Ozeljan - Čaven

Access to starting point:
A) From the Vipava expressway, we take the Vogrsko exit, then continue driving towards Tolmin and Ozeljan. When we reach the old road Ajdovščina - Nova Gorica, at the traffic-light intersection we continue right towards Ajdovščina. When we arrive in Ozeljan, in the hamlet Otava we continue left onto a somewhat narrower road that leads us among the houses. After a few hundred meters, we arrive at a smaller intersection next to Zavarovalnica Triglav, Pošta Slovenije and Ozlinka, continue straight and park at the parking lot by the eco-island. We can also park at the parking lot approximately 100 meters away by the cemetery, which is located to the left of the mentioned intersection.
B) From Nova Gorica, we drive along the old road towards Ajdovščina, then at the hamlet Tri Hiše (the hamlet is located at the traffic-light intersection where the road towards the settlement Vogrsko branches off to the right) we continue straight. When we arrive in Ozeljan, in the hamlet Otava we continue left onto a somewhat narrower road that leads us among the houses. After a few hundred meters, we arrive at a smaller intersection next to Zavarovalnica Triglav, Pošta Slovenije and Ozlinka, continue straight and park at the parking lot by the eco-island. We can also park at the parking lot approximately 100 meters away by the cemetery, which is located to the left of the mentioned intersection.

Route description:
From the starting point we continue eastwards (in the direction of the description to the starting point from the intersection where we parked to the right), where the path leads past the company Konem Color, then we arrive at an intersection where we continue left (right Lepenje) on an ascending asphalt road. The road continues past a few more houses, then at the next few intersections we follow the "main" road. Higher up, near the hamlet Opade, we arrive at an intersection and continue straight uphill onto a macadam road next to which there is a traffic sign that "tells" us we will continue along the firebreak. We continue along the macadam road, which ascends gently to moderately, from which we occasionally get views of the surrounding hills. Higher, at the next sign for the firebreak, we continue straight or slightly right. Some 10 steps further the road starts to descend, but we continue left onto a cart track that ascends to a marked junction.
From the junction we go right (left Vodice), then quickly reach the next poorer macadam road, where we join the path from Vitovlje (path from Križišče).
We reach the mentioned road at the 7th station of the Way of the Cross, and ascend along it through the forest. At a left bend a few minutes away, a nice view of Vitovski hrib opens up briefly, and we follow the road to the next junction, located just before the 12th station of the Way of the Cross.
From the mentioned junction we continue left towards Kopitnik, Čaven and Veliki Rob (straight Vitovski hrib - 5 minutes) and continue along a narrower cart track. A few minutes further we arrive at the next junction, where we continue towards Čaven and Krnica (left Skozno, sharply right sv. Lucija).
The gentle Napoleon path soon brings us to the steep cliffs of Visoki zid. A wide path leads us further across an artificially carved panoramic ledge (danger of falling rocks), after which the path returns to the forest and brings us to the place where the path to Kopitnik branches left.
We continue slightly right towards Čaven and Sekulak along a somewhat narrower path, which first takes us through a few smaller clearings to a steeper section. The path then ascends more steeply and a little higher brings us to the next junction, where we continue right towards the viewpoint (left Kopitnik). We continue the ascent along a gentle path, which brings us to the Sekulak viewpoint in 5 minutes of further walking, from which a view opens onto much of the Vipava Valley.
From Sekulak we continue left along the marked path, which follows an initially very panoramic ridge. Higher the path enters the forest and shortly after brings us to a small clearing where the junction is noticeably less marked.
The left path continues towards Kopitnik, while we continue right, where after a few meters we notice the markers for Veliki Rob. We continue the ascent towards Veliki Rob along an initially somewhat less visible path. Higher the path becomes clearer and after a while brings us to a viewpoint from which a view opens onto the Vipava Valley, Trstelj, Gulf of Trieste and the Dolomites.
We continue along the marked path, which starts to ascend more steeply and takes us to the steeper section below the summit of Čaven (1185 m). When the path levels out, we leave it and after a few steps of pathless terrain ascend to the summit of Čaven.
Ozeljan - Sekulak 2:50, Sekulak - Čaven 1:00.

Along the route: Sekulak (888m)

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