Bodenbauer - Vertatscha/Vrtača (via Karweg)

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 we leave the ditch, because blazes point us to right (straight at first on and by the ditch, higher through ample scree leads rough partly pathless footpath towards the saddle Belščica) on the path which only a few meters higher joins the forest road. When we step on the road, we follow it to the left and we walk there only to first right turn. At the end of the turn, we leave the marked path, which at first continues on the road and we continue sharply left on unmarked, but easy to follow footpath. The footpath already after few meters turns slightly to the right and starts ascending diagonally through the forest. Higher, the footpath starts ascending steep through the forest, which after a time starts to get thinner. Even a little further forest is gradually changed by a lane of dwarf pines and bushes, the path with increasingly beautiful view, from which views are opening up to mountain walls of Palec, Zelenjak, Vrtača and nearby Svačica, brings us to the spot, where we return on a marked path (marked path is a little longer and technically demanding, but well-secured). When we reach a marked path at first we ascend on it to a smaller well, and from there also to the nearby crossing on the saddle Vrata / Matschatcher Sattel.
On the mentioned saddle worse beaten unmarked footpath branches off to the left, which leads "direct" to a saddle Belščica, and we continue straight and start descending towards the mountain hut Celovška koča. On the part of the path, where the footpath widen into a cart track, marked path on Ovčji vrh (Kozjak) / Geissberg branches off to the right, and we still continue on the path which is slightly descending. A little further, the cart track splits into two parts, and we choose right, on which in few minutes we get to the mountain hut Celovška koča, from which a nice view opens up towards Stol and Vajnež.
From the mountain hut, we go left in the direction of Stol / Hochstuhl, Svačica / Bielschitza and mountain hut Prešernova koča and we continue on a gentle cart track which a little lower changes into a mountain path, and which through a lane of dwarf pines brings us to scree below Svačica. The path ahead ascends diagonally over the first scree, and then it brings us to a short steep part, where at the crossing we have a steel cable for help. Short and technically not very demanding part of the path quickly ends, and the path continues over the scree, over which leads us wide and well maintained path. With a view on the nearby mountain walls, then without any bigger problems we ascend to a saddle Belščica, where there is a marked crossing.
From the saddle Belščica, from where the path on Svačica branches off to the left, we continue straight and we continue in the direction of Vrtača, mountain hut Prešernova koča and Zelenica. Few minutes we cross grassy slopes, and then we get to the spot, where caption on rock for Vrtača points us left (straight downwards Stol). Next follows few minutes of relatively easy walking, and then 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.

On the way: Vrata / Matschatcher Sattel (1714m), Celovška koča/Klagenfurter Hutte (1664m), Sedlo Belščica (1840m)