Ofnerkogel

The Ofnerkogel is a 1,666-metre peak in the Gleinalpe range of the Austrian Alps. It stands on the border between the districts of Murtal and Voitsberg in Styria. Nearby summits include the 1,624-metre Scherzberg to the north-east and the 1,598-metre Plankogel to the south-west. Scattered farmsteads such as Lederwinkel lie on the south-eastern flanks, belonging to the village of Salla. Three alpine pastures spread across the slopes: Nestelalm, Obermoaralm and Wiedneralm. The mountain lies within the catchment areas of the Grabenbach, Kohlbach, Lederwinkelbach and Sallabach streams. The Kohlbach and Lederwinkelbach feed the Sallabach, while the Grabenbach joins the Lobmingbach and the Sallabach flows into the Gradnerbach. Abandoned iron-rich mines near the Kohlbach once yielded minerals including ankerite, calcite, chalcopyrite and siderite. The slopes support a mix of forest and open ground. The woods shelter the alpine newt and the black redstart, while butterflies such as the small tortoiseshell and the heath fritillary drift over the meadows. The summit is reached by forest tracks that stop short of the top, leaving the final climb across open ground. The European long-distance path E6 crosses the ridge between Nebelstein and Eibiswald. The Maria Lankowitz side of the mountain falls within the 21,906-hectare Ammering-Stubalpe landscape protection area.