Vrtovin - Kucelj (on Čaven)

Access to starting point:
A) From the expressway Razdrto - Nova Gorica we go to the exit Ajdovščina, and then at the crossroads we turn left in the direction of Nova Gorica. Further, on the regional road towards Nova Gorica we drive to the settlement Vrtovin, there in the middle of the village we turn right in the direction of Čavna. We follow the road, which then ascends through the village, at the crossroads in the direction of St. Pavel, Kucelj and Čavna. We park on a smaller parking lot at the end of the village, near the mountain signposts.
B) From the highway Nova Gorica - Razdrto we go to the exit Selo, then, when we drive onto the old road Nova Gorica - Ajdovščina, we continue right towards Nova Gorica. On the regional road towards Ajdovščina we drive to the settlement Vrtovin, there in the middle of the village we turn left in the direction of Čavna. We follow the road, which then ascends through the village, at the crossroads in the direction of St. Pavel, Kucelj and Čavna. We park on a smaller parking lot at the end of the village, near the mountain signposts.

Path description:
From the parking lot, we continue on the left road in the direction of Kucelj and St. Pavel. After a few minutes of walking, the road brings us to a junction of paths, where the mountain path to Kucelj and Čaven branches off to the right upward (straight ahead still on the road to St. Pavel). We continue the ascent on a marked, partly rocky cart track which ascends through an occasionally thin forest. A little higher we arrive at a marked junction, where we continue slightly left in the direction of Kucelj (right Mala gora and Čaven).
Well-marked cart track, which we follow in the direction of Kucelj, brings us a little higher to a forest road, which we only cross. The path ahead ascends gently through a thin forest, but only to the spot where the path from St. Pavel joins us from the left.
The path ahead starts to ascend steeply through the forest, through which we then ascend for quite some time. Higher, we cross the Srednječavenska pot, above which the forest slowly starts to thin. A little higher still, the path approaches completely the old road connection between Vipava Valley and the Trnovski Forest plateau.
Here, the path to Visoki rob and Selovec branches off to the left, and we continue straight on the marked mountain path, which slowly turns a little to the right. Further on, the forest finally ends, and the path, from which views open up towards Veliki rob, Vipava Valley and Trstelj, brings us to the last junction on our path. We continue right again and ascend over a panoramic grassy slope in a few minutes to the summit of Kucelj, from which a view also opens up towards Nanos and Golaki.

Trip can be extended to: Veliki Rob