A new way up to Schöckl plateau

Schöckl is a well known and popular mountain for one-day-trips north of Graz. St. Radegund - a small village on the foot of Schöckl - can be reached from Graz by car or by bus. There is a big parking area. From St. Radegund you can take the cable car up to the plateau of Schöckl. If you are in a good shape, you could hike up to the Schöckl-plateau at 1440 m above sea-level from here. But the plateau is another 665 m higher up, so the routes from St. Radegund are strenuous and may take more than an hour and a half.
Other well-known routes start at the Schöcklkreuz. They are shorter, but they follow the north side of the mountain for the most part of the way, so they can be cold, shady, and unpleasant.
Some years ago the storm “Sophie” has blown down many trees in the woods of Schöckl. Afterwards a new forest road at about 1150 m was built along the south side of the mountain. Here is the road along the "White wall":

Since then you can take an unmarked way up to the plateau with the following advantages:
- Since you start at about 1000 m, the plateau is only 400 m above, so the way up does not take much more than an hour,
- the route follows the south side of the mountain all the time, so it is warm and sunny,
-the trail alternates between comfortable forest roads and attractive small paths.

Here is the way:

Don´t park at the valley station of the cable car, but continue on the “Landesstraße” (the main road) towards “ Passail, Plenzengreith, Schöcklkreuz”. At first the road ascents steadily up to the north east of Schöckl. After about 2.5 kilometers and at the height of about 1000 m, turn left, into the beginning of the former toll-road, which is now normally closed. I marked this point on the map above with a big red circle on the yellow road. You can park your car there. Hike along the forest road, as I marked it on the map with a red arrow. Almost at the end of the road, you will come across a small path, which leads directly up the hill. It takes you through a rather open area with meadows and rocks around you. After this attractive ascent taking you up about 100 m, you will reach the new forest road, which was built after the storm Sophie at 1150 m. Follow this comfortable and flat road to the west (arrow on the map). On a clear day you will enjoy your view to the east, to the south and to the west; in the south you might even see the mountain range Pohorje in Slovenia. After about 650 m along the road, you will reach the route of the cable car. If you are in a good enough shape I recommend following the route of the cable car for the last 180 m up to the peak.  After 100 m on this sunny path with a glorious view, you will reach a restaurant with a nice garden, the Halterhütte. But I recommend passing it, if you can, and walking the last 80 m up to one of the restaurants on the plateau. There you will have no further effort ahead of you, and can enjoy the highest point of your tour.

     January 2009, afternoon: View from Stubenberghaus to the stratus over Graz

Variations: From the new forest road at 1150 m you have other options for the rest of your ascent too:

250 m before the road crosses the route of the cable car you can take a nice but steep path up to the peak without the cable car above head (red circle in the map).  

If you are walking on the forest road engrossed in conversations about language matters such as the use of tenses or idioms, then stay on the comfortable road for other 650 m after the cable car until you cross the main path up to the plateau, which is marked on the map in green with “GUW 06”. From there follow this main path with a gentle rise to the plateau.

One of the described ascents will also take you back down to your car.

Schöckl is a well known and popular mountain for one-day-trips north of Graz. St. Radegund - a small village on the foot of Schöckl - can be reached from Graz by car or by bus. There is a big parking area. From St. Radegund you can take the cable car up to the plateau of Schöckl. If you are in a good shape, you could hike up to the Schöckl-plateau at 1440 m above sea-level from here. But the plateau is another 665 m higher up, so the routes from St. Radegund are strenuous and may take more than an hour and a half.
Other well-known routes start at the Schöcklkreuz. They are shorter, but they follow the north side of the mountain for the most part of the way, so they can be cold, shady, and unpleasant.
Some years ago the storm “Sophie” has blown down many trees in the woods of Schöckl. Afterwards a new forest road at about 1150 m was built along the south side of the mountain. Here is the road along the "White wall":

Since then you can take an unmarked way up to the plateau with the following advantages:
- Since you start at about 1000 m, the plateau is only 400 m above, so the way up does not take much more than an hour,
- the route follows the south side of the mountain all the time, so it is warm and sunny,
-the trail alternates between comfortable forest roads and attractive small paths.

Here is the way:

Don´t park at the valley station of the cable car, but continue on the “Landesstraße” (the main road) towards “ Passail, Plenzengreith, Schöcklkreuz”. At first the road ascents steadily up to the north east of Schöckl. After about 2.5 kilometers and at the height of about 1000 m, turn left, into the beginning of the former toll-road, which is now normally closed. I marked this point on the map above with a big red circle on the yellow road. You can park your car there. Hike along the forest road, as I marked it on the map with a red arrow. Almost at the end of the road, you will come across a small path, which leads directly up the hill. It takes you through a rather open area with meadows and rocks around you. After this attractive ascent taking you up about 100 m, you will reach the new forest road, which was built after the storm Sophie at 1150 m. Follow this comfortable and flat road to the west (arrow on the map). On a clear day you will enjoy your view to the east, to the south and to the west; in the south you might even see the mountain range Pohorje in Slovenia. After about 650 m along the road, you will reach the route of the cable car. If you are in a good enough shape I recommend following the route of the cable car for the last 180 m up to the peak.  After 100 m on this sunny path with a glorious view, you will reach a restaurant with a nice garden, the Halterhütte. But I recommend passing it, if you can, and walking the last 80 m up to one of the restaurants on the plateau. There you will have no further effort ahead of you, and can enjoy the highest point of your tour.

     January 2009, afternoon: View from Stubenberghaus to the stratus over Graz

Variations: From the new forest road at 1150 m you have other options for the rest of your ascent too:

250 m before the road crosses the route of the cable car you can take a nice but steep path up to the peak without the cable car above head (red circle in the map).  

If you are walking on the forest road engrossed in conversations about language matters such as the use of tenses or idioms, then stay on the comfortable road for other 650 m after the cable car until you cross the main path up to the plateau, which is marked on the map in green with “GUW 06”. From there follow this main path with a gentle rise to the plateau.

One of the described ascents will also take you back down to your car.