Alpengasthof Scheikl - Hohe Veitsch (up along the southern ridge)

Access to starting point:
From the border crossing Šentilj we continue driving on the highway towards Gradec / Graz and forward towards Linz and Salzburg. We soon leave highway A9 and continue driving slightly right in the direction of Vienna, proceeding along the expressway S35. Near the settlement Bruck an der Mur, we reach highway S16 and follow it in the direction of Vienna. We leave the mentioned highway at the exit for Mitterdorf, when we reach the roundabout with the old road we continue "straight" (second exit) in the direction of Mariazell, Turnau, Veitsch..., and further we follow the main road which leads us higher to the cottage Pflanzlhütte and the parking lot by the ski slope Brunnalm. Here we continue left on the asphalt road and ascend to the inn Alpengasthof Scheikl, where we park in the parking lot just before or after the inn. The parking lot by the inn is intended for guests.

Path description:
Above the inn, signs for the peak Hohe Veitsch and the mountain hut Meranhaus direct us onto a cart track that ascends alongside the ski slope. Quite a steep path higher up crosses the macadam road, and before the upper station of the 4-chairlift Panorama Sessellift, we go left steeply upwards, where after a short, steep, and increasingly scenic ascent, we reach the upper station of the ski lift Sonnkogellift.
Here is a small marked junction, and we continue right towards the summit Hohe Veitsch (straight downwards to the mountain pasture Schalleralm).
From here follows a few minutes of easy ascent, but when the path enters a strip of forest, it gradually starts to climb more steeply. Further on, the forest begins to thin, and we ascend along the south to southeastern ridge with increasingly beautiful views. Eventually, the path veers slightly to the left from the ridge and moves onto steeper, partly grassy slopes. Higher up, after crossing a grazing fence, the path briefly becomes even steeper, then flattens and transitions into gradually more plateau-like terrain, where it turns left before the cargo cableway. From here follows a few minutes of moderate ascent, and we arrive at the mountain hut Graf-Meran-Haus.
From the mountain hut, we continue left towards the mountain pasture Rotsohlalm and follow the path for some time with several short ascents and descents; after about 10 minutes, we reach the southern ridge of the peak Hohe Veitsch, where the marked path descends to the western side, but we continue right on an unmarked path, from which increasingly beautiful views open up. The path ahead mostly ascends slightly to the right of steep slopes, leading us over pleasant grassy terrain. Higher up, the ridge narrows slightly, and from the right, the marked path from the mountain hut Graf-Meran-Haus approaches. Only a short, gentle ascent along the scenic ridge follows, and we reach the peak with a cross.
Starting point - Graf-Meran-Haus 1:55, Graf-Meran-Haus - Hohe Veitsch 0:40.
The description and pictures refer to the condition in October 2023.

On the way: Graf-Meran-Haus (1836m)