Križe - Tolsti vrh (via Ježa)

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 by 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 towards Ljubelj and Tržič. Before the Petrol filling station in Bistrica pri Tržiču turn right and drive into Tržič. When the road descends into the valley continue sharply right towards Pristava and Križ, then drive along the main road leading towards Zgornje and Spodnje Duplje; leave the said 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 by 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 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 you continue left towards Pristava. The road then leads past the Tušek market Markič shop, after which you notice the first hiking signs for Gozd, Kriško goro and Storžič, which lead you right onto Planinska pot street. At the 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 you to the point where you join the road leading towards Gozd. Follow the road left, but walk along it only briefly, as the markers lead you right onto a cart track.
Leave the road at a small information board informing about the opening hours of the Zavetišče v Gozdu shelter. From the cart track continue immediately twice left, so that the ascent continues along the forest path, which soon joins another cart track, along which you return to the asphalt road in a few minutes. 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 little 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, walking along it for a few more minutes, or until you notice a large parking lot on the right side and next to it the 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 brings you to a junction in a few minutes.
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 a few 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 you from the forest to scenic grassy slopes. After a while the path levels out and brings you to a pleasant viewpoint with a bench, next to which you 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 you reach a marked junction. Continue left (straight Velika and Mala Poljana via Štajnarica) towards Tolsti vrh and continue steeply upwards. The steep path, especially slippery when wet, which ascends transversely to the right, brings you higher from the forest to a scenic grassy slope, where it turns somewhat to the left. A few more minutes of steep ascent follow, then a path from Dom pod Storžičem and Mala Poljana joins from the right).
Continue towards Tolsti vrh and continue the ascent along the still quite steep path, which through a sparse belt of forest brings you to the summit slope of the mountain. Here the path levels slightly and brings you to the summit in a few minutes of further walking.

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 - junction below Tolsti vrh 0:30, junction below Tolsti vrh - Tolsti vrh 0:20.

Along the route: Zavetišče v Gozdu (703m), Razpotje pred Gozdom (782m), Zavetišče v Gozdu (891m), Sveti Miklavž (Gozd) (890m), Gozd (890m), Razpotje nad Gozdom (950m), Saškina klopca (1395m), Razpotje Stajnar (1402m), Razpotje pod Tolstim vrhom (1576m)

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