Žetale - Donačka gora (eastern peak)

Access to starting point:
We leave the Podravska motorway at the Zakl exit and then follow the signs for Žetale. When we arrive in Žetale, at the municipal building we turn left and park on the well-maintained asphalt parking lot.

Route description:
From the parking lot, we return to the main road and next to it continue in the direction of Rogatec. At the primary school Žetale, at the pedestrian crossing we carefully cross the main road and continue on the sidewalk to the nearby crossroad, where we go right onto the side road, by which there are signs for Donačka gora. On the mentioned road we walk only for a short time, then before the nearby house we continue left onto a cart track, which then ascends diagonally to the right and through a meadow brings us into the forest. Through the forest follows a shorter ascent and we arrive at the church of Mary the Consoler.
We continue on the road, on which we easily descend to the marked crossroad from which we go right. From the crossroad on the road we walk only for a short time, as still before the hamlet and behind a smaller garage we continue left onto the marked cart track in the direction of Donačka gora. A little further we return to the road, on it this time we continue to the vicinity of the next house, before which we go slightly left onto a cart track, which then passes into the forest. There follows a longer traverse with some shorter ascents and descents, where we occasionally approach individual houses, and occasionally a view also opens up to the other side of the valley, where we nicely see Maceljska gora. At a few smaller junctions we follow the blazes, all the time continuing in approximately the same direction. When we join the cycling transversal we go right and ascend above the nearby stream. Higher we leave the forest and ascend through the hay meadow to the saddle between Donačka gora and Resenik, where by a smaller hamlet there is also a marked junction.
We continue on the road, which continues towards the southwest, from it already after a few steps we go slightly left onto the footpath in the direction of the summit of Donačka gora (the path that continues on the road leads to Rudijev dom).
There follows a shorter ascent through the forest and we reach a cart track, where there stands a wrongly placed mountain direction sign. The signpost for Donačka gora directs along the cart track right downhill, we however go a few steps left, then on the right we notice the continuation of the mountain path, which continues along the northeastern ridge of Donačka gora. When we reach the next cart track we continue left, a little further already we reach the next marked junction.
Here from the left joins the path from the pass Vrhe, to the right branches off the path to Rudijev dom, we however continue straight towards Donačka gora.
Ahead the path becomes quite steep, from the right another path from Rudijev dom also joins us.
We continue again in the direction of Donačka gora, the path gradually transitions to steep and especially in wet slippery-dangerous slopes, across which we mostly ascend transversely. Further we arrive at a shorter technically demanding section, where during the steep ascent on the rocky slope a steel cable assists us. When the steep demanding ascent ends we reach the main ridge of Donačka gora, where the path forks.
We continue left (right main summit) and quickly arrive at the precipitous eastern summit of Donačka gora.
Žetale - church of Mary the Consoler 0:15, church of Mary the Consoler - eastern summit of Donačka gora 2:00.
Description and pictures refer to the condition in April 2022.

Along the route: Church of Our Lady of Mercy (Brezje nad Žetalami) (382m)

We recommend: trips from the same starting point, similar trips, summit register