Brzika - Boč (via Balunjača)

Access to starting point:
A) We drive to Rogaška Slatina, then continue driving towards Rogatec. In Rogatec, at the roundabout, we take the "left" exit in the direction of Ptuj, then drive along the main road to the Brzika pass, where we notice red hiking signposts, beside which we park in an appropriate place.
B) We drive to Majšperk, then follow the signs for Stoperce and Rogatec. After Stoperce, the road starts to ascend more steeply, and we follow it to the Brzika pass, where we notice red hiking signposts, beside which we park in an appropriate place.

Path description:
From the starting point, we continue a few dozen strides on the asphalt road towards Stoperce, then turn left onto a side road marked with signs for Ložno. There follows a short ascent through the forest, then the road flattens and leads through the yard of a homestead. Behind the homestead, we descend along a marked cart track, which lower down transitions into the forest. At the forest entrance, we leave the track and continue slightly left onto a footpath, ascending again. There follows a short descent, where we cross the route of a high-pressure gas line, then ascend more steeply for a few minutes. Higher up, we bypass an unnamed 499-meter-high peak on the left, as shown on maps, followed by a moderate descent, then an ascent to the next unnamed peak. From there also follows some descent, lower down we reach a cart track, which we follow to the tourist farm Ložno, where we continue right towards Boč (left to the Church of Our Lady of Loreto in Ložno, 5 minutes).
Next follows a few minutes of moderate ascent, then the path enters the forest, where it crosses the slopes to the left along a cart track. A little further, we approach a few houses, and by a fence we reach a road, along which we descend in a few minutes to an asphalt road, which we follow to the right. Next follows some walking on the asphalt road, where we pass under the route of a high-voltage power line, after which a path from Okrepčevalnica Zelena dolina joins from the right.
Next follows an ascent on the asphalt road, from which a nice view of the surrounding hills occasionally opens up, higher up the road flattens and leads us past a chapel to the hamlet Ravnocerje.
Here, we go behind the homestead on the right, right onto a marked cart track along which we ascend to a marked junction, where we join the path from Cerovec pod Bočem.
The path ahead ascends diagonally along a cart track and quickly brings us to the ridge west of Ravnocerje. Here, the path turns slightly to the left (sharply right to the peak Ravnocerje, 3 minutes) and leads us past water that we see below the path. For a short time, we continue along the forested ridge, then the path turns right and moves onto a slope, where at several junctions we follow the blazes. Higher up, we leave the cart track to the left onto a marked footpath (the cart track joins a forest road a little further), beside which we notice a sign with the inscription forest reserve Boč. The path ahead on the left, sunny side bypasses the highest point of Plešivec, which is located on an indistinct summit, then we gradually begin to descend. Lower down, we reach a marked junction, where we join the path from Cerovec pod Bočem, and we continue to the nearby road.
When we reach the road, we go left, and left also at the nearby intersection (right Makole). Next follows some descent on a macadam road, when we leave the forest we arrive past a religious symbol at an intersection, from which we go straight ahead (left leads the road into the valley in the direction of Rogaška Slatina) and on the left side bypass the homestead Gavez, on the right the nearby hunting lodge Rogaška Slatina.
Behind the lodge, we descend to another road and follow it to the right. When the road starts to ascend, a marked path branches off to the right leading towards Formila and Makole, we continue on the asphalt road which starts to ascend. After a short ascent the road forks, and we continue on the slightly left road which starts descending (slightly right road leads to a private house). Next follows a descent on the macadam road, which a little lower brings us to an intersection, where we go right downhill in the direction of Boč. We continue descending, at the next intersection where we join the path from Makole we go left. Only a little further we go right. From the last intersection we walk on the road only a short time, then go left onto a marked path which ascends along a cart track to the place where there once stood a forestry cottage, now a new hut is being built (condition May 2022).
Here we step back onto the road, which we follow to the left (across the road leads an unmarked path to Boč, or we can also join the road leading towards Boč). Further on, we walk on the road which crosses the slopes of Boč to the left, initially we still gently ascend on it, later we also descend a little on it.
A few dozen strides before reaching the asphalt road, the shady path to Boč branches off to the right, we continue to the road, where we continue right. When the road turns left, we continue slightly right and continue along the path on a cart track that goes into the forest, at the junction we go right in the direction of the path via Balunjača and in the direction of the climbing path to Boč (left downhill Dom na Boču - 2 minutes).
Next follows a few minutes of diagonal ascent to the left, higher up the path from the valley joins from the left (starting point Zgornje Poljčane).
Here we go from the cart track right onto a footpath in the direction of Boč, further at junctions we follow the path via Balunjača. The path via Balunjača then leads us over a shorter secured section, where the path is not particularly demanding, but on this section it is exposed to falling rocks. Higher up, we rejoin the steep and climbing path, which had branched off from our path.
The steepness of the path then gradually eases and the path brings us to a cart track which gently ascends beside the military area. When we leave the vicinity of the military area, only five minutes of walking remain on the summit ridge, which is still forested. When we reach the summit, we can also climb the lookout tower, from which a nice view opens up on all sides.