Bavšica - Bavški Grintavec (via Vrh Brda)

Access to starting point:
From the road Bovec - Predel, an asphalt road branches off to the right at the Kluže fortress into the Bavšica valley. We take the mentioned road, which we follow in a moderate ascent to the parking lot in Bavšica (the parking lot is located next to mountain signposts and an information board).

Route description:
From the parking lot we continue along the right road, which quickly takes us to the Bavšica Mountain Education Centre. We continue straight, initially still along the cart track towards Planina Bukovec and Bavški Grintavec. At the benches with a table the cart track ends and the markings direct us slightly right onto a footpath. The path crosses the Kopica stream, along which it then ascends. Soon we cross the streambed to the left side and thereafter we ascend relatively steeply for quite some time, mostly above the mentioned stream. The path leads us occasionally through forest and occasionally beside shrubbery. Higher up the valley we are ascending narrows and the path leads us under steep walls. Here the path comes quite close to the streamlet and later also crosses it. After crossing, the path ascends a steeper slope where a piton is also helpful at one short section. There follows an ascent mostly through forest, after which the path brings us to the hunting hut on Planina Bukovec.
From the hunting hut we continue right along the marked path and the path soon brings us to a steeper slope above a vegetated gully. Along a small trail we descend to the gully and cross it to the other side. The slope above the gully is quite steep, so some caution is needed. At one short section a few pitons and crampons are also helpful.
On the other side of the gully the path runs southwards and brings us to slopes partly overgrown with dwarf pines. From here increasingly beautiful views of the surrounding mountains also begin to open up. Here we can notice an unmarked trail branching off to the right, but we continue for a short time along the left marked path and then reach a marked junction.
The signpost directs us right towards Bavški Grintavec via Vrh Brda, while left the path leads towards Sedlo Kanja. We therefore continue right and the somewhat less trodden path ascends transversely beside dwarf pines. When the path crosses a scree slope we must be somewhat more attentive, as at the end of the scree the marked path turns left upwards. Straight ahead continues the unmarked path, which continues crossing the slopes westwards.
We continue along the marked path, which ascends more steeply along the edge of the scree upwards. The path then turns right and ascends a steep slope. Thereafter we ascend for some time along a relatively steep slope through dwarf pines. Higher up the dwarf pines end and the path then mostly ascends transversely across quite steep slopes, which are occasionally also slightly exposed. Later the path turns left and there follows an ascent along a more gravelly slope to the ridge, from which a beautiful view also opens to the south side.
On the ridge we continue left along the marked path and then ascend along the ridge, which is initially still mostly grassy. Higher up the ridge becomes quite steep on the left northern side, so if we walk along the edge of the ridge some extra caution is needed. Later the ridge becomes more rocky and brings us to Vrh Brda, on which there is a cairn.
From the summit we continue further along the ridge and initially descend slightly. The path then moves away from the ridge to the right southern side and ascends slightly transversely across grassy terrain. The path soon turns left and again ascends towards the ridge. Later we again walk along a scenic and more rocky ridge, which brings us to the pre-summit of Mali Grintavec, on which we will notice a somewhat larger cairn.
From the pre-summit we continue along the marked path, which becomes somewhat more demanding. We descend along the ridge, which for a short section becomes very narrow. The path is not secured, so great caution is needed. The path then ascends again and for a short time the ridge remains narrow, after which it widens slightly and brings us to the summit of Mali Grintavec.
From the summit we descend for a short time along the ridge, after which the path turns right downwards across quite gravelly terrain. Due to the gravel, some caution is needed during the descent. The path then turns left and crosses a steeper slope and brings us to a scree slope. For a short time we ascend transversely across the scree, after which there follows an ascent along a quite steep slope towards the ridge. When we come quite close to the ridge, there follow several ascents along a very steep rocky slope. The path is not secured, so great caution is needed. The path then leads us along the ridge, which is still quite narrow and occasionally exposed. In the final section the ridge becomes somewhat less demanding and we soon join the marked path from the village Soča. Shortly after this, a secured path from Sedlo Kanja also joins from the left. Along the scenic ridge path we then quickly reach the summit of Bavški Grintavec.

Along the route: Planinsko učno središče (713m), Planina Bukovec (1346m), Vrh Brda (2152m), Mali Grintavec (2294m)

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