Makole - Boč (via Balunjača)

Access to starting point:
A) We drive to Poljčane, and then we follow the signs for Majšperk and Makole. In the settlement Stranske Makole or a little after the settlement Stranske Makole we turn right towards Makole, where in the center of the settlement, we park on a marked parking lot at the cemetery.
B) We drive to Slovenska Bistrica, and then we go on the road in the direction towards Makole. We further follow the signs for Makole, and we park on a marked parking lot at the cemetery in the center of the settlement.
C) From Ptuj we follow the signs for Majšperk, and when we get to Majšperk we follow the signs for Makole. When we get to Makole we park on a marked parking lot at the cemetery.

Path description:
From the parking lot, we walk to the main road and we continue right to the nearby roundabout, from which we go on the road, by which there are signs for Jelovec pri Makolah and Sveti Urban.
We continue on a little narrower road which leads us across the stream Jelovški potok. Makole a little ahead ends, and from the crossroad with dead-end street we continue left, where first blazes show up. We continue on the asphalt road which a little ahead ascends through the forest and then leads past few houses. Further from the road a nice view opens up, and at few crossroads we follow the signs and blazes. Higher, the road leads us past the chapel of St. Urban, and at few crossroads we still follow the blazes. Eventually we go from the asphalt road left on a macadam road which for some time descends a little, and from there we go right on a cart track which ascends by the edge of the forest. The path ahead few minutes leads through the forest, and when we leave the forest we go right, so that we bypass the nearby homestead on the right side, and when we reach the asphalt road we go left. Again follows some descent, and at the farm Domišak the road returns into the forest and starts ascending. In the forest, we go from the road right on a cart track, on which we are diagonally ascending. When we leave the cart track, from which for some time a nice view opens up on Boč, we step on the road which we follow to the right (left - Plešivec). On the road, we don't walk long, because blazes point us slightly to the left, on a cart track which ascends diagonally towards the right, and higher at the crossings we follow it in the direction of the blazes. In the vicinity of the peak Kisovec the path starts descending and brings us on a worse road, on which we lightly descend to Formila.
When we reach Formila we continue left (sharply right - Studenice and Boč on the road) and we short time still continue by the edge of the forest, and when the road goes into the forest it brings us to a marked crossroad.
At the crossroad from the left joins the path from Plešivec, and we continue right in the direction of Boč. Also at the next crossroad, where joins another path from Plešivec or Donačka gora we continue right, and we go right also at the next crossroad. From the last crossroad we walk on the road only a short time, and then we go left on a marked path, which on a cart track ascends to the spot, where used to be a forestry cottage, and now there is a new cottage (condition May 2022).
Here we again step on the road which we follow to the left (across the road leads an unmarked path on Boč, or we can join also the road which leads towards Boč). Further, we walk on the road which crosses slopes of Boč towards the left, and there we are at first still gently ascending, and later we also descend a little.
Few 10 strides before we reach an asphalt road, the path Senčna pot branches off to the right on Boč, and we continue to the road, where we continue right. When the road turns left, we go slightly right and we continue on a cart track which goes into the forest, and at the crossing, we go right in the direction of the path via Balunjača and in the direction of the climbing path on Boč (left downwards - Dom na Boču - 2 minutes).
Then follows few minutes of a diagonal ascent towards the left, and higher from the left joins the path from the valley (starting point Zgornje Poljčane).
Here we go from the cart track right on a footpath in the direction of Boč, and further at the crossings we follow the path via Balunjača. The path via Balunjača then leads us through a shorter secured part, where the path isn't very demanding, but on this part it is exposed to falling stones. Higher, we again join the steep and climbing path, which branched off from our path.
The steepness of the path then gradually decreases and the path brings us on a cart track which is gently ascending by the military area. When we leave the vicinity of military area follows only five minutes of walking on the upper, still forested ridge. When we reach the peak we can ascend also on a lookout tower, from which a nice view opens up on all sides.
Makole - Formila na Boču 2:00, Formila na Boču - Boč 1:45.

On the way: Jelovec pri Makolah (266m), Sveti Urban (Jelovec pri Makolah) (415m), Formila na Boču (624m)