Speikkogel

The Speikkogel stands 1 988 metres above sea level as the second-highest summit in the Gleinalpe range, a compact cluster of peaks northwest of Graz. It sits between the slightly higher Lenzmoarkogel to the northwest and the Lärchkogel to the east, separated by a broad saddle at 1 814 metres. The mountain falls gently at first on its eastern side before steepening sharply north, south and west. A memorial plaque at the summit cross remembers Ernst Landgraf, a local climber who died in 2019 after completing the Seven Summits. Beneath the cross a rough stone windbreak offers shelter from the wind. Three long-distance trails cross the summit: the Central Alpine Way, the North-South Trail and the European E6. They share a single route along the main ridge and descend southwards to the Gleinalmschutzhaus. The most popular local route starts from Übelbach or Neuhof, following forest tracks and the old Almweg to the Gleinalmsattel in about three hours. From the west the same saddle can be reached from the village of Glein, while a northern approach follows forest roads through the Kapellengraben to unmarked paths and open ground. At the top the windbreak and cross sit beside a locked bivouac box on the Ochsenboden spur. The wide views stretch across the Mur and Mürz valleys to the Styrian Alps. The Gleinalmschutzhaus below provides food and rest, and the surrounding area offers marked and unmarked routes for further exploration.