then veer slightly left onto a marked path, an old rocky logging trail, where several fallen trees lie across the path. Higher up, the path levels out, and we first reach a rougher road, followed by a wider macadam road.
Further on, we walk alongside a wind turbine park, where there is a risk of falling ice, and we continue walking on the macadam road for quite some time. After a short descent, a marked path from the mountain pass and the settlement Alpl joins from the right, and the path leads us past the Walserkreuz cross, after which we soon leave the road and continue slightly right on a parallel marked path. When we return to the road, we turn right, and upon leaving the forest, we step onto the Stanglalm mountain pasture.
From the mountain pasture, we continue along the road, and at several marked crossings, we keep going straight, continuing on the road. When the road splits, we choose the slightly left road and continue to the point where the road stops ascending. Here on the right, we notice an indistinct peak, which is located in the forest and is only a few steps from the road.
A little further, we turn right off the road, heading downward toward the Leopold-Wittmaier-Hütte mountain hut, quickly leaving the forest and descending through a scenic meadow to the mountain hut, a few minutes away.
Starting point - Stanglalm 2:00, Stanglalm - Stanglalpe 0:20, Stanglalpe - Leopold-Wittmaier-Hütte 0:10.
Description and pictures refer to the condition in June 2024.

On the way: Walserkreuz (1408m), Stanglalm (1470m), Stanglalpe (1490m)