Križe - Storžič (via Psica)

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 filling 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 Križ, then continue along the main road leading towards 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 eastwards, where the trail first leads past the church, then past the post office, the inn pri Benk and the bakery to the junction at the chapel, where you continue left towards Pristava. The road then leads past the Tušek market Markič shop, then we already 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 its 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 towards Gozd. Follow the road left, but walk along it only briefly, as the markers lead us right onto a cart track.
Leave the road at a small information board informing about the opening hours of Zavetišče v Gozdu. From the cart track immediately turn left twice, so continue the ascent on a forest path, which soon joins another cart track, along which in a few minutes we return to the asphalt road. Walk a few steps along the road, then a path from Tržič joins from the left, and to the right the footpath or cart track continues towards Zavetišče v Gozdu (straight along the road Koča na Kriški gori - steep path).
Continue along the right path (cart track), which initially runs parallel to the road and then leads past a water trough. A bit further 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 along it for a few more minutes, or until we notice a large parking lot on the right side and next to it Zavetišče v Gozdu.
From the shelter walk to the nearby church, then reach a marked junction, where a path from Golnik joins from the right. Continue left upwards along the increasingly poor road, which in a few minutes brings us to a junction.
Continue along the right cart track towards Storžič, Tolsti vrh and Mala and Velika Poljana (left Koča na Kriški gori). The cart track, which ascends transversely eastwards, 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 of 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 shorter ascents and descents, and on 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 up. After the bench the path enters the forest, then begins to descend transversely towards Mala Poljana, which we reach in a few minutes. When we step out of the forest, we also step onto a cart track, along which we descend to the hunting hut at Mala Poljana.
From Mala Poljana, where paths from Tolsti vrh, Dom pod Storžičem and Zaloga join, continue on the left side of the hunting hut, along the path towards Velika Poljana. The path, which further runs along a 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 bit 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 along the path towards Storžič via 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 a path junction. Head left onto the path via Psica, right leads an easier path to Storžič.
From the junction the path initially runs across grassy terrain among scree and sparse trees, then re-enters the forest and begins to ascend steeply. At some points the path is also somewhat exposed. An ascent follows across grassy slope among sparse scree to a scenic ridge. We ascend the increasingly exposed ridge for some time, then reach the indistinct summit of Psica. From the top descend slightly, then continue along the exposed ridge. Further along the ridge the path rises and falls several times, assisted by some fixed protection. Later a path through the gully joins from the left, but we continue along the path by the ridge. In the last part of the path we ascend steeply several times, assisted by some fixed protection. A little below the summit the easiest path to Storžič joins from the right, leading across the Javornik pasture. Only a short ascent along the summit slope of Storžič follows, whose top we reach in a few minutes.

Starting point - junction before Gozd 0:55, junction before Gozd - Zavetišče v Gozdu 0:20, Zavetišče v Gozdu - 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 below Psica 0:35, junction below Psica - Psica 0:30, Psica - Vrh Žrela 0:25, Vrh Žrela - Storžič 1:00.

Along the route: Zavetišče v Gozdu (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), Psica (1769m), Vrh Žrela (1842m), Razpotje pod vrhom Storžiča (2114m)

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