In the town center of Neuberg an der Mürz, we start at the Spar Markt and hike upwards through the district of Neudörfl until we reach a forest path. This path soon turns to the right, leading to a prominent trail junction (Spielkogel, 1,020 m). From here, we turn left and continue uphill on the increasingly steep forest path, winding through numerous switchbacks until we reach the base of the Farfel.
At this point, the trail becomes rockier and steepens significantly as we ascend over the rocky path (surefootedness is advantageous, especially since the trail can be very slippery when wet!) until we reach the Schneealm plateau, which we access directly via the forest road.
From here, we can easily reach both the huts on the plateau and our destination, the summit of Rauhenstein.
To reach the summit, we continue left on an alpine trail (mostly marked by the traces of livestock) until we reach a large meadow at the cliff edge of the Rauhenstein cliffs. From here, we continue slightly left, ascending along the plateau’s edge and passing through a belt of dwarf pines until we reach the unassuming summit of Rauhenstein, offering a wonderful view down into the Neuberger Valley.
For the return journey, you can either take the same path or choose one of the other descent options (like Schneealmstraße or Karlgraben—both are slightly longer) back to Neuberg.