Mače - Mali Grintovec (via Dom na Kališču)

Access to starting point:
a) From the Ljubljana–Jesenice motorway, take the Kranj–east exit, then continue driving towards Jezersko. When you arrive in Preddvor, leave the main road and continue left towards the centre of the aforementioned place, from there follow the signs to Mače. When you arrive in Mače, at the marked junction continue right (left Bašelj, straight to the church of St. Nicholas (the church is not accessible by car)) and drive up the narrow road above the village, where there is a large marked parking lot.
b) From the Jesenice–Ljubljana motorway, take the Kranj–west exit and at the first junction continue left. Then drive through the underpass beneath the motorway, after which you arrive at a roundabout, from where continue driving towards Golnik. The road continues through the settlement of Mlaka pri Kranju, but at the end of the settlement continue right towards the settlement of Srakovlje. Driving continues through Srakovlje, Spodnja Bela, Srednja Bela to Zgornja Bela, where you continue right towards Preddvor. In Preddvor, notice the signs for Mače, which direct you left past the primary school onto the road that ascends to Mače. When you arrive in Mače, at the marked junction continue right (left Bašelj, straight to the church of St. Nicholas (the church is not accessible by car)) and drive up the narrow road above the village, where there is a large marked parking lot.

Route description:
From the parking lot, return a few dozen steps back, or to the road from which you drove to the parking lot, and continue uphill along it towards Dom na Kališču and Storžič. Walk along the road for just under half an hour, then at Studenci the path forks.
Choose the left path, next to which there are signs for Kališče (right Srednji vrh), cross the stream, then immediately begin a steep ascent. A few minutes higher, reach a forest road, which you also immediately leave and continue following the markers. Continue on the marked path that runs between two forest roads, higher up moderately ascending in switchbacks for a while. Higher up, reach the forest road again, follow it uphill, after a minute leave it and head onto the marked path that brings you to a rest area and viewpoint with a bench in a few minutes of further ascent.
The path ahead returns to the forest and initially ascends gently, but the easy walk soon ends as after crossing the forest road you begin ascending in switchbacks through the forest again.
Here, even before the steep ascent begins, the path from Bašelj joins from the left, then we ascend in switchbacks on the steeper slope, crossing the forest road several times, always following the markers. Higher up, there are occasional nice views towards Gorenjska, followed by a somewhat longer traverse to the right. Later, at about 1330 m above sea level, the path turns left and ascends towards the left with a few switchbacks. When you leave the forest, you have already arrived at the edge of Planina Kališče, a little further to the junction at Spodnje Kališče, where there are a few benches for rest.
When the path above Spodnje Kališče returns to the forest, the path from Laški (also the path from Bašelj past Partizanska bolnica Košuta) joins from the left. A few more minutes of walking through the forest follow and you arrive at a nice viewpoint from which there is a beautiful view of the nearby Dom na Kališču, Mali Grintovec, the ridge of Lanež, Krvavec... From the viewpoint, only a short ascent remains and you are at Dom na Kališču.
Behind Dom na Kališču, notice the mountaineering direction sign with numerous route continuation options. Continue along the gentle and scenic ridge path towards Storžič, Bašeljski vrh..., which continues northwards. After a few minutes of easy walking with beautiful views reaching to the Julian Alps, arrive at a junction where you continue right (straight Storžič) towards Bašeljski vrh. The path ahead ascends more steeply through a belt of dwarf pines and brings you to the dwarf pine-covered ridge of Bašeljski vrh with nice views of the neighbouring Mali Grintovec, where in the next few minutes you arrive at the next well-marked junction, continuing along the lower right path (left Bašeljski vrh) towards Mačensko sedlo.
Follows the traverse of Bašeljski vrh along a path with some shorter ascents and descents. When the traverse ends, arrive at Mačensko sedlo, where a marked path from Bašeljski vrh joins from the left, and an unmarked path along the Suha valley from the right.
Continue straight towards Mali Grintovec along a path that begins to ascend relatively steeply up the western slope of the mentioned mountain. After about half an hour of walking from Mačensko sedlo, arrive at a marked junction where the path from Dolga njiva joins from the right. Continue left and after a further 10 steps or so arrive at the summit of Mali Grintovec.

Starting point - Studenci 0:25, Studenci - behind Gora 0:40, behind Gora - Spodnje Kališče 1:10, Spodnje Kališče - Dom na Kališču 0:15, Dom na Kališču - junction above Kališče 0:10, junction above Kališče - junction below Bašeljski vrh 0:15, junction below Bašeljski vrh - Mačensko sedlo 0:25, Mačensko sedlo - Mali Grintovec 0:30.

Along the route: Studenci (737m), Za Goro (975m), Planina Kališče (1450m), Razpotje pod Kališčem (1509m), Dom na Kališču (1534m), Razpotje nad Kališčem (1570m), Razpotje pod Bašeljskim vrhom (1634m), Mačensko sedlo (1622m), Razpotje pod Malim Grintovcem (1791m)

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