Hebalm (Gasthaus Zur Rehbockhütte) - Barofen

Access to starting point:
a) We leave the highway MP Šentilj - Graz at the exit Lebring, then follow the signs for Lonč / Deutschlandsberg. When we arrive in Lonč, we follow the signs for Hebalm, then we begin visibly ascending towards the Hebalm ski area. When we reach the Kluglifte Hebalm ski lift, on the right by the inn Gasthaus Zur Rehbockhütte, we park on a larger macadam parking lot, or we can also park on the parking lot on the other side of the road.
b) From the highway Klagenfurt am Wörthersee - Graz, we take the exit Packsattel, then follow the signs for Klagenfurt, Deutschlandsberg, and Preitenegg. There follows some descent, then we turn left from the main road towards Lonč and Hebalm. Further on, we start ascending again and higher up we reach the Hebalm ski area, but we continue driving a little further, so we already start descending towards Lonč. When we arrive at the inn Gasthaus Zur Rehbockhütte, we turn right or left and park on a large parking lot opposite the inn or by the inn.

Route description:
From the parking lot, we continue for a short time on the asphalt road ascending towards the northwest, then soon turn left onto the marked footpath number 551. Initially, we ascend through the forest, then cross a macadam road, and a little further, we reach the cross-country ski trail, which we follow briefly. Blazes then lead us back into the forest, where, after a small saddle, we arrive at a marked junction, where a path from the starting point at the Hebalm ski area joins us.
Here, we continue straight towards the Weinebene mountain pass, initially ascending gently, then reaching a rougher road, along which we begin to descend lightly.
At the See-Eben saddle, we reach a wider macadam road, and from the intersection, we continue towards the Weinebene mountain pass and the Barofen peak.
The path ahead leads us along a macadam road, from which we soon turn right onto a marked cart track. Next follows a light to moderate ascent, and we arrive at the next marked junction, from which we continue left (right Theissenegg and Twimberg).
The path ahead initially leads partly through the forest, then we walk for some time alongside a longer grassy terrain surrounded by forest.
When we return to the forest, the path splits again, and this time we choose the right path, marked with signs for Barofen (straight Weinebene). Shortly after, we reach a wider cart track, which we follow to the left, then soon turn right into the forest, where we cross several smaller streams. When the stream crossings end, we cross a grazing fence, then moderately ascend across a spacious pasture, which offers a nicer view, though the footpath temporarily disappears. We continue in roughly the same direction, guided by blazes on individual trees. When we cross the fence again, we begin to ascend more noticeably, with increasingly expansive views. Below the summit head of the mountain, a path from the starting point at the Weinebene mountain pass or the Kamperkogel settlement joins us from the left, and then we steeply ascend in a few minutes to the panoramic peak.
Description and pictures refer to the condition in November 2023.

Along the route: See-Eben (1424m)

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