List of forums / Slovenia / Kamnik Savinja Alps / Brana

Brana

asdf26. 06. 2026 19:34:39

Garmont, I have some questions about this gully. Is the second picture taken near the place where we turn off the marked path from Okrešelj to KS? Is that at an altitude of around 1700 m? What is the difficulty of the terrain and orientation in the gully?

(+1)

garmont26. 06. 2026 21:58:25

Towards the gully you set off exactly at the place where the secured path to KS turns into the wall. You just continue right through the gravelly world, sometimes following tracks, into the only large gully that goes towards Kotliči. It's quite loaded and broken terrain, so a helmet is necessary. You exit exactly on the marked path. Left is Brana, right is Turska gora.
Interestingly, this passage was even marked at one time.

(+3)

asdf26. 06. 2026 22:34:05

Super, thanks! velik nasmeh

Where is that off-trail chimney you mentioned in previous posts?

garmont27. 06. 2026 05:31:45

Instead of continuing on the marked path to the last notch just before exiting onto the roof of Brana, you turn right, climb a bit and ascend over the edge of the wall. This is the winter approach to the summit.

Coko27. 06. 2026 17:14:15

Hi,

What's the current parking regime? Can you park at Jermance?

Thanks for the info,

Lp

mito300027. 06. 2026 17:36:44

You can park at Jermanci all the way to the sign above the last bend from where only rescuers are then allowed... A week ago they also paved the road so it's nicely passable.

Coko27. 06. 2026 22:52:18

Mito3000,
Thank you for the answer!

Lp

asdf28. 06. 2026 19:20:31

Yesterday, armed with Garmont's information, I set off from Logarska dolina through the gully to Kotliče and from there along the marked path to Brana. Descent along the marked path via Kamniško sedlo. Around half past seven, when I arrived at the starting point, it was already quite full of parked cars, so I had to park a bit lower. The heat was also quite strong in the sun at that time. Fortunately, there was quite a bit of shade on the path, and the temperature was also lower higher up and occasionally there was a breeze, so it wasn't too bad.

Where the marked path reaches the wall, I turned right into the valley that rises steeply towards Kotliče. In it, different types of scree and crumbly rocks alternate. If we choose the path carefully, we can avoid loose scree slopes, so the ascent is not too strenuous. I myself always stayed more on the left side of the valley, where there were occasionally also sections of path. On one part, projectiles were flying from the wall on the left side of the valley. In the upper part, the left side of the valley narrows into a gully (here another less pronounced gully goes left, which is obviously harder) and soon after that the slope increases (this is about 30 m below the top of the gully). Here we have to use our hands for the first time. The steepness is still not very severe, so the climbing is really easy, but due to the extreme crumbly terrain, caution is still needed. Overall, orientation in the gully was quite easy.

On the marked path from Kotliče towards Kamniško sedlo, the only special feature was the snow patch. It was noticeably smaller than the day before, but the detour on the right side was still not quite simple. Well, it will probably be much easier in a few days. Otherwise, this part of the path via Kotliče is a beautiful and pleasant demanding marked path. Mostly well marked and secured.

Below Brana I turned onto the marked path towards the summit. I followed it almost to the summit slope of Brana, a little before the place where the marked path goes through a distinct narrow chimney, I turned right and climbed to the summit slope through a chimney. It is interesting but short. In it there are only a few moves of easier chimney climbing (the rock is good).

In the gully and on the marked path via Kotliče I didn't meet anyone, but on the marked path between Logarska dolina and Brana there were large crowds.

On the path from Okrešelj towards Kamniško sedlo

In the gully, immediately after the place where it narrows

The most difficult spot in the gully, photographed backwards

View of the chimney leading to the summit slope of Brana, from the marked path

(+10)

mukica29. 06. 2026 10:06:06

Bravooo, always a nice tour nasmeh

and there are no more old pitons on the hunting path...

asdf29. 06. 2026 12:43:38

Thanks mukica, but I'm not sure we're talking about the same path. I went to Kotliče from Okrešelj, not from Konca. Anyway, I didn't notice any pitons on the unmarked part of this tour, which doesn't necessarily mean they really aren't there.

(+1)

garmont29. 06. 2026 18:36:14

Nice, a slightly different approach to Brana. I always like it. nasmeh

asdf29. 06. 2026 19:48:12

I agree. I'll go sometime. It would be interesting to try the approach to the summit from Kotliče along the NW ridge, which Marijana & Marko describe. If it doesn't turn out to be too difficult for me, of course.

mukica30. 06. 2026 05:30:42

Bojan, yes that's true...I got totally mixed up, when you approach the mountain from several different directions you quickly mix something up in this "heat". eek

(+1)

garmont30. 06. 2026 05:30:47

Also a nice approach nasmeh

Only, in this case you have Brana on the right side and Turska gora on the left velik nasmeh

(+1)

asdf5. 07. 2026 22:40:45

Yesterday I set off again for Brana, this time from Kamniška Bistrica. When I was driving towards Jermanca around eight o'clock, the parking lot at the turnoff for Jermanca was already quite full, and several hikers were walking up the road. Bad sign. Of course it then turned out that Jermanca was already completely parked up, so I had to go back to the turnoff and look for a parking spot there (which I could barely find).

The original plan was to go to Brana via Kaptan, but now that route had lengthened for quite a bit of annoying walking on the road. On the other hand I had also planned to do a tour through Kotliški graben to Brana and back via Kamniško sedlo sometime. For that tour the starting point at the turnoff for Jermanca was ideal, so I decided on it.

A little past the end I left the unmarked path across Žmavčarje. I was confused by the scree that wasn't there the last time I walked this path. Probably created by the storms of 2024. When I realized my mistake I was already several dozen meters higher and of course didn't want to go back. Instead I wanted to cross via a small path that I didn't know but is drawn on the OSM maps. That of course ended with pushing through thicket.

Once back on the right path it went without problems up to 1500 m where the path branches towards Kotliči. The little trail through the grass at that spot is such that you need a lot of imagination to "see" it. Luckily this path is drawn on the OSM maps which made things much easier for me. Though I think the drawn path isn't quite accurate everywhere, still with its help I found the passages through the first two belts of dwarf pines without problems. Soon after that a several meters deep gravelly gully with an almost vertical edge blocked the path and I had to go up along it. It would have been possible to cross a bit higher but I preferred to go up to the rocks where the passage was easy (looks like predecessors decided similarly since there were also traces of a trail up to there). Further on I went partly by feel, partly following little trails until I reached the OSM path again. After some traversing the path turned upwards and a rather long and steep ascent began. Here hands had to be used in a few places, mostly it went with poles. So it went without anything special to the place where the path crosses the gully. The descent into this gully marked with a cairn is steep, gravelly and awkward. Then we cross smooth slabs which are no problem when dry but could be tricky when wet. The hardest spot is at the end of the gully crossing where two pitons help us, one of which is twisted so bent right to the rock. I went here straight into the groove left of these pitons and climbed out of the gully over its right edge (the slab at the bottom of this groove is smooth and dusty so it slips). Then steep walking further to Kotliči. This path through Kotliški graben is generally beautiful and wild. The gully is imposing. The little trail is poorly trodden and disappears completely in many places. There is little scrambling and nowhere more than grade 1.

At Kotliči I turned right on the marked path towards Brana. Here I looked right to see the off-trail approach along the NW ridge described by Marijana & Marko. When I was past the notch and vertical step they mention I turned right at the first suitable spot onto the rocky slope. I climbed it until I saw a ledge rising to the left. Along this ledge I then climbed quite far (there was also a poorly trodden little trail in places) until it disappeared and a ledge began rising to the right. This ledge later becomes less distinct and turns more upwards. I would say these are the hardest spots of this approach. Then I came again to some kind of ledge rising to the left. When it looked like it would soon end (or at least become considerably harder to traverse) I turned right and followed some kind of poorly trodden little trail rising slightly to the right. I went along one groove which then ended higher up. Here it would probably have been possible to climb out of the groove onto the ridge but it would surely have been much harder than the rest of the approach. So I went back down the groove and noticed that the previously mentioned little trail continues along its right side (looking upwards). That then led to more or less obvious passages onto the ridge. Along it left to the summit slope. At the beginning the ridge was sharp for a few meters (but not hard) then it widened. I would say climbing on the hardest spots of this approach was grade II. These spots were also exposed and you had to look a bit for sufficiently reliable holds so it's not quite harmless. If I had to descend here these spots would already have been a bit unpleasant for me (but it would have gone). I'm not sure if I really went exactly on the approach M&M write about. I traversed much more to the left than to the right and only reached the ridge at around 2100 m. It's possible their approach to the ridge was more direct.

At the beginning of the path across Žmavčarje, the water has significantly changed the terrain. Left in 2022, right now.

We can already see Kotliče. We will be looking at them for quite some time - they are farther than they appear.

Mighty ravine along the path (we are not going into it yet)

Exit from the ravine. In the middle, two wedges are visible.

Right wedge, in the middle a chimney. I climbed out of the ravine along its right edge.

Photographed somewhere at the beginning of my ascent towards the NW ridge of Brana.

GPS track of my approach to Brano. I think it is not the most accurate.

Logarska dolina, Kamniško sedlo and Planjava

In front the ridge I came along, behind Grintovec, Skuta and Rinke

(+9)

Tomco6. 07. 2026 18:50:46

Super! Very interesting approach.

(+1)

asdf7. 07. 2026 10:44:57

Thanks, Tomco.

skala1239. 08. 2026 20:40:01

Today's snapshots from the beautiful and demanding path to Brana with the starting point at the hut under the Rinka waterfall. Back the same way to the starting point.
Nice mountaineering greeting