Podrožca / Rosenbach - Koča Berta / Bertahütte

Access to starting point:
Through the Karawanks Tunnel, we drive to Austria, and then we drive on the highway towards Beljak, which we leave at the first exit. From the point where we left the highway, we follow the signs for the settlement Šentjakob v Rožu / Sankt Jakob im Rosental. When we arrive in the mentioned settlement, we leave the main road and continue driving right in the direction of the settlement Podrožca / Rosenbach. After a few kilometers of additional driving, we arrive near the railway station in Podrožca, where we continue left downwards, then at the next crossroads right in the direction of the valley Medji Dol / Bärental. Further on, we drive on a somewhat narrower asphalt road, which we follow to the first crossroads, where we notice the hiking signposts. We park at an appropriate place by the road.
From the toll station at Hrušica to the starting point it is approximately 23 km.

Path description:
From the starting point, we continue on the right road in the direction of Koča Berta / Bertahütte and Kepa / Mittagskogel (straight Koča na Golici, Dovška Baba...), where we go through a few underpasses. After the railway and highway underpass, where at the crossroads we follow the blazes, the road brings us into the torrent valley Gračenica / Gratschenichengraben, where because of quite crumbly slopes, mainly during and after the rain, there is a considerably increased possibility of falling stones (high risk of falling stones also exists at the time when snow is melting, and even in nice weather the path is not without danger). We walk for approximately one hour through the mentioned gorge, then the valley widens, and the path brings us to a marked junction, where temporarily we leave the macadam road.
We continue straight in the direction of Kepa (right Bleščeča planina / Rossalm) and for some time we walk by the torrent, where a few times we also cross the stream Gračenica / Gratschenitzengraben (during high waters it is safer to continue on the road, as the marked path can be impassable). After approximately 20 minutes we return to the road, along which then in numerous zigzags we mostly moderately ascend. With occasional views, mainly towards Kepa, after approximately three hours of walking we arrive at the mountain pasture Borovščica / Ferlacher Alm.
There then follows a few minutes of gentle ascent and we arrive at the marked junction on the saddle Borovščica / Ferlacher Sattel, which is located between Kepa on the left and Kamnica / Ferlacher Spitze on the right.
Here we go right in the direction of Koča Berta (left Kepa), to which we arrive after 5 minutes of further walking.
Description and pictures refer to the condition in the year 2018 (August).

On the way: Planina Borovščica / Ferlacher Alm (1497m), Sedlo Borovščica / Ferlacher Sattel (1500m)

Trip can be extended to: Kamnica (Komnica) / Ferlacher Spitze ( 40 min) , Mittagskogel/Kepa