Parkplatz Innerfragant - Herzog Ernst Spitze

Access to starting point:
From the Karawanks Tunnel, we follow the highway towards Salzburg to a highway junction where we turn left towards Spittal. From Spittal we drive towards Lienz. A little after that when highway ends, at the settlement Möllbrücke, we turn right towards the settlement Mallnitz and Alpine road Großglockner. We follow this road to the settlement Kleindorf (little after the settlement Flattach) where signs „Mölltaler Gletscher“ point us to the right on an ascending road towards the bottom station of funicular. We follow this road all the way to a large parking lots at the bottom station of funicular.

Path description:
From the parking lot, we continue on the asphalt road which is closed for traffic. After a short ascent on the road signposts point us to the right on a footpath „Richard Helfer Weg“. On the footpath we also avoid the tunnels on the road through which is forbidden to walk.
From the crossing, we start ascending a little steeper through the forest on a relatively poorly beaten footpath. Higher for a short time, we join the road and then we again turn right on a footpath which is marked with Knafelc blazes. The path is mostly ascending through the forest and crosses few shorter clearings. Later, the path brings us on little steeper slopes from which occasionally a view opens up on waterfalls of the stream Astrombach on the other side of steep valley. On shorter crossing where the slope is very steep we also have a rope for help. The path here isn't too demanding, but we have to pay attention because due to bushes and high grass we might not notice, that by the narrow path the slope is very steep. After that, the path from the steep slopes turns to the left and starts ascending a little steeper. On such path through the forest we then soon reach the mountain road.
We continue right on the road which is slightly descending and it brings us to a marked crossing near the lake Wurtenspeicher. We go left on a cart track and after a short ascent, we come to the lake. Near the lake are also benches and table.
Cart track that runs by the lake soon ends, and we go left on a footpath. The path further mostly in a gentle ascent crosses a slope above the lake towards the north, and in doing so, we cross also few smaller streams. Later, the path turns a little to the left and is for a short time ascending in zig-zags. Next follows traversing of little steeper slopes, where we bypass smaller rockfall. Here also some caution is needed. Later increasingly panoramic path becomes less steep and runs towards the north. We still have to be pay attention where we walk because by footpath there is quite a few deep holes. The path then slightly descends and brings us near the lake Mernigsee.
Here the path turns slightly to the right and crosses a stream and then starts ascending on a slope above the lake. We again walk towards the north and we soon cross the slope below the chairlift, which runs towards the mountain hut Weißseehaus. After that, the path turns left and then follows a short ascent on a slope left from the ski slope. Later, the path runs on a ski slope and it brings us to mountain road where there is a crossing.
To the right slightly downwards, there is only few ten meters to the midway cableway station (Mittelstation), straight on a ski slope leads the footpath towards the mountain hut Duisburger Hütte, and we go left on the road towards the mountain hut Weißseehaus, which we can already see in front of us. From the crossing, we are ascending on a panoramic asphalt road by which in the summer months livestock is grazing. On the panoramic road we then soon reach the mountain hut Weißseehaus.
From the mountain hut, we continue on the road which slightly descends and then for a short time runs by the lake Weißsee. The road then again starts ascending and turns a little to the right and it brings us to a large artificial lake Hochwurtenspeicher. The road on the edge of a dam brings us on the right side of the lake where asphalt road ends.
Here, the footpath branches off to the right towards the mountain hut Duisburger Hütte, and we continue on a macadam road by the lake. We soon come to a crossroad, where also the road towards the mountain hut Duisburger Hütte branches off to the right. We still continue on the left gentle road which all the time runs by the lake. With nice views on peaks above the lake road brings us on the northern side of the lake where there are several crossings.
We go right (towards the northeast) following the signs „Fraganter Scharte“. The path from the crossing for some time runs on a ski slope by the stream and then turns firmly to the left and starts ascending steeper. When we get a little closer to steeper slopes, the path turns to the right and then it is ascending diagonally all the way to the notch Fraganter Scharte where there is a crossing.
On the notch where a view opens up towards the north and to the summit of Hoher Sonnblick we go right following the signs „Herzog-Ernst, Schareck“. From the crossing, the path runs towards the northeast and is mostly in zig-zags ascending on a slope of the peak Herzog Ernst Spitze. Higher becomes rocky slope on which we are ascending slightly steeper, and ascent is still relatively undemanding. On such path we then soon reach already mentioned peak Herzog Ernst Spitze.

On the way: Wurtenspeicher (1695m), Mernigsee (2040m), Mittelstation (Mölltaler Gletscher) (2234m), Weißseehaus (2381m), Weißsee (2365m), Hochwurtenspeicher (2417m), Fraganter Scharte (2753m)

Trip can be extended to: Schareck (1 h)