Uskovnica (Lom) - Velo polje (via planina Spodnji Tosc)

Access to starting point:
From the Ljubljana-Jesenice motorway, take the Lesce exit and follow the road towards Bled and further towards Bohinjska Bistrica. Just before Bohinjska Bistrica, at the settlement of Bitnje, continue sharply right towards Pokljuka. After a short ascent, the road flattens and quickly takes us to the Upper Bohinj Valley. At the junction here, continue left (right to Pokljuka) and follow the road further to Srednja vas. In the second part of the village, notice the signs for Uskovnica (7 km), which direct us right onto a narrower, initially still asphalted road. Follow this road, which ascends most of the time, to the "Lom" parking lot, where there is a sign prohibiting further driving (further driving permitted only to landowners).

Traffic regulations in the Pokljuka and Uskovnica area from 15 June to 15 October.

Path description:
From the parking lot, continue towards Koča na Uskovnici along the road, after which we quickly exit the forest, where we see signs for cheese, milk and homemade products. A few dozen meters further, a short path branches left from the road leading to the nearby Ulčnek dairy, where we can buy the aforementioned products during the grazing season, otherwise continue straight to the marked junction a few steps away, where we continue right towards Koča na Uskovnici. The path first leads past a landmark (cross), then continues between pastures. When the pastures end on the right side, a marked path from Srednja vas (path "Za Ribnico") joins from the right.
Continue straight, then past weekend cottages, we arrive at a water trough and a few steps further to the spot where signs for the now familiar hut direct us left onto a cart track. A short ascent on the cart track follows and the path takes us to Koča na Uskovnici.
From the hut, continue towards Tosc, Draški vrh, Viševnik, Vodnikov dom, Rudno polje and Praprotnica along the path that first crosses the pasture fence, then quickly joins a macadam road which we follow right. The road then leads between hummocky meadows, then to cross the next fence we quickly reach a junction at the chapel of Mary Queen of Peace at Uskovnica.
After the chapel, continue left (straight Planina Konjščica, right Rudno polje) along the level road leading across extensive Uskovnica meadows, then the path takes us to the forest edge where it turns into an initially wide cart track. The cart track ahead begins a moderate ascent and has a few junctions, but we follow it towards Vodnikov dom at Velo polje and Triglav. Higher up the cart track, mostly through forest, turns into a footpath which quickly takes us to a pleasant spring under Mesnova glava called Štapce. At the spring continue straight (right hunters' hut) and continue ascent on a gentle path that soon takes us to steep slopes. Shortly after reaching the steep slopes, fixed protection aids us in crossing a steep gully. The path continues along relatively steep slopes dangerous for slipping especially when wet. During the crossing of steep slopes the path several times steeply ascends briefly and then descends again. In the final part of the crossing we cross several very steep gullies where the path is locally completely destroyed (high slipping risk). The crossing ends at a larger streambed (usually a spring) after which we enter softer grassy terrain.
A few minutes of easy walking follow and the path takes us to the abandoned Planina Spodnji Tosc. The path ahead begins to ascend moderately and soon takes us to a minor junction where we go sharply right (straight old partly abandoned path) along a well-followed path. The path ahead steepens and quickly takes us from the sparse forest belt into dwarf pines where it turns increasingly left. The path soon levels and takes us from the dwarf pines onto grassy slopes across which in a few minutes of further walking we reach the Pokljuka-Triglav path where we turn left.
The path ahead crosses the southern slopes of Tosc, then in a slight descent crosses a short sparse forest belt after which we reach the steep slopes of Tosc. A bit further the path on an artificially made wide ledge in slight descent crosses the precipitous slopes of the same mountain. Since the path is quite wide it causes no problems (caution due to falling stones, rockfall in 2008). Across the precipitous section runs a wide path so no special difficulties here, but when the slope eases a path from Stara Fužina or Voje valley joins from the left.
Here continue slightly left towards Velo polje (sharply left Voje, straight Vodnikov dom). The path ahead descends transversely right and quickly takes us to an unmarked junction.
Continue on the right marked path (left hunters' hut and unmarked shortcut to Planina pod Mišelj vrhom) which soon levels then continues crossing slopes below Vodnikov dom. After a few minutes the path veers slightly left and descends towards Malo and Velo polje. After a short descent a path from Voje valley joins from left, we continue right and after some tens of steps reach the shepherds' huts on Planina Velo polje.
Starting point - Koča na Uskovnici 0:15, Koča na Uskovnici - chapel at Uskovnica 0:05, chapel at Uskovnica - Štapce 0:50, Štapce - Planina Spodnji Tosc 1:15, Planina Spodnji Tosc - Planina Zgornji Tosc 0:30, Planina Zgornji Tosc - Na Zagonu 0:20, Na Zagonu - Velo polje 0:20.

On the way: Koča na Uskovnici (1154m), Kapela Kraljice miru na Uskovnici (1177m), Izvir Štapce (1452m), Planina Spodnji Tosc (1663m), Planina Zgornji Tosc (1849m), Na Zagonu (1819m)

Trip can be extended to: Planina pod Mišelj vrhom , Jezerski Stog (1 h 45 min) , Koča na Doliču , Šmarjetna glava