Lokvica - Stol (Črni hribi)

Access to starting point:
On the highway through the Vipava Valley we drive to the border crossing Vrtojba, then in the larger roundabout, which is located on the Italian side of the border, we continue towards the village Miren (we can also reach the village Miren if we drive on the regional road from Šempeter pri Gorici towards Dornberk. In this case, in the place Volčja Draga, we continue right or left, if we came from Dornberk. From the village Miren we continue driving towards the village Opatje Selo. After a few hairpin turns, signs for Cerje direct us to the left onto a macadam road, which we then follow to the parking lot, which is located only a few minutes below the monument Veliko Cerje.

Path description:
From the parking lot, we continue on the macadam road closed to traffic, along which we ascend to the monument Veliko Cerje in 5 minutes of walking.
From the monument we continue right on an initially wide path in the direction of Fajti hrib. The path ahead first slightly descends, then gently ascends over gentle and initially also quite scenic slopes. The path then passes into a mostly pine forest, where it continues with some shorter ascents and descents. After a while we cross a forest road, then we continue the ascent on a narrower and in several parts thorn-surrounded mountain path. Higher the forest thins out and a moderately steep path brings us to Fajti hrib, on which there stands a smaller information board in memory of the First World War.
From Fajti hrib we descend through a young pine thicket (here we still have nice views available) to the saddle between the already mentioned peak and Veliki vrh. At the saddle we cross a wide cart track, then we begin to ascend to the 463 m high Veliki vrh, which we reach after approximately a 20-minute ascent through the forest and scrub.
From Veliki vrh follows an approximately 100-meter elevation descent, which ends at the next cart track. We continue on the marked path, which leads us past a decaying bench into a dense forest, where it begins to ascend moderately. After approximately a 15-minute ascent we step onto Renški vrh 449 m.
Follows a relatively gentle descent along the path, which quickly brings us to an asphalt road, which we only cross. We continue the ascent in the direction "Trstelj po vrhovih" along a quite overgrown mountain path, which after approximately 20 minutes of ascent brings us to the forest-covered peak of Vrtovka.
From Vrtovka we continue on the path, which gently descends towards the east. Already after a few minutes of descent the path brings us to a macadam road, which we follow for a few minutes, then the markers direct us right onto a footpath, which gradually begins to ascend more steeply. Higher the path levels out and brings us past caverns to Lešenjak.
From the peak we continue in the direction of Trstelj along the path, which begins to descend towards the east. After a few minutes we cross a power line, then we join a poorer macadam road. We follow the road for a few minutes, then the markers direct us left onto a relatively steep footpath, along which we ascend to Stolovec in a few minutes.
From Stolovec the path brings us in a few minutes of descent to a poorer forest road, along which we continue for approximately 15 minutes, then signs for Trstelj direct us onto an ascending footpath. The moderately steep path then quickly brings us to the forepeak of Stol, which we recognize by the larger cairn, but we continue on the marked path, which descends for a short time, then brings us in a gentle ascent to the summit of Stol.

On the way: Veliko Cerje (343m), Fajti hrib (433m), Veliki vrh (Črni hribi) (463m), Renški vrh (449m), Vrtovka (502m), Lešenjak (552m), Stolovec (563m)

Trip can be extended to: Stjenkova koča on Trstelj ( 25 min) , Trstelj ( 20 min)