Mežica - Šumahov vrh (via Pikov and Veliki vrh)

Access to starting point:
From Črna na Koroškem or from Ravne na Koroškem, or through the border crossing Holmec or Mežica, we drive to Mežica, where signs for cemetery Mirje point us towards the west on a local road. We drive also past the old cemetery, and then we park on a marked parking lot.

Path description:
From the starting point, we continue on the asphalt road upwards, when the road turns left, we leave it and we continue straight on a cart track in the direction of Pikovo. We continue on a cart track which is ascending on the route of a former ski track, and today by the path, we notice field for disc golf Mežica. At first when we look back we also see Mežica and surrounding hills, and then the path by which there almost aren't any blazes, passes into a small valley between 729 meters high hill on the left (on maps unnamed peak), and Štalekarjev vrh on the right. When the valley turns towards the west, from ski track marked cart track branches off to the left, on which we continue. Cart track quickly turns even a little more to the left and then it ascends diagonally on a ridge, where we continue right in the direction of the mountain hut Koča na Pikovem. For some time path follows the ridge and then it gradually passes slightly left on slopes, on which we are mostly diagonally ascending. Higher on the left bottom side we bypass homestead Jesenik, where the path leads us past the ruins of old house. A little further, we cross a macadam road (left we descend to the valley or we continue to the mountain hut Koča na Pikovem on an old path, right a homestead Jesenik), and then we are steeper ascending on a cart track, and we walk there all the way to a saddle, from which a view opens up towards the southwest.
From the saddle, we continue straight in the direction of the mountain hut Koča na Pikovem and we quickly descend to the spot, where we join the path Vrh šteng - Koča na Pikovem.
We follow the path to the left, and a little ahead from the left also an old path joins. We again continue in the direction of the mountain hut Koča na Pikovem and through the forest, we ascend to a wooden cross, by which there is a quite old bench.
By the mentioned religious symbol we leave the marked path and we continue walking left, on a footpath which starts steeply ascending through the forest. After few minutes of the ascent, we join the path which leads from the homestead Pik, and we continue left on a gradually less steep path, which we follow to the nearby Pikov vrh, where there stands a wooden lookout tower.
We bypass the lookout tower on the right side, and then we at first descend a little on the ridge and then the path continues with some shorter ascents and descents. When we already get quite close to Veliki vrh, the path branches off to the right towards the caves Pikove jame, and we continue left and we diagonally ascend to the transmitters on Veliki vrh, and the inscription box is situated few steps ahead towards the right.
From Veliki vrh on a wide cart track we in 10 minutes descend to Šumahovo sedlo, where there is a crossing of multiple paths and roads.
From Šumahovo sedlo we go from the cross left on a cart track which moderately ascends a little towards the left. After a short ascent, we reach the indistinct ridge, where the cart track turns a little to the right, and a little higher it ends. From the end of the cart track, we continue slightly right on a beaten footpath which ascends through the forest, and when it flattens, it brings us to a short panoramic part, from which a nice view opens up in the direction of Peca. Next follows about a minute of easy walking and the path brings us to a cross on Šumahov vrh, from which a nice view opens up also on the other side.
Mežica - Pikov vrh 2:00, Pikov vrh - Veliki vrh 40 minutes, Veliki vrh - Šumahov vrh 25 minutes.
Description and pictures refer to a condition in the year 2018 (May).

On the way: Pikov vrh (1149m), Veliki vrh (nad Mežiško dolino) (1165m), Šumahovo sedlo (1065m)