Zettersfeld - Östlicher Sattelkopf

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 highway ends). Further, we drive on a relatively nice and wide road through Drau valley. In the center of Lienz, at the roundabout, we continue right towards the settlement Matrei. Already after few hundred metrers 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 on the left side of the road notice a macadam road which leads towards the ski slope and is closed for traffic. By the road are also yellow 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 is ascending towards the east and brings us on a ski slope where we soon come to a crossroad.
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 Lienz Dolomites and settlement 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 crossing.
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 crossing.
From the right joins the path from the upper station of a chairlift, straight leads the path on the north side of the peak Goiselemandl (Goiselemandlweg Nord), and we continue left on the 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 crossing where the path on 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 is still crossing 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 crossing.
Left leads the path towards the summit Schleinitz, and we continue right and we slightly descend to the lake, which we already see in front of us.
At the lake, we continue on a marked path which leads by the lake and soon from the right joins also the path which runs on the northern side of the peak Goiselemandl and the path from the valley Debanttal. We continue on the path following the signs »Östlicher Sattelkopf« and we start ascending on a mostly grassy terrain all the way to the ridge where there is a crossing.
On the ridge where a view opens up towards the north, we continue right, and left leads secured climbing path towards the summit Schleinitz. From the crossing at first follows a short ascent on the ridge and then the path avoids the ridge on the right side and then follows a short crossing with the help of some steel cables to the cross. A cross is otherwise situated few meters below the summit of Östlicher Sattelkopf.

On the way: Neualplseen (2438m)