Parkplatz Innerfragant - Schareck

Access to starting point:
From the Karawanks Tunnel, we follow the highway towards Salzburg to the highway junction where we turn left towards Spittal. From Spittal we drive towards Lienz. A little after the highway ends, at the settlement Möllbrücke, we turn right towards the settlement Mallnitz and the Alpine road Großglockner. We follow this road to the settlement Kleindorf (a little after the settlement Flattach) where signs „Mölltaler Gletscher“ direct us to the right onto an ascending road towards the lower station of the cable car. We follow this road all the way to the large parking lots at the lower station of the cable car.

Path description:
From the parking lot, we continue on the asphalt road which is closed to traffic. After a short ascent on the road, signposts direct us to the right onto the footpath „Richard Helfer Weg“. On the footpath we also avoid the tunnels on the road through which walking is forbidden.
From the junction, we start to ascend somewhat more steeply through the forest on a relatively poorly trodden path. Higher up, we join the road for a short time and then turn right again onto a footpath marked with Knafelc blazes. The path mostly ascends through the forest and crosses a few shorter clearings. Later, the path brings us to somewhat steeper slopes from which we occasionally get views of the waterfalls of the Astrombach stream on the other side of the steep valley. On a short traverse where the slope is very steep, a rope assists us. The path here is not overly demanding, but caution is needed as bushes and high grass might prevent us from noticing that the slope beside the narrow path is very steep. The path then turns left from the steep slopes and begins to ascend somewhat more steeply. Along such a path through the forest, we soon reach the mountain road.
We continue right on the road, which descends slightly and brings us to a marked junction near the Wurtenspeicher lake. We head left onto a cart track and after a short ascent arrive at the lake. There are also benches and a table near the lake.
The cart track running along the lake soon ends, and we head left onto a footpath. The path continues mostly with a gentle ascent traversing the slope above the lake towards the north, crossing several smaller streams in the process. Later, the path turns slightly left and ascends in switchbacks for a short time. This is followed by traversing somewhat steeper slopes, where we bypass a small landslide. Some caution is required here. Later, the increasingly scenic path becomes less steep and proceeds northwards. We still need to watch our step as there are quite a few deep holes beside the path. The path then descends slightly and brings us near the Mernigsee lake.
Here the path turns slightly right and crosses a stream, then begins ascending the slope above the lake. We walk north again and soon traverse the slope below the chairlift leading to the Weißseehaus hut. The path then turns left and follows a short ascent on the slope left of the ski slope. Later, the path runs across the ski slope and brings us to a mountain road where there is a junction.
To the right slightly downhill it is only a few dozen meters to the intermediate cable car station (Mittelstation); left the road leads to the Weißseehaus hut; we cross the road and continue straight across the ski slope. The path across the ski slope begins to ascend somewhat more steeply and a view towards the Weißsee lake starts to open up. The path gradually turns right and brings us to a somewhat flatter section of the ski slope. From the left, a path joins almost unnoticeably from the road running along the Hochwurtenspeicher lake. Here the path turns right from the ski slope onto a track that brings us near the circular cabin cable car. The path then runs slightly left of the cable car and follows the final ascent to the Duisburger Hütte hut, from which there is a very nice view of the surrounding peaks and lakes.
At the hut, we continue right on the footpath as directed by signs „Bergstation Eissee, Schareck“. The path continues ascending near the cable car and runs north. Higher up, we join a narrower gravel road built for the ski slope. Along the scenic road, we soon reach the Eisseehaus hut, where a view opens towards the Wurtenkees glacier and the Schareck summit. The upper station of the circular cabin cable car is also at the hut.
We continue past the hut towards the Eissee lake and then turn left towards the ski slope. We then ascend along the right edge of the ski slope, which is open even in summer months. If the snow is frozen, the use of an ice axe and crampons is recommended. As we approach the ridge, the ski slope turns left, but we continue along its edge and soon reach the upper station of the chairlift.
From here, only a few meters of ascent remain to the ridge. Right along the ridge, the path leads to the Baumbachspitze summit; we go left. The path first passes a small weather station with a camera. This section is also secured with a rope. The ridge widens somewhat for a while, then the path brings us to steel cables. Here we ascend somewhat more steeply, assisted by a peg. The steepness soon eases and the steel cables end. The final section of the path is relatively gentle, but the ridge along which it runs remains slightly exposed, so some caution is still needed. Along such a path, we soon reach the summit.
We descend the ascent path, shortening it considerably with the help of the cable cars. Alternatively, we can continue along the ridge and return via the Fraganter Scharte notch to the intermediate cable car station (Mittelstation).

On the way: Wurtenspeicher (1695m), Mernigsee (2040m), Mittelstation (Mölltaler Gletscher) (2234m), Duisburger Hütte (2572m), Eisseehaus (2795m)