Gozd - Tolsti vrh (steep path 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. Soon after the village Zgornje Vetrno, we come to the parking lot, which is situated on the left side of the road. At the end of the parking lot road turns right, and at the beginning of turn are located also hiking signposts.
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. Soon after the village Zgornje Vetrno, we come to the parking lot, which is situated on the left side of the road. At the end of the parking lot road turns right, and at the beginning of turn are located also hiking signposts.

Path description:
From the parking lot, we continue in the direction of the steep path on Kriška gora. For a short time, we walk on a quite gently sloping path, and then it becomes increasingly steep. Next follows a steep ascent on more or less forest path, and then we get on an indistinct ridge, where the path becomes even steeper. Next follows few minutes of walking through the forest and then forest quickly ends and we continue the ascent on the more and more panoramic grassy slope. With nice views on Julian Alps, large part of Gorenjska, part of Ljubljana basin and Notranjsko, Polhograjsko and Škofjeloško hribovje, we get to a bench on the upper part of a grassy slope. Above the bench the path returns into the forest, and from the left joins the path from Tržič through Mala and Velika Mizica.
Here we continue right, and then in a moderate ascent, at first still through the forest, and in the last part on a grassy slope, in approximately 15 minutes we reach the mountain hut Koča na Kriški gori.
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.
Gozd - Koča na Kriški gori 1:30, Koča na Kriški gori - Tolsti vrh 1:00.

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