Now for the route description and hiking report from our mountain expert Martin - www.bergfexmartin.at
We start at around 1150 meters above sea level in the direction of Balduinhütte, our first small stage destination.
We follow the forest road through the Vorwitzgraben for around three kilometers, gaining around 300 metres in altitude. Shortly after the Balduinhütte, we leave the road and follow a clearly visible signpost indicating the route towards Vorwitzsattel. Always perfectly marked, the path winds its way next to the Vorwitzbach stream (an ideal way to cool off in the summer months) meter by meter upwards. The landscape is particularly beautiful in autumn: the still lush green of the mountain pines and the contrasting yellow of the pine trees - Indian summer, practically on your doorstep.
We were at around 1,800 meters above sea level when more and more snowfields got in our way - but they weren't really a problem for us. Rather the incoming fog and the increasing wind. Factors that made this part of our tour a little uncomfortable. Visibility became increasingly poorer and it felt like the wind increased by 1 km/h with every step. The white of the snow could no longer be distinguished from the white of the fog and so we concentrated on following the markings that were still visible and were relieved when we arrived at the Vorwitzsattel after around 2.5 hours of pure walking time.
The path on the right leads to the Kleiner Zinken and then to the Seckauer Zinken, we kept to the left and trudged towards the summit in poor visibility and repeatedly snow-covered paths. It wasn't long before the wind had largely stopped and the fog lifted, leaving us with an incredibly beautiful mountain panorama. The first 100 meters in altitude from the Vorwitzsattel were a little more difficult, as we often had to hike or scramble around the snow-covered path. The stones and grass were also relatively damp, so we had to be careful. The closer we got to the summit cross, the friendlier the conditions became. No wind, it got noticeably warmer, a snow-free path - a dream.
After just over three hours of walking, we were able to celebrate our summit victory on the 2,356-metre-high Maierangerkogel. The entire Murtal valley to the south was still covered in snow, but the weather to the north was perfect. Hochschwab, Gößeck, Zeiritzkampel, Admonter Reichenstein - the list of mountains that presented themselves to us slightly covered in sugar could be continued almost indefinitely. Of course, the prominent neighbors Hochreichart and Zinken were also visible, only the slightly lower Brandstätterkogel was still fighting against a cloud bank.
We spent over half an hour at the summit of the Maierangerkogel before setting off again. Before the tour, we had already agreed with my brother-in-law, who was on the Hochreichart during the tour, that we would meet at the Brandstätterkogel and then descend together towards Ingeringsee - so it was possible for us to cross the Maierangerkogel. We descended over 150 meters in altitude before we had to climb around 50 meters to the summit of the 2,234-metre-high Brandstätterkogel. A quick photo at the summit, now three of us, and we continued towards Brandstättertörl, where we kept left and turned into Brandstättergraben. From there, it's a 60-minute descent to the so-called "P4" just before the Ingeringsee lake. We had been on the trail for almost exactly eight hours when we took our backpacks off at the parking lot.
The tour up and over the Maierangerkogel may be a little long and physically demanding, but you are definitely rewarded for the effort. Especially for me, who seeks peace and quiet in the mountains, peaks like the Maierangerkogel are an ideal retreat. There are no real technical difficulties, but you should be sure-footed from the Vorwitzsattel onwards.