Mallnitz - Ankogel

Access to starting point:
From Spittal we drive towards Lienz, but only to the settlement Möllbrücke. In the mentioned settlement we notice signs for Mallnitz and alpine road on Großglockner. We follow this road to the settlement Obervellach, where signs for Mallnitz point us to the right. Behind the village, the road starts ascending steeper and after few kilometers of ascent brings us to alpine town Mallnitz. Ahead we drive for few kilometers to the bottom cableway station on Ankogel (Ankogelbahn), where we park on a large parking lot.

Path description:
At the end of the parking lot, we will on the left side of the road notice signposts, which point us to the left on a ski slope. The path is then quite steeply ascending on a ski slope and occasionally runs also through the forest or on the mountain road. If somewhere on the path we go astray from the marked path we can also follow mountain road or ski slope. After a good hour of walking from the starting point, we get to the midway cableway station where there is also the mountain hut Hochalmblick. A little above the mountain hut are signposts, which point us ahead on the ski slope. The path at first runs on grassy slopes on the left side of the cableway, and then turns slightly to the right and over some streams brings us on the right side of the cableway. The path is then ascending parallel with cableway towards the saddle Etschlsattel (2546m). A little before the saddle from the left also joins the path from the mountain hut Mindener Hütte. On the saddle, we go left and follows only a shorter ascent to the upper station of the cableway.
From the upper station, we continue straight in the direction of Hannoverhaus, and right runs direct and few minutes shorter path towards Ankogel. From the upper station of the cableway, we have to the hut for approximately 15 minutes of ascent.
At the mountain hut, we follow the signs Ankogel. First, we descend a little to a smaller saddle where we go right, left path runs towards the peaks Grauleiten and Plattenkogel. Few meters below the saddle we come again to a crossing where from the right joins the direct path from the upper station of the cableway. This time we go left and then we in a gentle descent cross south slopes below mentioned peaks. When we come to the signposts we continue straight in the direction towards Ankogel. After few minutes of walking, we come again to the signposts where we go left following the signs Ankogel. After a short ascent on a relatively gentle slope, the path turns slightly to the left and starts ascending by glacier Lassacher Kees. Glacier is relatively gentle and doesn't have cracks. After that, the path again turns to the left and it ascends towards the notch Radeck Scharte. On the notch, we go to the right and on a rocky ridge we reach the peak Kleine Ankogel. The ridge from the notch towards the summit is on some spots slightly exposed but dry it doesn't cause problems.
From the top, we go to the left and we continue on the main ridge. The path towards the summit Ankogel then runs by the right side of the ridge and becomes a little more demanding. Eastern slope of Ankogel on which we are ascending is quite steep and on some spots also dangerous for slipping. We also have to be careful, because granite plates on which we are ascending are not all very stable. Towards the summit path then turns slightly to the left and it brings us to the cross and inscription box. Real peak we reach, if from the cross we continue few ten meters on exposed ridge.
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On the way: Hochalmblick (1940m), Etschlsattel (2546m), Bergstation Ankogel (2636m), Hannoverhaus (2720m), Radeck Scharte (2872m), Kleine Ankogel (3096m)