Volovljek - Lepenatka

Access to starting point:
A) First, we drive to Kamnik, then continue driving in the direction of the Črnivec pass. Just a few hundred meters before the mentioned pass, we notice signs for Kranjski Rak, which direct us sharply left onto a narrow and initially quite steep road. The road levels out higher up and then brings us to the Volovljek pass, where near the Kranjski Rak inn we also park (parking in front of the inn is allowed only for guests). A little more space for parking is near the Štajerski Rak inn.
B) From Gornji Grad we drive towards Kamnik, then just a few hundred meters after the Črnivec pass we continue right in the direction of Kranjski Rak. Further, we follow the above description.
C) From Savinjska dolina we first drive to Luče, then continue driving towards Kamnik. When we arrive at the Volovljek pass we park at a suitable place near the Kranjski Rak inn (parking in front of the inn is allowed only for guests). A little more space for parking is near the Štajerski Rak inn.

Route description:
From the Volovljek pass we first walk to the Štajerski Rak refreshment hut (the refreshment hut is located on the eastern side of the Volovljek pass, on maps Štajerski Rak is marked at the spot where the Štajerski Rak homestead once stood).
From the Štajerski Rak refreshment hut we continue on the forest road, which starts gently to moderately ascending through the forest. During the transverse ascent along the road, the path mostly leads us along the northwestern slopes of Kranjska rebra, from which we occasionally get a nice view of Podvolovljek and the mountains above the mentioned valley. Higher up the forest temporarily ends and a view opens up to the highest peaks of the Kamnik and Savinja Alps, the road turns slightly to the right and brings us to the area named Na kalu, where there is a marked junction.
Here a marked path to Kranjska reber branches off to the right, straight ahead the road continues, by which we can reach the Črnivec pass, but we continue left along the road towards Lepenatka. Further on, the road descends transversely along the eastern slopes of Kašni vrh, from where at some points we get a nice view towards Menina planina. When the road turns sharply left and turns into a cart track, we leave it and continue straight into the forest with the path. Through the forest we descend for some time more, thereby descending over a short drop. Lower we reach a forest road, which we follow straight ahead, then, when the road from the ridge turns slightly right, we continue straight onto the ascending cart track, along which there are also blazes. The cart track first ascends more steeply along the ridge, then from it slightly left and downward an unmarked cart track branches off, which after a short transverse descent joins a forest road, along which it is possible to continue towards Bivak na Kalu, but we continue straight, first briefly along the cart track, then slightly right onto the marked footpath. The path immediately starts to ascend steeply, soon turning a bit more to the right, where it ascends transversely over steeper slopes. Further on the path ascends steeply, occasionally leading us also over some shorter exposed section, where special caution is needed especially in wet conditions and snow. Higher up the slope gradually flattens, the path turns right and brings us to the ridge east of Kunšperski vrh (also Brezovec).
When we reach the ridge we continue right (left to Kunšperski vrh, 5 minutes of easy pathless terrain) along the marked path, which continues along the occasionally panoramic ridge. Further on we ascend gently to moderately along or slightly left of the ridge. Higher up the path leads over a grazing fence, behind which we step onto the summit grassy slopes of Lepenatka. A few more minutes of moderate ascent follow along the path, from which nice views open up reaching from nearby Veliki Rogatec, across Raduha and Olševa, to the highest peaks of the Kamnik-Savinja Alps, and we already reach the grassy summit of Lepenatka.

Along the route: Na kalu (1250m), Sedlo Kunšperk (1119m)

The trip can be extended to the following destinations: Bivak na Kalu ( 15 min), Rogatec (1 h 5 min)

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