Hämmerkogel

The Hämmerkogel is a mountain in the Seckauer Alps of Styria and, at 2,253 metres, the highest point in the municipality of St. Marein-Feistritz. It stands north-east of the Seckauer Zinken and can be reached from several sides. About 500 metres south of the summit lies the Goldlacke, a small mountain lake. In 1996 Heribert Köckinger discovered a saxifrage on the Hämmerkogel, which was later recognised in 2003 as a new species named Saxifraga styriaca. Four marked routes lead to the top. From the Untere Bodenhütte at 1,385 metres the walk takes about three hours along a forest track, through woodland and over scree to the summit. Starting from Hochalm at 1,822 metres, the path follows the yellow-marked trail towards the Seckauer Zinken, passing Türkenfeld, Lamprecht- and Schwaigerhöhe before reaching the peak. From Seckauer Zinken itself the climb takes between forty and sixty minutes on a clearly visible route. A fourth, more demanding option begins near Mautern or Bremstein and crosses the Hochreithöhe before arriving at the summit. Visitors who reach the top are rewarded with wide views across the Seckauer Alps. The Goldlacke below the summit often holds patches of snow even in summer. The upper Bodenhütte offers simple overnight accommodation for those who wish to break the ascent into two days. The slopes around the peak are dotted with patches of larch scrub that have been thinned to keep the route clear. Care is still needed on the unmarked section from the Bremstein, where the risk of losing the way remains.