Starting point: Ljubelj (1058 m)
Starting point Lat/Lon: 46.4324°N 14.2602°E
Time of walking: 2 h 55 min
Difficulty: very difficult unmarked way
Difficulty of skiing: more demanding
Altitude difference: 966 m
Altitude difference (by path): 966 m
Map: Karavanke - osrednji del 1:50.000
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 meters before the border crossing 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 ski center Zelenica.
Path description:
From the parking lot, we go on a footpath in the direction of Zelenica, Vrtača and Stol. Cart track which runs on the left side of the ski track, after approximately 15 minutes of a moderate ascent through the forest brings us to the before mentioned track by which we are then ascending. The path which offers nice views on extensive scree of Begunjščica on the left and to a ridge of Ljubeljščica on the right then in a gentle ascent brings us to the hut Vrtača. From the mountain hut, we continue straight on a marked path, which slowly turns slightly to the left and after a shorter diagonal ascent brings us into a lane of dwarf pines. Further, the path is for a short time steeply ascending and then brings us on a cart track (transport road), which we follow in a moderate ascent to the mountain hut Dom na Zelenici.
From the mountain hut Koča na Zelenici we continue right in the direction of Stol and Vrtača (left Begunjščica on the path which immediately behind the hut turns left and it ascends by children's ski lift. Somewhere on the halfway of the cableway, we come on a less noticeable crossing, where we continue right and we diagonally ascend over a ski track (straight mountain hut Koča pri izviru Završnice). Ahead we cross a short lane of a forest and the path brings us to the next ski lift which we cross in a gentle descent. On the other side of the ski track, we notice a bigger rock and there a blaze, which points us in the forest. The path is then slightly descending and after few minutes of additional walking brings us to the end of the valley Suho ruševje, where right upwards branches off unmarked path on Palec.
We continue in the direction of Palec (straight Stol and Vrtača) on the path which ascends through a lane of a forest and higher brings us below the scree of Vrtača and Palec. Here the steepness decreases and the path then leads us through the valley Suho ruševje. Higher, the path turns slightly right and again steeply ascends. After few minutes of additional walking, we come on the border ridge (Žleb 1916m) from where a view opens up on the Austrian side.
We continue left (right Palec) on the path which ascends diagonally over the scree below Zelenjak. After few minutes of the ascent, the path brings us on the next saddle, this time on the west side of Zelenjak. From here we continue right on a poorly visible footpath which ascends diagonally on a very steep upper slope of the mountain. The path on which cairns showing the way leads us on a steep slope, which is dangerous for slipping. After approximately 10 minutes of difficult part we step on a panoramic peak.
On the descent from the peak a great caution is needed.
Ljubelj - Zelenica 1:20, Zelenica - Zelenjak 1:35.
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