Kapetanova bajta - Snežnik

Access to starting point:
A) From Cerknica or Nova vas na Blokah we first drive to Bloška Polica, from there we continue driving in the direction of Lož and Babno Polje. In the settlement Pudob we turn right in the direction of Snežnik, Ilirska Bistrica, Knežak and the nearby settlement Kozarišče. In Kozarišče we continue slightly left in the direction of Snežnik and also in the next crossroads we follow the road in the direction of Snežnik. When Kozarišče ends, the asphalt also ends, and we immediately after the bridge over Mali Obrh continue left in the direction of Mašun and Knežak. There follows a long drive on a macadam road, after approximately 19 km from Kozarišče we arrive at a crossroads, where the road from Mašun joins from the right. Here we continue left in the direction of Sviščaki, to which we have approximately 10 km of macadam, at the crossroads we follow the signs for Sviščaki. After approximately 29 km of macadam road we arrive at the Planinski dom na Sviščakih, after which at the crossroads we continue left in the direction of Snežnik. We continue driving on the road, on which also runs a marked path to Snežnik, and we drive along it for approximately 4 km, or to the spot where a marked footpath from Sviščaki joins from the right. We park at an appropriate place by the marked junction.
B) We drive to Pivka, from there we continue driving towards Knežak. In Knežak at the marked crossroads we continue left in the direction of Mašun and the settlements Bač and Koritnice. A little further we go right in the direction of Mašun and Koritnice (straight to Bač). After Koritnice the road starts to ascend more noticeably, and after 18 km from the main crossroads in Knežak it brings us to Mašun, from where we continue driving right in the direction of Sviščaki, to which we have approximately 12 km of macadam road. When we arrive at the Planinski dom na Sviščakih we continue about 50 m towards Ilirska Bistrica, then we continue left in the direction of Snežnik. We continue driving on the road, on which also runs a marked path to Snežnik, and we drive along it for approximately 4 km, or to the spot where a marked footpath from Sviščaki joins from the right. We park at an appropriate place by the marked junction.
C) First we drive to Ilirska Bistrica, then we continue driving towards Sviščaki (the turn-off is in the middle of Ilirska Bistrica and is marked, perhaps a little less noticeable). Initially we ascend on an asphalt road, then after less than 12 km of ascent asphalt is replaced by macadam. There follows approximately 7 km of macadam, then we arrive at a crossroads in the immediate vicinity of the Planinski dom na Sviščakih, where we continue right in the direction of Snežnik. We continue driving on the road, on which also runs a marked path to Snežnik, and we drive along it for approximately 4 km, or to the spot where a marked footpath from Sviščaki joins from the right. We park at an appropriate place by the marked junction.

Path description:
From the starting point we continue on a poorer road, which soon leads us over the left serpentine, or from the starting point we continue left of the road on the marked footpath, which after the mentioned serpentine joins the mentioned road. Further we ascend transversely on an increasingly panoramic road, from which beautiful views open up to us, reaching from Učka to Nanos, with good visibility even further, all the way to the Dolomites. During the ascent we see before us the slope of Mali Snežnik covered with dwarf pines and the interesting shorter south-western wall of the mentioned peak. A little higher the path turns right and brings us to the end of the road or turning area.
From the end of the road, where some benches are placed, a nice view of Veliki Snežnik opens up to us, and we continue on a wide marked path, which continues through the dwarf pines. There follows a transverse ascent to the right, and increasingly beautiful views open up from the path, reaching across Gorski Kotar all the way to Velebit, and the Kvarner islands, Učka, etc., are also nicely visible. Higher the path enters an indistinct little valley between the two Snežnik peaks, where first Matetova pot branches off to the left, and higher the path from Grda draga and Mašun joins from the right (both paths lead over Mali Snežnik).
At both junctions we continue on the right path, and approximately 5 minutes of transverse ascent over a somewhat steeper slope separate us from the shelter Zavetišče na Veliki Snežnik, where there is a greater risk of slipping in the snow.
When we reach the shelter, in front of it we continue left and in one minute of further walking we ascend to the highest non-Alpine peak in Slovenia, from which a view opens up on all sides.
Description and pictures refer to the condition in 2015 (October).