Dolenji Novaki (Pod Kovkom) - Ermanovec

Access to starting point:
A) First, we drive to Cerkno (to here from the road Idrija - Most na Soči, or over mountain pass Kladje), and then we continue driving in the direction of the ski slope Cerkno. Further, we drive past the inn Gostišče Gačnik (inn Gostilna v Logu) and past the turn-off of the road towards hospital Franja. And few 100 meters ahead we will on the right side of the road notice red mountain signposts for hospital Franja and Ermanovec. We park on an appropriate place near mountain signposts.
B) From the valley Poljanska dolina we drive to Hotavlje, and then we follow the signs for ski slope Cerkno. We follow the signs for ski slope Cerkno only to Kopačnica, where from the crossroad, where to the right the road continues towards the ski slope and Leskovica, we continue straight, on the road which continues along the stream Podplečica. At the homestead Joškovec, where there is the next confluence of rivers, we continue right, after that on partly macadam road we start ascending steeper. At the homestead Mrovlje the road turns on Primorska side, and after some descent we join the main road which leads from Cerkno towards the ski slope Cerkno. We follow the road left downwards, and when on the left side of the road, we notice red mountain signposts for hospital Franja and Ermanovec. We park on an appropriate place near mountain signposts.
C) From the valley Selška dolina we ascend on Davča, and then we follow the signs for ski slope Cerkno and later signs for Cerkno. When we already descend on Primorska side, at the end of the settlement Dolenji Novaki on the left we notice red signposts for hospital Franja and Ermanovec, where we park at the appropriate place.

Path description:
From the main road, we descend in the direction of the stream Cerknica, and at the crossing, we choose the right road which behind the bridge ends on a meadow. On the other side of the bridge we continue left towards Ermanovec and we at first walk by Cerknica, and when the walk along the mentioned stream is prevented by a side stream, we continue right and we are ascending by the mentioned small stream. Before the path passes into the forest, the cart track appears, on which we are for some time steeply ascending. Higher, the path leads us past few smaller crossings, where we follow rare blazes, otherwise the route is quite clear, because it all the time runs by the torrent stream. Higher, the cart track turns right and in parts becomes more overgrown. Few minutes of ascent through the forest follows, and then we reach the macadam road which we follow to the right. The path ahead for quite some time leads on a macadam road which is mostly gently to moderately ascending, and in doing so mainly through the forest crosses northwestern slopes of Škofje. After a short descent, the road brings us to the western ridge of Škofje, where it turns firmly to the left.
Here an unmarked steep path branches off to the left, and we continue on the road which passes on southwestern slopes. Follows some more of a light descent and then also an easy ascent to a marked crossing, where we join the marked path from Cerkno.
We continue left on a footpath and after a short steep ascent we step on an asphalt road, on which we walk to the next marked crossing.
At the crossing, we continue right towards Ermanovec (left - Škofje), where we quickly get to the next marked crossing, where we continue straight across the asphalt road on a footpath in the direction towards Ermanovec (left - Jeram (stamp ICPP), right - mountain pass Kladje). We for some time continue the ascent by the edge of a panoramic ridge, from which a nice view opens up on Škofje, and then the path passes on a slope and a little further also in the forest. Through the forest, we are moderately ascending on a cart track, and higher we reach an asphalt road which leads from the mountain pass Kladje towards Ermanovec.
For a short time, we walk on the asphalt road, and then at the smaller hamlet we continue slightly left on the road in the direction of the footpath on Ermanovec. On the macadam road in few 10 strides we ascend on a panoramic ridge and there signs for Ermanovec point us slightly to the right on a cart track, on which we quickly ascend to the forest. We continue through the forest, where at the crossings we follow the blazes, and the path brings us to fortresses of former Rapallo border, where the path flattens. A little further, we step out of the forest and then in a gentle descent, we walk to an asphalt road which we left a while back, and we reach it through the yard of the nearby house.
When we step on the road, we continue in the direction of Ermanovec, and the path at first leads past the information board (Rapallo border trail), and a little further also past an old chapel, behind which from the left joins also a marked path from Kopačnica.
We continue straight, and then in few minutes we get to the mountain hut Koča na Ermanovcu.
From the mountain hut, we continue straight (left Štor 5 minutes), and at the first crossroad, where the path branches off to the right towards the farm Žunar, again straight. On the road, we walk for few minutes, and then from the crossroad at the chapel and a bell we continue slightly right on a cart track in the direction of the summit of Ermanovec (straight on the road Hotavlje and Slajka, right also on the road Sovodenj), on which start gently ascending on a panoramic ridge. When the cart track turns a little to the right, we continue slightly left, on a footpath which ascends through a little steeper grassy slope straight towards the summit. A little below the summit, the path flattens and brings us into the forest, where there is the peak of Ermanovec.
Doleni Novaki - Koča na Ermanovcu 2:55, Koča na Ermanovcu - Ermanovec 0:20.

On the way: Koča na Ermanovcu mountain hut (968m)

Trip can be extended to: Štor