Kočevsko (Rudniško) jezero - Veliki Rog (Po medvedovih stopinjah)

Access to starting point:
In Kočevje, we follow the direction of Željne, Šalka vas, Rog, and Baza 20. From the traffic light at the health center, approximately 400 meters further, we turn left, following signs for the lake and camp. After approximately 150 meters, we reach a gravel parking lot by the lake, known as Kočevsko or Rudniško jezero. In this parking lot, we leave the vehicle.

Path description:
The path is part of the footpath Roška pešpot, which is circular and in 62 km leads the hiker through the entire Kočevski Rog. The path to the top of Veliki Rog and descent to Žaga Rog is 32 km long and represents half of the entire path. The path from the macadam parking lot turns right on the road above the lake and continues through meadows, following the shore of the lake to the former separation. There it rejoins the macadam road and at the former colonies turns right onto asphalt, away from the lake, toward Šalka vas (to the left, the macadam path continues around the lake). On the asphalt, it continues straight to the village of Željne (approx. 1 km), and in the village of Željne, at the crossroad, turns left toward Klinja vas (signs for Baza 20 lead right on the road). Almost at the end of the village, a road branches off to the right toward the farm, and past the last houses, it turns into a field path, which first turns right and then left toward the forest. Through the forest’s edge, the path slightly ascends and winds through the forest toward the southeast. The path is marked with white signs featuring a green bear’s paw and mostly follows logging trails. After crossing forest roads several times (some crossroads are poorly marked, requiring caution), it reaches a forest road before the village of Stari Breg. Then it follows the road for about a kilometer to the village and through it. At the end of the village, it branches off slightly left onto a forest path and plunges back into the forest, heading south. After crossing a forest road, at the next forest road above the village of Cesta, we join it and continue toward Pugled. At this point, a path from Stari Log joins from the left toward Pugled, with bear signs and red-white blazes. The path follows the road for about 500 meters, then turns left and begins ascending to the summit of Pugled. Up to this point, the path has been more or less flat. After about 15 minutes, a large meadow opens up, and at the top, there are ruins of a church and houses, benches, and we are already at Pugled. From Pugled, the path continues toward the village of Žiben, first on a forest path, then on a cart track, which, after the village (no longer existing, only fruit trees remain), widens into a forest road. We continue to a crossroad and gate, where a circular path branches off back toward Stari Log, but we continue through the forest, following the bear’s paw signs. From here, the path slightly descends and runs in two slightly longer sections on a forest road. At a crossroad of forest roads, we notice the remains of a house, an abandoned village, and continue left on the road. Soon after, our path branches off right into the forest and begins the first significant ascent toward the village of Luža. The ascent runs through the forest on a logging trail, crosses a forest road, then slightly flattens, turns right, and curves around the ridge, followed by a short but steep descent to a forest road and the former village of Luža. Here stands a forestry cottage; we are now 18 km from the starting point and can enjoy a snack and rest. Benches are placed along the path. From the village of Luža, the path winds toward the remains of the village of Rdeči kamen. The path is varied, slightly up and down, without major ascents or descents. Before the village of Rdeči kamen, there is a well. Through the ruins of the village, we continue to the remains of the village of Kunč, having left the Kočevje municipality and entered the Dolenjske Toplice municipality. Before the abandoned village of Kunč, we join a forest road, which leads to a large clearing where a hunting observatory stands in the center. Through the meadow, we descend to the lower edge of the clearing, where the path leads back into the forest. A steep descent through the forest follows, bringing us back to a forest road. Then follow three sections where we walk flat on a forest road for a while, then turn right into the forest and cross in moderately steep ascents to the next forest road. This continues until, after the final crossing, we reach a forest road at a distinct zigzag; from here, we follow the forest road in a gentle ascent to the turn-off for the peak of Veliki Rog. On the forest road, we ascend gently for about 3 km; the road first winds through a valley between two ridges, then ascends along the upper ridge of Rog on its southwest side. Then a path branches off left into the forest toward the summit (continuing on the road would lead to Žaga Rog). By the turn-off, we have climbed about 1,250 meters in elevation. The path from the turn-off winds steeply at first, followed by a short leveling, then another ascent to the upper ridge. In a short time, we ascend nearly 200 meters, and at the top, a lookout tower offers an excellent view from Novo mesto and Gorjanci to Kočevje. At the summit, there is a stamp, a logbook, and benches. We conclude the route with a descent to Žaga Rog, first descending from the peak on the opposite side from which we came, steeply to a small saddle, then following the path right along the northeast slope of the massif to a wide plateau. A path branches off toward Baza 20 along the way. From the plateau, we descend right and, after about 30 minutes of descent from the peak, return to the forest road we left earlier, where we see the scout environmental center at Žaga Rog, where we can conclude the path. Ideally, we arrange transport so a vehicle awaits us at Žaga Rog. Of course, we can continue the path and return on foot via the second half of the Roška footpath through Podstene, Rajhenav, Lovski vrh, and Onek to the starting point. The path is 32 km long and requires appropriate endurance. If we connect it into a circular path, the total distance increases to 62 km, which is a lot for a one-day hike, but many complete it. It is also possible to break the path into smaller parts and stay overnight in forest cottages available for rent (Luža, Podstene). The path mostly follows logging trails and forest roads, so lighter footwear is sufficient. Because it is long, a flashlight is recommended in case darkness falls.

On the way: Stari Breg (527m), Pugled (645m), Luža (800m), Rdeči Kamen (827m), Kunč (810m)