Ravenska Kočna - Vratca (on ferrata)

Access to starting point:
From highway Ljubljana - Jesenice we go to the exit Kranj - vzhod and follow the road ahead in the direction of Jezersko. In Zgornje Jezersko only a little behind the gas station, we will notice a road which from the main road branches off to the right (direction lake Planšarsko jezero). The road then leads us past the mentioned lake and behind it for a short time steeply ascends. Higher, the road flattens and at the beginning of a large meadow loses an asphalt covering. We then follow the macadam road to a larger marked parking lot.

Path description:
From the parking lot, we continue on a macadam road following the signs »Češka koča, Ledine« and after approximately 15 minutes of walking, we come to a cargo cableway. At the cargo cableway where there is a crossing, we continue by following the signs for mountain hut Kranjska koča na Ledinah (Skozi žrelo/Slovenska pot) and Češka koča (umik žrela). At first for a short time, we walk through the forest and then the path brings us on terrain, which is partly covered with dwarf pines. The path here starts ascending a little steeper and then brings us to a crossing.
We go right on the scree where a sign on rock »Ferata Češka koča« point us to. After a short ascent on the scree we come to the entrance of the climbing path. At the entrance of the climbing path also an easier path, which bypasses initial most difficult part of the climbing path branches off to the left. This path is marked with a sign »umik«.
At the beginning, the climbing path very steeply ascends by the steel cable (difficulty C/D) and because there aren't many footholds, quite a lot of strength in arms is needed. Next follows a short less demanding crossing on a slope, which is covered with grass and dwarf pines (A/B). After that, the path again becomes demanding and ascends diagonally on a steep wall (C/D). In the wall, the path turns left upwards and through a short but still quite demanding overhang (E) brings us on a little less demanding terrain. Here we are ascending by the steel cable on a slope, which is partly covered with grass and dwarf pines (B/C). The path then brings us on easier terrain where the first part of the climbing path ends.
For some time we are then ascending on an undemanding slope through dwarf pines, and then we come again to steel cables where the second part of a secured path begins. Here from the left also joins the path which avoids initial hardest part. For some time we are then ascending by the steel cable on not too demanding slope (A/B), and then the path turns to the left and a short vertical ascent follows (D). Further, we are for quite some time steeply ascending by the steel cable (C and C/D). Such a path then brings us to the inscription box where for a short time path becomes slightly less demanding (B/C). The path then once again steeply ascends (C/D), after that steepness starts decreasing. Steel cables then end and soon we join the path »umik Žrela«. Here we continue right and to the hut, which we already see in front of us there is only few minutes of walking.
From the mountain hut, we continue right on the path in the direction of Kočna, Grintovec and Vratca (left mounain hut Kranjska koča through Žrelo). After a short ascent, we come on flat ground with sign H (intended for landing a helicopter). The path ahead runs on at first gentle scree, which is partly covered with dwarf pines. In the lower part of the scree we get to a smaller crossing, where the path on Vratca branches off to the right (slightly left Kočna and Grintovec). The path ahead is ascending on the scree and soon brings us to a gully below Vratca. The path through the gully is well secured but caution is needed because of falling stones. When we step from the gully, the path turns right. From here to the top we only have few minutes of panoramic walking.
Ravenska Kočna - Češka koča 2:00, Češka koča - Vratca 45 minutes.

On the way: Češka koča na Spodnjih Ravneh mountain hut (1542m)