Zvodno - Grmada above Celje (via Hudičev graben)

Access to starting point:
From highway Ljubljana - Maribor, we go to the exit Celje - center and we continue driving in the direction Laško and Zidani Most. The road ahead leads through the center of Celje, and then it brings us to a roundabout with a fountain. Here we continue "straight" (direction Laško and Zidani Most) and we follow the road to the next traffic light crossroad, where we continue left, we drive over the river Savinja and then at the crossroad behind the bridge we continue right. Further, we get to the underpass under the railway track and only few meters ahead to the fire station in Zagrad. We continue straight and we follow the road through the village, and higher it brings us to a smaller crossroad, where we notice signs for Suhi potok - right, Hudičev graben - straight. We continue straight and after a short ascent, we get to NOB monument, after which the road gradually flattens. Here we need to pay attention, because we will soon get to the beginning of a marked path which leads through Hudičev graben. We park few 10 meters lower, on one of the parking lots by the road (there aren't many parking lots).
To the starting point, we can also come from Dolenjska and Zasavje. In this case, at first we drive to Rimske Toplice and then through Laško to the starting point.

Path description:
From the starting point, we continue on the road few more 10 meters and then signs for Hudičev graben point us to the right on a footpath which is at first ascending gently along the fence. A little further, we come on a larger meadow, where the footpath vanishes a little, but because we continue in the same direction, there aren't any bigger problems with orientation. At the end of the meadow we step on a wide cart track, and after few steps it brings us to a stream Hudičev potok, where there is a marked crossing.
We continue in the direction of Hudičev graben (left - Srebotnik) and we continue the ascent on the path which runs on and by the riverbed of the stream Hudičev potok. The gorge soon narrows and we get help from iron spikes, stemples and steel cables. Ahead with the help of numerous fixed safety gear we are ascending right above the riverbed of the stream, on which we can notice numerous waterfalls.
Higher, the gorge widens, and the path turns a little to the right, where it starts ascending steeper through the forest. If we will go on the path in spring months, we will during the ascent through the forest notice numerous sites of wild garlic. After few minutes of ascent, the path flattens and brings us on a wide cart track on which we continue. The path ahead, which runs on a wider cart track on the south side bypasses a little known Bavč and only a little further brings us to a crossroad, where from the right side joins the path through Suhi potok.
We go in the direction of the mountain hut Celjska koča and we continue the ascent on a wide macadam road, from which soon the path branches off to the left on Tolsti vrh and Svetina. We continue on the road which we follow only to a lonely farm. Here signs for Grmada point us to the right on the path which ascends between the residential house and the business building. We continue the ascent on a gentle cart track which crosses a lane of a forest and only a little further brings us to the mountain hut Pečovniška koča.
From the mountain hut, we continue on a wide path, which is at first ascending gently towards the summit of Grmada. After a good five minutes of walking the path narrows and ascends on a secondary peak, from which the path slightly descends. Next follows few minutes walk on vegetated east ridge of Grmada, from which occasionally a view opens up a little into a valley. A pleasant path then steeply ascends and after few minutes of additional walking brings us to the summit.

On the way: Pečovniška koča na Grmadi mountain hut (620m)

Trip can be extended to: Hotel Celjska koča , Tolsti vrh above Celjska koča