Ljubelj - Begunjščica (via Šentanski plaz, snowy approach)

Access to starting point:
From highway Ljubljana - Jesenice we go to the exit Ljubelj and follow the road ahead to the border crossing. Only few 10 meters before the tunnel Ljubelj, signs for Zelenica point us to the left and after few 10 meters of additional driving the road brings us on a parking lot below the former ski center Zelenica.

Path description:
From the parking lot, we go on former settled ski track towards Zelenica, or we can also go on parallel marked footpath (cart track), which runs through the forest. After approximately 15 minutes both paths join, and then we continue the ascent below scree of Begunjska Vrtača. A little further, the path again splits, and we continue straight towards the mountain hut Koča Vrtača (possible also right on a transport road which higher joins with the path past the mentioned mountain hut (the latter path is more exposed to avalanches, than the one past the mountain hut)).
When we get to the mountain hut Koča Vrtača is less steep part of the path behind us, and in front of us steepness of a former ski track. On top of the slope break, from the right joins already mentioned transport path, and on this part, we leave the path which leads towards Zelenica and we continue an ascent left on gully Šentanski plaz. Next follows a steep ascent approximately 500 altitude meters, after that choose right exit to the ridge (slightly left approach towards Begunjska Vrtača), where the steepness of the gully increases even a little more. In the last part can be ascent difficult because of lack of snow, which is blown away by wind, or the last part is icy, or both. When there is a lot of snow the passage can be difficult because of big cornice, which are especially dangerous in warm weather, when it can tear off and falling down the gully.
When we step on the ridge, we reach a marked path from Prevala, but in the winter time it is usually under the snow, but with orientation further there aren't any problems, because of all the time we follow the ridge, or we walk slightly left from it. Few minutes higher we reach the secondary peak, from which we already clearly see Veliki vrh in the ridge of Begunjščica, to which we have only few minutes of ascent.
The described path is exposed to avalanches, mainly in the upper part also to slipping.
Description and pictures refer to a condition in the year 2017 (February).

On the way: Koča Vrtača mountain hut (1288m)