Žerjav - Mučevo Gorge (Ferata Mučevo - red path)

Access to starting point:
A) We drive to Mežica, and then we continue driving in the direction of Črna na Koroškem. A little before the end of the settlement Žerjav at the road sign 8 km we will notice a larger macadam parking lot on the right side of the road where we park.
B) From Šoštanj over the mountain pass Sleme (mountain pass near which there is the mountain hut Andrejev dom na Slemenu) we drive to Črna na Koroškem, where at the roundabout we take the exit in the direction of Mežica. A little after the end of the settlement Žerjav we will notice a larger macadam parking lot on the left side of the road where we park.
C) From Solčava over the mountain pass Spodnje Sleme we drive to Črna na Koroškem, where at the roundabout we take the exit in the direction of Mežica. A little after the end of the settlement Žerjav we will notice a larger macadam parking lot on the left side of the road where we park.

Path description:
From the parking lot, we first carefully cross the main road, and then continue on the sidewalk along the retaining wall in the direction of Mežica. Along the main road we walk approximately 200 meters, then on the right side we notice an information board and a footpath that leads towards the secured climbing path Ferata Mučevo.
We head onto the mentioned footpath, which quickly brings us to a marked junction where to the right over a small bridge branches off an easier variant of the climbing path (marked with blue color), and we head left onto the harder path, which is marked with red color.
From the junction we walk for a short time still through the gorge, then on our right we notice the beginning of the secured part of the path. If we continue ahead through the gorge, we can bypass the initial ascent of difficulty E on an easier path. The secured path is otherwise already in the very beginning extremely demanding and ascends vertically along the steel cable (difficulty E). Climbing can be difficult also because on this part the rock is often wet. After the initial demanding ascent we continue to the left where the mentioned path that bypasses the initial ascent joins us.
Next follows another shorter demanding ascent (difficulty D), then follows a somewhat less demanding traverse to the left. The path, which is less demanding but in places exposed, then brings us to the first bridge.
Before the bridge the path splits again. To the right leads the easier variant, and we continue left over the small bridge, which crosses the narrow gorge. On the other side follows a more demanding ascent on almost vertical slabs, which brings us to the second bridge (difficulty D). Over the bridge we cross the gorge again to the right side where from the right the mentioned easier variant joins us. Next follows an ascent on a steep slope and then a shorter traverse to the right, which brings us in front of a more demanding overhang (difficulty E). The overhang can be bypassed on the left side where a somewhat easier path runs.
Above the overhang the path becomes less demanding for some time and then turns slightly to the right where it ascends diagonally on grassy terrain along the steel cable. The path then brings us to the last more demanding ascent. A relatively short vertical ascent brings us to the ridge where the logbook box is located. Here our path also joins the easier blue path. The last shorter vertical ascent can otherwise be bypassed on the right side.
From the logbook box follows the crossing of a somewhat longer bridge and then a shorter less demanding ascent along the ridge. The secured path then ends and the path brings us into the forest where along the path there is also a bench.
In the continuation the path starts to descend and a little before the cart track we will come to a junction where the signs direct us to the right downward on a narrow footpath. The mentioned footpath is often muddy and can be quite slippery. Especially in the upper part a rope helps us there. We then follow this path into the valley all the way to the parking lot.
The described secured climbing path is extremely demanding rated with difficulty level E. All the hardest spots can otherwise be bypassed, in this case the path has difficulty D.
To the entrance into the climbing part is approximately 10 minutes of walking. The estimated climbing time is 1h 30 min, for the descent 20 minutes.