Mittagskogel - West Flank

By car, drive via Finkenstein up towards Outschena. Just east of the small hamlet, a forest road branches off to the southeast (signposted Mittagskogel). After a few meters, you reach a barrier right next to a house (parking available). From here, follow the forest road gently uphill. At just under 1000m above sea level, you reach a gully. Follow the summer trail markers through this gully, past an old customs hut (1101m), up to about 1360m, where you reach another forest road. Keeping east (left) on this road, cross a small saddle (1400m) and ascend into the forbidding north face of the (Little) Mittagskogel.

At the end of the forest road, traverse a very steep slope (beware of avalanche danger) to a prominent ridge, from which the wild gullies of the Mittagskogel open up before the hiker. Gaining a gentle elevation, the route now ascends below the Kleiner Mittagskogel to a small ramp that climbs higher to the south before merging into a gully and then ascending southwest to the Kleiner Mittagskogel (1815m). Skis are usually carried in this section. The route then follows the ridge towards the Mittagskogel (east), reaching the crux of the tour.

From the lowest point of the traverse, a steep section leads directly along the very exposed ridge into the actual west face of the Mittagskogel, which then leads to the summit. The descent follows the ascent route back to the crux. From here, the ski tourer has several options. With suitable snow conditions, one can descend directly into the steep gullies, but this requires a subsequent ascent back up to the small saddle (1400m). Alternatively, you can traverse the north face of the Kleiner Mittagskogel and follow a stream bed to the new forest road, then continue down the ascent route back to the car.