Mönichkirchen - Niederwechsel (via Steinerne Stiege)

Access to starting point:
We leave the A2 Graz - Vienna / Wien highway at the Pinggau, Friedberg exit, then from the nearby roundabout we turn onto the road in the direction of the mentioned settlements and Vienna and Graz. A few kilometers ahead at the junction of regional roads we follow the signs for Vienna and Mönichkirchen. Further on, we drive along Wechsel Straße, the mentioned road which is mainly ascending, and leave it at the junction for Mönichkirchen. Next follows driving through the settlement to a larger parking lot above the settlement, which is situated at the foot of the ski slope.
Parking before 8 a.m. is prohibited, the parking lot is chargeable for hikers, free for cable car users.
Free parking is located below along the main road, which extends our route by about 15 minutes.

Path description:
On the right, eastern side of the parking lot, the asphalt road continues, along which there are still some parking lots, and we ascend along it beside the ski slope. After a few minutes we arrive at a marked junction, where the path towards Mönichkirchner-Schwaig splits into two parts.
We continue slightly left (straight ahead the path along the road) and continue along the path on the right side of the ski slope (path across the ski slope leads past the Studentenkreuz cross). Next follows an ascent along a trail that leads along the edge of the forest, all the time near the ski slope. Higher up we carefully cross a macadam road, because during the summer season descents take place on it with vehicles adapted for use on snowless ski slopes.
For a few minutes we still ascend along the edge of the ski slope, then we return to the road, continue left and walk to Berggasthof Mönichkirchner-Schwaig.
We continue in the direction of the Hallerhaus and Vorauer Schwaig huts and ascend further along the right side of another ski run, accompanied by rather sparse markings. Next follows a few minutes of steeper ascent along a cart track ascending the ski slope, then we join a cart track that continues further across the ski slope. Further on, beautiful views occasionally open up, and we follow the marked path to the Hallerhaus hut.
We bypass the hut on the left side and follow the signs for Hochwechsel. The path ahead leads through the forest, at a few junctions following the markings. Somewhat higher we leave the forest and arrive at the Kulinarik zur Stoa Alm hut, from which a nice view opens up mainly towards the northeast.
We bypass the hut and the upper cableway station on the left side and return to the forest, through which we steeply ascend for a few minutes. Higher the forest thins and some views open up, we continue somewhat further and arrive at the indistinct summit of Steinerne Stiege.
Some descent through the forest follows, then we arrive at a clearing, from which a view opens up on the Schneeberg mountain, which with the second-highest peak Kaiserstein is considered the northernmost and at the same time also easternmost two-thousander in the Alps. The path ahead returns to the forest and splits.
We continue straight across the cart track onto the path towards the Hochwechsel and Niederwechsel peaks (left along the cart track hut Vorauer Schwaig). Further we ascend transversely, briefly still through the forest, then gradually along an increasingly panoramic grassy slope. Higher we cross a pasture fence twice more, and we follow the marked path all the way to the junction near the Niederwechsel summit, where the path leading past the Vorauer Schwaig hut joins from the left.
Here we go right and in a few steps ascend to the rocky and panoramic summit.
Starting point - Mönichkirchner-Schwaig 0:35, Mönichkirchner-Schwaig - Hallerhaus 0:30, Hallerhaus - Stoa Alm 0:15, Stoa Alm - Steinerne Stiege 0:15, Steinerne Stiege - Niederwechsel 0:50.
Description and pictures refer to the condition in October 2022.

On the way: Berggasthof Mönichkirchner-Schwaig (1185m), Hallerhaus am Wechsel (1350m), Kulinarik zur Stoa Alm (1423m), Steinerne Stiege (1505m)