Ruška koča na Arehu - Posestvo Šumik

Access to starting point:
A) From the Ljubljana - Maribor highway, take the Rače - Fram exit, then follow the signs for Fram. Continue through the center of Fram, then start ascending towards the settlements Kopivnik, Planica and Frajhajm; higher up, follow the signs for Areh. When joining a wider road, go left and continue following the signs for Areh. Park on a large parking lot near Ruška koča na Arehu.
B) Leave the Štajerska highway at the exit for Slivnica and Rogoza, then follow the signs for Pohorje and Areh. The route ahead leads through Spodnje and Zgornje Hoče, Slivniško Pohorje, and beyond the settlements follow the signs for Areh. Park on a large parking lot near Ruška koča na Arehu.

Path description:
From the parking lot near Ruška koča na Arehu, head onto the road towards Žigartov vrh, Šumik and Cojzarice. After about 10 minutes of walking along the road through the forest, arrive at a marked junction, continuing left towards Bajgot and Šumik waterfall (straight to Žigartov vrh).
The path ahead returns to the forest and leads along a poorer forest road, from which a path soon branches left downhill to the source of the Polskava (5 minutes); we continue straight. After some time, from the poorer road go slightly right onto a cart track that ascends transversely up the slopes of Žigartov vrh. The cart track soon levels out and brings us to a marked junction, where the path via Žigartov vrh, which is somewhat longer than ours, joins from the right.
Continue straight, gradually descending through the forest; lower down, cross another forest road. Further on, mostly follow cart tracks along the path, which rises and falls a few times; at junctions, follow the blazes. After a somewhat longer descent, reach the NOB monument, where you arrive at the macadam road.
Walk along the road for only a few dozen steps and the path forks.
Choose the right path towards Pesek (left to sv. Trije kralji) and temporarily leave the road; shortly after, cross another road, continuing straight along the poorer forest road accompanied by blazes. Follows a slight ascent, then pass the hunting observatory; the road gradually turns into a cart track. A bit further, from the cart track go slightly right, then begin descending transversely. Lower, cross the Areh - Osankarica road, slightly lower still reach the Areh - Šumik road.
When reaching the Areh - Šumik road, go left; also joining from the left is the marked path from sv. Trije kralji and Osankarica. Continue along the road and soon arrive at the Bajgot trailhead on Šumik, where one of the paths to Ruše branches right downhill (Holcarska pot along the Lobnica valley).
From here, continue along the road for a few more steps, then turn right onto the marked path to Pesek and Klopni vrh, which leads across a small bridge over the Lobnica. Follows a short ascent and return to the macadam road, where a somewhat shorter but unmarked path to the Šumik estate continues along the road; cross the road and continue the ascent along the marked path. A bit further, leave the forest, then ascend a slightly vegetated slope to the macadam road at a marked junction.
Continue right towards Gozdarski dom na Šumiku (left: Pohorski Battalion camp, Tiho jezero and Koča na Pesku; straight uphill: Koča na Klopnem vrhu and Koča na Pesku) and proceed along the macadam road. At the nearby junction, go straight (sharply left to Koča na Klopnem vrhu); continue along the road only briefly, as the signs for the hut direct right downhill (straight along the road to Ruše). After a short descent, return to the road, spotting Koča na Šumiku ahead, which is one minute's walk away.
Description and pictures refer to the condition in June 2022.

On the way: Tinčeva bajta (1115m)