Ključ - Čikola Canyon (ferrata Čikola Canyon)

Access to the starting point:
Leave the Zagreb-Split motorway at the exit for Sibenik and Drnis. We drive in the direction of Drnis. When you reach the settlement of Pakovo Selo, take the exit from the crossroads in the direction of Miljevci. After a kilometre of further driving, you will reach the canyon of the Čikole River, where you will reach a bridge in a few serpentines. After the bridge, we climb up the other side of the canyon again in a few bends. When the climb ends and the road becomes level, after a hundred metres, you will see the tourist signs for the Čikola ZipLine on the left. Ten metres away, you will see a parking lot where you can park.

Path description:
The trail starts on the Pakovo Selo-Miljevci road, exactly at the point where the road leaves the Čikole Canyon and continues towards the village of Ključ.
From the parking lot, follow the beautifully beaten and as yet unmarked path to the first lookout point, from which a beautiful view of the Čikole Canyon opens up.
From the lookout point, go on and you will reach the place where the ZipLine starts above the Čikole Canyon. The canyoning trail goes down here, and we continue along the canyon rim, which is protected by fences in places. This is also where the markings and the start of the ferrata begin.
Right at the start of fixed safety gear we will be rewarded with a view of the remarkable canyon of the Chiccola River, but there is little time for a view because the ferrata is quite difficult right at the start. We cross rocky slabs above a very exposed ridge. After the first part, the route goes very steeply down a rubbly path. There is a slightly easier part, and we are approaching a point where the canyon will get narrower and narrower.
A little further on, we come to a very interesting part where we go through a small natural tunnel, which is very narrow, and beyond the tunnel we get a great view into a narrow part of the canyon. After the tunnel, the trail descends gently to moderately, and the trail is dangerous to slip on in several places.
The way ahead leads to the lowest point of the ferrata, which is probably the most beautiful part of the canyon. The first vertical ascent follows, where the scrambles are helpful. There is no time to rest because we are quickly on a short traverse of smooth rock slabs, followed by another vertical climb on scrambles. There is some walking without the fixed safety gear, but they reappear on the next vertical ascent.
Higher up, the route becomes less demanding but is still protected by wet rocks. When we reach the natural draga, we are about halfway up the ferrata and the hardest part is behind us.
The route continues for a while without fixed safety gear and is not particularly difficult. The way ahead leads us to the last short climb on the crampons, then after an easier traverse of slippery rocks we will reach a climb where there are no crampons and we will only use the rock for the climb. At the very end of the ferrata we still have some smooth rock slabs to cross, which is interesting mainly because of the precipice and the Čikole river below us. The guards end and the path turns the other way and climbs out of the canyon.
Once out of the canyon, the recommendation of the ferrata author is to follow the edge of the canyon back to the start of the ZipLine and the ferrata, but I have not been able to find this route (if it exists). I recommend following the markings that lead to the village of Bašići. From there go left into the village and left again into the village. The asphalt will end temporarily and we will reach the road Drinovci-Drniš. Follow the road to the left in a south-westerly direction, then follow it to a roundabout where you turn left towards Drniš. After 5 minutes we reach our destination, where we park.

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