Mežica - Šumahov vrh (via Pikov and Veliki vrh)

Access to the starting point:
From Črna na Koroškem or from Raven na Koroškem, or via the Holmec border crossing or Mežica, drive to Mežica, where signs for the Mirje Cemetery direct you westwards onto the local road. Drive past the old cemetery and park in the marked parking area.

Path description:
From the starting point, continue up the asphalt road, and when the road turns left, leave it and continue straight on cart track in the direction of Pikovy. Continue along cart track, which follows the route of a former ski slope, today the Mežica disc golf course is seen along the way. At first, looking back, you can still see Mežica and the surrounding hills, but then the trail, with almost no markings, becomes a valley between a 729-metre-high hill on the left (an unnamed peak on the maps), and Štalekarjev vrh on the right. As the valley turns westwards, a marked cart track branches off the ski slope to the left, which is followed. Cart track quickly turns a little further to the left and then climbs cross-climbing to the ridge, where it continues right in the direction Koča na Pikovem. The path follows the ridge for a while, then gradually turns slightly left onto the slopes, over which it climbs mostly cross-climbing. Higher up, on the lower left-hand side, you pass the homestead Jesenik, where the path leads you past the ruins of an old house. A little further on, cross the dirt road (left to descend into the valley or continue to Koča na Pikovem along the old track), right to the homestead Jesenik), then climb steeply up the cart track, following it all the way to the pass, which opens up a view to the south-west.
From the precipice, continue straight on in the direction Koča na Pikovem and descend quickly to where you join the Vrh šteng - Koča na Pikovem trail.
Follow the path to the left, and a little further on, an old path joins from the left. Continue again in the direction Koča na Pikovem and climb through the woods to a wooden cross, next to which there is a rather old bench.
At this sign, leave the marked path and continue walking to the left, on a path that begins to climb steeply through the forest. After a few minutes of climbing, we join the path leading from the Pik homestead, and we continue to the left, along a gradually less steep path, which we follow to the nearby Pikov vrh, where there is a wooden lookout tower.
The lookout tower is passed on the right, and then the path descends slightly along the ridge, before continuing with a few short ascents and descents. When we are quite close to the Veliki Top, the path to the Pikovi Caves branches off to the right, and we continue to the left and climb crosswise to the transmitters on Veliki Top, with the registration box a few steps further to the right.
From Veliki vrh, the wide cart track descends in 10 minutes to Šumahovo sedlo, where there is a crossroads of several paths and roads.
From Šumahovo sedlo, continue left from the crossroads on cart track, which climbs moderately slightly to the left. After a short climb, a faint ridge is reached where cart track turns slightly to the right and ends a little higher up. From the end of cart track continue slightly right on a beaten track which climbs through the forest, and when it lays down it leads to a short lookout point which offers a fine view in the direction of Pec. Another minute of easy walking follows and the path leads us to the cross at Šumahov vrh, from which we have a nice view to the other side.
Mežica - Pikov vrh 2:00, Pikov vrh - Veliki vrh 40 minutes, Veliki vrh - Šumahov vrh 25 minutes.
Description and pictures refer to the situation in 2018 (May).

On the way: Pikov vrh (1149m), Veliki vrh (nad Mežiško dolino) (1165m), Šumahovo sedlo (1065m)

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