Stoakoglhütte - Stoahandhütte

Access to starting point:
Highway A2 Graz - Vienna / Wien we leave at the exit for Gleisdorf West, and then we follow the signs for Hartberg and Weiz, and later only Weiz. Through Weiz, we follow the signs for Passail. For the gorge Weizklamm, we turn right from the main road towards Sommeralm and surrounding settlements (straight for Passail). We gradually start ascending more noticeably, and we follow the signs for Sommeralm. Before reaching the alpine meadow or settlement Sommeralm, we arrive at the mountain cottage Stoakoglhütte, where we park in a parking lot near the cottage.

Path description:
From the western part of the parking lot, a macadam road branches off, with signs for Teichalm, Strasseg, and Gasen, and we proceed along this road, which starts descending diagonally across the slopes of the peak Plankogel. When, after a few minutes of traversing, we reach the northern ridge of Plankogel, the marked path splits.
We continue left in the direction of Teichalm (slightly right downwards to Gasen) and keep following the road, crossing the slopes of Plankogel. A little further, we leave the forest and, with beautiful views, we continue traversing. Further on, we pass a smaller cottage, after which we return to the forest, and we gently descend to a torrent ditch, where we cross the stream, leaving the slopes of the peak Plankogel. Next follows a short diagonal ascent, initially still through the forest, then across a panoramic slope. When we reach a small saddle at the hunting observatory, we take the left cart track, guided by the blazes. Next, we traverse along a grassy cart track, and with a gentle ascent, we reach the expansive grassy slopes, where we join the path that starts at Sommeralm.
We continue towards the west, where we follow the signs for Teichalm, Strasseg, Haberlstall Alm, and Stoahandhütte, and the path splits again a little further on.
This time we continue slightly to the right (straight towards Pension Camping Holzmeister) and ascend a scenic, gentle grassy slope to the next junction, where we veer slightly left towards Teichalm and the Stoahandhütte cottage (slightly right for Strasseg and Haberlstall Alm).
A few minutes of gentle ascent follow, and we reach the summit with a cross, where a path from Haberlstall Alm joins from the right. Here we turn slightly left and continue walking along a grazing fence, enjoying beautiful views as we first descend slightly, then ascend the indistinct Kulmkogel, followed by a short descent and an easy climb to the top of the Mooskogel ski lift, where the eponymous peak lies beside an artificial lake.
Here the path veers slightly right and begins a steeper descent along the forest edge; lower down, the path flattens, and we quickly reach the Stoahandhütte cottage via a scenic grassy area.
Description and pictures refer to conditions in April 2024.

On the way: Kulmkogel (1410m), Mooskogel (1392m)