Bašelj - Storžič

Access to starting point:
A) From highway Ljubljana - Jesenice we go to the exit Kranj - east, and then we continue driving in the direction of Jezersko. When we get to Preddvor we leave the main road and we continue driving left towards the center of the mentioned settlement, from there we follow the signs for settlement Bašelj. When we get to Bašelj, at the spot, where the main road makes long left turn, we leave it and we continue driving straight in the direction of the path Gamsova pot. We continue driving on a narrow asphalt road which leads us between the houses and stream Belica. We park on a parking lot by Tourism Association Bašelj.
B) From highway Jesenice - Ljubljana we go to the exit Kranj - zahod and at the first crossroad, we continue left. Further, we drive through the underpass below the highway, and then we get to a roundabout, from where we continue driving in the direction of Golnik. The path ahead leads us through the settlement Mlaka pri Kranju, and at the end of the settlement, we continue right in the direction of the settlement Srakovlje. Next follows driving through Srakovlje, Spodnja Bela, Srednja Bela, Zgornja Bela (in Zgornja Bela we join the road from Preddvor) to Bašelj, where the main road makes long left turn, we leave it and we continue driving straight in the direction of the path Gamsova pot. We continue driving on a narrow asphalt road which leads us between the houses and stream Belica. We park on a parking lot by Tourism Association Bašelj.

Path description:
From the parking lot, we continue in the direction of source of Belica, Kališče and Storžič (left Gamsov raj) on for public traffic closed macadam road which on the right side bypasses hut of Sports tourist park Belica. The road, from which at first a nice view opens up on Storžič leads us past football and basketball field and in approximately 10 minutes brings us to a marked crossing by turning point of the road.
From the turning point, we continue right in the direction of Kališče on a marked path (left Kališče on the forest road, and also Gradišče (Pustinjak) and Kališče past hospital Košuta), which starts ascending by left tributary of Belica. The path ahead leads through the forest, at first on the left side of the gully, and then crosses it and passes on the right side, where after a shorter ascent, we reach rough forest road or cart track. We follow the cart track for few minutes, and then blazes point us to the right into the forest through which we are ascending relatively steeply. Higher, we cross overgrown clearing, and then we again step on a wide cart track. On the cart track this time we walk only few steps, because already on first turn we continue straight on a gradually less and less steep path. A little further, we cross other cart track and above it we get very close to a wide cart track. By the spot, where we get very close to the cart track is situated mountain signpost, which marks the path downwards. Here we continue straight and after a minute or two of additional walking, we join a better beaten path from Mač.
From the mentioned crossing, we continue left in the direction of Kališče (straight Mače on the road, right Mače on a footpath) and we continue through a shorter lane of a dense forest. Dense spruce forest quickly ends and we step on a rough forest road which leads from the valley of the stream Belica. On the road which soon makes a left turn we are ascending for few minutes, and then on the right side we will notice the continuation of the mountain path (turn off is well marked). The path ahead passes on a steeper slope and is in numerous zig-zags relatively steeply ascending. Higher forest for some time gets thinner and a nice view opens up towards the south. On the part of thin forest a wooden bench offers pleasant rest, and a little ahead "surprises" us working clock on a tree. Further a little for some time we cross towards the right, so that we reach forested south ridge of Kališče. On the mentioned ridge path turns sharply left and then in few hairpin turns ascends to Spodnje Kališče, from where a beautiful view opens up on Storžič.
When above Spodnje Kališče path returns into the forest from the left joins the path from Laško (also the path from Bašelj past hospital Košuta). Next follows few minutes of walking through the forest and we get to a nice viewpoint, from where a nice view opens up towards the nearby mountain hut Dom na Kališču, Mali Grintovec, ridge of Lanež, Krvavec... From the viewpoint only a short ascent follows and we are already at the mountain hut Dom na Kališču.
Behind the mountain hut Dom na Kališču we notice a mountain signpost with numerous options to continue. We continue on a gently sloping and panoramic ridge path in the direction of Storžič, Bašeljski vrh..., which continues towards the north. After few minutes of easy walking with nice views, which reaches all the way to Julian Alps, we get to a crossing, where the path branches off to the left towards the church of St. Lovrenc above Bašelj, mountain pasture Javornik and Kriška gora, to the right path on Bašeljski vrh and Mali Grintovec branches off, and we continue straight in the direction of Storžič. Next follows few minutes of crossing of mostly western slopes of Bašeljski vrh, and then we get to a grassy saddle Bašeljski preval, where from the right side joins the path from Jezersko (in descriptions starting point Jekarica).
We again continue straight in the direction of Storžič, this time on the path which starts ascending steeply through a lane of dwarf pines. After approximately 30 minutes of ascent from the saddle we step on the ridge of Storžič, which we soon leave because the path passes on the southern slopes of the mountain. Over quite steep south slopes we are ascending on a steep path, which is on many spots dangerous for slipping, especially in wet. Higher, the path flattens a little and returns on the ridge, on and by which it then continues. The increasingly panoramic path little below the summit from the left join also paths from St. Lovrenc, mountain pasture Javornik and the path over Psica and through Žrelo. Here we continue slightly right and in few steps we reach one of the most visited two-thousanders in Slovenia.
Bašelj - Kališče 2:30, Kališče - Storžič 1:30.

On the way: Planina Kališče (1450m), Dom na Kališču mountain hut (1534m), Bašeljski preval (1630m)