Tinčkova koča - Pautz/Zelenjak (via Zagon)

Access to starting point:
From the highway Ljubljana - Jesenice we go to the exit Lesce and follow the road ahead in the direction of Žirovnica and Jesenice. After a few km of driving, we will get to a crossroad, where the road to Žirovnica and Moste branches off to the right (from the direction of Jesenice left). Only a few meters ahead in the next crossroad, we turn left to Moste (right Žirovnica). Further, we drive past a monument to fallen soldiers, where the road starts ascending on a hill below the railway track. On top of the slope, we turn right (at the sign Vila Karin), and we drive towards Završniško jezero and Valvasorjev dom. The road then flattens and brings us to a crossroad, where the road towards Valvasorjev dom branches off to the left, and we continue straight on the initially still asphalted road. The road soon becomes macadam, and we follow it to a parking lot near Tinčkova koča. The road in the upper part is often in quite bad condition.

Path description:
From the starting point signs for Valvasorjev dom and Stol point us to the left on a wide cart track which passes into the forest. Already after a few 10 meters a marked path towards Valvasorjev dom and Stol turns left, and we continue slightly right, on a cart track which leads us past a few more cottages. We continue on an unmarked cart track which first moderately, higher relatively steeply ascends through the forest. A little further the cart track changes into a forest footpath, which before crossing the torrent splits into two parts. We continue on the lower right path, which crosses the torrent, then for a few minutes only moderately ascends through the forest. The path soon becomes quite steep and on some parts somewhat harder to follow. The path through the valley Zagon has in the upper part some junctions, and on all of them we choose the right branches (even if on one we continue straight, higher we join the path which leads from the saddle Šija towards Stol, only that we reach it more to the west).
Higher, at an altitude of approximately 1500 meters, the path temporarily leads right into a small valley, from which it soon withdraws somewhat to the right. On this section we arrive at another less noticeable junction, where we go right once again, and then we ascend diagonally with nice views on Stol, Srednja peč and surrounding mountains. Followable but on parts more overgrown path gradually flattens and returns into the torrent valley. For a short time we ascend along a smaller torrent, then we reach the lower path on Stol.
We follow the mentioned path slightly right to the nearby collapsed concrete hut, from there right in the direction of saddle Šija and Zelenica. A short ascent follows, then the path turns left and further ascends diagonally on the northwestern slopes of Srednji vrh. After a few minutes the traverse ends, and the path brings us to saddle Šija, where there is a marked junction.
We continue left in the direction of Vrtača (right Srednji vrh, straight Dom pri izviru Završnice) on the path which ascends through a belt of dwarf pines and after a few minutes of further walking brings us to the upper path Zelenica - Stol.
Here we continue right towards Zelenica and initially still walk through dwarf pines. After a few minutes the dwarf pines end and the transverse path brings us to a marked junction, where we continue straight (sharply left Vrtača). Further in a gentle descent we cross mostly southern slopes of Vrtača, and the panoramic path leads us over scree, grassy slopes, occasionally also through a narrow belt of forest. A little further one of the paths which leads towards Dom pri izviru Završnice branches off to the right downwards, and on the marked path towards Dom na Zelenici we walk a few more minutes. When we step into the forest again, the path brings us into a smaller indistinct valley, where to the left an unmarked path branches off into the valley of Suhega ruševja (at the junction there is usually a cairn).
The path to Suho ruševje first ascends through the forest, then passes among dwarf pines, where it is well trodden, and the dwarf pines are cut. A short steeper ascent follows, where upon looking back a nice view opens on Begunjščica, in front of us to the left we see Vrtača, straight Zelenjak, right Palec and the ridge Na možeh. Higher the path flattens somewhat and passes into a high-alpine valley which gradually narrows. A little further the path turns right and then joins the path which leads over scree below the ridge Na možeh (the mentioned path is more suitable for descent than ascent, brings us somewhat closer to Zelenica than the path by which we ascended). We continue left and on the scree begin to ascend transversely, and we follow such a path all the way to Žleb, which is located between Zelenjak and Palec.
From Žleb, from where a nice view into Austria opens, we continue left (right Palec) and ascend transversely to the notch between Zelenjak and Vrtača, where the relatively easy path ends.
Here we continue sharply right into the cliffs of Zelenjak, where a poorer track has already formed from predecessors, and individual cairns provide additional orientation aid. Already right from the notch we ascend steeply, and due to the considerable steepness we must help ourselves with hands in many places. Higher the "path" occasionally completely disappears, and we continue ascending on the slope which is dangerous for slipping. After a good 10 minutes of steep ascent we step onto the summit of Zelenjak, from which a nice view opens onto the central Karavanks.

On the way: Šija (1693m), Žleb (Suho ruševje) (1916m)

Trip can be extended to: Vertatscha/Vrtača ( 35 min)