Tinčkova koča - Pautz/Zelenjak (via Zagon)

Access to starting point:
From highway Ljubljana - Jesenice we go to the exit Lesce and follow the road ahead in the direction of Žirovnica and Jesenice. After few km of driving, we will get to a crossroad, where the road in Žirovnica and Moste branches off to the right (from the direction of Jesenice left). Only few meters ahead in the next crossroad, we turn left in Moste (right Žirovnica). Further, we drive past a monument to fallen soldiers, where the road starts ascending on a hill below the railway track. On top of the slope, we turn right (at the sign Vila Karin), and then drive towards the lake Završniško jezero and Valvasorjev dom. The road then flattens and it brings us to a crossroad, where the road towards the mountain hut Valvasorjev dom branches off to the left, and we continue straight on at first still asphalt road. The road soon becomes a macadam, and we follow it to a parking lot near the mountain hut Tinčkova koča. The road in the upper part is often in quite bad condition.

Path description:
From the starting point signs for Valvasorjev dom and Stol point us to the left on a wide cart track which passes into the forest. Already after few 10 meters a marked path towards the mountain hut Valvasorjev dom and Stol turns left, and we continue slightly right, on a cart track which leads us past few more cottages. We continue on an unmarked cart track which is at first moderately, and higher relatively steeply ascending through the forest. Even a little further cart track changes into a forest footpath, and before a crossing of the torrent it splits into two parts. We continue on the bottom right path, which crosses a torrent, and then it is few minutes only moderately ascending through the forest. The path soon becomes pretty steep and on some parts a little harder to follow. The path through the valley Zagon has in the upper part some crossings, and on all of them we are choosing right turn-offs (even if we continue straight, higher we join the path which leads from the saddle Šija towards Stol, only that we reach it more to the west).
Higher, at an altitude of approximately 1500 meters, the path for some time leads right into a small valley, from which it soon withdraws a little to the right. On this part we get to another less noticeable crossing, where we go once again right, and further we are ascending diagonally with nice views on Stol, Srednja peč and surrounding mountains. Relatively easy to follow, but on parts more overgrown path, gradually flattens and returns into a small torrential valley. For a short time, we are ascending by a smaller torrent, and then we reach lower path on Stol.
We follow the mentioned path slightly right to the near decaying concrete cottage, and from there right in the direction of saddle Šija and Zelenica. Next follows a short ascent, and then the path turns left and is further ascending diagonally on northwestern slopes of Srednji vrh. After few minutes, the crossing ends, and the path brings us on a saddle Šija, where there is a marked crossing.
We continue left in the direction of Vrtača (right Srednji vrh, straight Dom pri izviru Završnice) on the path which ascends through a lane of dwarf pines and after few minutes of additional walking brings us to the upper path Zelenica - Stol.
Here we continue right towards Zelenica and at first, we still walk through dwarf pines. After few minutes dwarf pines end and diagonal path brings us to a marked crossing, where we continue straight (sharply left Vrtača). Further, we in a gentle descent cross mostly southern slopes of Vrtača, and a panoramic path leads over the scree, grassy slopes, and occasionally also through some narrow lane of a forest. A little further one of the paths, which lead towards Dom pri izviru Završnice branches off to the right downwards, and on a marked path towards Dom na Zelenici we walk for few more minutes. When we again step in the forest, the path brings us into a smaller indistinct valley, where the unmarked path branches off to the left into a valley Suho ruševje (by the crossing is usually situated a cairn).
The path into Suho rušje at first ascends through the forest and then passes among dwarf pines, where the path is well beaten, and the dwarf pines are cutted. Next follows a short steeper ascent, where when we look back a nice view opens up on Begunjščica, and in front of us on the left we see Vrtača, straight Zelenjak, and right Palec and ridge Na možeh. Higher the footpath flattens a little and passes into a high mountain valley, which gradually narrows. Even a little further footpath turns right and then joins the path which leads on the scree below the ridge Na možeh (mentioned path is more appropriate for a descent than ascent, and it brings us a little closer to Zelenica, than path on which we ascended). We continue left and on the scree we start ascending diagonally, and such a path we follow all the way to Žleb, which is situated between Zelenjak and Palec.
From Žleb, from where a nice view opens up into Austria we continue left (right Palec) and we diagonally ascend to the notch between Zelenjak and Vrtača, where relatively easy path ends.
Here we continue sharply right into cliffs of Zelenjak, where from predecessors there is already visible a worse footpath, at orientation we also get additional help from individual cairns. Immediately from the notch ahead we steeply ascend, and because of substantial steepness on some places we have to help ourselves with hands. Higher the "footpath" occasionally entirely vanishes, and we are still ascending on a slope, which is dangerous for slipping. After a good 10 minutes of a steep ascent we step on the summit of Zelenjak, from which a nice view opens up on central Karawanks.

On the way: Šija (1693m), Žleb (Suho ruševje) (1916m)

Trip can be extended to: Vertatscha/Vrtača ( 35 min)