Salzstiegelhaus - Wölkerkogel

Access to starting point:
a) We leave the Highway A2 Klagenfurt - Graz at the Packsattel exit, then 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, 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) We leave the Highway A2 Graz - Klagenfurt at the Modriach exit, then 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 mountain hut 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 junction by crossing a pasture fence.
Here we continue slightly right on a grassy cart track in the direction of the mountain hut Altes Almhaus (slightly left Rappoldkogel) and after a minute of further walking reach a macadam road, which we follow to the left. Next follows a longer traverse on the slopes of the mountain Rappoldkogel, where we cross a short avalanche gully, which we cross at a time when there is no danger of a snow avalanche. Later we leave the forest, at a small junction we choose the slightly right lower road, which after further traversing brings us to a saddle separating Rappoldkogel and Schwarzkogel.
Here a path joins sharply from the left, leading over the peak of Rappoldkogel, but we continue slightly left in the direction of the mountain hut Altes Almhaus (slightly right Großebenhütte), where we begin to moderately ascend on the macadam road. Higher, we leave the forest, and the road turns slightly to the left. At this point, at the fenced spring, we leave the road and head slightly right onto an unmarked path that leads right of the spring and then turns slightly to the left, where it begins to moderately ascend on mostly southwestern slopes of the peak Wölkerkogel. We then follow the traceable but unmarked path with beautiful views to the statue of Mary on the panoramic summit, which is located above the mountain hut Altes Almhaus.
The description and pictures refer to the condition in October 2024.