Črna na Koroškem (Mušenik) - Veliki vrh (above Mežiška dolina) (via Koča na Pikovem)

Access to starting point:
A) We drive to Mežica, and then we continue driving in the direction of Črna na Koroškem. At the beginning of Črna na Koroškem, a road branches off to the right, which leads towards the mountain hut Koča na Pikovem, and here we continue straight and then approximately 20 meters ahead left on a larger parking lot, where we park.
B) From Šoštanj over mountain pass Sleme (mountain pass near of which there is a mountain hut Andrejev dom na Slemenu) we drive to Črna na Koroškem, where at the roundabout we take the exit in the direction of Mežica. At the end of the settlement (approximately 20 meters before the crossroad, where the road and footpath branch off to the left towards Koča na Pikovem) Črna na Koroškem, it turns right on a larger parking lot, where we park.
C) From Solčava over mountain pass Spodnje Sleme we drive to Črna na Koroškem, where at the roundabout we take the exit in the direction of Mežica. At the end of the settlement (approximately 20 meters before the crossroad, where the road and footpath branch off to the left towards Koča na Pikovem) Črna na Koroškem, it turns right on a larger parking lot, where we park.

Path description:
From the parking lot, we walk to the main road, where at the pedestrian crossing we carefully cross the main road, and then we continue right towards Mežica to the nearby crossroad, where we already notice signposts for mountain hut Koča na Pikovem, which point us to the left on a side road. The path ahead leads us on an asphalt road, where we go past few houses, and at the smaller crossroad, we continue straight (right Igrčevo).
Few minutes we still walk on the asphalt road, and then the asphalt ends, and the main road turns left over a stream and at this spot, we continue straight on a side road, by which there are also signs for mountain hut Koča na Pikovem.
The path ahead on the right side bypasses homestead Kordež, and after the homestead, we start steeply ascending on the mountain path. Higher, the path reaches a macadam road which we follow to the right, and we walk there only few 10 strides, because still before the homestead Božiček we go left, where the mountain path continues. Here we at first ascend through a meadow, from which when we look back, a view opens up a little, and the path soon passes into the forest and is occasionally steeply ascending. Higher, we step on a macadam road which we reach right at the crossroad, and we continue right on the upper road, by which there are signs for Pikovo (left leads the road towards the valley, and the bottom right road leads on a saddle Šumahovo sedlo).
From the upper road, we soon go left and on a footpath in few minutes we ascend to the church of St. Helena and mountain hut Koča na Pikovem.
From the mountain hut, we return to the church and we continue on a path in the direction of Veliki vrh.
The path ahead leads us on a worse macadam road which at first runs through the forest and then through meadows, from which a beautiful view opens up. Behind the homestead Pik the road changes into a cart track, and by the edge of the forest path on Pikov vrh branches off to the right.
We continue in the direction of Pikov vrh and we start ascending steeper through the forest on an unmarked path. Higher from the left joins the path from Pikovo znamenje, and in few minutes of additional walking, we get to Pikov vrh, where there is a lookout tower.
We bypass the lookout tower on the right side, and then we at first descend a little on the ridge and then the path continues with some shorter ascents and descents. When we already get quite close to Veliki vrh, the path branches off to the right towards the caves Pikove jame, and we continue left and we diagonally ascend to the transmitters on Veliki vrh, and the inscription box is situated few steps ahead towards the right.
The starting point - Koča na Pikovem 1:15, Koča na Pikovem - Pikov vrh 0:30, Pikov vrh - Veliki vrh 0:40.
Description and pictures refer to a condition in May 2018 and February 2020.

On the way: Koča na Pikovem (992m), Pikov vrh (1149m)

Trip can be extended to: Šumahov vrh , Jesenik