Ruski križ - Špik (via Kačji graben)

Access to starting point:
First, we drive to Kranjska Gora, then continue driving towards the Vršič pass. Just a little before the 3rd hairpin turn of the Ruska cesta or Vršič road, we will notice the Ruski križ on the right side and a smaller parking lot on the left, where we park. Because the parking lot is relatively small and quickly full, we can also park a little higher on the larger parking lot a little above the 4th hairpin turn (in this case, we must descend a little to our starting point at Ruski križ).
We can also reach the starting point from the Primorska side via the Vršič pass.

Path description:
A little before the 3rd hairpin turn of Ruska cesta, we will notice by the road the mountain signposts for Koča v Krnici, which direct us slightly left onto a wide cart track that immediately begins to descend moderately. Soon we cross a torrent stream over a bridge and descend all the way to the bed of Suha Pišnica, where we have two options for continuing.
To reach the start of the path to Špik through Kačji graben, if just a few meters before the marked path or road crosses Suha Pišnica we continue left onto a wide unmarked cart track, which first continues through the forest, then brings us to a larger meadow. Across the meadow we continue northeast, walking across it all the way to the bed of Velika Pišnica. We cross the river at a suitable spot, then step onto the marked road, which we follow left (right Koča v Krnici), walking along it to the marked junction of the path through Kačji graben.
The second option is to simply cross Suha Pišnica (when there is a lot of water it is not exactly easy) and continue along the road leading to Koča v Krnici. Just a little after crossing the mentioned stream, the path turns slightly left and brings us out of the forest onto expansive grassy slopes of the mountain pasture V Klinu, where on the right we notice an isolated hut, on the left a smaller memorial park Mali Tamar. The path ahead becomes completely flat, then joins a forest road that comes from the former hotel Erika or the bridge over Velika Pišnica. Here we continue left (right Koča v Krnici) and walk along the road to the marked junction of the path through Kačji graben.
From the junction the path leaves the road and first ascends through overgrown forest, higher it crosses the lower part of the mentioned graben and then steeply ascends. The ascent along Kačji graben is very steep and in wet dangerous for slipping (some fixed safety gear assists us). The path then becomes somewhat easier and transitions into dense forest, through which we ascend to an elevation of approximately 1600 m. The forest then becomes progressively thinner and the path brings us to the foot of mighty scree slopes. When we climb to the scree the path turns slightly left and begins to ascend the gravelly terrain of the scree. Walking on the relatively steep scree takes considerable energy.
Higher the path turns right, crosses a gully exposed to falling stones and then brings us into a small cirque between Špik on the left and Liprtica (Lipnica) on the right. Here the path flattens somewhat for a short time and brings us in a few next steps to the place where the path over Grunt or the path over Lipnica joins.
Here we continue left along the path that very steeply ascends the summit slope of Špik (without fixed safety gear). After approximately 15 minutes of walking on the summit slope, over which we ascend rugged rocky terrain, we reach the panoramic summit.
In the last part of the path there is a very high danger of falling stones.

On the way: Mali Tamar (996m), Planina v Klinu (980m), Odcep za Kačji graben (916m), Razpotje pod vrhom Špika (2401m)