Zgornje Poljčane - Dom na Boču (via Baba)

Access to starting point:
a) We leave the Ljubljana - Maribor highway at the exit for Slovenske Konjice, then follow the signs for Žiče, Loče, Zbelovo, and Poljčane. In Poljčane, we turn right and drive to Zgornje Poljčane, where we follow the main road until the junction of a side road to the left towards Boč and the mountain hut Planinski dom na Boču. We park above the settlement on a macadam parking lot, near mountain signposts.
b) We leave the Maribor - Ljubljana highway at the Slovenska Bistrica south exit, then follow the road towards Poljčane and Podčetrtek. In Zgornje Poljčane, we follow the main road until the junction of a side road to the left towards Boč and the mountain hut Planinski dom na Boču. We park above the settlement on a macadam parking lot, near mountain signposts.
c) From the Šentjur - Rogaška Slatina road at the settlement Podplat, we turn left (or right from the direction of Rogaška Slatina) towards Slovenska Bistrica and Poljčane. A short ascent follows, and after the Pečica pass, we begin descending. At the start of the settlement Zgornje Poljčane, we turn right towards Boč and the mountain hut Planinski dom na Boču. We park above the settlement on a macadam parking lot, near mountain signposts.

Path description:
From the starting point, we head along the right path, marked with signs for the path over Baba (straight to Boč via Balunjača and Dom na Boču along path Detičkova pot) and begin ascending through the forest. After a few minutes, we cross an asphalt road leading to Dom na Boču, and we start climbing more steeply. Next follows an ascent along the forested northern ridge of Baba; at an altitude of 535 meters, we reach the Baba rock, located by the marked path, from where a beautiful view opens toward the valley and Pohorje.
Just a little further, the marked path veers slightly to the right (straight along a poorer, unmarked footpath to the peak of Baba at 594 meters), and shortly after, it levels out and splits.
We continue slightly to the right (slightly to the left is an unmarked passage to path Detičkova pot) and keep following the trail markers. Next follows a few minutes of moderate ascent until we reach a cart track, which we follow to the right (here too, continuing left quickly joins path Detičkova pot); soon after, we turn left onto a hiking path (the cart track straight leads to an asphalt road), which ascends briefly before continuing to the right with little change in altitude, crossing a younger forest from which some views open up.
A little further, the marked path reaches an asphalt road; we follow it to the left and, passing a large meadow, continue to the mountain hut a few minutes away.
The description and pictures refer to the condition in December 2024.

Trip can be extended to: Planinska koča Velikonočnica ( 10 min) , Dom na Boču ( 20 min) , Boč