Planina Blato - Velika Zelnarica (via Štapce)

Access to starting point:
From highway Ljubljana - Jesenice we go to the exit Lesce and follow the road towards Bled and forward towards Bohinjska Bistrica. We continue driving towards the Lake Bohinj (Ribčev laz), where we come to the crossroad, where we continue right in the direction of Stara Fužina. In Stara Fužina at the crossroad at the chapel, we turn sharply left on an ascending road in the direction of the mountain pasture Blato, mountain pasture Vogar and valley Voje. The road ahead brings us to the spot, where the road toll or parking fee has to be paid, we follow it forward to the next crossroad, where we continue left (right Voje). Then we follow the road to the next crossroad (we drive for quite some time), where we turn sharply right in the direction of the mountain pasture Blato (straight mountain pasture Vogar). We follow this road to the parking lot above the mountain pasture Planina Blato.

Path description:
From the marked parking lot on the mountain pasture Blato we return few 10 strides back, and then we go on a wide and at first also quite a steep cart track in the direction of Planina pri Jezeru. After 10 minutes of relatively steep ascent, we come at the marked crossing, where we continue on the left steep cart track (straight mountain pasture Planina v Lazu), and a little higher joins also the marked path from the mountain pasture Planina Vogar. We continue on a wide, partly rocky cart track which higher for some time flattens, and then it steeply ascends through a smaller carved passage. Further, the path again flattens and then crosses steep slopes (in snow and ice dangerous for slipping). Only a little further, the path turns sharply to the left and it brings us in a cold small valley named Pungrat, where we cross an abandoned grazing fence. The path ahead again starts ascending steeper, and then turns to the right and entirely flattens. Only few meters ahead from the left joins the path from the mountain pasture Vodični vrh, and we continue straight and after 5 minutes of additional walking, we get to the mountain pasture Planina pri Jezeru, in the middle of which stands a mountain hut.
From the mountain hut, we continue slightly left and at first downwards to a marked crossing, from which we go on the right path in the direction of the mountain pasture Dedno polje (left mountain pasture Viševnik and Pršivec). Still a wide path is at first gently, and then moderately to steeply ascending through a thin spruce forest. Higher, the path over Krištofojca branches off to the left, which leads towards the mountain pasture Viševnik, and we still continue on a wide path, which higher flattens a little and then turns slightly to the right, where in front of us we notice mountain pasture Dedno polje. Here the path turns to the left and after few additional strides, it brings us to the mountain pasture Dedno polje, by the edge of which there is a marked crossing.
We continue straight in the direction of the mountain hut Koča pri Triglavskih jezerih (right valley Za Kopico) on the path which is further gently to moderately ascending through mostly a thin forest. The path from which a nice view opens up on the mountain chain Spodnje Bohinjske gore then descends and brings us on a mountain pasture Ovčarija, where there is the next crossing. We continue on the right path in the direction of the mountain hut Koča pri Triglavskih jezerih over Štapce (straight path over Prodi). The path ahead is at first moderately ascending through a thin larch forest and then it ascends steeper and through a lane of dwarf pines brings us to panoramic Štapce.
On Štapce we continue slightly right in the direction of Tičarica and Zelnarica (slightly left mountain hut Koča pri Triglavskih jezerih) and we continue the ascent on the path which at first ascends through a lane of dwarf pines, and then it brings us to a short steep and mainly in wet for slipping dangerous jump. Above the jump, the path flattens and passes on moderately steep grassy slopes, after which in few minutes of additional walking, we ascend to a small saddle, where the marked path branches off to the left on Mala Tičarica.
We continue in the direction of Zelnarica on a relatively gentle path, which at first crosses slopes of Mala and then also Velika Tičarica. After Velika Tičarica path passes on a wide grassy ridge on and by which we are then ascending. After few minutes of easy walking, the path starts ascending steeply on a partly grassy slope. The steepness quickly decreases and the path brings us on ample meadows south from precipitous and overhang Kopica. Through the ample meadows we walk to the foot of the upper slopes of Kopica, after that when we reach the edge of the wall, marked path turns to the right and it ascends diagonally over smaller scree. After the scree, the path turns to the left and then in a diagonal ascent starts ascending steeply. The marked path at a smaller indistinct hollow gets closer to the ridge and turns slightly towards the right. The path ahead passes on very steep and for slipping dangerous slope (30 meters), and then the slope on which we walk flattens a little. Next follows a diagonal ascent a little below the ridge and then the path brings us on the upper slope of Mala Zelnarica. Here the path starts ascending steeper and after approximately 15 minutes of more and more panoramic walking it brings us to the summit of Mala Zelnarica.
From Mala Zelnarica we continue slightly right on a marked path which starts descending towards the saddle Vrata. The path from the peak at first steeply descends, and then turns a little to the left, where it soon brings us to the notch between Mala and Velika Zelnarica. From here we continue on a marked path few more 10 meters, after that when on the left a nice passage opens, we leave it and we continue the ascent on easier pathless terrain. After few minutes of the ascent on pathless terrain we reach the ridge of Velika Zelarica, where we step on a poorly visible footpath which we follow to the right. This "path", which continues mostly on the ridge, we then follow all the way to the peak, and we reach it after few minutes of additional walking.
Blato - Ovčarija 2:15, Ovčarija - Velika Zelnarica 3:30.

On the way: Planina Dedno Polje (1560m), Planina Ovčarija (1660m), Štapce (1851m), Mala Zelnarica (2310m)