Klammbrückl - Spitzkofel

Access to starting point:
Through the Karawanks Tunnel, we drive to Austria, and then we continue driving towards Spittal and forward towards Lienz (a little after Spittal highway ends). Further, we drive on a relatively nice and wide road through Drau valley. In the center of Lienz, in main roundabout we continue »left« and we continue driving towards Italy (exit from the roundabout in the direction of village Leisach, Anras and Silian). Soon behind the village Leisach, we will on the left side of the road notice signposts, which point us on narrow wooden bridge over the river Drau (direction Kerschbaumer Alm, Klammbrückl). The road only a little after the bridge narrows and starts ascending steeply. The mentioned road, we follow to the parking lot at Klammbrückl.

Path description:
From the parking lot, we continue on the road which is closed for traffic. Already after few ten meters, we come to a crossroad where we continue right following the signs »Kerschbaumer Alm«. Further, we can all the time follow mountain road or we go on a footpath which runs through the forest and later few times for a short time joins the mountain road.
When the road ends we continue on a footpath which starts ascending on the right side of the valley. The path through a thin forest brings us on little steeper slopes and then to the vantage point from where we can nicely see the waterfall Klapffall. After that, the path turns slightly to the left and gets close to mountain stream. Next follows an ascent by the stream and then the path brings us to the mountain pasture Kerschbaumer alm. The path here runs on the left side of the mountain pasture and then follows only a short ascent on a grassy slope past rare trees to the mountain hut Schutzhaus.
At the mountain hut where there is a marked crossing we continue right following the signs »Hallebachtörl, Spitzkofel«. The path further runs towards the southwest and is ascending on grassy slopes by rare larch forest. After approximately 20 minutes of walking from the mountain hut path brings us to another marked crossing.
Slightly to the left leads the path towards the summit Weittalspitze which is well visible from the path for quite some time. At the crossing, we continue right towards the saddle Hallebachtörl. The path here ascends by increasingly rare larches and brings us on a little less steep grassy slopes from which a view opens up towards the summit Kreuzkofel. After the crossing of grassy slopes, the path turns to the right and then follows an ascent to a saddle Hallebachtörl.
From the saddle from where a view towards the summit Spitzkofel opens up, we slightly descend and the path quickly brings us to another crossing.
Left leads the path towards the saddle Kühbodentörl, and we continue right towards the summit Spitzkofel. From the crossing, the path then crosses scree towards the north and from the right quite unnoticeably joins an unmarked path through the valley Hallebachtal. The path on the scree then turns a little to the right and starts ascending a little steeper. When we come below the slopes of the peak Spitzkofel, the path turns to the left and it brings us to a gully. Here the path becomes demanding and by the steel cable ascends through the gully upwards. In the early summer in the gully can still be snow. From the gully we then continue right upward and we few more times ascend by the steel cable. More experienced will manage the ascent also without self belaying. Such a path then soon brings us to bivouac Linderhütte.
From the bivouac, we continue right on a ridge and then we slightly descend with the help of steel cables. The path soon starts again ascending and follows an ascent on a slightly crumbly slope with the help of some fixed safety gear to the top.

On the way: Klapffall (1690m), Kerschbaumeralm Schutzhaus (1902m), Hallebachtörl (2399m), Linderhütte (2683m)