Wetterkogel

The Wetterkogel is a 1,362-metre peak in the Gleinalpe range of the Austrian province of Styria. It stands on the border between the municipalities of Köflach and Maria Lankowitz in the Voitsberg district. Nearby summits include the Kreuzeck at 1,297 metres to the southwest, the Steinkogel at 1,234 metres to the northeast, and the Hirtlkogel at 961 metres to the southeast. Scattered houses at Mitteregg lie on the south-eastern slopes and belong to the village of Graden, along with the farms Hiebler, Hochbauer and Schober im Licht. On the western side the farms Schmidtbauer, Bauer am Bühel and the Klobenhütte hunting lodges belong to the village of Salla. Three alpine pastures spread across the mountain: Hochbaueralm, Schmiedbauerhube and Schoberkeusche. The mountain lies within the catchment areas of four streams: the Fuchsgrabenbach, Gradnerbach, Randlwagnerbach and Schrottwinkelbach. The Fuchsgrabenbach joins the Oswaldgrabenbach, the Gradnerbach flows into the Kainach, the Randlwagnerbach feeds the Gradnerbach, and the Schrottwinkelbach—known in its lower course as the Katzbach—empties into the Sallabach. A major geological boundary runs across the summit, separating the upper Austroalpine from the middle Austroalpine tectonic units. The northern and western slopes consist of staurolite gneiss and staurolite-mica schist from the polymetamorphic basement of the middle Austroalpine unit, while the south-eastern slopes are covered with low-grade metamorphic Palaeozoic phyllite of the upper Austroalpine unit. The Wetterkogel supports a variety of wildlife. The tawny owl and the sand lizard live here, and butterflies such as the ivory footman, small meadow brown, Jersey tiger, early thorn and meadow clary have been recorded. Most of the mountain is forested, with fungi including the blusher and clustered collybia. Two waymarked trails cross the summit area. Route 544 starts where the Katzbach meets the Sallabach, and Route 547 begins in Kainach; both are maintained by the Voitsberg branch of the Nature Friends.