Skalaška trail along the Belščica ridge
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| heinz25. 05. 2011 21:58:35 |
Today I started on foot from Jesenice towards Javorniški rovt and planina Seče. Since the Skalaška path above Rida is already completely dry and I haven't visited it for a long time, I decided to go check it out. Continued over Brezov vrh to Mali vrh, from where I headed down towards Srednica, where a fight followed. Victory went to the opponent: scree. So I turned back and returned to the valley via the cleared path through the Rida sinkhole: -Trilobit, -Jesenice.
On Skalaška as said - dry, quite crumbly, safety gear in good condition. Only for the pegs I'd say they're getting harder to bear more weight. (My 90 kg was still tolerable..) Well, for now ok.
Path not for everyone, or definitely a cow harnessed to a cart wouldn't manage it 
Regards! heinz
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| otiv26. 05. 2011 05:43:54 |
Good that you @heinz aren't at home in Koper. What, don't your knees ache at all? Mine do and a bit higher I just drive up. The fighters have also given me wind many times, as we say. Probably this path is for "chamois" and good connoisseurs of Belščica.
Nice regards!
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| heinz26. 05. 2011 08:08:41 |
Skalaška isn't that poorly known (you can find my description on Hribi): it's in all main guidebooks, just visited less. For the path to Vajnež or Stol most people use the lower one through the Rida amphitheater. Austrians apparently tackle Skalaška a bit more often. Well, in Karavanke there are also some even a bit harder paths >for chamois<, as you say.
From Koper one could also start somewhere, just for the trip to our parts you'd need to take leave..
Knees- of course I pity them, that's why when walking downhill I avoid direct heavy steps. Mountain runners ruin them a bit more than me, but they are a story of their own.
Best! h
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| JusAvgustin26. 05. 2011 19:34:33 |
ridge walkers... to the mountains!
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| ljubitelj gora21. 05. 2012 13:08:40 |
Heinz is quite right, speaking generally to all of us, if I added my own opinion it would sound too simplistic, yesterday I ventured across this ridge path, the path is dry.
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| GITA10. 07. 2013 11:27:05 |
"Along historic pitons and pegs" Mušič and Habjan wrote in the subtitle of the chapter on the Skalaška path in their guidebook. And in the first sentence they state that this is one of the most interesting paths in the Karavanke. Enough to spark our curiosity. And we went yesterday to check if they are right .
The path is really interesting, just demanding enough to "keep attention on a leash" and besides the legs "employs" also the hands – because sometimes you have to grab the rock or a bit "fight" the scree… Occasionally the ridge is indeed quite "hairy"; for a pleasant "break" between "battles" however, bare, soft, wide, grassy clearings provide, on which you suddenly find yourself here and there and you have no idea where they came from… As if it was all created by a good landscape architect who knew exactly where the hiker would get a bit tired of the thorny greenery and need some soft rest…
Long pants and long sleeves are recommended on this path; I was glad I had both . The pegs still hold, those few cables are still loose or not even attached at both ends. In short, this is not a maintained secured path, but offers those with a bit of adventurous spirit and no vertigo plenty of enjoyment.
After finishing Skalaška, we extended to Vajnež and returned through Rida. If you go up in clear weather, you'll be rewarded with exceptional views too. We didn't have them yesterday. According to the forecast we didn't expect them either. But since it wasn't our first time at Vajnež and around, nothing bothered us. Yesterday the "path" was important…
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| Majdag10. 07. 2013 14:19:39 |
...Gita yes, in nice weather it's a beautiful path. I hiked it in 011. This year I plan to repeat it. Below Rida there are always lots of marmots, you can hear them from afar. And you managed to take super pictures anyway
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| GITA10. 07. 2013 20:02:55 |
@Majdag, we pricked up our ears and strained our eyes on the way back, but yesterday no trace or sound of marmots...  , only one chamois crossed our path.... Otherwise I agree, if you have views on this path too, it's a full ten  ...
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| heinz13. 07. 2013 21:15:56 |
You come across marmots (if you're not too loud) in the Rida amphitheater, which is located below the Skalaška path.
The entire path from Seče to Vajnež is not Skalaška, that's the name only for the more demanding part where we encounter safety gear.
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| Metka Polpetka7. 07. 2014 10:37:33 |
Yesterday went across Skalaška. In the scree the path is quite overgrown. All cables hold in the upper part, the rest is collapsed. The bottom two pegs very loose, the third still usable for now, also the holds at that spot are quite loose. Pity, as it's deteriorating like this, right in this key section soon everything will be on the cable, which you can never trust 100%, because you don't know its condition up top. Otherwise a wonderful, wild path!
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| dragon20. 07. 2014 22:37:57 |
I also went today along Skalaška to Vajnež. Nice path, but in its current state I don't recommend it to anyone. Everything is indeed as Metka before me says or even worse. I'd just add that great caution is needed also at the second cable. The branch it's attached to is already quite wobbly, which you can't see from below. It could happen that someone flies off to Austria together with that branch and cable. The path needs to be renovated or closed before an accident happens.
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| Ninđa22. 07. 2014 18:14:57 |
Thanks for this thread and info. I've always wondered if the ridge above Rida is passable. Is this an old border path?
Regards
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| heinz23. 07. 2014 17:25:53 |
The path was built by the mountaineering club Skala, many decades ago. Border guards apparently didn't use it. There are a few Skala paths in the Julian Alps too..
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| Guest30. 04. 2017 16:15:29 |
Whole Slovenia in the sun but me at Vajnež in fog and cold. Path from Javorniški rovt to planina Seča without features then to the ridge and into battle with brushwood. Path is otherwise well visible but branches are closing it more and more. There's still some snow on the path but winter gear not needed. All three pegs at the hardest spot are firmly anchored. From there to the next cable the path disappears for a few dozen meters. Need to go a bit down, then along the last cable back to the ridge. From there on the path not visible either, but brushwood not too dense so ok. Continued along the ridge to the top of Vajnež, reached it after good two and a half hours. At the top fog and wind, pulled on everything I had. Soon left the top and descended via transverse path towards Kamnitnik. There met a friendly female hiker, and since neither knew the way ahead we went together to find Hraščanska planina. Fear unnecessary, path to the planina and on to planina Stamare excellently marked with yellow circles, impossible to get lost. Also path from planina Stamare to start excellently marked same with yellow circles. Nice quite long loop, sun next time. Skalaška path only for people without vertigo and used to pathless terrain.
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| Majdag30. 04. 2017 16:42:31 |
... Miro the path with yellow dots is newly marked...RAGOR Jesenice. What about the tower on Skalaška, does the rope still hold?
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| Guest30. 04. 2017 18:38:00 |
Yeah to me it seemed that all four ropes are quite well attached, although to some root. But I don't have the habit of hanging on them with all my weight, so they should only be taken as aids.
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| heinz9. 06. 2017 19:42:14 |
While chasing marmots (sadly without a good photo) I climbed today directly from Rida to Skalaška into the area below the ladders (these and also the "wire ropes" are ok, i.e. in the same condition as at the time of the description). In the continuation I refreshed my memory on the extreme friability of this pathless terrain.
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| Edina14. 06. 2017 00:25:06 |
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| heinz14. 06. 2017 02:46:49 |
On one of the pictures (in the link) it can be seen that maybe it's not completely clear how or where the path goes in the section above the ladders, so I'd like to repeat part of the comment given under my path description from 2009/10:
Once we reach the vertical part with ladders (called Viševnik), we do NOT climb all the way to its top, but as stated in the description, continue along the RIGHT side of the ridge first (LE) slightly upwards, then follows a descent on steep terrain, after a few steps we come to the last rope along which we climb on steep terrain some 10 m towards the end of Skalaška path.
So soon after the ladders we do NOT stick to the ridge top, but RIGHT, where a steeper (unprotected) descent follows, etc. Let me add that a little more caution when descending here won't hurt.
Happy trails! heinz
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| Majdag14. 06. 2017 07:20:41 |
... Bravo girls..
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