Draßnitz - Kl. Hochkreuz

Access to starting point:
From Spittal we drive towards Lienz or vice versa, but only to the village Dellach. In the middle of the village we notice signs, which point us to the right (from the direction of Spittal, from Lienz left) in the direction of Oberdraßnitzer Alm. At the crossroads, we follow the ascending road in the mentioned direction and drive along it to a gate (approx. 1300m) from which further driving ahead is also forbidden.

Path description:
From the gate we continue on the road which after two successive sharp turns quickly brings us to a crossroad of two roads. We continue on the left road in the direction of the mountain pasture Untere Draßnitzalm. The road, which is for some time still ascending through the forest, soon brings us to a nice vantage point, from which a nice view opens up on two alpine waterfalls.
From the vantage point, we continue on the road which higher over a bridge crosses one of the two waterfalls. Soon after the waterfall the road brings us out of the forest on the mountain pasture Unterdraßnitzer Alm.
From the mountain pasture, we continue on the right path in the direction of the summit Hochkreuz. The path goes immediately after the mountain pasture into the forest and moderately ascends on a cart track. After a few minutes, we get closer to the stream, which we then cross over the bridge. On the other side of the stream, the path steeply ascends and among bushes brings us to unvegetated swampy slopes. From here the otherwise marked path vanishes. We have two options to continue. We can continue on the marked pathless terrain (somewhat to the right) or ascend alongside the stream upwards (slightly left). The latter is, despite not being marked, orientationally easier. Both "paths" join at an altitude of approximately 2200m (this place we recognize by the high alpine cirque). From here on in both cases we continue sharply left and follow the very rare blazes, which we occasionally see on some of the larger rocks. After a few minutes of crossing, which we do in a moderate ascent, we again start turning somewhat to the right. If we are lucky the "path" brings us right to the lake. From the lake, we continue slightly left and after 15 minutes of ascent on easier pathless terrain we step onto Hochleitenk.
From the top, we continue somewhat to the right, first on the ridge downwards, then on a poorly visible path steeply upwards. After a shorter steep ascent, we step onto the secondary peak of Hochkreuz, from which a nice view opens up on it.
PS: Orientation on the path is difficult, therefore go on the path only in nice weather.

On the way: Unterdraßnitzer Alm (1673m), Eckensee (2481m), Hochleitenk (2581m)