Dolenji Novaki (Pod Kovkom) - Ermanovec

Access to starting point:
A) First, we drive to Cerkno (to here from the road Idrija - Most na Soči, or over the mountain pass Kladje), and then we continue driving in the direction of the Cerkno ski slope. Further, we drive past the inn Gostišče Gačnik (inn Gostilna v Logu) and past the turn-off of the road towards Franja Hospital. A few 100 meters ahead we will notice red mountain signposts for Franja Hospital and Ermanovec on the right side of the road. We park on an appropriate place near the mountain signposts.
B) From Poljanska dolina we drive to Hotavlje, and then we follow the signs for Cerkno ski slope. We follow the signs for Cerkno ski slope only to Kopačnica, where from the crossroads, where to the right the road continues towards the ski slope and Leskovica, we continue straight on the road which continues along the stream Podplečica. At the homestead Joškovec, where there is the next confluence, we continue right, then on the partly macadam road we start to ascend more steeply. At the homestead Mrovlje the road turns to the Primorska side, after some descent we join the main road which leads from Cerkno towards the Cerkno ski slope. We follow the road left downhill, when we notice red mountain signposts for Franja Hospital and Ermanovec on the left side of the road. We park on an appropriate place near the mountain signposts.
C) From Selška dolina we ascend to Davča, and then we follow the signs for Cerkno ski slope and later signs for Cerkno. When we already descend to the Primorska side, at the end of the settlement Dolenji Novaki on the left we notice red signposts for Franja Hospital and Ermanovec, where we park in the appropriate place.

Path description:
From the main road, we descend in the direction of the stream Cerknica, and at the fork we choose the right road which behind the bridge ends on a meadow. On the other side of the bridge we continue left towards Ermanovec and first walk along Cerknica, when the walk along the mentioned stream is prevented by a side stream, we continue right and ascend along the mentioned stream. Before the path enters the forest a cart track appears, on which we steeply ascend for some time. Higher the path leads us past a few smaller forks, where we follow the rare blazes, otherwise the direction is quite clear as it all the time runs along the torrent stream. Higher the cart track turns right and in parts becomes more overgrown. A few minutes of ascent through the forest follow, then we reach the macadam road which we follow to the right. The path further for quite some time leads along the macadam road, which mostly gently to moderately ascends, mainly through the forest crossing the northwestern slopes of Škofje. After a short descent the road brings us to the western ridge of Škofje, where it turns markedly to the left.
Here to the left branches an unmarked steep path, we continue on the road which passes to the southwestern slopes. Some light descent follows and after it an easy ascent to the marked fork, where we join the marked path from Cerkno.
We continue left on the footpath and after a short steep ascent we step onto the asphalt road, along which we walk to the next marked fork.
At the fork we continue right towards Ermanovec (left Škofje), where we quickly arrive at the next marked fork, where we continue straight across the asphalt road onto the footpath towards Ermanovec (left Jeram - stamp ICPP, right pass Kladje). The ascent for some time continues along the edge of the panoramic ridge, from which a nice view of Škofje opens up, then the path passes to the slope and a bit further into the forest. Through the forest we moderately ascend on the cart track, higher we reach the asphalt road leading from the pass Kladje towards Ermanovec.
For a short time we walk on the asphalt road, then at the small hamlet we continue slightly left onto the road in the direction of the footpath to Ermanovec. Along the macadam road in a few 10 steps we ascend to the panoramic ridge, there the signs for Ermanovec direct us slightly right onto the cart track, along which we quickly ascend to the forest. We continue through the forest, where at forks we follow the blazes, the path brings us to the fortifications of the former Rapallo border, where the path levels out. A little further we step out of the forest, then in a gentle descent we walk to the asphalt road which we left some time ago, reaching it through the yard of the nearby house.
When we step onto the road we continue in the direction of Ermanovec, the path first leads us past the information board (Path along the Rapallo border), a little further also past the old chapel, behind which from the left also joins the marked path from Kopačnica.
We continue straight, then in a few minutes we arrive at Koča na Ermanovcu.
From the hut we continue straight (left Štor 5 minutes), at the first junction where to the right branches the path to the farm Žunar, again straight. Along the road we walk a few more minutes, then from the junction at the chapel and bell we continue slightly right onto the cart track in the direction of the summit Ermanovec (straight along the road to Hotavlje and Slajka, right also along the road to Sovodenj), along which we begin to gently ascend along the panoramic ridge. When the cart track turns slightly to the right, we continue slightly left onto the path which ascends over the somewhat steeper grassy slope straight to the summit. A little below the summit the path levels out and brings us into the forest, where the summit of Ermanovec is located.
Doleni Novaki - Koča na Ermanovcu 2:55, Koča na Ermanovcu - Ermanovec 0:20.

On the way: Koča na Ermanovcu mountain hut (968m)

Trip can be extended to: Štor