Podkraj / Unterort - Končnikov vrh (Peca)

Access to starting point:
A) Via the Jezerski vrh border crossing we drive into Austria, then after approximately 6 km past Železno Kaplo / Bad Eisenkappel we turn right towards Velikovec / Völkermarkt. We follow the main road towards Velikovec for 2 km, then we turn right again, this time in the direction of the settlement Pliberk / Bleiburg. Further we drive through the Podjune valley, then at the next larger intersection we turn right towards Pliberk. The road leads through some roundabouts, and we continue to follow it in the direction of the Peca / Petzen ski area. Further we drive through Bistrica pri Pliberku / Feistritz ob Bleiburg to the large parking lot at the lower station of the cable car to Peca. From the Jezerski vrh border crossing to the starting point it is approximately 40 km.
B) From Dravograd or Slovenj Gradec we drive to Ravne na Koroškem, then we continue driving in the direction of the Holmec border crossing. When we drive into Austria we first drive towards Pliberk / Bleiburg, then we follow the signs for the Peca / Petzen ski area. Further we drive through some villages, and we follow the road to the large parking lot at the lower station of the cable car to Peca. From the Holmec border crossing to the starting point it is approximately 8 km.

Path description:
From the parking lot we first walk to the lower station of the circular-cabin cable car which goes to Peca, then we head to the path marked no. 3, 7 and 8. The path first leads along a wide cart track, along which we quickly arrive at the ski slope. We continue along the left edge of the ski area, then the path turns slightly to the right and brings us into dense forest. Here it flattens and joins a cart track, along which we slightly descend to the nearby marked junction.
From the junction we continue along the left ascending road, where the signs for path no. 3 and 7 also direct us. Just a few minutes higher the road splits into two parts, where we continue left along path no. 3 (right initially slightly downhill path no. 7, which leads towards Veška planina). Some 100 m higher we join the marked path from the village Rute / Ruttach, so further on we cross a poor forest road several times. Higher the road along which we occasionally continue the path for some time finally ends, and we continue between two rocks into the forest. The path ahead steeply ascends through the forest, which on hot days offers pleasant shade. Higher the forest gradually begins to thin, and nice views open up on Podjuno and the Golica range. A little further the trail turns quite to the left and brings us below the steep slopes of Mala Peca, where in the middle of the right-hand bend to the left branches the via ferrata named Walter Mory Klettersteig, which leads to the upper station of the circular-cabin cable car.
From the junction we continue right, where we first ascend transversely over steep scree, then the path turns right and crosses a smaller gully. For a short time we cross the slopes to the right, then the path turns slightly to the left, quickly bringing us near a collapsing wooden shack. From here we continue a short ascent and arrive at the marked junction by the hunting hut Na Križah.
At the junction before the hunting hut we continue left along path no. 3. Initially quite flat the path crosses slopes through larch forest, then it soon begins to ascend somewhat more steeply. The path further still ascending crosses slopes to the east and brings us out of the forest onto a cart track. Only a short ascent follows to the artificial lake from which there is a nice view of the surrounding peaks.
From the lake we continue along the wide path across the grassy slope to the upper cable car station, which we already see ahead.
At the upper station of the cabin cable car where there is a junction we continue right following the signs »P12 Kordeschkopf«. Initially we walk along a flat cart track, then the path turns right and begins to ascend alongside the ski area upwards. For a short time then the path turns left from the ski area into the forest, then ascends again along the edge of the ski area. When we reach the top of the ski area we continue left and then for some time ascend alongside the dwarf pines upwards. Later the dwarf pines become somewhat sparser and then follows a short ascent across the grassy slope to the junction on the border ridge (near Knipsovo sedlo).
At the junction we continue right (left Kordeževa glava) and quickly ascend to Končnikov vrh.

On the way: Na Križah (1578m), Alpengasthof Siebenhütten (1708m)

Trip can be extended to: Feistritzer Spitze , Petzen (Kordeschkopf) (Peca (Kordeževa glava))