Zavetišče na planini Šija - Toplar (Kačja pot)

Access to starting point:
From the highway Ljubljana - Jesenice, we take the Ljubelj exit. Further, we drive to the center of Tržič and follow the road through the Dolžanova Gorge to the village Jelendol, where signs for the mountain pastures Kofce, Šija and Pungrat direct us to the left. The road then loses the asphalt surface and starts to ascend steeply. We follow this road at the crossroads in the direction of the mountain pastures Pungrat and Šija. We park on the parking lot near the shelter on the mountain pasture Šija.

Route description:
A little north of the shelter we notice a wooden mountain sign with the inscription "kačja pot na froncov greben" (the mountain path is found a little more to the right of the direction indicated by the sign). The path ahead crosses a grazing fence and brings us out of the forest to a smaller scree. After this scree, the path crosses a shorter strip of spruce forest and then brings us to avalanche slopes, where the path turns slightly to the left. Further in a gentle ascent, we cross a grassy slope, a strip of dwarf pines and a larger scree, after which we enter a strip of shrubs (dwarf pines and individual trees). Here the path starts to ascend steeply and quickly brings us below the rocky cliffs. We cross a narrow passage (watch your head) and the steep path then brings us to the place where we join the marked path that comes from the Dom na Kofcah hut.
We continue right upward along the path, which ascends steeply and quickly brings us to an exposed passage. Without fixed protections, we cross a short but crumbly and slightly exposed ledge, after which we enter a strip of dwarf pines. The path ahead ascends through a short strip of dwarf pines and then continues along the side ridge of Košuta. The increasingly scenic and quite steep path joins the ridge path higher up.
We continue left toward Veliki vrh (right Kladivo, straight upward Kofce gora 10 steps) along the path, which starts to descend slightly along the ridge edge. The path, which crosses the slopes of Košuta toward the west, joins the usual path to Veliki vrh (descent option) after about 15 minutes of walking, where we enter a smaller indistinct valley. The path then leaves the valley and returns to the southern slopes, where it bypasses the peak »Toplar (2000m)« on the south side. Right at this spot, we leave the marked path leading to Veliki vrh and head right into pathless terrain. After three minutes of steep but undemanding ascent on pathless terrain, we reach Toplar.
Šija - Kofce gora 1:15, Kofce gora - Toplar 30 minutes.

Along the route: Kofce gora (1967m)

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