Koča pri Savici - Velika Zelnarica (via Štapce)

Access to the starting point:
From the Ljubljana - Jesenice motorway, take the Lesce exit and follow the road towards Bled and on to Bohinjska Bistrica. Continue driving towards Bohinjsko jezero (Ribčev laz), at which you will come to a crossroads, where you will continue straight along the left (south) side of the lake in the direction of Ukanec and the Savica waterfall. Follow this increasingly narrow road to the large parking lot at the Savica cottage. There is a charge for parking.

Path description:
From the parking lot, turn right in the direction of Črno jezero, Koča pri Triglavskih jezerih and Hotel Zlatorog. The route initially leads along a dirt road, which crosses the Savica River via a bridge. Just after the bridge, the signs for Komarčo direct us left (straight ahead Hotel Zlatorog) onto what is at first still a fairly wide and relatively winding forest path. However, the path soon starts to climb steeper and leads us a little higher to a place where the path to the spring Savica branches off to the left, and we continue to the right on an increasingly steep path.
The well-maintained and relatively wide mountain trail, however, soon switches to the very steep and dangerous for slipping slopes of Komarče (there is also a high risk of falling rocks). The way forward climbs steeply on the mostly forested wall of Komarče, where we are helped in the more difficult places by the fixed safety gear (mainly by jeklenice).
Higher up, the route opens up some views towards Bohinj, and the path leads us to a short technically difficult place where we cross an otherwise not-so-exposed gully with the help of crampons and a rope. The way forward is still steeply climbing for some time and with the help of some fixed safety gear leads us to the top of Komarče, from where we get a nice view of our starting point. There is a short moderately steep climb, and then the path begins to descend gently towards Črno jezero, which is reached after less than 5 minutes of further walking.
Near the lake there is a marked crossroads where the path to mountain pasture Viševnik branches off to the right, and we continue slightly to the left and follow the marked path which bypasses the Black Lake on the right. On the other side of the lake, the path from Dom na Komni joins us from the left, and we continue along a relatively winding path that continues along the edge of the Lopučnička valley. Higher up, the path begins to climb moderately and leads us along the edge of overhanging cliffs to a small spring, which dries up in dry periods.
Continue on the marked path, which turns sharp right near Bela skala and climbs steeply. A few minutes of steep climbing follows, and then the path lays down and leads to a marked crossroads, where the path with mountain pasture Blato joins from the right. Continue left in the direction Koča pri Triglavskih jezerih and follow the relatively winding path, which will take you to the Double Lake within 10 minutes of further walking. The marked trail bypasses the lake on the right and, before reaching the other side, leads to a crossroads where the trail to Štapceam branches off to the right. Here continue right (straight Koča pri Triglavskih jezerih for 5 minutes) and climb through lane of sparse forest, ending between dwarf pines. There is a short climb through dwarf pines, and then the relatively steep path continues on scree. The increasingly scenic route quickly leads to the base of the Štapce wall, where it turns to the right and becomes a little more technically demanding. With the help of a ladder and a rope ladder, we climb crosswise over a small wall, and then the path leads us to a notch, where it turns to the left. There is a short protected steep climb and the path is laid on the Štapce pass, where there is a marked crossroads.
At Štapce continue left in the direction of Tičarice and Zelnarice (right mountain pasture Ovčarija) and continue the ascent along the path which first climbs through lane of dwarf pines and then leads to a short steep and, especially in the wet, dangerously slippery jump. Above the jump, the path flattens out and turns to moderately steep grassy slopes, which are ascended in a few minutes' further walking to a small saddle where a marked path branches off to the left to Little Tičarica (10 minutes).
Continue in the direction of Zelnarice along a relatively gentle path that first crosses the slopes of Mala Tičarica and then Velika Tičarica. After Velika Tičarica the path passes onto a wide grassy ridge along which we then climb. After a few minutes of easy walking, the path begins to climb steeply up a partly grassy slope. The steepness quickly wears off, and the path leads to the vast meadows to the south of the precipitous and overhanging Kopica. Cross the open meadows to the base of the summit slope Kopica, then, on reaching the edge of the cliff, the waymarked path turns right and crosses a small scree slope. Beyond the scree, the path turns left and then begins to climb steeply in a cross-climb. At a small, indistinct hollow, the marked path approaches the ridge and turns gently to the right. The path continues on to a very steep and dangerous slope (30 m), then the slope on which you are walking is slightly flattened. There follows a cross-climb slightly below the ridge, and then the path leads to the top slope of Mala Zelnarica. Here the path starts to climb steeply and after about 15 minutes of increasingly scenic walking leads us to the top of Mala Zelnarica. From Mala Zelnarice, continue slightly right along the marked path, which begins to descend towards the Vrata Preval. The path from the top first descends steeply, then turns slightly to the left, where it soon leads to the stubs between Mala and Velika Zelnarica. From here we continue on the marked path for another 10 m, and then, when a beautiful passage opens up on our left, we leave it and continue our ascent on the easier trackless path. After a few minutes' ascent along the trackless path, you will reach the ridge of Velika Zelarica, where you will step onto a less visible path, which you will follow to the right. This "path", which continues mostly along the ridge, is then followed all the way to the top, which is reached after a few minutes of further walking.
Starting point - Koča pri Triglavskih jezerih 3:00, Koča pri Triglavskih jezerih - Velika Zelnarica 3:15.

On the way: The lake Črno jezero (1294m), Koča pri Triglavskih jezerih mountain hut (1685m), Štapce (1851m), Mala Zelnarica (2310m)

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