Gozd - Tolsti vrh (Ovčja pot over Kriška gora)

Access to starting point:
A) From highway Ljubljana - Jesenice we go to the exit Kranj - west and follow the road ahead in the direction of Golnik. Only a little after Golnik (more precisely after the settlement Senično) right upwards steep road branches off, which leads towards Zgornje Vetrno and Gozd. After the village Zgornje Vetrno the road mostly continues through the forest, and we follow it to a marked parking lot, which is located right next to the cottage Zavetišče v Gozdu.
B) From highway Jesenice - Ljubljana we go to the exit Podbrezje, and then we continue driving towards Ljubelj and Tržič. Before Petrol gas station in Bistrica pri Tržiču we turn right and then we drive in Tržič. When the road descends into the valley, we continue sharply right in the direction of Pristava and Križe, and further we drive on the main road which leads towards Zgornje and Spodnje Duplje, mentioned main road we leave at settlement Retnje, where we continue left in the direction of the settlement Križe and Golnik. Further, we drive towards Golnik, and after the settlement Križe we soon get to a smaller crossroad, where a steep road towards Sveta Gora branches off to the left, which leads towards Zgornje Vetrno and Gozd. After the village Zgornje Vetrno the road mostly continues through the forest, and we follow it to a marked parking lot, which is located right next to the cottage Zavetišče v Gozdu.

Path description:
From the cottage, we walk to the near church, and then we come at the marked crossing, where from the right side joins the path from Golnik. We continue left upwards on an increasingly bad road which in few minutes brings us to a crossing. Here we go on the left path (right Tolsti vrh, Mala and Velika Poljana and Storžič), which goes past the water catchment and continues on a cart track. And only few meters ahead cart track brings us to the next crossing. We continue straight on a cart track in the direction of Kriška gora (forest path), right normal marked path. Here at the crossing notification sign says, that we will continue on the path which is in the winter time exposed to avalanches. Cart track, which is ascending through the forest after 20 minutes from the crossing brings us on grassy slopes. Next follows a shorter ascent to the spot, where the path brings us on panoramic side ridge of Kriška gora. Here we run into orientational problem. We continue on the right path, which is ascending by indistinct side ridge, on the southern slope of Kriška gora. A little higher, the path brings us to the spot, where in insignificant ascent we cross grassy slopes, after which the path brings us in a short lane of a forest. Only a little further, we come to a clearing, above which we notice route of a cargo cableway. The path ahead is ascending below the cableway all the way to the mountain hut on Kriška gora.
From the mountain hut Koča na Kriški gori we continue on a marked path towards Tolsti vrh. The path only few meters behind the mountain hut turns slightly to the left (slightly right Gozd) and starts gently ascending over a grassy slope. After three minutes of walking almost unnoticeably path in Grahovše branches off to the left, and we continue on a well-beaten mountain path which continues by the main ridge of Kriška gora. Further, the path few times avoids the ridge on the right side, and a panoramic path mostly leads on grassy slopes. A little further, the path returns on the ridge, which we reach right on distinct notch, where pathless path branches off left downwards in Grahovše.
The path ahead leads us over a grazing fence, and then on the right side bypasses Vrata (1591 meters). Higher, the path returns on or by ridge and is for some time only gently ascending. After few minutes of crossing, we get to the spot, where the path starts ascending steeply towards the secondary peak of Tolsti vrh. From the secondary peak a nice view opens up on all sides, and the path ahead leads on for a short time narrower ridge. Next follows some descent through the forest and then the path again starts ascending. Higher the forest gets thinner, and an increasingly panoramic path brings us on Tolsti vrh.
Zavetišče v Gozdu - Koča na Kriški gori 1:30, Koča na Kriški gori - Tolsti vrh 1:00.

On the way: Koča na Kriški gori mountain hut (1471m)