Lepena - Veliki Lemež (via Planina Zagreben)

Access to starting point:
Between Trenta and Bovec, at the village of Soča, a road branches off to Lepena. We follow this fully asphalted road for just under three kilometers, then we come to an intersection where, to the right across the bridge, the road towards apartments Pretner and Hosner branches off. We turn right and park along the road before the bridge. Here there is space only for one or two vehicles. A somewhat larger parking lot is available if we continue along the main road for approximately another 100 meters.

Path description:
From the starting point, we continue over the bridge and follow the road, which after the bridge turns left. We follow the road all the way to the last house. When the cart track branches off to the right, we continue left and also slightly descend. When we come to the last house, the road ends. Behind the house on the right, we will notice a narrow footpath.
We head onto the mentioned footpath and after approximately ten meters, by the path we will notice a signpost that marks the path towards mountain pasture Zagreben. We continue on the path through the forest and quickly we are again at a junction. To the right leads a path towards another house, we continue left where the inscription on the sign »Zagreben, Šumnik« directs us.
Further on, the path is poorly trodden for some time, so we must pay attention to the black-red markings with which the Path of Peace (Pot miru) is marked. When two more paths from the already mentioned house join us from the right, the path becomes somewhat better trodden again. The path then runs through the forest along the Šumnik stream for quite some time. Occasionally, a view opens up to smaller waterfalls and pools. Higher up, the path moves somewhat away from the stream but still runs parallel to it for some time. The path here constantly runs through the forest, so it does not offer much view. Later, the path turns right and brings us to a junction by some ruins.
Here, to the left branches off the path that runs through the valley towards the saddle Čez Potoče. We continue right and the path quickly brings us through a short clearing to the monument of the First World War. From the starting point to the monument is approximately 1:30 hours of walking.
From the monument, we continue to follow the Path of Peace, which is marked with red-black markings. The path further crosses the slopes towards the west and bypasses the ridge that runs from the peak Konj (1279m) towards the peak Brdo (1520m). The slope that we cross becomes quite steep and on a shorter section, a steel cable assists us. From the path here, beautiful views also open up onto the peaks north of us. Somewhat later, there are two hairpin turns on the path and in the right bend, we will come to a somewhat less visible junction.
Here we leave the Path of Peace, which is marked with red-black markings, and head left onto the less trodden path. At the beginning of this path, there is a carved arrow on the tree on the right side. Further on, the path begins to ascend somewhat more steeply and for most of the time runs slightly left. Here more attention is needed since the path is poorly visible. The path continues to ascend and brings us to the abandoned and quite overgrown mountain pasture Zagreben. The path leads us past the ruins on the pasture and then turns right upwards. The last ascent to the hunting cottage follows, which we already see in front of us.
From the hunting cottage, we return a few dozen meters back to the first bend and head right onto the initially very poorly visible footpath. The somewhat overgrown path, which leads us along bushes and a few trees, runs up the right side of the valley. The bushes and trees then end and an ascent follows on a somewhat more scenic path upwards. The path continues constantly on the right side of the valley and ascends on scree for some time. Towards the end of the valley, the terrain becomes grassy again and the path poorly visible again.
Here we leave the poorly visible path and head left into pathless terrain towards the saddle on the south side of peak Brdo. The slope towards the saddle is quite overgrown with high grass and nettles, so it is recommended to head somewhat higher to the left where the terrain is somewhat less overgrown.
When we reach the saddle, we descend slightly to the other side and cross the slopes towards the saddle Čez Potoče. The saddle is still relatively far but we can already see it. We continue crossing the slope towards the southeast and soon come in front of a shorter strip of forest. The forest-covered slope, which is somewhat steeper, is better bypassed on the right side where the terrain is somewhat less overgrown. On the other side of the forest, we reach terrain strewn with numerous rocks and boulders that are often covered with snow.
Further on, we begin to ascend more steeply again over scree towards the saddle Čez Potoče. While ascending the scree, we can also notice quite a few remains from the First World War. Higher up, the terrain becomes somewhat more grassy and the path is somewhat better visible again. A shorter ascent follows and then we soon reach the saddle Čez Potoče.
On the saddle, where a relatively well-trodden path leads straight down towards Planina na Polju, we head left into pathless terrain. In the initial section, we ascend right by the ridge on the right side. The slope here is grassy and occasionally quite steep, so some caution is needed. Especially when wet, the slopes can be dangerous for slipping. For a short time, we move away from the ridge somewhat more to the right, then an ascent back towards the ridge follows. Soon we reach the forepeak on which there are also some remains from the First World War. On the eastern side of the forepeak there are also some military trenches.
From the forepeak, we descend slightly along the still mostly grassy slope, which on this section is a shade less steep. An ascent follows again along the right side of the ridge to the summit Vogel from which a view opens towards the summit Veliki Lemež, which lies further along in the ridge. From the path, we have had a nice view towards Krn and the Soča river valley for some time already.
From summit Vogel, we continue along the ridge and descend somewhat again. Some walking follows on a somewhat wider and gentler ridge that brings us below the steeper slopes of the next forepeak. The grassy ridge here becomes very narrow and in places somewhat exposed, so considerable caution is needed on the ascent. We continue further along the ridge and soon reach the next forepeak.
From the forepeak, we descend the steep slope along the ridge where a somewhat less trodden footpath also runs. After a short descent, the path brings us into a notch where on the right side we will notice a larger rockfall that occurred during the earthquake of 1998.
From the notch, the ridge becomes narrow again and the path directs us for a short time onto the left northern side of the ridge. A short ascent follows on the steep and quite exposed grassy slope, which especially when wet is quite dangerous for slipping. Quickly we reach the ridge again, which further on becomes less demanding again. An ascent follows on the wide grassy slope to the panoramic summit.
We descend back along the ridge to the saddle Čez Potoče where we descend left downwards past Planina na Polju and Krn Lake to Dom v Lepeni. Approximately 45 minutes of walking along the road back to the starting point follows.
From the notch below the summit, it is also possible to descend along the mentioned rockfall directly towards the lake, but precisely because of the rockfall the descent is somewhat more difficult.

On the way: Spomenik prve svetovne vojne (990m), Planina Zagreben (1240m), Čez Potoče (1850m), Vogel (nad Lepeno) (1980m)