Cerovec pod Bočem - Boč (via Balunjača)

Access to starting point:
A) From highway Ljubljana - Maribor we go to the exit Dravlje, and then we follow the signs for Šentjur and forward Rogaška Slatina. When we get closer to Rogaška Slatina we don't drive towards the settlement, but we continue in the direction of Rogatec. A little further we get to the settlement Cerovec pod Bočem, where we park after the crossroad, where a road branches off to the left towards Sveti Florijan.
B) From highway Maribor - Ljubljana we go to the exit Slovenska Bistrica south, and then we follow the signs for Rogaška Slatina. When we get closer to Rogaška Slatina we don't drive towards the settlement, but we continue in the direction of Rogatec. A little further we get to the settlement Cerovec pod Bočem, where we park after the crossroad, where a road branches off to the left towards Sveti Florijan.

Path description:
From the parking lot we on the pedestrian crossing carefully cross the main road, and then we go on the road towards Sveti Florijan, and soon by the path, we notice red mountain signposts for the chapel Grilova kapela and Boč. We at first walk on a sidewalk, and after few minutes, the path turns towards the east and only a little further splits. Before the chapel we continue on the left road, by which the blazes continue. We continue between some houses of settlement Cerovec pod Bočem, where we follow the blazes, and higher the asphalt path brings us into gorge of the stream Tržiški potok. We for some time continue through the mentioned gorge, and then the road turns sharply left and gradually goes away from the stream.
A little higher, signs for the chapel Grilova kapela and Boč point us to the left on a side road (straight - ranch Stojnšek), on which we are still ascending.
Higher, we go once again left and then past well Grilov vodnjak we come out of the forest, where on the left, by the edge of the forest we notice the chapel Grilova kapela.
Here we go right in the direction of Boč and Ložna and we return into the forest. Further, we are ascending on slopes of Grilov vrh (612 meters), and higher we reach a larger clearing on the northern side of the mentioned summit.
Here from the southern part of the clearing a view opens up, which reaches all the way to Kamnik Savinja Alps, and we go right, where we on the right side bypass an older wooden cottage. Follows only a shorter ascent on a cart track and we reach the forest road, where the marked path splits.
We continue straight in the direction of Boč (right - Rudijev dom and Ložno), where we steeply ascend on a marked path. The path ahead at first leads through a lane of bushes, from where a view opens up a little and then the path passes into the forest through which it is still quite steeply ascending. Higher, the path and the slope flatten out, and we follow the marked path to a marked crossing, from which we continue straight to the nearby road (right - Donačka gora).
When we reach the road, we go left, and we go left also at the nearby crossroad (right - Makole). Next follows some descent on a macadam road, and when we leave the forest, past a religious symbol we get to a crossroad, at which we go straight (to the left leads the road into a valley in the direction of Rogaška Slatina) and on the left side we bypass homestead Gavez, and on the right the nearby hunting lodge Rogaška Slatina.
Behind the lodge we descend to another road and we follow it to the right. When the road starts ascending, the marked path branches off to the right, which leads towards Formila and Makole, and we continue on the asphalt road which starts ascending. After a short ascent the road splits, and we continue on a slightly left road which starts descending (slightly right road leads to a private house). Next follows a descent on the macadam road which a little lower brings us to a crossroad, where we go right downwards in the direction of Boč. Further we are still descending, and at the next crossroad, where we join the path from Makole we go left. And only a little ahead we go right. From the last crossroad we walk on the road only a short time, and then we go left on a marked path, which on a cart track ascends to the spot, where used to be a forestry cottage, and now there is a new cottage (condition May 2022).
Here we again step on the road which we follow to the left (across the road leads an unmarked path on Boč, or we can join also the road which leads towards Boč). Further, we walk on the road which crosses slopes of Boč towards the left, and there we are at first still gently ascending, and later we also descend a little.
Few 10 strides before we reach an asphalt road, the path Senčna pot branches off to the right on Boč, and we continue to the road, where we continue right. When the road turns left, we go slightly right and we continue on a cart track which goes into the forest, and at the crossing, we go right in the direction of the path via Balunjača and in the direction of the climbing path on Boč (left downwards - Dom na Boču - 2 minutes).
Then follows few minutes of a diagonal ascent towards the left, and higher from the left joins the path from the valley (starting point Zgornje Poljčane).
Here we go from the cart track right on a footpath in the direction of Boč, and further at the crossings we follow the path via Balunjača. The path via Balunjača then leads us through a shorter secured part, where the path isn't very demanding, but on this part it is exposed to falling stones. Higher, we again join the steep and climbing path, which branched off from our path.
The steepness of the path then gradually decreases and the path brings us on a cart track which is gently ascending by the military area. When we leave the vicinity of military area follows only five minutes of walking on the upper, still forested ridge. When we reach the peak we can ascend also on a lookout tower, from which a nice view opens up on all sides.
The starting point - Gril's chapel 0:45, Gril's chapel - Boč 2:45.

On the way: Gril's chapel on Boč (534m)