Pri Mlinču - Mangartska koča

Access to starting point:
A) Over the border crossing Rateče we drive to Italy, after that in Trbiž / Tarvisio we turn left in the direction of Predel / Cave del Predil. After few 100 meters we go once again left in the same direction, and then at the crossroad by lake Rabeljsko jezero / Lago del Predil we continue straight on the main road in the direction of Slovenia (right Nevejski preval (Na Žlebeh) / Sella Nevea). Next follows few hairpin turns and driving through the tunnel, and then we get to the border crossing Predel, after which we again drive into Slovenia. Further, we start descending, and then before the bridge with largest arch in Julian Alps (bridge over the stream Mangartski potok (on the road sign marked bridge Predel 129 meters)) we turn left in the direction of Mangart. Immediately after the crossroad side branch of the road branches off, where there is a marked parking lot.
B) From Primorska we drive to Log pod Mangartom, and from there we continue driving towards Italy. Before we get to the border crossing Predel, after the bridge Predel (bridge over the stream Mangartski potok) we turn right in the direction of Mangart. We park immediately after the bridge on a marked parking lot by side branch of the road.

Path description:
From the starting point, we continue on the asphalt road which leads towards the saddle Mangartsko sedlo, and we are ascending there to first right turn, or to the spot, where it crosses the stream Mangartski potok. At the mentioned turn, before we cross the bridge, we continue straight on a footpath in the direction of the mountain pasture Mangartska planina. We continue with a nice view towards Mangart, on the path which is ascending parallel with the stream and a little higher we cross also landslide Stože, which happened in November 2000. When we leave the area of landslide we gradually pass into the forest, through which we moderately ascend to the western edge of the mountain pasture Mangartska planina.
When we step on the mountain pasture we walk to the near shepherd hut, behind which we continue on a little overgrown path which leads over mountain pasture. After the crossing of the mountain pasture we get into a lane of a forest and then we quickly reach narrower lane of a meadow, on which continues old abandoned road (to here possible also, if we continue through mountain pasture on the road and then at the first crossing left in the direction of Mangartsko sedlo). The worse road or cart track is ascending gently, after that when we cross a torrent it finally changes into a mountain path. Next follows few minutes of a moderate ascent, and then we cross an asphalt road. On the other side of the road, we ascend on gentle stairs, and then we reach clearing, where the path turns left and starts relatively steeply ascending. After few minutes of the ascent, we again cross the road, after that only few steps higher we once again reach it.
Here the marked path continues right (left unmarked path over Gladki rob) and with nice views on Loška stena brings us to a smaller tunnel. After the tunnel nice view opens up also towards Mangart, after we get to lane of larch forest, we leave the road and we continue left on a marked path, which cuts a turn. When after few steps we again step on an asphalt road, we only cross it and we continue the ascent on a marked path, which at first moderately ascends, and then it flattens and continues diagonally towards the right. During the crossing at first we get to a smaller gully, and then also to a torrent gully Nakel (gully Nakel starts already on the border ridge and then it is steeply descending all the way to river Koritnica (in the lower part stream runs under the name Ilovec)). We step out from the gully diagonally towards the right, and then the path turns left and starts ascending steeply. Few minutes we are steeply ascending, and then we again get closer to a torrent, where the path turns right and it ascends diagonally over a shorter jump. After the jump, the path flattens a little and then over mostly grassy slope, with nice views on surrounding mountains again brings us to Mangart road which we follow to the right. Soon after we step on the road path brings us to the last tunnel, which is quite long. Because the road is quite busy, it is good that in the tunnel we use lamp, that others will notice us easier. After the tunnel we cross one more gully, and then we get to a smaller crossroad, where we continue left in the direction of the mountain hut Mangartska koča na Mangartskem sedlu. From the crossroad follows only few minutes of walking and we get to the mentioned mountain hut.
Description and pictures refer to a condition in the year 2016 (July).

On the way: Mangartska planina (1295m)

Trip can be extended to: Mangart