Srednja vas - Veliki Draški vrh (Za Ribnico and via Planina Spodnji Tosc)

Access to starting point:
From highway Ljubljana - Jesenice we go to the exit Lesce and follow the road towards Bled and forward towards Bohinjska Bistrica. Only a little before Bohinjska Bistrica, at settlement Bitnje, we continue sharply right in the direction of Pokljuka. After a short ascent the road flattens and it quickly brings us into a valley Zgornja Bohinjska dolina. Here at the crossroad we continue left (right Pokljuka) and follow a road ahead to Srednja vas. Here in the second part of the village we notice signs for the church of St Martin, which point us to the right on narrower and quite steep road, on which then we quickly get to the church and primary school. We park on an appropriate place by the school or church.

Path description:
From the parking lot at the church in few steps we descend to primary school, and from there we continue in the direction of viewpoint on Kres. The path ahead leads us on a narrower asphalt road, on which we quickly get to a bigger water storage, where we notice signs for Uskovnica. We continue on a cart track which passes into the forest, at the right turn for some time we step out of the forest and a nice view opens up on Rudnica and part of the valley Zgornja Bohinjska dolina. We continue on a cart track which leads us through a little narrower passage, and then in a diagonal ascent to the spot, where we reach the road which leads on Uskovnica. We reach the road right on a well-settled viewpoint on Kres, from which a view opens up towards Srednja vas, valley Zgornja Bohinjska dolina and Spodnje Bohinjske gore at the back. A short time we continue on the road, and then at the end of the mild left turn signs for Uskovnica point us to the right on a cart track which leads us through the forest, lane of bushes, and higher again through the forest. Few minutes higher we again reach the macadam road, but this time we immediately leave it, because we still continue in the direction of the footpath on Uskovnica. Cart track soon splits, and we continue on the left, where on a power pole we notice a blaze. For some time we continue by the power line and we follow the blazes. Soon a path which leads on Uskovnica over Lom branches off to the left, and we continue on the path which turns a little to the right and passes on steep slopes of the area named Za Ribnik (Ribnica is a stream deep below us). Higher, we reach a newer cart track and we follow it to the right. Newer cart track after few minutes ends and the path still crosses slopes towards the right. A little further at the smaller crossing, we continue on the left upper path, by which there are the signs for Uskovnica and which is considerably better beaten. Further, we are ascending a little steeper on the path, from which a little higher unmarked path towards Lom branches off (on the sign is written "cheese, curd, milk and more").
We again continue in the direction of Uskovnica, and then in few minutes we reach a macadam road (we reach the road on part, where it is already closed for public traffic), which we follow to the right. When we step on the road, we join the path from Stara Fužina, the path from Srednja vas over Lom and the path from the starting point or parking lot Lom. Gentle macadam road quickly brings us to holiday cottages on Uskovnica, after that only a little behind troughs with water we leave it and we continue left on a cart track in the direction of the mountain hut Koča na Uskovnici. After approximately 50 meters of the ascent on a cart track we reach the mountain hut Koča na Uskovnici.
From the mountain hut, we continue in the direction of Tosc, Draški vrh, Viševnik, Vodnikov dom, Rudno polje and Praprotnica on the path which at first crosses a grazing fence, and then it quickly joins the macadam road which we follow to the right. The road then leads us between mogul meadows, and then after the crossing of the next fence we quickly get to a crossroad at the chapel of Mary Queen of Peace on Uskovnica.
Behind the chapel, we continue left (straight mountain pasture Konjščica, right Rudno polje) on a gentle road which leads us through a large meadows of Uskovnica, and then the path brings us to the edge of the forest, where it starts changing to at first a wide cart track. Cart track, which further starts moderately ascending has some crossings, we follow it in the direction of Vodnikov dom and Triglav. Higher the cart track which in the most part run through the forest changes into a footpath, and which quickly brings us to a pleasant well. At the well we continue straight (right hunting cottage) and we continue the ascent on a gently sloping path, that a little further brings us on steep slopes. Soon after we got to the steep slopes at the crossing through a steep gully we have fixed safety gear for help. The path ahead continues on a relatively steep and mainly in wet for slipping dangerous slopes. During the crossing of the steep slopes, the path several times for a short time steeply ascends and then descends again. In the last part of the crossing we stride across some very steep gullies, through which leads in parts damaged path, where it is dangerous for slipping. Crossing ends at a bigger torrent, where there is usually a small well, after which we step on a softer grassy terrain.
Few minutes of easy walking follows and the path brings us to an abandoned mountain pasture Spodnji Tosc. The path ahead starts moderately ascending and it soon brings us to a smaller crossing, where we continue sharply right (straight old, partly abandoned path) on easy to follow path. Higher, we start ascending steeper and steeper and the path from a lane of a thin forest quickly brings us among dwarf pines, where it starts turning more and more to the left. The path soon flattens and from dwarf pines brings us on grassy slopes, through which in few minutes of additional walking, we ascend to the path Pokljuka - Triglav.
We follow the mentioned path to the right and only after few steps it brings us to the spot where the path on Tosc branches off to the left. We continue straight on a pleasant passing path, which from the slopes of Tosc gradually passes on slopes of Veliki Draški vrh. Panoramic path, after a time brings us by the foot of saddle Studorski preval, where it ascends steeper for a short time. After 5 minutes of a steeper ascent we step on a saddle Studorski preval, where there is a marked crossing.
From the saddle Studorski preval we continue sharply left (left Srenjski preval, straight Pokljuka, right Ablanca) on at first gently sloping path, which is ascending through a lane of dwarf pines. A little further, the path turns to the left and starts gradually ascending steeper and steeper. After few minutes of additional walking, the path brings us below short, but quite steep rocky jump, which we overcome with some help of hands (mainly for balance). Rocky jump is besides a risk of slipping, exposed also to falling stones (carefully!). Higher, the path flattens and passes on very panoramic and technically mostly undemanding ridge. The path, from which beautiful views opening up on Spodnje Bohinjske gore and also other Bohinj mountains, a little below the summit again starts ascending steeper. The path ahead ascends over short and steep rocky slope, and then it flattens and in few minutes of additional walking brings us on a panoramic peak.
The starting point - Koča na Uskovnici 1:40 minutes, Koča na Uskovnici - Studorski preval 3:00, Studorski preval - Veliki Draški vrh 1:00.

On the way: Razgledišče na Kresu (619m), Koča na Uskovnici mountain hut (1154m), Kapelica na Uskovnici (1180m), Planina Spodnji Tosc (1675m), Studorski preval (1892m)