Walischeben - Speikkogel (Packalpe)

Access to starting point:
A) From Gorenjska side we go over the border crossing Ljubelj to Celovec / Klagenfurt or through Karawanks tunnel to Beljak / Villach. Ahead we go on the highway in the direction of signs for Gradec / Graz. We leave the highway for approximately 2 km long tunnel in the direction of Bad St. Leonhard. Further, we drive past village St. Peter to the settlement Obdach. From the main road signs for Obdach point us to the left and we soon come to industrial zone. Before the underpass we turn right, where after few ten meters, we cross a railway track. The road, which becomes macadam at all crossroads, we follow towards signs for Weißenstein Hütte. We park at a suitable spot by the road at the sign prohibiting further driving (a crossroad is also right next to the parking area).
B) From Koroška we at first drive to Dravograd and further into Austria. We follow the road ahead towards St. Paul, St. Andrä, and Volšperk / Wolfsberg. In Volšperk, we head towards Bad St. Leonhard and continue towards St. Peter. Further, we follow description A.
C) From Štajerska side we drive to Maribor and further over the border crossing Šentilj into Austria. We follow the highway in the direction of Celovec / Klagenfurt. We leave the highway in the direction of exit Bad St. Leonhard. Further, we follow description A.

Path description:
From the starting point, we head onto the left road, marked with signs for the Weißensteinhütte cottage. We continue along the road, which moderately ascends, and after a few minutes leads us out of the forest onto scenic slopes, offering a beautiful view. Ahead, we soon notice the mountain cottage, which we reach in a few minutes of further walking.
From the cottage, we turn sharply right and proceed along the marked path, which first crosses a grazing fence and then continues on a wider cart track. After a few minutes of ascent, we reach a junction where we turn left toward the Speikkogel peak (straight leads to Peterer Sattel) and we follow a rougher, partly grassy cart track. After a short diagonal climb across a scenic grassy slope, we reach the edge of the forest, where the path splits once more.
This time we continue straight (left Ameringkogel) and follow the path along a cart track, beside which there is a traffic sign prohibiting further cycling.
Next follows a pleasant gentle walk, where we mostly cross the slopes towards the right in a gentle to moderate ascent, descending slightly only here and there. A little further, we leave the increasingly sparse forest, and the path leads us across the grassy slopes of the peak Weißenstein, and later the peak Hofalmkogel. On the southwestern slopes of the peak Hofalmkogel, we pass a cross, then diagonally ascend the southern slopes to the ridge of the Packalpe mountain range, where we reach a marked crossing.
Here we continue slightly to the right towards the summit Speikkogel (sharply left Ameringkogel), reaching its indistinct peak after a few minutes of further walking.
From the highest point of the peak, we can continue to the southeast secondary peak, about ten minutes away, where a cross with an inscription box stands.
Walischeben - Weißensteinhütte 0:20, Weißensteinhütte - Speikkogel 1:40.
The description and images refer to conditions in July 2007 and July 2023.

On the way: Weißensteinhütte (Packalpe) (1702m)