Hunting cottage Budanje - Kovk
Starting point: Hunting cottage Budanje (420 m)
Starting point Lat/Lon: 45.8793°N 13.9589°E
Time of walking: 1 h 30 min
Difficulty: easy marked way
Difficulty of skiing: demanding
Altitude difference: 541 m
Altitude difference (by path): 541 m
Map: Goriška 1:50.000
Access to starting point:
A) First, we drive to Ajdovščina, and then we continue driving towards Col. After a short ascent Ajdovščina ends, and further we are ascending diagonally on the road which is rising above Vipava valley. Few 100 meters after the road sign 3.5 km, we will get to a smaller crossroad, where short with the gate closed road branches off to the right, which leads to the near hunting cottage Budanje. We park by the crossroad on the right side of the road, or about 50 meters ahead on an appropriate place by the road on the other side of the road.
B) We drive to Vipava, from there we continue driving towards the settlement Vrhpolje. From Vrhpolje we continue towards Col, Sanabor and Bela and further we drive on an ascending road which higher brings us to a smaller crossroad, where we continue left (right village Bela and Sanabor). Next follows an ascent on the road which in numerous zig-zags brings us to the spot, where it joins the main road Ajdovščina - Col, and we follow it left downwards. After approximately 500 meters of driving on the main road, we get to the beginning of a marked path which leads on Kovk and Sinji vrh. At the starting point, there is a wooden mountain signpost for Kovk, and nearby there is also an appropriate place for parking. On the other side of the road, about 50 meters ahead is a turn-off towards the nearby hunting cottage Budanje, where there is also possible to park by the road.
C) From Godovič or Kalce pri Logatcu we drive to Col, and from there we continue driving towards Ajdovščina. At the road sign approximately 4 km we will on the right side notice a smaller parking lot, and by it signs for a footpath on Kovk. On the other side of the road, about 50 meters ahead is a turn-off towards the nearby hunting cottage Budanje, where there is also possible to park by the road.
Path description:
From the parking lot by the hunting cottage, we at first carefully cross the road, and then we go on a footpath in the direction of Kovk. The path at first runs on a cart track which is ascending parallel with the road, and then turns slightly to the left and it gradually turns into a footpath.
Marked footpath leads us into a dense forest, where it starts ascending steeper and steeper. The path higher brings us to a vantage point, from which a wonderful view opens up on Nanos, Vipava valley, Trstelj and behind it Gulf of Trieste.
Ahead path returns into the forest and continues in a diagonal ascent. Still relatively steep path, past the inscription box brings us to a cross by which there is situated another inscription box and next to it a bench.
Only few steps ahead steepness decreases and the path which passes out of the forest on grassy slopes brings us to a crossing, where we continue right towards Col (left Sinji vrh). We continue the ascent on a gentle grassy slope, on the path which runs by the edge of panoramic cliffs. Later, the path steeply ascends and after few minutes of additional walking brings us on a panoramic peak of Kovk.
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