Salzstiegelhaus - Altes Almhaus (via Rappoldkogel)

Access to starting point:
a) Highway A2 Klagenfurt - Graz we leave at the exit Packsattel, and then we follow the signs for Graz and Pack. At the settlement Stampf we leave the old road towards Graz and continue driving in the direction of the settlement Hirschegg, and from there follow the signs for the ski slope Salzstiegel and the mountain hut Salzstiegelhaus. In the last part, we follow the macadam road to the parking lot at the mountain hut Salzstiegelhaus, which is situated by the mountain pass Hirscheggersattel.
b) Highway A2 Graz - Klagenfurt we leave at the exit Modriach, and then we follow the signs for the lake Packer Stausee and the settlement Hirschegg. From the settlement Hirschegg we follow the signs for the ski slope Salzstiegel and the mountain hut Salzstiegelhaus. In the last part, we follow the macadam road to the parking lot at the mountain hut Salzstiegelhaus, which is situated by the mountain pass Hirscheggersattel.

Path description:
Signposts at the cottage Salzstiegelhaus direct us over the road pass to the eastern side, where we follow the signs for Rappoldkogel, Altes Almhaus, and Gaberl. We initially walk on a fairly gentle, rough macadam road, which, after a few minutes of walking, leads us to a crossroads by a grazing fence.
Here, we continue slightly left on a footpath leading toward the summit of Rappoldkogel (slightly right on a grassy cart track to the cottage Altes Almhaus), which guides us for a few minutes along the upper edge of a pasture before entering a forest, where it crosses the end of a forest road. Just a bit further, the path splits: slightly left onto a rocky path requiring a steady step, and slightly right onto a regular path through the forest, which, in a short section, especially when wet, can be slippery and dangerous.
After a few minutes, both paths merge, and the forest along the fairly steep path begins to thin, allowing us to continue the ascent with increasingly beautiful views. The path ahead leads us past several granite towers, and we reach Rappoldkogel, where a cross is located, offering views in all directions.
From the summit, we continue right and begin descending along the southeastern ridge of the mountain. Lower down, the path briefly flattens, then enters a forest where it descends steeply. Further down, the path gradually levels out and, with a gentle descent, reaches a crossroads at a saddle separating Rappoldkogel and Schwarzkogel.
Here, a path from the sharp right, leading below Rappoldkogel, joins us, but we continue slightly left toward the cottage Altes Almhaus (slightly right to the cottage Großebenhütte), beginning a moderate ascent on a macadam road. Higher up, we leave the forest, and the road turns slightly left, passing onto the slopes of Wölkerkogel, where it flattens and, in the final section, slightly descends. We then follow the scenic path, which runs alongside pastures, to the cottage Altes Almhaus.
Starting point to Rappoldkogel 1:25, Rappoldkogel to Altes Almhaus 1:10.
The description and pictures refer to the condition in October 2024.

On the way: Rappoldkogel (1928m)