Sviščaki - Mali Snežnik

Access to starting point:
A) From Cerknica or Nova vas na Blokah we first drive to Bloška Polica, from there we continue driving in the direction of Lož and Babno Polje. In the settlement Pudob we turn right in the direction of Snežnik, Ilirska Bistrica, Knežak and the nearby settlement Kozarišče. In Kozarišče we continue slightly left in the direction of Snežnik and also in the next crossroads we follow the road in the direction of Snežnik. When Kozarišče ends, the asphalt also ends, and we immediately after the bridge over Mali Obrh continue left in the direction of Mašun and Knežak. There follows a long drive on a macadam road, after which after approximately 19 km from Kozarišče we arrive at a crossroads, where the road from Mašun joins from the right. Here we continue left in the direction of Sviščaki, to which we have approximately 10 km of macadam, at crossroads we follow the signs for Sviščaki. After approximately 29 km of macadam road we arrive at the Planinski dom na Sviščakih mountain hut, where we park.
B) We drive to Pivka, from there we continue driving towards Knežak. In Knežak at the marked crossroads we continue left in the direction of Mašun and the settlements Bač and Koritnice. A little further we go right in the direction of Mašun and Koritnice (straight Bač). After Koritnice the road starts to ascend more noticeably, then after 18 km from the main crossroads in Knežak it brings us to Mašun, from where we continue driving right in the direction of Sviščaki, to which we have approximately 12 km of macadam road. When we arrive at the Planinski dom na Sviščakih mountain hut we park.
C) First we drive to Ilirska Bistrica, then we continue driving towards Sviščaki (the turn-off is in the middle of Ilirska Bistrica and is marked, maybe a little less noticeable). At first we ascend on an asphalt road, then after a little less than 12 km of ascent the asphalt gives way to macadam. There follows approximately 7 km of macadam, then we arrive at a crossroads in the immediate vicinity of the Planinski dom na Sviščakih mountain hut, where we continue straight towards the nearby mountain hut, where we park.

Path description:
On the opposite side of the road from the Planinski dom na Sviščakih mountain hut, we notice the mountain signposts for Snežnik and Pogled na Snežnik, which direct us onto a macadam road that continues without changes in elevation across a meadow. On the other side of the meadow the path leads past a water catchment, behind it the path turns slightly left into the forest, through which it moderately ascends for a while. After a short ascent we reach another road, which we follow to the right; along it, past some holiday cottages, we arrive at a wider macadam road, which we then follow to the left (right is the main road Ilirska Bistrica - Sviščaki). There follows a gentle ascent along the wider macadam road, along which we continue the path, and after approximately 10 minutes we arrive at a marked junction, where to the left a path branches off to the viewpoint "Pogled na Snežnik", while to the right the marked footpath continues to Snežnik.
We continue along the road, which continues to lead us through the forest, and along it past an abyss we quickly arrive at a marked crossroads below Lom, located at 1330 meters above sea level.
Here too we continue straight ahead (along the right road we can join the aforementioned footpath or continue to the hunting hut in Travnih dolcih, from there too it is possible to ascend to Snežnik, but the path is not marked) in the direction of Snežnik along the road. Higher up a bit of a view opens up temporarily, then we arrive at the next crossroads (in descriptions starting point Snežniška Grda jama), where we continue along the left lower road (along the right road the usual path to Snežnik leads).
Along the lower road, along which we continue, we first walk past a parking lot, then continue along the road that is closed to public traffic (next to the sign there is a chain across the road). For a short time we continue parallel to the upper road, then our road turns more to the left and leads us past Snežniška grda jama cave. There follows a few minutes of traversing, then we join the marked path from Grda draga, where we continue to the right.
We continue in the direction of Snežnik along the path that continues through dense forest. Higher we cross a small clearing, then return to the forest, and the path begins to ascend diagonally to the left. After a few minutes of diagonal ascent we reach a marked junction, where the path from Mašun joins us.
We continue again in the direction of Snežnik, this time along a somewhat steeper path that leads us past a memorial. Above the memorial the first extensive view opens up, reaching across Nanos all the way to the Alps. Continuing we ascend along the path that leads us through dwarf pines. When the steepness eases we arrive at the old stone trigonometric point marker, located at the summit, or a few steps below the summit of Mali Snežnik, from where a view opens onto Veliki Snežnik, Istria, Primorska, Notranjska...
The description and pictures refer to the condition in 2015 (October).

On the way: Križišče pod Lomom (1330m)

Trip can be extended to: Snežnik ( 25 min)