Raabtal - Monte Vancomun / Hochspitz

Access to starting point:
Over the border crossing Korensko sedlo we descend into Austria, and there at the first larger intersection we continue left in the direction of the village Podklošter/Arnoldstein. In the mentioned village we come to a roundabout, where we continue right in the direction of "Hermagor". Further, we drive on a wide road which leads us through the Gailtal valley. At the settlement Mauthen we continue left in the direction of the mountain pass Plöckenpass, then after a few 100 m right in the direction of the Lesachtal valley. Further, we drive on a narrower and quite winding road, which we follow to the village Untertilliach. Just a little after the mentioned village (at the second bus stop) a road branches off to the left downwards, at first still asphalted. The road then crosses a bridge, after which a wide macadam road joins from the left side. We continue straight for approximately 50 m, then we come to the next unmarked intersection, where we continue left on a somewhat worse forest road, which we then follow to the sharp right turn at which there is a sign prohibiting further driving.

Route description:
At the turn, we leave the road and continue left on an at first well-visible, gently marked mountain path. The path goes already after a few minutes into a sparse belt of forest, where in a relatively short time it bypasses three hunting observatories. After the third observatory the path turns slightly to the right and starts to vanish among high grasses. Only a little further the path crosses a mountain stream, after which it transitions into the most overgrown part of the path. The path ahead breaks through a belt of very high grass, then continues on an old and quite overgrown mule track. This moderately steep path, along which in summer we notice numerous blueberries, we follow all the way to the bivouac Mitterkarhütte.
From the bivouac, we continue right towards the southwest and at first cross gentle meadows, then start to ascend somewhat more steeply towards the saddle below the summit Hochspitze. The path to the saddle ascends mostly on the right side of the valley over grassy slopes, in the upper part the path turns to the left side and follows a somewhat steeper ascent to the saddle.
From the saddle, we descend a little to the western side, then the path turns slightly to the left and brings us to a junction. At the junction, signposts direct us left upwards following the signs “Hochspitz”. From the junction, the path then ascends somewhat more steeply and brings us to the ridge where we continue right. The path further runs along the ridge, which is slightly exposed in a few places. In the last part, the path turns left to the eastern side of the mountain and follows only a short ascent to the summit.

Along the route: Mitterkarhütte (1973m)

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