Srednji Lokovec - Lašček (via Raštela)

Access to starting point:
A lot of paths brings us on a nice and mostly overlooked plateau Banjška planota, the highest peak of which is Lašček.
At the far east and highest part of plateau Banjška planota, just by the edge above the valley Čepovanska dolina, in a narrow lane is spreading Lokovec. One of the longest and the most ample Slovenian villages with smaller hamlets and lonely homesteads bring together three Lokovec hamlets: Dolenji, Srednji and Gorenji Lokovec. Our starting point is at the church in Srednji Lokovec, to which we can drive:
- from Nova Gorica through Banjšice or Čepovan,
- from Kanal through Kanalski Vrh and Banjšice or through Avče, Levpa and Kal nad Kanalom.
- from Most na Soči through Čepovan or Kal nad Kanalom.
And the more adventurous can go also from Dolenja Trebuša.

A) From Nova Gorica, we follow the signs for Bovec-Tolmin and we continue on Solkan bypass road or we drive through Nova Gorica to Solkan. In the traffic light crossroad, above the cemetery in Solkan, we continue in the direction of Čepovan, Lokve and Sveta Gora on the road which is ascending past the quarry. Soon after the turn-off for Sveta Gora road branches off to the left towards Čepovan, Banjšice and Grgar, and straight the road continues in Trnovo and Lokve. We continue left towards Grgar, where we have two options: we can turn left towards Banjšice or right towards Čepovan. The road through Čepovan is a little less than 2 km shorter, but through Banjšice is much more panoramic, because in good visibility beautiful view opens up on Julian Alps. From Čepovan we continue in the direction of Banjšice and after 3 km we reach Srednji Lokovec. From Banjšice we continue in the direction of Čepovan and after good 5 km we get to Srednji Lokovec.
Nova Gorica – Čepovan – Srednji Lokovec: 24 km, Nova Gorica – Banjšice - Srednji Lokovec: 26 km.

B) From Kanal (from the direction of Nova Gorica the turn off is a little before Kanal) we drive to Kanalski vrh, where we can view a huge pool (15 ha) of hydropower plant Avče, and we continue through Bate and Banjšice to Srednji Lokovec (22 km).

C) From Most na Soči, we continue in the direction of Cerkno, Idrija, Podbrdo to the railway station and we follow the road towards Čepovan and Lokve. A steep, winding road brings us to Čepovan, and after another 3 km we get to Srednji Lokovec. Most na Soči – Čepovan: 15.5 km, Čepovan - Srednji Lokovec: 3 km.

Path description:
The path is undemanding, because there are only few shorter ascents. It mostly runs on abandoned cart tracks through the forest and especially in the winter it is very lonely. The most appropriate time for visiting Lašček is from autumn to spring. In the summer, it can be very hot, and the path gets quickly overgrown. The path is well marked, but we because of numerous crossings have to be very careful, not to go astray. If for a long time we don't see any blaze, we are for sure on the wrong path. The first visiting isn't recommended in snow conditions, because the path often isn't beaten, and because of ground blazes under the snow and numerous crossings we would hardly find the right direction. The orientation is quite demanding.

From the church, we continue left, on an asphalt road, and after few minutes we come to a crossroad, where we continue right. After a shorter but steep ascent, we get to a smaller hamlet Raštela. We continue walking on the road which soon starts descending to the next crossroad, where an asphalt road turns sharply left. We continue straight on the macadam road and after few steps, we turn right. After few meters, we turn on a cart track which from the macadam road branches off to our left. The path is slightly ascending on the edge of the forest and continues with a shorter ascent through the clearing among the raspberry bushes to a macadam road. We continue on the road left. At first, we are slightly descending, and then we continue with a light ascent on a worse, macadam road (in the time of preparations of this description still under construction). At the end of the road, we continue right, on a cart track which is slightly ascending. After few minutes of additional walking, we come to a crossing, where from the right side joins an unmarked path (cart track) from Novo Mesto. We follow the signs for Lašček (45 min) and we continue left, on a cart track which is moderately ascending through a thin forest, crosses a small clearing and again turns in the forest. After about 10 minutes of walking, we come out of the forest on a with bushes vegetated meadow, which in few steps we cross and we again continue through the forest. We soon get to a crossing, where we continue right. The cart track is still mildly ascending through the forest. Before the deep sinkhole, it narrows into a footpath and it bypasses the sinkhole on the left edge, and then the footpath steeply ascends by the edge of an overgrown pasture. In few steps, we get to the cart track and we continue left and we soon start descending to the next crossing. We continue straight (on a wider road right we would join the path from Lokovec through Novo Mesto). In front of us we see the peak of Lašček. We bypass a larger sinkhole and on a cart track we ascend to the door of a fence. We continue left (right we come on the path from Lokovec through Novo Mesto). Cart track through another fence brings us into the forest. We continue on a cart track which is for few minutes mildly ascending, and then the path turns right. We need to pay attention to blazes on the trees, because a well visible cart track continues straight and we can easily miss them. The path through another door in the fence ascends by the edge of an overgrown pasture and brings us on a larger clearing, which we cross by the left edge and we again turn in the forest. The footpath ascends a little steeper through the forest to the next crossing, where the paths join from Cvetrež (Kal) and from Gornji Lokavec or Vrh Ječmenc. We continue with the ascent towards the summit, to which separates us a little less than 10 minutes of walking, on a forested ridge.

In good visibility from the grassy peak, wide views open up. From Gulf of Trieste on the south, Friuli and Dolomites on the west, on the north reign Julian Alps with Matajur, Kanin mountain range, Krn and mountain range of Tolmin mountains and Spodnje Bohinjske gore, behind which reigns Triglav. Only towards the east, the trees veil the view on Škofjeloško hribovje and Porezen.

In the valley we can return on the path through Novo Mesto and we make a nice circular hike. From the top of Lašček we follow the signs for Lokovec – church (1.5h) and on the south side, we descend in the forest.