SHORT ROUTE DESCRIPTION:
St. Stefan im Gailtal/Matschiedl/Naturgut-Pölland-Windische Höhe-Gailtaler Höhenweg-Windischgraben/229-Labientschach/Mineralienmuseum-nördl. Nötscher Berg-Weg des Buches-südl. Lerchbach-Lärchgraben-Kalter Brunn-Alplgraben-nördl. Alplhütte-Kuhriegel-Dobratsch Gipfelhaus/296/229/alt: 8
EXACT ROUTE DESCRIPTION:
1. hike from Naturgut Gailtal initially to the W to the chapel in Matschiedl, then continue to the NE along the L 33 to the village of Pölland and further up to Windische Höhe. Just before the crossroads, we pass to the west of the St Anton's branch church and then turn right, east, past the fountain and the Gh. Windischhöhe, accompanied by the Gailtaler Höhenweg (GHW 229).
2. just before the crossroads, we pass a fountain to the west of St. Anton's Church and then turn eastwards. We orientate ourselves along the HWW, follow the GHW 229 and path no. 16 and pass the Gh. Windische Höhe/Stefel to the north. At the height of Stefel, we ignore a hiking trail to the left and immediately afterwards a main farm track (HWW) to the right - we go straight ahead along the HWW. After approx. 1.4 km we turn half right at a fork (heading S), after approx. 500 m straight ahead and after approx. 700 m we take the 1st break at a crossroads , 5.2 km, 1103 m.
3. the GHW 229 and shortly afterwards path no. 16 leads us to the W and immediately afterwards again to the SE, to reach a crossroads after approx. 1.5 km - we head half-left towards a clearing. Approximately in the centre, we take a narrow path down to Windischgraben (720 m) and follow trail marker 229.
4. after approx. 300 m we meet a HWW, which we follow briefly to the right, SW. On a path/nature trail leading downhill we meet a hiking trail coming from the right - it takes us to the Windischgraben and the Bleiberger Landesstraße L 35 - we follow this to the left, NE to the mineral shop (2nd break, 9 km, 924 km).
5. we go back approx. 100 m (SW) and then take the path upwards on a path that is not very pronounced for the time being to the stage destination with path no. m 229. After approx. 900 m we cross a footpath on a HWW and stay half-left at a fork in the path after approx. 180 m.
6. we continue north of the Nötscher Berg heading SE and after approx. 300 reach a fork in the path - we go straight ahead and immediately afterwards meet a hiking path (from Nötsch) coming from the right with path no. 296. We walk on a path to the N and after approx. 800 m reach a HWW, which we follow to the right, SE. After approx. 250 m we leave this to the right, SE and head towards the newly built "Kalter Brunn" spring after crossing the HWW 3 times (3rd break, 12.6 km, 1108 m).
7. with good path markings, the route now climbs more steeply in the Lärchgraben at the height of the "Breiten Kopf" (right) - after approx. 400 m, a hiking trail coming from the left joins path no. 297 from Bleiberg-Kreuth with paths no. 229 and 296. after a further approx. 500 m ascent, we reach another HWW and take the 4th break here, 13.6 km, 1409 m.
8. on beautiful natural paths, hiking steadily uphill, after approx. 700 m we see a small alpine pasture with the Alplhütte - here we turn left, NE and after another approx. 200 m with a view to the SW to Mount Ganges we take the 5th break, 14.6 km, 1706 m.
9. we continue steeply upwards to the south-eastern foothills of the Grünnock and head in a right-hand bend (heading SE) towards the Kuhriegel (6th break, 15.6 km, 1987 m).
10. we head towards the last steep section with a view of the Windische Kapelle "Maria Himmelfahrt", walk between the chapel and the Knappenkreuz in a southerly direction past the weather station to the Knappenkirche "Maria am Stein"/Deutsche Kirche. Here we turn north towards the Dobratsch transmitter and the stage destination "Dobratsch Gipfelhaus" (16.3 km, 2146 m).
