Podgrad - Mehovski hrib (via Skala)

Access to starting point:
A) We leave Dolenjska highway at exit Novo mesto east (vzhod), and then we follow the signs for Metlika. When Novo mesto ends we drive also through Dolnja Težka voda, past Koroška vas, and then we start considerably ascending. After the rest area, which we notice on the left side, we soon turn right in the direction of Vinja vas and Podgrad. Next follows driving through Vinja vas, when we get to Podgrad we park on a parking lot opposite of fire station PGD Podgrad and succursal primary school.
B) From Bela krajina we drive on the mountain pass Vahta, and then we start descending towards Novo mesto. We leave the main road, where we turn left towards Vinja vas and Podgrad. Next follows driving through Vinja vas, when we get to Podgrad we park on a parking lot opposite of fire station PGD Podgrad and succursal primary school.

Path description:
From the parking lot, we walk to the school sports field, which we bypass on the asphalt road, that runs below the sports field. Behind the sports field we go right, we at first ascend through a meadow, where quickly appears relatively easy to follow footpath which ascends diagonally towards the right. The path soon turns left and it brings us to a crossing, where from the right side, the path from neighbouring Vinja vas joins.
The path ahead leads us past two benches (at first shortcut branches off to the right), and then it makes a hairpin turn and only a little further brings us to the spot, where demanding path "čez Skalo" branches off to the left.
We continue left in the direction of the path Čez Skalo (over a rock) (straight gentle path), where at first we start ascending steeper through the forest and then we get below a short cliff, where we continue slightly right (path left bypasses technically demanding part). Few 10 strides ahead we get to the first steel cable, with the help of which we start ascending on a shorter wall. After the steep part path turns left and still with the help of fixed safety gear leads diagonally towards the left. After the crossing follows only few steps of ascent and we leave the secured part of the path, and we get to a nice viewpoint, where there are also few benches. From here follows a minute of ascent and we reach Mehovski hrib, on which there is an inscription box with an inscription book.
Description and pictures refer to a condition in October 2019.