Salzstiegelhaus - Weißensteinhütte (Packalpe)

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 left towards the southwest in the direction of the saddle Peterer Sattel and the peaks Speikkogel, Ameringkogel, and Großerberg, where we initially walk on a macadam road, then quickly turn right onto a cart track. The cart track we follow moderately ascends, and at the crossing of the grazing fence, we turn left towards Ameringkogel. Next follows some easy walking, then we moderately ascend on a grassy slope where a ski track runs in winter. When the forest along the path ends, we quickly ascend to the indistinct peak Rosseben, where the artificial lake Salzstiegel Almsee is nearby.
We bypass the lake on the left side, then in a gentle ascent, we reach a marked crossing.
From the crossing, we continue slightly left in the direction of the saddle Peterer Sattel (slightly right Speikkogel and Ameringkogel) and start descending diagonally. After some time, the path flattens, crosses a stream, and then passes into a strip of forest, where we gradually start ascending diagonally. When we leave the forest, some more crossing follows, and in the final part of a gentle ascent, we reach the crossing at Peterer Sattel.
Here we go right in the direction of the mountain hut Weißensteinhütte (left Pack and Hirschegg, straight mountain hut Petererhütte and Reichenfels), where we initially walk over grazing grassy slopes, and then the path passes into a sparse forest, where we cross several streams. The footpath widens a little further into a cart track and continues along partly grazing slopes. Next follows some more partly panoramic crossing, and we reach the south to southwestern ridge of the peak Hofalmkogel, where on the left stands the mountain hut Hofhütte.
Here the path turns slightly to the right and starts descending diagonally on a rougher road. Lower down, we cross several streams, and later we join a slightly wider road, which we follow to the right. Next follows some gentle to moderate ascent, and we bypass the hunting cottage Sturmerhütte on the right side. Behind the cottage, we return to the road, and a beautiful view opens up towards the summit of Peterer Riegel, which is already far behind. A little further, we leave the sparse forest, and the path leads us through a panoramic section, from which a beautiful view opens up towards Zirbitzkogel and other peaks in the Seetaler Alpen group.
When we return to the edge of the forest, a path from the right joins us, leading over the peak Speikkogel, or paths branch off sharply to the right towards the highest peaks in the Packalpe group.
Here we continue straight and, on a rougher road, descend in a few minutes to the mountain hut Weißensteinhütte.
Starting point - Rosseben 0:30, Rosseben - Peterer Sattel 0:40, Peterer Sattel - Hofhütte 0:50, Hofhütte - Weißensteinhütte 1:00.
The description and pictures refer to the condition in July 2023.

On the way: Rosseben (1710m), Peterer Sattel (1745m), Hofhütte (1746m)