Dom v Lepeni - Veliki Lemež

Access to starting point:
Between Trenta and Bovec, at the village Soča, a road branches off to Lepena. We follow this entirely asphalted road to the parking lot at the mountain hut Dom v Lepeni.

Path description:
From the mountain hut Dom dr. Klementa Juga in Lepena we head on the path in the direction of the mountain hut Dom pri Krnskih jezerih, Gomiščkovo zavetišče na Krnu and Dom na Komni. Already immediately from the parking lot the path enters the forest, through which it ascends on a wide mule track. On the mule track we mostly ascend moderately (the steep variant of the ascent in the lower part has not been in use for some time) through the forest, only occasionally does a view open up towards the valley and surrounding mountains. During the ascent we also cross the route of the cargo cableway several times, whose crossing is forbidden during its operation. After a good hour and a half of walking the path flattens and brings us a little further to the upper station of the cargo cableway.
From here the path leads us along the edge of a smaller valley, quickly bringing us to the place where every year in April they measure the height of the snow cover. A short descent follows, then we arrive at a marked junction where the path to Velika Baba branches off to the left.
At the junction we continue straight on the wide path, which quickly brings us to the next junction. This time we turn left downhill on the footpath, which brings us to the mountain hut Dom pri Krnskih jezerih in a few minutes (if we continue straight we bypass the mountain hut).
From the mountain hut we continue straight in the direction of Krn and Krnsko jezero on a gentle path, to which the path bypassing the mountain hut soon joins. We continue past the shepherd's hut, behind which we reach the next junction, where we again continue in the direction of Krn (left Bogatin, Mali Šmohor and dom na Komni).
The gentle path brings us after a further few minutes to the pearl of the Krn mountain range. In front of us we see Krnsko jezero and inviting meadows beside it for resting. The marked path then leads us along the left side of the lake at the foot of the scree of Mali Šmohor. On the other side of the lake the path turns slightly to the left and then ascends a somewhat steeper slope, where somewhat higher an unmarked (upper) path joins us, which crosses the screes above Krnsko jezero in a traverse ascent (this path is somewhat shorter but exposed to falling rocks). The path then turns somewhat to the right and brings us to extensive debris cones of torrential debris, which end on the planina na Polju.
We continue on the gentle path, which runs across the planina, and on the right side we will notice a hunting hut. We then leave the marked path and head right into pathless terrain. We keep to the gentle grassy terrain left of the hut and head towards the small valley that leads towards the saddle Čez Potoče. At the end of the planina, before the path starts ascending again, we will also notice some cairns.
When we start ascending the track is again better visible and orientation is not overly demanding. The path continues ascending up the valley and runs on mostly grassy terrain. We follow such a path all the way to the saddle Čez Potoče, where a view towards the north opens up for a short time.
At the saddle we leave the beaten track and head right into pathless terrain. In the initial part we ascend right along the ridge on the right side. The slope here is covered with grass and is occasionally quite steep, so some caution is needed. Especially when wet the slopes can be dangerous for slipping. For a short time we move away from the ridge somewhat further to the right side, then an ascent back towards the ridge follows. Soon we reach the forepeak, on which there are also some remains from the First World War. On the eastern side of the forepeak there are also some military trenches.
From the forepeak we descend slightly on the still mostly grassy slope, which on this section is a shade less steep. An ascent follows again along the right side of the ridge to the summit of Vogel, from which a view opens towards the summit Veliki Lemež, located further along in the ridge. From the path we have had a nice view towards Krn and the Soča river valley for some time.
From the summit of Vogel we continue along the ridge and descend somewhat again. Some walking follows on a somewhat wider and gentler ridge, which brings us below the steeper slopes of the next forepeak. The grassy ridge here becomes very narrow and in places somewhat exposed, so considerable caution is needed on the ascent. We continue along the ridge and soon reach the next forepeak.
From the forepeak we descend the steep slope along the ridge, where a somewhat less beaten track also runs. After a short descent the track brings us to a notch, where on the right side we will notice a larger collapse that occurred during the earthquake of 1998.
From the notch the ridge becomes narrow again and the track takes us for a short time to the left northern side of the ridge. A short ascent follows on a steep and quite exposed grassy slope, which is especially when wet quite dangerous for slipping. Quickly we reach the ridge again, which becomes less demanding again. A final ascent follows on a wide grassy slope to the panoramic summit.
We descend along the ascent path.

On the way: Dom pri Krnskih jezerih mountain hut (1385m), The lake Krnsko jezero (1391m), Planina na Polju (1530m), Čez Potoče (1850m), Vogel (nad Lepeno) (1980m)