Mönichkirchen - 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 take the exit in the direction of the mentioned settlements and Vienna and Graz. A few kilometers ahead at the intersection of regional roads we follow the signs for Vienna and Mönichkirchen. Further, we drive along Wechsel Straße, the mentioned road which is mainly ascending, but leave it at the exit 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.

Path description:
On the right, eastern side of the parking lot, the asphalt road continues, alongside 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 to Mönichkirchner-Schwaig splits into two parts.
We continue slightly left (straight ahead - path along the road) and continue the path on the right side of the ski slope (path across the ski slope leads past the Studentenkreuz cross). Follows an ascent along a trail that leads along the edge of the forest, all the time near the ski slope. Higher, we carefully cross a macadam road, because during the summer season descents with vehicles adapted for use on snowless ski slopes take place on it.
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 hut and Vorauer Schwaig and ascend on the right side of another ski piste, accompanied by fairly rare markings. Follows a few minutes of steeper ascent on a cart track ascending on the ski slope, then we join a cart track that continues further on the ski slope. Further, beautiful views open up occasionally, and we follow the marked path to the Hallerhaus hut.
We bypass the hut on the left side and follow the signs for Hochwechsell. The path further leads through the forest, at a few junctions we follow the markings. Slightly 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 station of the cable car 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 a bit further and arrive at the indistinct summit of Steinerne Stiege.
Starting point - Mönichkirchner-Schwaig 0:35, Mönichkirchner-Schwaig - Hallerhaus 0:30, Hallerhaus - Stoa Alm 0:15, Stoa Alm - Steinerne Stiege 0:15.
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)