Altes Almhaus - Salzstiegelhaus (via Rappoldkogel)

Access to starting point:
Highway A2 Klagenfurt am Wörthersee - Graz we leave at the Packsattel exit (from the direction of Graz we take the Mooskirchen exit), and then we follow the road towards the town of Köflach and further towards Judenburg and the Gaberl ski slope. Still in the town of Köflach, we turn slightly left into the settlement of Maria Lankowitz, from where we then follow the signs for the cottage Altes Almhaus, where we park on a gravel parking lot.

Path description:
From the parking lot at the mountain hut Altes Almhaus we go on a macadam road, which has signs for Salzstiegel, Hirscheggeralm and Pack. The path at first leads along the northern slopes of the peak Wölkerkogel and with nice views gradually brings us to the western slopes of the peak. Next follows some gentle descent and from the left an unmarked path joins us, which leads over the mentioned summit, while we continue slowly descending on the road. Further on, we descend the shady slopes of the peak Schwarzkogel, and lower down we reach the saddle that separates Schwarzkogel and Rappoldkogel.
Here the path splits; we choose the footpath which has signs for Salzstiegel über Rappoldkogel (slightly left the road continues as the normal Salzstiegel path).
The path ahead first ascends gently along a pasture fence, then enters a spruce forest where it gradually becomes moderately steep. Further on the path becomes steep, but when we leave the forest it temporarily flattens. Next we ascend an increasingly panoramic grassy slope, following this type of path all the way to the cross on the summit of Rappoldkogel.
At the cross we turn left and begin descending steeply along the mostly southern ridge of Rappoldkogel.
Lower down, where the ridge is already partly overgrown with forest, the path splits.
Straight ahead the path continues along the ridge, passing granite towers and requiring a sure foot, while the path to the left continues along the slopes below the small towers or rocks and is slippery, especially when wet, on a short section. Already after a few minutes both paths rejoin, the ridge flattens, and we cross the end of a forest road. Further on we reach grazing slopes and descend along them to a macadam road, where we join the normal path that does not go over the peak Rappoldkogel.
The macadam road we continue on first ascends easily through a strip of forest, then begins descending gently; when we leave the forest we cross an even wider macadam road at the pass Hirscheggersattel, from where the hut Salzstiegelhaus is only a few steps away.
Starting point – Rappoldkogel 1:30, Rappoldkogel – Salzstiegelhaus 0:55.
The description and pictures refer to the condition in October 2024.

On the way: Rappoldkogel (1928m), Hirscheggersattel (1649m)