Zettersfeld - Schleinitz

Access to starting point:
Through the Karawanks Tunnel, we drive to Austria, and then we continue driving towards Spittal and forward towards Lienz (a little after Spittal the highway ends). Further, we drive on a relatively nice and wide road through the Drau Valley. In the center of Lienz, at the roundabout, we continue right towards the settlement Matrei. Already after a few hundred meters after the roundabout we continue sharply right and then left over a bridge towards the settlement Thurn. Further, we all the time follow green signs »Zettersfeld Zentrum«. A little before the ski center, when the road starts descending, we will notice on the left side of the road a macadam road which leads towards the ski area and is closed for traffic. Next to the road are also yellow hiking signposts. We park on one of the smaller parking lots nearby. A little further on the main road there is also a larger parking lot.

Path description:
From the starting point, we go on a macadam road (path 9b) following the signs »Steinermandl«. The road, which is closed for traffic, ascends towards the east and brings us to the ski area where we soon come to a junction.
We continue left following the signs »Steinermandl« and we are then for some time ascending below the chairlift, which runs towards the summit Steinermandl. The road later turns left and it ascends a little steeper. From the path, we have otherwise all the time a very nice view towards the Lienz Dolomites and the town of Lienz. The road then becomes less steep and leads us past a large artificial lake, which is intended for snowmaking. Here the road turns slightly to the right and it brings us to a marked junction.
Ahead on the road leads the path towards the summit Steinermandl and the upper chairlift station. We continue left upwards on a footpath which starts ascending on a grassy slope. Higher, when the slope becomes less steep, we come again to a junction.
From the right joins the path from the upper station of the chairlift, straight ahead leads the path on the north side of the peak Goiselemandl (Goiselemandlweg Nord), and we continue left on path 913 following the signs »Goiselemandl, Schleinitz«. Further, the path runs towards the northwest and brings us below the slopes of the peak Goiselemandl. Here we come to a junction where the path to Goiselemandl branches off to the right. We continue straight and we cross a little steeper western slopes of the mentioned summit. When we come on the northern side of the peak the path still crosses slopes on the left side of the ridge, and on a shorter part we also get help from some steel cables. Further, the path brings us on the right (northeast) side of the ridge and starts slightly ascending. Such a path then brings us on gentle grassy slopes on which we soon get to a marked junction.
To the right leads the path to the lakes Neualplseen, which we can already see from the path, and we continue left towards the summit Schleinitz. From the junction, we are still slightly ascending on grassy slopes from which we have a nice view towards lakes Neualplseen and ridge from Sattelkopf to Schleinitz. Grassy slopes are slowly replaced by rocks and the path brings us below a little steeper slopes of an unnamed peak. The path here turns left and bypasses steep slopes on the left (south) side. At the crossing to the south side on a short part we also get help from a steel cable. Further for some time we then in a gentle ascent cross the slopes towards the west, and then the path turns right and it ascends a little steeper. After the ascent, the path brings us on less steep slopes below Schleinitz, which are covered with rocks and boulders. Here at first a gentle path leads below the east slopes of the peak Schleinitz, and then the path turns left and it ascends towards the ridge. When we come on the ridge we continue right and then follows an ascent to a cross, which is situated at the junction a little below the summit.
At the junction where from the left joins the path past the lake Alkuser See, we continue slightly right on the ridge. A little after that from the right also joins a climbing path and only a short ascent follows to a panoramic summit.