Križe - Storžič (through southwest groove)

Access to starting point:
a) From the Ljubljana-Jesenice motorway take the Naklo exit, then continue driving towards the villages of Žeje, Spodnje and Zgornje Duplje to the village of Retnje, where you turn right towards the settlement of Križe. Continue past the NOB monument, the Križe sports ground to the parking lot next to the cemetery and the parish church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross.
b) From the Jesenice-Ljubljana motorway take the Podbrezje exit, then continue driving towards Ljubelj and Tržič. Before the Petrol petrol station in Bistrica pri Tržiču turn right and then drive into Tržič. When the road descends into the valley continue sharply right towards Pristava and Križe, then drive along the main road leading to Zgornje and Spodnje Duplje, leave the mentioned main road at the settlement of Retnje, where you continue left towards the settlements of Križe and Golnik. Continue past the NOB monument, the Križe sports ground to the parking lot next to the cemetery and the parish church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross.

Route description:
From the parking lot continue along the road to the east, where the path first leads past the church, then past the post office, the inn pri Benk and the bakery to the junction at the chapel, where we continue left towards Pristava. The road then leads past the Tušek market Markič store, then we notice the first hiking signs for Gozd, Kriška gora and Storžič, which lead us right onto Planinska pot street. At junctions through the settlement follow the markers, then the road loses the asphalt surface and enters the forest. A few minutes higher, at the junction of gravel roads continue right, then gradually emerge from the forest, from where a nice view opens towards Gorenjska. After the scenic section the road becomes asphalted and brings us to the point where we join the road leading to Gozd. Follow the road left, but walk on it only briefly, as the markers lead us right onto a cart track.
We leave the road at a small information board informing about the opening of the Gozd Shelter. From the cart track continue immediately twice left, so that the ascent continues on the forest path, which soon joins another cart track, on which we return to the asphalt road in a few minutes. Walk a few steps on the road, then the path from Tržič joins from the left, and to the right the footpath or cart track continues to the Gozd Shelter (straight on the road Koča na Kriški gori - steep path).
Continue on the right path (cart track), which initially runs parallel to the road and then leads past a water trough. A little further we leave the cart track, as the markers lead left onto a somewhat steeper crossing path, which soon returns to the cart track, and this to the asphalt road. Follow the road right, and we walk on it for a few more minutes, or until we notice a large parking lot on the right side and next to it the Gozd Shelter.
From the shelter walk to the nearby church, then reach a marked junction where the path from Golnik joins from the right. Continue left uphill on the increasingly poor road, which brings us to a junction in a few minutes.
Continue on the right cart track towards Storžič, Tolsti vrh and Mala and Velika Poljana (left Koča na Kriški gori). The cart track, which ascends transversely to the east, has some junctions in the lower part, but they are well marked, so there are no major orientation problems. Higher up the cart track turns into a gradually steeper footpath, which brings us from the forest to scenic grassy slopes. After a while the path levels out and brings us to a pleasant viewpoint with a bench, next to which we notice a memorial plaque.
Further the path crosses a steep grassy slope (danger of slipping and in winter also avalanche) and then enters dense forest, where we reach a marked junction. Continue straight towards Velika Poljana (left Tolsti vrh), where we cross wooded slopes for a short time, then the forest gradually thins and turns into steeper slopes of Štajnarica, where it continues with some short ascents and descents, and on the difficult sections a few wire ropes assist us. In the last part of the crossing over Štajnarica we cross another steep grassy slope, from where the first close view of Storžič opens. After the bench the path enters the forest, then begins to descend transversely towards Mala Poljana, which we reach after a few minutes. When we step out of the forest, we also step onto the cart track, on which we descend to the hunting hut at Mala Poljana.
From Mala Poljana, where the path from Tolsti vrh, Dom pod Storžičem and Zalog joins us, continue on the left side of the hunting hut, on the path towards Velika Poljana. The path, which further runs on the cart track, quickly enters the forest, where it then ascends transversely. After a few minutes of walking we reach a scenic slope, from which a nice view of the surrounding mountains opens. Just a little further the cart track turns right and after a short ascent brings us to the upper edge of Velika Poljana, where there is a marked junction.
Continue straight into the forest on the path towards Storžič over Psica (right Koča na Veliki Poljani 1 minute). The path ahead begins to ascend quite steeply then turns slightly right and the steepness eases a bit. Such a path soon brings us out of the forest and to the junction of paths under Psica.
At the mentioned junction to the left continues the very demanding path along the Psica ridge, but we continue right towards the easier path to Storžič. From the junction onwards the path several times descends transversely and ascends again, leading us along the slopes of Psica, from which occasional views open, otherwise the first part of the crossing mostly runs through the forest. After another 30 minutes of walking we arrive at a junction where the crossing ends, and we join the path leading to Storžič through the southwest groove.
Follow the mentioned path left uphill (right downhill Javornik pasture, Povlje, we can also reach the Laško hamlet and Bašelj village) and begin to ascend steeply on the path leading through the southwest groove of Storžič. We ascend through the mentioned groove, from which increasingly better views towards Gorenjska open, for another good hour, then the path turns slightly right and brings us to the southwest ridge of Storžič, where an unmarked path joins from the right, leading along the mentioned ridge.
Continue along the ridge, the marked path then turns slightly right and soon other paths from Dom pod Storžičem and Kališče join us. From here to the summit, which we already see ahead, only a short ascent follows with wonderful views.

Starting point - junction before Gozd 0:55, junction before Gozd - Gozd Shelter 0:20, Gozd Shelter - sv. Miklavž 0:05, sv. Miklavž - junction above Gozd 0:10, junction above Gozd - Stajnar junction 1:10, Stajnar junction - Mala Poljana 0:40, Mala Poljana - Velika Poljana 0:15, Velika Poljana - junction under Psica 0:35, junction under Psica - junction in southwest groove 0:40, junction in southwest groove - Storžič ridge 1:05, Storžič ridge - Storžič 0:15.

Along the route: Zavetišče v Gozdu mountain hut (703m), Mala Poljana (782m), Zavetišče v Gozdu (891m), Sveti Miklavž (Gozd) (890m), Gozd (890m), Razpotje nad Gozdom (950m), Saškina klopca (1395m), Razpotje Stajnar (1402m), Stajnar (1388m), Sedlo nad Veliko Poljano (1406m), Razpotje pod Psico (1595m), Razpotje v jugozahodnem žlebu (1622m), Razpotje na grebenu Storžiča (2048m), Razpotje pod vrhom Storžiča (2114m)

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