Koča na Šumiku - Veliki vrh (on Pohorje)

Access to starting point:
A) From the highway Ljubljana - Maribor we go to the exit Slovenska Bistrica - south, and then we follow the signs for Šmartno na Pohorju, and from there we drive to the settlement Smrečno. Further, we drive on forest roads on Pohorje, where we drive by Bistrica. Higher, we join the road which leads past the mountain hut Ruška koča na Pohorju. Here we go left towards Osankarica, and at the next crossroad we go slightly right in the direction of the estate Šumik (slightly left - Osankarica). When we drive to the mentioned estate, we park on a macadam parking lot before the estate Šumik.
B) We leave the Štajerska highway at the exit for Slivnica and Rogoza, and then we follow the signs for Pohorje and Areh. The path ahead leads us through Spodnje and Zgornje Hoče, Slivniško Pohorje, and after the settlements we follow the signs for Areh. From Areh we follow the signs for Cojzerica and Šumik and Osankarica. After a few kilometers we go slightly right in the direction of the estate Šumik (slightly left - Osankarica). When we drive to the mentioned estate, we park on a macadam parking lot before the estate Šumik.
C) We drive to Ruše, and then we follow the road towards Fala. After crossing Lobnica we go left in the direction of Smolnik and Šumik, and then we follow the signs for the estate Šumik, where we park on a parking lot before the forestry cottage Gozdarska koča na Šumiku.

Route description:
From the starting point, we go on a marked path towards Osankarica and Koča na Klopnem vrhu (on the road leads a somewhat shorter unmarked path), where through a belt of forest we ascend back to the road. When we reach the road, we continue straight (right - Ruše), and at the nearby road junction we choose the slightly left road (slightly right - Klopni vrh), on which we quickly arrive at a marked junction.
From the junction we continue left downwards (straight - Koča na Pesku and Tiho jezero, right - Klopni vrh) and on a moderately steep path we descend back to the road, where we join a somewhat shorter path which leads along the road. We only cross the road, and somewhat lower we also cross Lobnica, after which we return to the road. We continue left along the road and go past the turn-off of the path towards Ruše - Holcarska pot along Lobnica, which leads past both Šumik waterfalls, and walk along the road to the next nearby marked junction, where we go right in the direction of Črno jezero, sv. Treh kraljev and Osankarica (straight - Ruška koča na Arehu), where we ascend through the forest. Next follows crossing a stream, and somewhat higher also crossing the road Areh - Osankarica. Also further we ascend through the forest, and at the junctions we follow the blazes. Higher, the path levels out and for a short time we continue through sections of sparse forest, then again moderately ascend through the forest.
After the indistinct summit Trije studenci the path lightly descends to a marked junction, where the path splits.
We continue straight in the direction of sv. Treh kraljev (right - Osankarica and Črno jezero), where the path in a gentle ascent leads past Urškin križ, after which we gradually begin to descend lightly. After a few minutes of further walking we reach the ski slope of the ski area Jakec - Trije kralji, leave the marked path towards Sv. Trem kraljem and ascend along the edge of the ski area to the Veliki vrh a few minutes away, from where a viewpoint a little below the summit offers a beautiful view.
From the viewpoint to the highest point it is approximately 1 minute of walking through the forest.
Description and pictures refer to the condition in January, May, and June 2022.

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