Kapetanova bajta - Veliki Snežnik

Access to starting point:
a) From Cerknica or Nova vas na Blokah we first drive to Bloška Polica, then continue driving towards Lož and Babno Polje. In the settlement Pudob we turn right towards Snežnik, Ilirska Bistrica, Knežak and the nearby settlement Kozarišče. In Kozarišče we continue slightly left towards Snežnik and also follow the road towards Snežnik at the following intersections. When Kozarišče ends, the asphalt also ends, and immediately after the bridge over Mali Obrh we continue left towards Mašun and Knežak. This is followed by a long drive on a macadam road, after which after approximately 19 km from Kozarišče we reach an intersection where a road from Mašun joins from the right. Here we continue left towards Sviščaki, which is still approximately 10 km of macadam away, and at intersections we follow the signs for Sviščaki. After approximately 29 km of macadam road we reach the Planinski dom na Sviščakih, after which at the intersection we continue left towards Snežnik. We continue driving on the road on which the marked path to Snežnik also runs, and we drive on it for another approximately 4 km, or to the place where the marked footpath from Sviščaki joins from the right. We park at a suitable place at the marked junction.
b) We drive to Pivko, then continue driving towards Knežak. At the marked intersection in Knežak we continue left towards Mašun and the settlements Bač and Koritnice. A little further we go right towards Mašun and Koritnice (straight Bač). After Koritnice the road starts to climb noticeably, then after 18 km from the main intersection in Knežak it takes us to Mašun, from where we continue driving right towards Sviščaki, which is still approximately 12 km of macadam road away. When we reach the Planinski dom na Sviščakih we continue about 50 m towards Ilirska Bistrica, then continue left towards Snežnik. We continue driving on the road on which the marked path to Snežnik also runs, and we drive on it for another approximately 4 km, or to the place where the marked footpath from Sviščaki joins from the right. We park at a suitable place at the marked junction.
c) We first drive to Ilirska Bistrica, then continue driving towards Sviščaki (the turn-off is in the middle of Ilirska Bistrica and is marked, perhaps only slightly less visible). At first we climb on an asphalt road, then after less than 12 km of ascent the asphalt is replaced by macadam. This is followed by another approximately 7 km of macadam, then we reach an intersection in the immediate vicinity of the Planinski dom na Sviščakih, where we continue right towards Snežnik. We continue driving on the road on which the marked path to Snežnik also runs, and we drive on it for another approximately 4 km, or to the place where the marked footpath from Sviščaki joins from the right. We park at a suitable place at the marked junction.

Route description:
From the starting point we continue on a poorer road, which soon leads us through a left bend (serpentine), or we choose the marked footpath to the left of the road, which rejoins the road above the mentioned bend. We continue with a transverse ascent through an increasingly scenic landscape. From the path beautiful views open up, reaching from Učka to Nanos, and in good visibility all the way to the Dolomites. During the ascent we see in front of us the slope of Mali Snežnik covered with dwarf pines and its interesting, shorter south-western wall. A little higher the path turns right and takes us to the end of the road or the turning area.
From the end of the road, where a few benches stand, a beautiful view of Veliki Snežnik opens up. We continue on the wide marked path that leads through dwarf pines. This is followed by a transverse ascent to the right, during which we enjoy wonderful views that reach across Gorski kotar all the way to Velebit, and the Kvarner islands and Učka are also nicely visible. Higher up the path passes into an indistinct valley between the two Snežniks. Here first Matetova pot branches off to the left, and higher up the path from Grda draga and Mašun also joins from the left (both lead over Mali Snežnik).
At both junctions we continue right. To the Zavetišče na Velikem Snežniku we still have about 5 minutes of transverse ascent over a somewhat steeper slope, where there is a greater risk of slipping in snow.
When we reach the hut, we turn left in front of it and in a minute of further walking we ascend to the highest non-Alpine peak in Slovenia, from which a view opens in all directions.

The description and pictures refer to the situation in October 2015.

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