Podrožca / Rosenbach - Mittagskogel/Kepa

Access to starting point:
Through the Karawanks Tunnel, we drive to Austria, and then we drive on the highway towards Beljak, which we leave on the first exit. From the point, when we left the highway, we follow the signs for Šentjakob v Rožu / Sankt Jakob im Rosental. When we get to the mentioned settlement we leave the main road and we continue driving right in the direction of the settlement Podrožca / Rosenbach. After few kilometers of additional driving, we get near the railway station in Podrožca, where we continue left downwards, and then at the next crossroad right in the direction of valley Medji Dol / Bärental. Further, we drive on a little narrower asphalt road which we follow to the first crossroad, by which we notice hiking signposts. We park at an appropriate place by the road.
From toll station in Hrušica to the starting point, there 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 few underpasses. After the railway and highway underpass, where at the crossroads we follow the blazes, the road brings us into a torrent valley Gračenica / Gratschenichengraben, where because of quite crumbly slopes there is mainly during and after the rain, increased possibility of falling stones (high risk of falling stones is also in time, when the snow is melting, and also in nice weather the path isn't without dangers). Approximately one hour we walk through the mentioned gorge, and then the valley widens, and the path brings us to a marked crossing, where for some time we leave the macadam road.
We continue straight in the direction of Kepa (right Bleščeča planina / Rossalm) and we some time walk by the torrent, where we few times also cross the stream Gračenica / Gratschenitzengraben (during the high waters it is safer to continue on the road, because can be marked path impassable). After approximately 20 minutes we return on the road, and there in numerous zig-zags we are mostly moderately ascending. With occasional views, mainly towards Kepa, after approximately three hours of walking, we get to the mountain pasture Borovščica / Ferlacher Alm.
Next follows few minutes of a light ascent and we get to a marked crossing on the saddle Borovščica / Ferlacher Sattel, which is situated between Kepa on the left and Kamnica / Ferlacher Spitze on the right.
We continue sharply left on a marked path in the direction of Kepa (left Kepa on northeastern ridge, straight Hotel Mittagskogel, right hut Koča Berta - 5 minutes and Kamnica - 45 minutes). The path ahead is at first quite gentle and mostly crosses slopes towards the left. When the path starts ascending, we quickly get to a crumbly gully, where after the rain the path can be damaged, and for this purpose in front of the gully there are tools to repair the path. In the second part of the crossing of the gully, we get help from some more fixed safety gear, and then for some time we steeply ascend. Further, we are ascending on a nicely made path, which crosses few more gullies, but the passage through them is easier. The increasingly panoramic path is getting closer to the walls of Dovška Mala Kepa, but it doesn't run right below the wall, because between the path and the wall there is a bigger torrent, so that the path isn't too exposed to falling stones. Higher, the path turns to the right, where we cross two more gullies, and then follows a quite steady ascent towards the national border. On last part of the ascent to the national border the slope becomes steeper, and when we reach the border ridge, from the left joins also a marked path from Erjavčev rovt.
We continue right, where we at first walk on the ridge and then the path passes on the Austrian side, where to the main peak, which we reach after few minutes of additional walking, we are ascending diagonally.
The starting point - saddle Borovščica 3:10, saddle Borovščica - Kepa 2:00.
Description and pictures refer to a condition in the year 2018 (August).

On the way: Lepi studenec / Schönbrunnen (900m), Planina Borovščica / Ferlacher Alm (1497m), Sedlo Borovščica / Ferlacher Sattel (1500m)

Trip can be extended to: Huhnerkogel/Gubno , Dovška Mala Kepa