Lärchkogel

The Lärchkogel is a 1 894-metre peak in the Gleinalpe range north-west of Graz. It belongs to a tight cluster of the highest summits in this range. To the south-west the Speikkogel stands a little higher, separated by a shallow col about eighty metres lower. To the north-east the ridge drops more sharply to the Kreuzsattel at 1 583 metres, a pass once used by pack-horse drivers as an alternative to the Gleinalmsattel. The Lärchkogel is crossed by long-distance footpaths including the European E6, the Central Alpine Trail and the North–South Trail. These routes run from the Gleinalmsattel up to the Speikkogel, across the Lärchkogel summit and on to the Kreuzsattel. The Gleinalm hut at the col is the main starting point; from there the Speikkogel is reached in about an hour and a half and the Lärchkogel a further forty-five minutes. A forest road from Kleinlobming reaches the valley below Zechneralm, where paths lead either over the Melkboden or via the Kreuzsattel to the summit. On the summit stands a small emergency shelter. The ridge continues northwards in gentle slopes towards the village of Kleinlobming, while a lower outcrop called Schwalbenstein lies south-east of the peak. Its southern side shows an unusual rock outcrop that breaks the otherwise smooth character of the Gleinalpe.