Ljubelj - Prešernova koča na Stolu (upper way)

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 marked footpath in the direction of Zelenica, Vrtača and Stol. The path at first leads on a moderately steep cart track which ascends through the forest and then turns a little to the right and brings us out of the forest on a ski track. We continue the ascent on a ski slope, from which beautiful views are opening up on a wall and scree of Begunjščica, on the right side we see the ridge of Ljubeljšica. The path which then runs on a rough road, only a little higher brings us to the mountain hut Koča Vrtača, where ends chairlift Zelenica I and starts chairlift Zelenica II. Here transport road turns sharply to the right, and we continue straight in the direction of Zelenica and we continue on at first still gentle, after that more steep path, which ascends on a ski track. Higher, we are ascending through a thin lane of dwarf pines, and then we return on the road. We continue on a rough road, after the road turns to the left, we continue right on a steep footpath which returns on the road just below the upper station of the chairlift Zelenica II. From here a short descent follows and the path brings us to the mountain hut Dom na Zelenici.
Just before the mountain hut path which leads on Begunjščica and Roblekov dom branches off to the left and behind the hut we continue left and start ascending by children's ski lift Ciciban. Somewhere in the middle of the ski lift we get to a smaller crossing, where we continue right through a ski track (straight mountain hut Koča pri izviru Završnice, Srednji vrh and Stol - bottom path). On the other side of the ski track Ciciban path goes in a narrow lane of a forest, after which we get to the next ski lift. Also this ski track we only cross, after that by a smaller boulder we look for further marked path which leads towards Vrtača and Stol. Further, the path leads us on slopes below the ridge Na Možeh, and then it descends a little and it brings us to the spot, where the unmarked path in the valley Suho ruševje and Palec branches off to the right (by the crossing is a smaller cairn). After the crossing, the path gradually passes on slopes of Vrtača, through which it mostly ascending diagonally. Higher from the left also unmarked path from the mountain hut Koča pri izviru Završnice joins and we continue straight to the nearby marked crossing.
At the crossing a path to Vrtača and towards Stol and Svačica through Vatelce or Sklede branches off slightly to the right, and we continue straight on the bottom path, which crosses a lane of dwarf pines and raspberry bushes. After few minutes of additional walking, we get to the next crossing, where left downwards in few minutes we can descend to a saddle Šija, from where leads the bottom path on Stol, to the right a worse footpath towards Vrtača branches off to the right (the latter a little higher joins the before mentioned marked path), and we again continue straight, this time through occasionally steeper grassy slopes, which are interrupted by some less steep gullies. Crossing of the grassy slopes soon ends and the path brings us to a steep groove, through which we start descending on in parts rough and on some spots for slipping dangerous path. When the groove ends path passes on the scree, over which below the cliffs diagonally descends to the cirque V Kožnah. Here the path again starts ascending, and from the left joins bottom path and the path from Završnica.
We continue straight and the path further leads us past more large boulders. Next follows a little steeper short ascent and we get to a crossing, where the path towards the mountain ht Celovška koča and Svačica branches off to the right, or path through Vatelce or Sklede joins. Here as well, we continue straight, and the path from a small valley between Srednja peč 1920 meters (Srednja peč is a less known peak on the left) and the ridge of Orlice (Orlice are harder accessible ridge between saddle Belščica and Stol) gradually passes on a bigger scree, on which we diagonally ascend towards the right, and then the path gradually passes into a steeper valley between Mali Stol on the left and Stol on the right. Here the path steeply ascends, and then it gradually flattens and it brings us to a marked crossing. Here we continue left (right Stol 10 minutes) and after few minutes of a moderate ascent we step on the summit of Mali Stol, from which we have only few 10 strides of descent to the mountain hut Prešernova koča.
Ljubelj - Zelenica 1:20, Zelenica - Prešernova koča 3:25.

On the way: Koča Vrtača mountain hut (1288m), Dom na Zelenici mountain hut (1536m)

Trip can be extended to: Hochstuhl/Stol