Vitovlje - Čaven (via Vitovlje Lake)

Access to starting point:
A) From highway Vipava - Nova Gorica we go to the exit Selo, and then we continue driving on a regional road towards Nova Gorica and Šempas. After few kilometers of driving, we get to the village Vitovlje, where we turn right in the direction of farm Maloščevo. A little further, the road splits into two parts (Vitovlje circular path), and we continue right, and in the next crossroads, we stick to the left direction. The relatively steep road higher leads through the hamlet Vožice, where it turns a little more to the left. From hamlet we drive for a short time, and then we get to a large event venue and sports field in Vitovlje, where we park.
B) From Nova Gorica, we drive to Šempas, and from there we continue driving on the old road towards Ajdovščina. When we get to the village Vitovlje we turn left in the direction of farm Maloščevo. A little further, the road splits into two parts (Vitovlje circular path), and we continue right, and in the next crossroads, we stick to the left direction. The relatively steep road higher leads through the hamlet Vožice, where it turns a little more to the left. From hamlet we drive for a short time, and then we get to a large event venue and sports field in Vitovlje, where we park.

Path description:
From the parking lot, we at first walk to an asphalt road and there we continue left. After a minute or two we get to a marked crossing, where we continue right in the direction of the church and Vitovlje Lake.
From the crossing, we continue on a rough macadam road which quickly passes into the forest, through which it is gently to moderately ascending. It does not take long and we already get to the next well-marked crossing, where we continue straight in the direction of Vitovlje Lake (left western path on Vitovski hrib (on signs marks for Vitovlje church)). Further, the road gradually changes into a cart track, and at first, it leads through a panoramic meadow. A little further, the cart track turns to the left, and from there two paths towards the nearby Vitovlje Lake branch off to the right, which is distant only 2 minutes of walking (worth seeing, because Vitovlje The lake is only natural lake in Vipava valley or above it). Further, the path leads us past some more well-marked crossings, and on all of them we continue left in the direction of Vitovlje church. A little below the summit, we join the cart track, on which we quickly reach the panoramic peak.
From the top, we descend back to a crossing, and then we continue the ascent in the direction of Čaven and Sekulak on the old Napoleon path. We soon come to the next crossing, where the path to Skozno branches off to the left, and we continue right towards Čaven. Still gentle Napoleon path soon brings us to steep rocky cliffs of Visoki zid. A wide path then leads us over carved panoramic ledge (danger of falling stones) behind which, the path returns into the forest and it brings us to the spot, where the path on Kopitnik branches off to the left.
We continue slightly right in the direction of Čaven and Sekulak on a little narrower path, which at first through some smaller clearings brings us to a more steep part. The path ahead ascends steeper and only a little higher brings us to the next crossing, where we continue right in the direction of vantage point (left Kopitnik). We continue the ascent on a gently sloping path, which in 5 minutes of additional walking brings us to the vantage point Sekulak, from which a view opens up on a larger part of Vipava valley.
The path left continues towards Kopitnik, and we continue right, where after few meters we notice signs for Veliki Rob. We continue the ascent towards Veliki Rob on at first slightly poorly visible footpath. The path higher becomes more distinct and eventually brings us to the vantage point, from which a view opens up on Vipava valley, Trstelj, Gulf of Trieste and Dolomites.
We continue on a marked path which starts to ascend steeper, and it brings us to a more steep part below the summit of Čaven (1185 meters). When the path flattens, we leave it and after few steps of pathless terrain we ascend to the summit of Čaven.
Vitovlje - Vitovski hrib 40 minutes, Vitovski hrib - Sekulak 1:00, Sekulak - Čaven 1:00.

On the way: Vitovsko jezero (445m), Vitovski hrib (604m), Sekulak (888m)