Vgriz / Ogris - Bielschitza/Svačica

Access to starting point:
We drive to the border crossing Ljubelj and continue on the Austrian side. Soon after that, when we notice a smaller church on the left side of the road, the road towards the village Žabnica / Bodental branches off to the left. At the crossroad for the village Slovenji Plajberk / Windisch Bleiberg we turn left towards Žabnica / Bodental. In Žabnica / Bodental we come to mountain signposts for Celovška koča / Klagenfurter Hütte left and right. We head right and follow the road ahead to the next crossroad, where we turn left. We follow this road to a smaller parking lot, where the unmarked path from the inn Podnar / Bodenbauer joins (further driving is forbidden).

Route description:
From the parking lot, we continue past the gate on a road which in the initial part offers quite a nice view. The road then goes into the forest and brings us to a junction, where we turn left onto a cart track. We follow the cart track ahead slightly upwards to a junction of two cart tracks. We head onto the slightly right-marked cart track, which then starts to change into a footpath that begins to ascend more steeply. The path brings us after a shorter ascent onto a ridge, where the path turns left and continues first still on then along the ridge. The path then moves onto steep slopes, which we cross without major ascents. Further, we cross a shorter partly already overgrown scree, after which the path starts ascending again and soon brings us to the grazing fence of the mountain pasture Vgriz, which we reach in a few minutes of further walking. On the mountain pasture, where a shepherd's hut stands, a beautiful view opens up.
The path ahead starts to descend and after a short descent brings us to a spring, after which in a few steps we reach a junction. We continue straight (left downhill to Podnar) and the path brings us out of the forest into dwarf pines. Crossing of the scree follows, then with the help of a steel cable we descend slightly downhill. From here onwards the path is exposed to falling rocks. Further, the well-secured path starts to ascend a steep rocky slope. At the top of this easier climbing section we reach the summit register box, where we sign in. The difficulty of the path then disappears and in a traversing ascent we reach the saddle Vrata. The path ahead starts to descend and brings us in a few minutes to a junction, where we continue straight (right to Ovčji vrh) and in a few minutes of gentle descent we reach Celovška koča.
At the hut we head left in the direction of Prešernova koča na Stolu. The path ahead first crosses grassy slopes, then slightly descends to an indistinct little saddle. The path ahead starts to ascend steeply over scree to a somewhat overgrown section of the path. A bit further, a steel cable helps us when crossing a steeper slope, but this section of the path does not cause problems in dry conditions. Further, we ascend again over scree all the way to the state border.
On the saddle we head left (straight to Stol) and along the path that ascends a grassy slope surrounded by dwarf pines, we reach the summit, on which a cross stands, in 15 minutes.
Starting point - Celovška koča 2:15, Celovška koča - Svačica 1:00.

Along the route: Vrata (1714m), Klagenfurter Hutte/Celovška koča (1664m), Sedlo Belščica (1840m)

We recommend: similar trips, panorama, summit register