Gozd - Storžič (via Psica)
Starting point: Gozd (891 m)
Starting point Lat/Lon: 46.3408°N 14.3286°E
Path name: via Psica
Time of walking: 4 h 45 min
Difficulty: very difficult marked way
Difficulty of skiing: no data
Altitude difference: 1241 m
Altitude difference (by path): 1400 m
Map: Karavanke - osrednji del 1:50.000
Access to starting point:
A) From highway Ljubljana - Jesenice we go to the exit Kranj - west and follow the road ahead in the direction of Golnik. Only a little after Golnik (more precisely after the settlement Senično) right upwards steep road branches off, which leads towards Zgornje Vetrno and Gozd. After the village Zgornje Vetrno the road mostly continues through the forest, and we follow it to a marked parking lot, which is located right next to the cottage Zavetišče v Gozdu.
B) From highway Jesenice - Ljubljana we go to the exit Podbrezje, and then we continue driving towards Ljubelj and Tržič. Before Petrol gas station in Bistrica pri Tržiču we turn right and then we drive in Tržič. When the road descends into the valley, we continue sharply right in the direction of Pristava and Križe, and further we drive on the main road which leads towards Zgornje and Spodnje Duplje, mentioned main road we leave at settlement Retnje, where we continue left in the direction of the settlement Križe and Golnik. Further, we drive towards Golnik, and after the settlement Križe we soon get to a smaller crossroad, where a steep road towards Sveta Gora branches off to the left, which leads towards Zgornje Vetrno and Gozd. After the village Zgornje Vetrno the road mostly continues through the forest, and we follow it to a marked parking lot, which is located right next to the cottage Zavetišče v Gozdu.
Path description:
From the cottage, we walk to the near church, and then we come at the marked crossing, where from the right side joins the path from Golnik. We continue left upwards on an increasingly bad road which in few minutes brings us to a crossing.
We continue on the right cart track in the direction of Storžič, Tolsti vrh and Mala and Velika Poljana (left mountain hut Koča na Kriški gori). Cart track, which is diagonally ascending towards the east has in the lower part some crossings, but those are well marked, so that at orientation there aren't any bigger problems. Higher, the cart track changes into gradually increasingly steep footpath, and out of the forest it brings us on panoramic grassy slopes. Eventually, the path flattens and it brings us to a pleasant viewpoint with a bench, by which we notice a memorial plaque.
Further, the path crosses a steep grassy slope (dangerous for slipping and in the winter time also exposed to avalanches) and then passes into a dense forest, where we come to a marked crossing. We continue straight in the direction of Velika Poljana (left Tolsti vrh), where for a short time, we cross forested slopes, and then forest gradually gets thinner and passes on steeper slopes of Štajnarica, where we continue with some shorter ascents and descents, and on harder spots we get some help from steel cables. In the last part of the passage over Štajnarica we also cross steep grassy slope, from where opens up first nearby view on Storžič. After the bench the path passes into the forest and then it starts descending diagonally towards Mala Poljana, which after few minutes we also reach. When we step out of the forest, we step also on a cart track, on which we descend to the hunting cottage on Mala Poljana.
From Mala Poljana, from where joins the path from Tolsti vrh, Dom pod Storžičem and Zalog, we continue on the left side of the hunting cottage, on the path in the direction of Velika Poljana. The path which ahead runs on a cart track, quickly goes into the forest, where it is then ascending diagonally. After few minutes of walking, we come to panoramic slopes, from which a nice view opens up on surrounding mountains. Only a little further, the cart track turns to the right and after a short ascent, it brings us on the upper edge of Velika Poljana, where there is a marked crossing.
We continue straight in the forest on the path in the direction of Storžič over Psica (right cottage on Velika Poljana 1 minute). The path ahead starts quite steeply ascending and then turns slightly to the right and the steepness decreases a little. Such a path soon brings us out of the forest and to a crossing. We go left on the path over Psica, and right leads an easier path on Storžič.
From the crossroad path at first runs on a grassy terrain by dwarf pines and rare trees, after that goes again in the forest and starts ascending steeply. On some spots, the path is also slightly exposed. Next follows an ascent on a grassy slope by rare dwarf pines to the panoramic ridge. For some time we are ascending on increasingly exposed ridge and then we come on an indistinct peak Psica. From the top, we slightly descend and then we continue on exposed ridge. Further, the path on the ridge quite few times ascends and descends and we also get help from some fixed safety gear. Later from the left joins the path through Žrelo, and we still continue on the path by the ridge. In the last part of the path, we few times steeply ascend, there are also some fixed safety gear for help. A little below the summit from the right joins also the easiest path on Storžič, which leads over mountain pasture Javornik. Next, only a shorter ascent on the upper slope of Storžič follows, and we reach the peak in few minutes.
Zavetišče v Gozdu - Mala Poljana 2:00, Mala Poljana - Velika Poljana 0:15, Velika Poljana - Storžič 2:30.
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