Križe - Tolsti vrh (steep path over Kriška gora)

Access to starting point:
A) From the Ljubljana–Jesenice highway take the Naklo exit, then continue driving towards the settlements Žeje, Spodnje and Zgornje Duplje to the settlement Retnje, where we turn right towards the settlement Križe. Further, we drive past the NOB monument, Križe sports field to the parking lot by the cemetery and the parish church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross.
B) From the Jesenice–Ljubljana highway take the Podbrezje exit, then continue driving towards Ljubelj and Tržič. Before the Petrol gas station in Bistrica pri Tržiču we turn right and then drive into Tržič. When the road descends into the valley, we continue sharply right in the direction of Pristava and Križe, further we drive on the main road which leads towards Zgornje and Spodnje Duplje, we leave the mentioned main road at the settlement Retnje, where we continue left in the direction of the settlements Križe and Golnik. Further, we drive past the NOB monument, Križe sports field to the parking lot by the cemetery and the parish church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross.

Route description:
From the parking lot, we continue on the road towards the east, where the path leads first past the church, then past the post office, inn Pr Benk and bakery to the crossroads at the chapel, where we continue left in the direction of Pristava. The road then leads us past the store Tušek market Markič, then we already notice the first hiking markings for Gozd, Kriška gora and Storžič, which lead us right onto Planinska pot street. At the crossroads through the settlement we follow the markings, then the road loses its asphalt surface and turns into the forest. A few minutes higher, at the crossroads of macadam roads we continue right, then gradually emerge from the forest, from where a nice view opens towards Gorenjska. After the panoramic section the road becomes asphalt and brings us to the place where we join the road leading to Gozd. We follow the road left, but walk on it only briefly, as the markings lead us right onto a cart track.
We leave the road at a small information board which informs us about the opening hours of the shelter Zavetišče v Gozdu. From the cart track we continue immediately twice to the left, so that the ascent continues on a forest path, which soon joins another cart track, on which we return to the asphalt road in a few minutes. We walk a few steps on the road, then a path from Tržič joins from the left, to the right a footpath or cart track continues towards the shelter Zavetišče v Gozdu, while we continue on the asphalt road to the nearby parking lot.
From the parking lot we continue in the direction of the steep path to Kriška gora. We walk briefly on a fairly level path, then it becomes increasingly steep. A steep ascent follows on a more or less forested path, then we reach an indistinct ridge where the path becomes even steeper. A few more minutes of walking through the forest follow, then the forest ends quickly and the ascent continues on an increasingly panoramic grassy slope. With nice views of the Julian Alps, a large part of Gorenjska, part of the Ljubljana Basin and Notranjsko, Polhograjsko and Škofjeloško hribovje, we arrive at a bench on the upper part of the grassy slope. Above the bench the path returns to the forest, and from the left the path from Tržič via Mala and Velika Mizica joins.
Here we continue right, then in a moderate ascent, first still through the forest, in the last part across the grassy slope, in about 15 minutes we reach the Koča na Kriški gori hut.
From the Koča na Kriški gori hut we continue on the marked path towards Tolsti vrh. The path turns slightly left a few meters behind the hut (slightly right to Gozd) and begins to ascend gently across the grassy slope. After three minutes of walking an almost unnoticeable path to Grahovše branches off to the left, while we continue on the well-trodden mountain path that runs along the main ridge of Kriška gora. Further on the path moves away from the ridge to the right side several times, but the panoramic path mostly leads across grassy slopes. Somewhat further the path returns to the ridge, which we reach exactly at a distinct notch, where a pathless trail branches off left downward to Grahovše.
The path ahead leads across a pasture fence, then bypasses Vrata (1591 m) on the right side. Higher up the path returns to or along the ridge and ascends gently for a while. After a few minutes of traversing we reach the point where the path begins to ascend steeply towards the forepeak of Tolsti vrh. From the forepeak a nice view opens in all directions, the path ahead leads along a narrower ridge for a short time. Some descent through the forest follows, then the path ascends again. Higher up the forest thins, and the increasingly panoramic path brings us to Tolsti vrh.
Križe - Koča na Kriški gori 2:30, Koča na Kriški gori - Tolsti vrh 1:00

Along the route: Koča na Kriški gori mountain hut (1471m)

We recommend: trips from the same starting point, similar trips, panorama, summit register