Laško - Gozdnik

Access to starting point:
A) From highway Ljubljana - Maribor we go to the exit Celje - center, and then we continue driving towards Laško and Zidani Most. When we come to Laško, at the traffic light opposite the gas station, we turn right in the direction of Spodnja and Zgornja Rečica and Huda Jama. We park on one of the parking lots near the fire station Laško.
B) From Zasavje or Posavje we drive to Zidani Most or Rimske Toplice, and then we continue driving towards Celje. When we come in Laško, signs for Spodnja and Zgornja Rečica and Huda Jama point us to the left. Here we continue left and then we park on one of the parking lots near the fire station Laško.

Path description:
By the fire station Laško we notice the beginning of the path which leads on Šmohor. The path at first leads past the fire station, and after few 10 meters we get to a smaller chapel, by which we notice hiking signposts. Here we continue on an ascending road in the direction of Šmohor, Kal and Mrzlica, and at the first crossing we follow it to the right and then after few meters we leave it because blazes point us to the left on a marked footpath which at first ascends on stairs. Above the houses, the path continues through a meadow, and at the power line pole it brings us on a grassy cart track. Ahead with a view on Laško and Hum we walk to the edge of the forest and then we continue past a religious symbol into a lane of a forest. For a short time, we are ascending by the edge of the forest and then we step on at first a macadam road, on which with nice views on Posavsko hribovje we ascend to the asphalt road. We follow the mentioned road to the right, and it quickly brings us to a smaller crossroad, where a road branches off to the right towards the farm Primož. Here we continue straight, and we follow the road to a smaller hamlet, where the asphalt ends. We continue on a marked macadam road (direction Šmohor), from which soon a cart track branches off to the left, which leads towards Šmohor. We continue the ascent on the mentioned cart track, and in a diagonal ascent on a relatively steep slope it quickly brings us to the next farm.
From the farm we continue on a cart track which ascends between grazing fences, and then passes into the forest and splits into two parts. We continue on the lower left cart track which only few minutes higher joins the macadam road which we follow to the left. From the road a view opens up a little towards Laško and surroundings, and then blazes point us to the right on an ascending cart track which soon entirely flattens, and then it crosses slopes towards the left. A little further, we for a short time join the asphalt road which runs on Šmohor, and we continue on a marked footpath which continues parallel with the mentioned road. A little higher at the bigger rock, a steep path branches off to the right on Malič, and we continue straight and after few minutes of additional walking, we get to a marked crossing, where the second a less steep path branches off to the right on Malič. We continue straight through a larger meadow and past a newly built house we walk to the next crossing. We go again straight (left downwards Tolsto and Huda Jama) in the direction of the mountain hut Dom na Šmohorju, and we reach it after a minute of additional walking.
From Dom na Šmohorju we continue in the direction of Kal, Mrzlica and Gozdnik. The path ahead at first crosses a larger meadow, and then passes into a lane of a forest, through which it descends to the nearby road. When we step on the road, we continue in the same direction, and we walk there to the spot, where it splits into two parts. This time we continue on the left road, on which in few 10 strides we get to the church of St. Mohor.
From the church, by which there grow numerous old linden trees, we descend on a marked hiking path, and it soon returns on a macadam road. We continue on the road which on the right side bypasses the peak Pernice, and then it starts moderately descending and it brings us to a marked crossroad. From the crossroad, we go in the direction of Kal and Mrzlica and we continue on a bit narrower macadam road which past a religious symbol and a well brings us to the next crossroad, where we continue straight. The road then flattens and after few 10 meters brings us to the spot, where signs for Kal, Mrzlica and Gozdnik point us to the right on an ascending cart track. The path ahead leads us past NOB monument, after which we soon get to the next crossing. This time we continue right in the direction of Gozdnik (slightly left downwards Mrzlica), and we continue on a cart track to the spot, where the forest gets a little thinner. Here a narrower cart track branches off to the right, by which we soon notice blazes, and gradually it changes into a footpath. The path ahead for a short time steeply ascends, and then it flattens and gradually brings us on the ridge of Mali Gozdnik. Next follows a walk on at first a gentle ridge and then the path steeply ascends and it quickly brings us on an indistinct peak of Mali Gozdnik.
Next follows a short descent and the path brings us on a small saddle between the both peaks of Gozdnik. The path ahead gradually starts ascending steeper and steeper, and it leads on a relatively steep and mainly in wet for slipping dangerous ridge. The path higher flattens and in few minutes of additional walking brings us to the summit, in the middle of which there is a wooden bivouac.

On the way: Dom na Šmohorju mountain hut (784m), Mali Gozdnik (981m)