Messnerin over Sperperkogel with descent into Fuchsgraben

From Bodenbauer, follow the marked forest road toward Scheideck. At a fork with a red arrow to the right, continue straight ahead, where the marking leads to a path beside the stream, which reconnects with the road further up. Here, turn left and at the next junction "Josersee," continue straight to Scheideck, a large, flat clearing on a saddle. At its western edge, a forest road branches sharply to the left, which you initially follow along the forest edge, then through the woods, soon reaching a clearing with a curve to the right. After about 80 m, this forest road ends, and a path branches diagonally left (downstream) and uphill into the forest. Shortly, the path ascends steeply in switchbacks and is sporadically marked with orange dots. Behind a windthrow, a horizontal crossing path leads to the right, but you should not follow it, as it ends behind a hunting stand. Instead, just above the fallen trees, resume the path on the left, which soon slopes diagonally left and upward through the forest (an orange dot). Next, you cross an alder gully, then ascend diagonally right to a fork. There is another hunting stand on the left, so follow the path right back into the alders. The path then climbs steeply over low rock ledges in a light forest to a viewpoint on the ridge. Fifteen meters before, the continuation of the path branches sharply right into the dwarf pines, soon leading diagonally left uphill and becoming steeper until another viewpoint is reached. After a brief descent along the ridge, the path soon ascends again, and a dwarf pine corridor leads to a broad grassy saddle, at whose left edge a small hunting hut stands. Opposite the hut, continue uphill along the ridge, first slightly left through a densely overgrown dwarf pine corridor, then turning right uphill, and then very directly and steeply along the ridge until the dwarf pines thin and the terrain becomes rocky. Cairns mark the path from here, which continues almost directly uphill following the fall line until the summit ridge is reached and the summit cross is not far away.

For the descent, initially head south and follow the steep rocky meadow downslope following the path of least slope until you nearly reach the elevation of the widely visible dwarf pine corridor that points east under the Schaftrempel and leads the way toward Pillsteiner Alm. To reach this dwarf pine corridor, you must first cross several rocky gullies to the left on horizontal path traces. Then follow the path in the dwarf pine corridor to a large clearing with wooden signposts, continue left along the forest edge, pass a small saddle twice, then a hunting stand, and finally reach a very flat, wide grassy saddle. At the lowest point of the saddle, a path begins, initially barely visible, marked by a faint yellow marker, descending diagonally left into the forest; soon it becomes more distinct and runs west downhill until it reaches a vegetated rocky ridge extending north. The path then follows this ridge on its right side almost level to a saddle in light forest with a salt lick on the west side. At the lowest point of the saddle and at the end of a large old tree lying on the ground, the path branches sharply left downhill and leads steeply downhill with switchbacks to an old fence line. Here begins a crossing left over a water gully, then it continues steeply downhill again in tight switchbacks to a deep view into the rocky Fuchsgraben. Next follows a long traverse right to the end of a forest road. About 80 m later, a cairn points the descent back over the rocky slope diagonally left, where you soon meet a well-marked path in the forest, which you follow in switchbacks down to the stream. Just above the stream bank, turn right (downstream) and reach a large swampy meadow, which you cross along its right edge, then continue straight to a forest road. Here, turn left, leave the road at the first right curve, continue straight and descend to the stream, cross it, and on the other bank meet the marked road leading back to the starting point.