Bodenbauer - Vertatscha/Vrtača (on scree)

Access to starting point:
From highway Ljubljana - Jesenice we go to the exit Ljubelj (Tržič), and then we continue driving in the direction of Celovec / Klagenfurt. After the Ljubelj tunnel the road starts descending, and we follow it to a crossroad, where the road into a valley Poden / Bodental branches off to the left. We go on the mentioned road which further leads through Slovenji Plajberk / Windisch Bleiberg and higher Žabnica / Bodental. The mentioned road, we follow to the end of the asphalt by inn Podnar / Bodenbauer, where on an appropriate place by the road we also park.

Path description:
From Podnar near of which we park on extended road we go on a macadam and for public traffic closed forest road in the direction of Mlaka / Märchenwiese and Celovška koča / Klagenfurter Hütte. The road which starts gently ascending soon brings us to the first crossing, where the path towards the farm Vgriz / Ogrisbauer branches off to the right, and we continue straight in the direction of the mountain hut Celovška koča. The road goes a little further in the forest and splits into two parts. We choose the left marked road, and which after approximately 30 minutes of walking from the starting point brings us to Mlaka (flat, ample and panoramic meadow).
Here the road turns slightly to the right, and we continue straight on parallel, but a little poorly visible marked path which continues over the meadow. On the other side of the meadow, the path returns into the forest and it gradually starts moderately ascending. After a short ascent, we get to a smaller crossing, where ski touring path branches off to the left, and we continue straight on a smaller torrent ditch. Some 10 strides higher marked path turns to the right, and we continue by a torrent, where we follow a rough footpath, and which a little ahead turns to the left and through a lane of dwarf pines ascends to an ample scree below Vrtača. Here, the footpath vanishes, and we continue by the lower part of the scree, where here and there we notice a cairn. Further, we are for some time ascending by the lower part of the scree below Vrtača, and then on the right side a nice passage opens to slopes below Svačica. After a shorter diagonal ascent towards the right, we will get to a rough, but well visible footpath which is then ascending between scree and a lane of dwarf pines. We continue the ascent on the mentioned footpath, from which increasingly beautiful views are opening up on surrounding peaks. Higher, the footpath starts vanishing on the scree below Svačica, and if we will pay attention, we will be able to find on the right side barely visible footpath which starts ascending diagonally towards the right. Further, we are ascending over steeper, partly already with grass overgrown scree, which ends, or starts below the cliffs of Svačica. When we reach the bottom edge of the cliffs we join the unmarked path which leads from the saddle Vrata / Matschatcher Sattel towards the saddle Belščica (path, which on left eastern side bypasses Svačica). We follow the mentioned path to the left, and we are ascending on it over occasionally quite steep slopes. Higher, the path flattens and from scree passes on less steep grassy slopes, through which we ascend to the border with Slovenia.
Here we continue left (straight saddle Belščica 3 minutes, right Svačica), where after a shorter crossing we get to a grassy slope, on which we start descending diagonally on a less beaten footpath. The path which descends towards Skleda or Vatelca, then slightly ascends and it brings us to the spot, where we join the marked path from the saddle Belščica. When we reach the mentioned path we follow it to the left (right Stol), and it brings us to the spot, where we get to a short but steep grassy slope, on which we diagonally descend. When the descent ends, we get to an ample scree, over which we start in a semicircle ascending. Further worse beaten and on many spots to falling stones exposed path higher few times steeply ascends, and then it turns a little more to the right and brings us on southwestern shoulder of Vrtača, where we join the better beaten path from Ljubelj and Završnica.
Here we continue left and we start ascending steeply on very steep and for slipping dangerous slopes. Higher, the path brings us on the main ridge of Karawanks, where it flattens. Next follows approximately 20 minutes of walking on and by the ridge, which is in parts slightly exposed, and in the entire part dangerous for slipping. This panoramic path we then follow all the way to the top of Vrtača.