This hike starts (and ends) at the Uga skilift parking lot. From the parking lot, head in the opposite direction of the ski lift, and cross the little river. Follow the clear ascending path, towards the village of Damüls. Ascent over the meadows that form the slopes in winter until arriving at the Alpenstern hotel. From here onwards, the trail becomes increasingly more beautiful and rugged. Enjoy the last section of moderate incline and (semi-)paved road.
Leave the paved road close to a little chapel and start the ascend towards Portlahorn. Follow the clear path until the summit. Enjoy the breathtaking views. From the summit cross, follow the descending ridgeline until. You’ll soon arrive at the saddle “Sünser Joch”. Keep following the path on the ridgeline, leaving the next summit on your left. Afterwards, you can optionally decide to climb Ragazer Blanken as well. The trail follows an amazing ridgelinge, making a clockwise turn around Damüls. The ridge is rather steep on your left, but moderate on your right. It is never really exposed though. This part of the ridge ends at the summit of Hochblanken. Enjoy the view and some snacks. The descend from Hochblanken is a bit steep and exposed on a gravelly path. After the a short descend, follow the, now less prominent, ridge until the top station of the “Hohes Licht” cable car.
From the lift, you circle below and around the summit of Mittagspitze. What an amazing mountain! I opted for a detour to the summit, adding another 200m of elevation gain to the hike. This brings the total to a bit over 1000m of elevation gain. The path is steep (marked blue-white) and often quite exposed, with the occasional rope to hold onto. Be careful and take the current weather conditions into account before attempting to summit.
From the Mittagspitze, follow the path towards the “Berggasthof Uga Alp”. From there, the path leads back to the valley. You’ll cross the occasional road and ski slope.
