Vikrče - Šmarna gora (Pogačnik way)

Access to starting point:
A) From highway Ljubljana - Jesenice we go to the exit Ljubljana - Šmartno, and then we continue driving towards Tacen. In Tacen just before the road over a bridge crosses the river Sava we continue slightly right in the direction of Pirniče. Only a little after Ljubljana ends, we get to Vikrče, and we follow the road to the inn Kovač, which is located right next to a bus stop. At the starting point, there aren't any appropriate parking spots.
B) From Šentvid we drive to Tacen, there immediately after the bridge through the river Sava left towards Pirniče. Only a little after Ljubljana ends, we get to Vikrče, and we follow the road to the inn Kovač, which is located right next to a bus stop. At the starting point, there aren't any appropriate parking spots.
C) From Medvode we drive to Zgornje and then to Spodnje Pirniče, and we follow the road towards Tacen. When we get to Vikrče, we join the road which leads from Smlednik towards Tacen, and here we continue right and follow the road to the nearby inn Kovač, where there is a starting point our path. At the starting point, there aren't any appropriate parking spots.
D) To the starting point, we can also get with LPP bus number 15.

Path description:
From the inn Kovač at first we walk by the road which leads towards Tacen, after the main road makes a light right turn, we continue slightly left on a narrower local road (by the crossroad is situated a sign prohibiting driving, near the signpost is also an information board of Forest teaching trail on Grmada). On a narrower asphalt road, we walk to a private parking lot, and there we continue sharply left on a rough road which gently ascends among log piles (straight Grmada on the path Mazijeva steza and Šmarna gora over Zatrep).
On the mentioned road, we walk few 10 meters and then we get to the beginning of the climbing path on Grmada. The path to the beginning of the climbing path is badly marked.
Here signpost for path Pogačnikova pot on Grmada (very demanding path) points us right upwards. A well-secured path at first leads through a narrow gorge relatively steeply upwards and then the path for some time flattens a little and it brings us to diagonal ascent to the right. With the help of fixed safety gear we are quickly done with a traverse, and then we get to the most difficult part of the path. The path ahead vertically ascends on a vertical wall, and besides the stemples we also get help from a steel cable, on which we can attach self-belay set. When we climb vertical stemples, the path becomes even harder, because it becomes slightly overhanging. When we climb a short overhang wall, the path gradually passes into the forest and then also the steepness starts decreasing. A little higher from the left joins the path Westrova pot (on the mentioned path we can descend), and we go right and we continue the ascent on with a forest covered western ridge of Grmada. This path we follow all the way to the mentioned summit, from which a nice view opens up.
From the top of Grmada we continue on a marked path which starts descending through the forest. After approximately 15 minutes of descent, the path brings us on a saddle Sedlo between Grmada and Šmarna gora, where we join the path from Tacen and Šmartno pod Šmarno goro.
We continue on the road, from which soon a footpath on Šmarna gora branches off. From here we have to the top two options.
We can ascend to the top on the forest road which leads us past a wish bell and children's playground or on a steep footpath which past the chapel in few minutes brings us to the summit, where both paths join.

On the way: Grmada (676m)