Dolenji Novaki (Pod Kovkom) - Škofje (steep path)

Access to starting point:
A) First, we drive to Cerkno (to here from the road Idrija - Most na Soči, or over the mountain pass Kladje), then we continue driving in the direction of the Cerkno ski slope. Further on, we drive past the inn Gostišče Gačnik (inn Gostilna v Logu) and past the turn-off of the road towards Franja Hospital. A few hundred meters ahead, on the right side of the road, we will notice red mountain signposts for Franja Hospital and Ermanovec. We park in an appropriate place near the mountain signposts.
B) From Poljanska dolina we drive to Hotavlje, then we follow the signs for the Cerkno ski slope. We follow the signs for the Cerkno ski slope only to Kopačnica, where from the crossroads, where the road to the right continues towards the ski slope and Leskovica, we continue straight ahead on the road that continues along the Podplečica stream. At the homestead Joškovec, where there is the next confluence, we continue right, then on a partly macadam road we start to ascend more steeply. At the homestead Mrovlje the road turns to the Primorska side, after some descent we join the main road which leads from Cerkno towards the Cerkno ski slope. We follow the road left downwards, when on the left side of the road we notice red mountain signposts for Franja Hospital and Ermanovec. We park in an appropriate place near the mountain signposts.
C) From Selška dolina we ascend to Davča, then we follow the signs for the Cerkno ski slope and later signs for Cerkno. When we have already descended to the Primorska side, at the end of the settlement Dolenji Novaki on the left we notice red mountain signposts for Franja Hospital and Ermanovec, where we park in an appropriate place.

Route description:
From the main road, we descend in the direction of the Cerknica stream, at the fork we choose the right road which behind the bridge ends on a meadow. On the other side of the bridge we continue left towards Ermanovec and first walk along Cerknica, when walking along the mentioned stream is blocked by a side stream, we continue right and ascend along the mentioned stream. Before the path enters the forest a cart track appears, along which we ascend steeply for some time. Higher up the path leads us past a few smaller junctions, where we follow the rare blazes, otherwise the direction is quite clear as it runs all the time along the torrent stream. Higher the cart track turns right and partly becomes more overgrown. A few minutes of ascent through the forest follow, then we reach the macadam road, which we follow to the right. Further on the path leads us along the macadam road for quite some time, which mostly ascends gently to moderately, mainly crossing the northwestern slopes of Škofje through the forest. After a short descent the road brings us to the western ridge of Škofje, where it turns sharply to the left, but we leave it at this point and continue left steeply upwards on an unmarked but well-trodden path which starts to ascend along the mentioned ridge. A little higher another unmarked path from Planina pri Cerknem joins from the right, we follow the steep path ever higher, when the path levels out we walk in a few dozen steps to the viewpoint, from which a beautiful view opens towards Planina pri Cerknem and the surrounding hills, and where we return to the marked path.
We continue slightly left and ascend slightly to moderately on the panoramic grassy slope. Higher we approach the forest, the blazes a little further lead us left into the sparse forest, through which we continue to the nearby summit.
Description and pictures refer to the condition in 2019 (April).

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