Plaz Črlovec - Sleme (upper path)

Access to starting point:
We drive to Mojstrana, then we follow the signs for the Vrata valley. On the road through the Vrata valley we drive to the road sign 8 km or some 10 meters ahead to the gully Plaz Črlovec, where the described path begins. Parking in the area of the TNP is allowed only on marked parking spots.

Path description:
From the gully Plaz Črlovec we return along the road some 10 meters back, then we continue on the side road which continues towards the northeast. The path ahead leads us past a gate, and after the gate an unmarked path branches off to the left, which leads towards Kukova špica and Njivice. We continue on the mentioned path (straight Planina Višek and Vrtaška planina on the lower path) and we start ascending on the right side of the gully Veliki Črlovec. A little higher, the path joins from the left which leads over the gully (beginning is by the gully Plaz Črlovec, from the road which leads towards the mountain hut Aljažev dom v Vratih, or there where there is the starting point), and we further follow the best-trodden path, because there are quite a few junctions, mainly shortcuts or longer turns of the path. Higher, the path passes onto a ridge which was formed between Veliki and Mali Črlovec, the panoramic path returns into the forest for some time, through which it ascends in a few hairpin turns. Still in the forest, at an altitude of approximately 1500 meters we arrive at a junction, where we continue right (left, where on a tree we notice the inscription "KUK", Kukova špica).
From the junction we ascend a few minutes through the forest, then the path turns more and more to the right and quickly brings us to the gully Mali Črlovec, where we cross a few gullies. On steep parts greater caution is needed, somewhat awkward is also the passage from the last, biggest gully of Mali Črlovec. Next follows an ascent through a belt of dwarf pines, where the path because of a landslide makes a smaller "detour". In front of us is a shorter traverse and we arrive at a small junction, where we continue left on the upper path (straight middle path, which leads to Vrtaška planina).
Further we mostly ascend traversing to the right, the path occasionally also makes some serpentines. Higher we cross some screes, then the path stops ascending for some time, as it continues with some shorter ascents and descents. After a longer traverse, where the trail is all the time relatively easy to follow, the trail starts to disappear. We continue somewhat to the left and across the pasture fence we reach the lower edge of Njivice, where we also notice the PP sign (trail Planica - Pokljuka), some 10 steps further we step onto the marked trail.
On the marked trail we continue slightly left (right Vrtaška planina) and through a pleasant little valley we ascend to the marked junction on Njivice.
From the junction we continue straight in the direction towards Sleme (right Vrtaški vrh 20 minutes), the path on the upper part of the pasture turns slightly left into a belt of dwarf pines. Follows an easy ascent through dwarf pines and sparse larch forest, when the path turns somewhat more to the left, it also starts to ascend more steeply, along the higher grassy slope. After a few minutes of steep ascent we reach a scenic ridge, from which a nice view opens towards Kukova špica, Špik and surrounding mountains.
On the ridge we go left (right Drobeče Sleme) and after 10 minutes of further ascent we arrive at the scenic summit.
Izhodišče - razpotje za Kukovo špico 1:50, razpotje za Kukovo špico - Njivice 1:40, Njivice - Sleme 0:55.

On the way: Njivice (1820m)