Starting point: Draßnitz (1300 m)
Time of walking: 4 h
Difficulty: easy pathless terrain
Difficulty of skiing: demanding
Altitude difference: 1281 m
Altitude difference (by path): 1281 m
Map:
Access to starting point:
From Spittal we drive towards Lienz or vice versa, but only to a village Dellach. In the middle of the village we notice signs, which point us to the right (from the direction Spittal, from Lienz left) in the direction of Oberdraßnitzer Alm. At the crossroads, we follow the ascending road in the mentioned direction and there we drive to a gate (approx 1300m) from which ahead also further driving is forbidden.
Path description:
From the gate we continue on the road which after two successive sharp turns quickly brings us to a crossroad of two roads. We continue on the left road in the direction of the mountain pasture Untere Draßnitzalm. The road which is for some time still ascending through the forest soon brings us to a nice vantage point, from which a nice view opens up on two alpine waterfalls.
From the vantage point, we continue on the road which higher over a bridge crosses one of the two waterfalls. Soon after the waterfall road brings us out of the forest on the mountain pasture Unterdraßnitzer Alm.
From the mountain pasture, we continue on the right path in the direction of the summit Hochkreuz. The path goes immediately after the mountain pasture in the forest and it is moderately ascending on a cart track. After few minutes, we get closer to the stream, which we then cross over the bridge. On the other side of the stream, the path steeply ascends and among bushes it brings us on an unvegetated swampy slopes. From here on otherwise marked path vanishes. We have two options to continue. We can continue on the marked pathless terrain (a little right) or we are ascending by the stream upwards (slightly left). The latter is in spite of that it isn't marked orientationally easier. Both "paths" at an altitude of approximately 2200m join (this place we recognize by the high mountain cirque). From here on in both cases we continue sharply left and we follow a very rare blazes, which we occasionally see on some of larger rocks. After few minutes of a crossing, which we overcome in a moderate ascent we again start turning a little towards the right. If we are lucky "path" brings us right to the lake.
From the lake, we continue slightly left and after 15 minutes of ascent on an easier pathless terrain we step on Hochleitenk.
PS: The orientation on the path is difficult, therefore on the path go only in nice weather.
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