Super short trip to the super sightseeing mountain Plankogel

Plankogel - a great sightseeing mountain

Starting point

Roadside parking at the entrance to the Sommeralm mountain pass. Parking is free.
 

Description of the hike

The original destination of our trip to the Alps was Mount Hochlantsch, which is located nearby. Unfortunately, a sudden deterioration in the health of one of the expedition members made this trek impossible and so we made at least a short trip to the Plankogel mountain, which is a great scenic peak.

We left the car by the road before the beginning of the Sommeralm settlement. There was still snow in places, but the parking spaces were already free. From the road it is really a short walk to the top of the Plankogel. From the saddle there is a wide path through the meadows, but it is no problem to walk on open terrain. On the way we passed a wind farm. Gradually the views began to open up on all sides. We came to a wooden corral. Along it we continued on to the summit, which was already visible. We walked across the meadow between the remnants of snow to the top of the Plankogel.

The view is really fantastic. You can see all the northern Alpine mountain ranges - Schneeberg, Rax and Schneealpe, Hohe Veitsch, Hochschwab, Ennstal Alps. To the west you can see the Seckauer Alps and others. After a short rest on the summit we returned to the car. On the way down we went off the mark, just as we thought of it we descended through the meadows. Soon we reached back to the Sommeralm saddle.
 

Difficulty

Definitely the easiest hike we have ever done in the Alps. The route is very short and the elevation gain is minimal. Therefore, this trip is more suited as a complement to another hike or simply as a relaxing trip after a long car journey. The whole time you are walking on alpine meadows. The route is ideal for small children.
 

Water availability

The route is very short, so you only need a small water bottle. There is no water on the way.
 

Sleeping options

The closest option for an overnight stay is in the nearby resort of Teichalm.

Sleeping in the wild is very limited in Austria and varies from state to state. But in general we can say that sleeping outdoors in the forest zone is forbidden - you can of course make arrangements with the owner of the meadow, for example. You can find detailed rules about sleeping in the wild in Austria in our article Rules for bivouacking in Austria.

Mountain peaks

From the top of the Plankogel 1,531 m above sea level there are fantastic views in all directions. You can easily see the famous Stuhleck, the Scheeberg, the Raxale, the Schneealpe, the Hohe Veitsch, the Hochschwab, part of the Low Tatras and more.
 

Danger

This is a very simple and safe route. Probably the easiest I have ever done in the Alps. There is no problem, it is on mountain meadows.
 

Food

There is no hut on the route, so have some small snacks with you.