Sign post at Andelsboden, at the junction of the trails to Halsljoch and Milchscharte

The trail to the Halsljoch saddle is traveled frequently and isn't hard to follow. And even if you were to go off trail, as long as visibility isn't too bad it's still easy to see the saddle and the slope is gentle enough to go just about anywhere. One hour from the saddle, down the other side, is the Lodner Hütte and that's where I am expected for dinner. Last year I was at this same junction, and had a reservation at the Lodner Hütte as well. But I had a detour in mind, and therefore followed the trail to the Milchscharte. That's a much narrower saddle further east, much less obvious to see. It sees fewer hikers and is rougher. The final part is steeper but it's still a hiking trail. Just before the Milchscharte is an unmanned shelter, with room for up to 10 people if you like being packed like sardines in a can. It's always open. The trail down the other side of the Milchscharte is very steep, requiring a bit of scramblng. I would say it's a bit outside the comfort zone for most hikers. My detour meant going down there, and then over Tschigat to get to the Halsljoch. It all took longer than I had anticipated, and I ended up being rather late for dinner. There is also a direct trail from the Milchscharte to the Halsljoch, only traversing the northern slopes of Tschigat. That would have been my alternative route if I had been too late at the Milchscharte, or if the weather been too poor. But I thought I had enough time and the weather, although marginal, looked good enough for climbing Tschigat, so I have no personal knowledge of this alternative route. 15 July 2013.