Ruski križ - Stenar (via Križ)

Access to starting point:
First, we drive to Kranjska Gora, then we continue driving towards the Vršič pass. Just a little before the 3rd serpentine of the Russian or Vršič road, we will notice the Ruski križ on the right side, and a smaller parking lot on the left, where we park. Because the parking lot is relatively small and fills up quickly, we can also park a bit higher at the larger parking lot a little above the 4th serpentine (in this case we have to descend a little to our starting point at the Ruski križ).
We can also reach the starting point from the Primorska side, via the Vršič pass.

Path description:
A little before the 3rd serpentine of the Russian road, we will notice along the road the mountain signs for Koča v Krnici, which direct us slightly left onto a wide cart track that immediately begins to descend moderately. After a few minutes of descent through the forest, the path levels out and brings us to the bed of Suha Pišnica. Shortly after crossing the mentioned stream, the path turns slightly to the left and leads us out of the forest onto the spacious grassy slopes of Planina v Klinu, where we notice an isolated hut on the right, and a small memorial park Mali Tamar on the left. The path ahead completely levels, then joins the forest road that comes from the former hotel Erika or the bridge over Velika Pišnica. Here we continue right and follow the relatively steep forest road all the way to Koča v Krnici, which we reach after about 20 minutes of further walking.
From the hut, where there is pleasant shade, we continue straight in the direction of Kriška stena through the Krnica valley, first gently, then increasingly steeper upwards. The path soon exits the forest, where a beautiful view of the nearby cliffs opens up to us. Further on we cross scree that storms bring from the surrounding gullies. The path ahead becomes steeper and still leads us in the same direction. The last trees are already behind us and we slowly transition onto the scree below the walls of Kriška stena. In the upper part of the scree the path turns slightly to the left to the entrance into Kriška stena. Here the climbing part of the path begins, where we put on our helmet.
The path at the beginning of the wall turns left and climbs steeply. In the wall the path is led mostly along natural passages, in places helped by fixed protections. On this part we also take care not to dislodge stones! After about an hour of climbing the wall, which is sometimes quite difficult, we step out of it.
Above the wall the path levels out and brings us to a junction at Vrh Kriške stene, where we continue right in the direction of Križ (left Vrata and Škrlatica) and the path that transitions onto a wide ridge quickly brings us to Bovška vratica, from which a view of Kriške pode opens up, where we can see the highest Slovenian lake, Zgornje Kriško jezero, which lies at an altitude of 2159 meters.
We continue left towards the summit of Križ (straight Pogačnikov dom, Zadnjica and Razor), to which we have only 10 minutes of walking left. The path ahead first ascends gently along an increasingly narrow ridge, then with the help of a steel cable climbs steeply over a slightly exposed rocky slab, after which we come to an interesting passage through a natural gully. With some skill, we climb through the narrow gully to the panoramic Križ.
Because the path from the summit of Križ, which continues along the ridge, has been closed for several years, we return a bit back from the summit and then continue in the direction of Stenar on the path that bypasses the summit of Križ on the right southern to southwestern side. After a few minutes of traversing we join the closed path.
We continue in the direction of Vrata and Stenar, then in a moderate descent we cross some slightly exposed slopes, which then bring us below Stenarska vratca, where there is the next junction.
We continue slightly left in the direction of Stenar (right Vrata and Zadnjica) on the path that gradually begins to ascend towards Stenarska vratca. The marked path avoids the vratca a bit to the right and ascends in a traverse to the summit slope. Here the path turns slightly to the left and after a relatively steep summit slope quickly brings us to the summit of Stenar.

Starting point - Planina v Klinu 0:20, Planina v Klinu - Koča v Krnici 0:25, Koča v Krnici - Vrh Kriške stene 3:30, Vrh Kriške stene - - Bovška vratca 0:15, Bovška vratca - Križ 0:15, Križ - Stenarska vratca 0:35, Stenarska vratca - Stenar 0:55.

On the way: Mali Tamar (996m), Planina v Klinu (980m), Koča v Krnici (1113m), Pod Kriško steno (1945m), Rob Kriške stene (2300m), Bovška vratca (2378m), Križ (2410m), Stenarska vratca (2288m)