Gasthof Pfeifferstocker - Barofen

Access to starting point:
A) Through one of the border crossings with Austria (Korensko sedlo, Karawanks Tunnel, Ljubelj mountain pass, Jezerski vrh mountain pass, Pavličev vrh mountain pass), we drive into Austria, and then we continue driving on the highway towards Graz. On the mentioned highway we drive to the settlement Volšperk / Wolfsberg, where we leave the highway, and when we get to the old or regional road we continue driving in the direction of the settlement St. Gertraud. In the settlement St. Gertraud, we notice signs for the Weinebene Alpine mountain pass, which direct us to the right onto an ascending asphalt road. On the mentioned road, we drive approximately 12 km, or to the parking lot below the inn Gasthof Pfeifferstocker.
B) Over the border crossing Holmec or Vič we drive to Austria, and then we continue driving towards the settlement Volšperk / Wolfsberg. From Volšperk we continue on a regional road in the direction of the settlement St. Gertraud. In the settlement St. Gertraud we notice signs for Alpine mountain pass Weinebene, which point us to the right on an ascending asphalt road. On the mentioned road, we drive approximately 12 km, or to the parking lot below the inn Gasthof Pfeifferstocker.
C) First, we drive to Maribor, and then we continue driving on the highway towards the border crossing Šentilj and ahead on Austrian highway towards Gradec / Graz. We leave the mentioned highway at exit for settlement Lipnica / Leibnitz. When we leave the highway at the roundabout, we continue in the direction of the settlement Lipnica / Leibnitz and further we drive south from the village Gralla, which is today already some kind of peripheral part of Lipnica. Further, the road leads us past industrial zone, and at the roundabout by store Hofer we continue "straight" on the second exit in the direction of the settlement Lonč / Deutschlandsberg. Further, we for some time drive on the main road, and after the village Graschach we turn right in the direction of the settlement Lonč / Deutschlandsberg. In a roundabout right next to the settlement Lonč / Deutschlandsberg, we continue "straight" in the direction of the alpine mountain pass Weinebene. From here, the road begins to ascend more steeply, and we follow it to the mentioned mountain pass, which we reach after approximately 20 km of driving from the start of the settlement Lonč. From the mountain pass, we continue driving forward and begin descending, descending approximately 6 km, when on the right side we notice the parking lot below the inn Gasthof Pfeifferstocker.

Path description:
From the parking lot by the main road, we first walk to the inn, then bypass the inn and other nearby buildings on the right side. We continue on the macadam road, which leads us along the left side of the transformer, then diagonally ascend to a private house a few minutes away, where we turn left onto a footpath, ascending the slope to a marked crossing on the periphery of the forest.
Here we go right toward the Wildbachsattel saddle (left the Weberwirt guesthouse) and continue briefly along the edge of the forest with beautiful views on the right side. When the path enters the forest, we turn left from the cart track onto a marked path, which ascends more steeply for a while, then flattens higher up and continues without significant changes in altitude to the next crossing near the hunting cottage.
Here we go left (right Weinebene) and follow the signs for Wildbachsattel and Barofen, continuing on the macadam road, which mostly runs through the forest, with a shorter section crossing a panoramic slope, offering a beautiful view of the highest peaks in the Lavanttal Alps and the nearby partly forested Barofen. A little further, at a smaller crossroad, we go slightly right and start ascending. From here, we continue on the road for a short time and reach the next crossing, where a path branches off to the right towards the saddle Wildbachsattel and Wolfstein. We continue on the road, which higher up leads past a trough, a small cottage, and a cross, and eventually brings us out of the forest, where it gradually turns slightly to the left. We leave the road before the nearby transmitter and continue right, following the blazes, though no visible footpath is present at first. The footpath soon becomes more distinct and leads us through a vast pasture to a marked crossing, where we go right (straight to Gasthaus Langhans). Next follows a moderate ascent through a sparse forest; when we join the path starting at Hebalm, we go left, and after a short, steep ascent, we reach the summit with a cross.
The starting point - Jagdhaus Straßerhalt 0:35, Jagdhaus Straßerhalt - Bärofen 1:25.
The description and pictures refer to the conditions in February 2025.

On the way: Jagdhaus Straßerhalt (1522m)