Source of Ljubija - Smrekovec (by road)

Access to starting point:
A) From the highway Ljubljana - Maribor we go to the exit Šentrupert, and then we continue driving in the direction of Mozirje and Logarska dolina. At the beginning of Mozirje, from the roundabout we turn right in the direction of the settlement Bele Vode, and then we further follow the signs for Ljubijski graben. Higher, the asphalt ends and after a shorter quite steep part the road flattens and past the homestead Rožman brings us to a water catchment, which is situated near the confluence of the streams Ljubija and Kramarica. We park at an appropriate place by the water catchment.
B) From Ljubno ob Savinji or Gornji Grad we drive to Mozirje, and there from a roundabout near the store Hofer we continue in the direction of Bele Vode, and then we further follow the signs for Ljubijski graben. Higher, the asphalt ends and after a shorter quite steep part the road flattens and past the homestead Rožman brings us to a water catchment, which is situated near the confluence of the streams Ljubija and Kramarica. We park at an appropriate place by the water catchment.
C) We drive to Šoštanj, where from the roundabout by TEŠ we continue in the direction of Bele Vode. After the bridge over the river Paka and behind the railway track at the crossroads we continue straight in the direction of Bele Vode and also in the next crossroads we follow the mentioned direction. Further, we drive past the church in Bele Vode, and then we get to a saddle north of Sv. Križ. After the saddle, the road starts descending, and then in a diagonal descent brings us into the valley of the stream Kramarica, where we continue left. Further, we descend by the stream Kramarica; after we get to the confluence of the streams Kramarica and Ljubija we park at an appropriate place by the water catchment.

Path description:
From the starting point by the water catchment we continue left by the stream Ljubija, where over a bad road is placed a green ramp. After the ramp we continue on a bad road which leads us through a scenic gorge. In a few minutes we get to a relatively strong karst spring, where the stream Ljubija originates. From the spring we continue on a worse and, because of frequent rains, quite rough road which continues through Ljubijski graben. Higher the gorge splits into two parts, and we continue on the left gorge, by which a worse road still continues. Further the slopes by the path become less steep, and then suddenly we step onto an ample meadow. The path continues by the left edge of the meadow, and then we join a wider macadam road which we follow to the left, or straight (right Dom na Smrekovcu - over Leskovškova pustota).
We continue on the road which still continues by the left edge of the meadow, and a little to the right from the path we notice a sinkhole. After the sinkhole the road turns left and passes into the forest. Only a little higher follows also a right turn, and then we ascend diagonally through the forest for some time. When the forest ends, first a nice view opens up, and then the road gradually changes into a cart track. On the cart track we ascend in a few longer serpentines, and then the cart track widens into a road, which ascends diagonally towards the right. Higher, the road flattens, and further it also descends a little twice. A little further from the right a wider cart track joins (path over Leskovškova pustota), and we still continue on the road, on which we walk only to the spot where we reach the marked path Bele Vode - Smrekovec.
We continue left upwards on the marked path (right Bele Vode, straight on the road saddle Kramarica). Higher, we cross another road, where to the left continues the path towards Golte, and a little above the road we step out of the forest, where we continue right in the direction of the mountain hut Dom na Smrekovcu. From the spot when we step out of the forest follows a few minutes of a somewhat more panoramic path and we already reach the mountain hut Dom na Smrekovcu.
From the mountain hut Dom na Smrekovcu we continue in the direction of the peak Smrekovec, where the path first leads us through a short panoramic section, from which a view opens up towards the central Kamniško Savinjske Alpe, and then passes into a thin forest, where after a short ascent we reach a marked junction, where we continue right (straight Komen, Travnik...). From the junction ahead the forest thins out even more, and then on an entirely unvegetated part it leads us a little more to the right, where with views that reach far around without major difficulties we reach the pyramid on the top of Smrekovec.
Description and pictures refer to the condition in the year 2016 (March).

On the way: Dom na Smrekovcu mountain hut (1375m)

Trip can be extended to: Krnes , Komen