Cerovec pod Bočem - Boč (via Balunjača)

Access to starting point:
A) From the Ljubljana - Maribor highway, take the Dravlje exit, then follow the signs for Šentjur and further to Rogaška Slatina. When we get closer to Rogaška Slatina, we don't drive towards the settlement, but continue in the direction of Rogatec. A little further, we arrive at the settlement Cerovec pod Bočem, where we park behind the intersection, where a road branches off to the left towards Sv. Florijan.
B) From the Maribor - Ljubljana highway, take the Slovenska Bistrica south exit, then follow the signs for Rogaška Slatina. When we get closer to Rogaška Slatina, we don't drive towards the settlement, but continue in the direction of Rogatec. A little further, we arrive at the settlement Cerovec pod Bočem, where we park behind the intersection, where a road branches off to the left towards Sv. Florijan.

Path description:
From the parking lot at the pedestrian crossing we carefully cross the main road, then direct ourselves to the road towards Sv. Florijan, soon along the path noticing red mountain signposts for Grilova kapela and Boč. Initially we walk on the sidewalk, after a few minutes the path turns towards the east and splits a little further. Before the chapel we continue on the left road, along which the blazes continue. We continue between some houses of the settlement Cerovec pod Bočem, where we follow the blazes, higher the asphalt path leads us into the gorge of Tržiški potok. For some time we continue through the mentioned gorge, then the road turns sharply left and gradually distances itself from the stream.
A little higher the signs for Grilova kapela and Boč direct us left onto a side road (straight to ranch Stojnšek), along which we continue ascending.
Higher we go left again, then past Grilov vodnjak we arrive out of the forest, where on the left at the edge of the forest we notice Grilova kapela.
Here we go right in the direction of Boč and Ložno and return to the forest. Continuing, we ascend the slopes of Grilov vrh (612 m), higher reaching a larger clearing on the northern side of the mentioned peak.
Here from the southern part of the clearing a view opens up reaching all the way to the Kamnik-Savinja Alps, and we go right, where we bypass an older wooden hut on the right side. Only a short ascent on the cart track follows and we reach the forest road, where the marked path splits.
We continue straight in the direction of Boč (right Rudijev dom and Ložno), where we steeply ascend the marked path. The path ahead first leads through a belt of bushes, from where some views open up, then the path enters the forest through which it still ascends quite steeply. Higher the path and slope level out, and we follow the marked path to a marked junction, from which we continue straight to the nearby road (right Donačka gora).
When we reach the road we go left, left also at the nearby intersection (right Makole). Some descent on the macadam road follows, when we leave the forest past a sign we arrive at an intersection, from which we go straight (left leads the road into the valley towards Rogaška Slatina) and bypass the Gavez homestead on the left side, 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 begins to ascend, a marked path branches off to the right towards Formila and Makole, we continue on the asphalt road which begins to ascend. After a short ascent the road splits, we continue on the slightly left road which begins to descend (slightly right road leads to a private house). A descent on the macadam road follows, bringing us a little lower to an intersection, where we go right downhill in the direction of Boč. We continue descending, at the next intersection where we meet the path from Makole we go left. A little further we go right. From the last intersection we walk on the road only briefly, then go left onto the marked path which ascends on a cart track to the place where there once stood a forestry hut, now a new hut is being built (status May 2022).
Here we step back onto the road, following it left (across the road an unmarked path leads to Boč, or we can join the road leading towards Boč). Continuing we walk on the road which crosses the slopes of Boč to the left, initially still gently ascending on it, later also descending slightly.
A few 10 steps before reaching the asphalt road a shady path to Boč branches off to the right, we continue to the road where we go right. When the road turns left, we continue slightly right and with the path on the cart track going into the forest, at the junction we go right in the direction of the path over Balunjača and the climbing path to Boč (left downhill Dom na Boču - 2 minutes).
A few minutes of traversing ascent to the left follow, higher a path from the valley joins from the left (starting point Zgornje Poljčane).
Here from the cart track we go right onto the footpath in the direction of Boč, continuing at junctions following the path over Balunjača. The path over Balunjača then leads us over a shorter secured section, where the path is not particularly demanding but exposed to falling rocks on this part. Higher 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, still forested ridge. When we reach the summit we can also climb the lookout tower, from which a nice view opens in all directions.
Starting point - Grilova kapela 0:45, Grilova kapela - Boč 2:45.

On the way: Gril's chapel on Boč (534m)