Gozd Martuljek - Škrlatica (ridge crossing Mali Oltar-Škrlatica)

Access to the starting point:
From Mojstrana drive to Kranjska Gora or vice versa, but only as far as the village of Gozd-Martuljek, where you park in the parking lot near the bridge over the Sava Dolinka river (the parking lot is located behind the bridge, or in front if you are coming from Kranjska Gora).

Path description:
From GM, take the track leading to cirque behind Akom. When you reach the gravel road, continue to the right where you are also directed by the numerous cairns. Keep to the right side of the torrent as you walk along the wide bed of the torrent. Here, too, we have beautiful views of the northern walls of the Martuljek Mountains, where Široka Peč stands out. Below Široka Pečja, you can already see the first landmark, Pri treh larchesnih (At the Three Larches). From the gravel path, continue slightly to the left and climb briefly along the path through dwarf pines. The path leads to a slightly steeper torrent bed, along which you then climb. The path here leads up along the right-hand side of the stream along an undistinguished ridge, past rare larch trees. This is followed by crossing a small stream and then climbing a scree slope, which leads us to steeper rocky slopes. From here, continue slightly to the right and cross the stream again on smooth rock slabs with a lot of sand. The slope here is quite steep and the sand on the rock slabs requires considerable caution. There is a short climb up a very crumbly steep slope, which is also dangerous for slipping, and then the path leads us to the lookout point Pri treh larchesnih.
From here, continue along the partly grassy ridge to the south, where you can see a characteristic boulder. Before the boulder, turn right, followed by a climb to the right under the scree of Oltar and Velika Martuljška Ponca. Below the foot of the Altar, climb over a rock ledge and from there steeply along the scree to the foot of the north face of Mali Oltar. Here begins the Bučer-Kristan direction, which will take you to the top of Mali Oltar.
At the entrance to the chute, we find the easiest passage to the scrotum, which then leads us in easy climbing to a red cavity from which water is always gushing. The route continues along the wall to the right of the cave. Climb one pitch to an extremely exposed but easy traverse (IV-, 5m-climb), which leads into another system of chimneys and this leads to a large craggy ledge in the middle of the wall. Police follow two pitches to the left (may be I-II. ) and at a suitable point enter a chimney which cuts the whole north face of Mali Oltar. Chimney (Dolomite rock - the best rock in Martuljk) soon leads us right out of the cleft in three pitches (pitches II-III) and into the back wall, which is climbed on exposed slabs and a scramble (an anchorage in the wall with two wedges), this is also the most difficult part of the Bucher-Kristan route (pitch IV-, one pitch). Climbing to the top of Mali Oltar, we continue on an easy traverse (II-III. ) on the left side of the crack or straight across the slabs (IV-) It took us 6 hours from the starting point to get here.
This is where our tour really begins. From the top of Mali Oltar you have to descend into the notch between Mali Oltar and the eastern pillar of the Altar Ridge (an anchorage for the descent is provided) and from there straight ahead two pitches along the eastern pillar to the top of the Unnamed Altar. At the top there is an anchorage for the descent (check the wedge, as this ridge is very little visited), which takes you from the gorgeous compact rock into a completely broken and opaque world. The climbing here is extremely exposed and dangerous! In the "undercut" climbing we are approaching the last rappel before reaching the Veliki Oltar summit. This descent leads us into an extremely broken but easy scramble, which, with the help of chimney, takes us exactly to the summit of Veliki Oltar. It took us two hours from Mali Oltar to the top of Veliki Oltar.
From there, the ridge takes off in all its grandeur towards our destination - Škrlatice.

We continue along the ridge and, at a suitable point, descend a system of ledges and crags to the eastern flank of the ridge. The ledge system soon leads us to the notch between Veliki Oltar and Visoki Rokav. Leave the stump on the exposed wall and cross to the W flank of the ridge, which leads via two gullies and a system of ledges to a slab (level III 10m) after which you reach the ridge cut. Only easy climbing on the broken ridge separates us from the Visoki Rokav summit. From the Veliki Oltar summit to here we spent about two hours. Nowhere did the difficulty exceed UIAA level III.
From the Visoki Rokav summit, the ridge initially continues to the S, but soon turns to the W. With the help of a well-arranged anchorage, we descend 25 m to the start of the Saw-Crest, which separates us from Škrlatica. The first stacked columns, which the climbing pioneers called Financars, can be climbed on the left, but further on it is best to climb the ridge cut. There is no recommended line for the ridge route - each team chooses its own route according to its own abilities. The difficulty of certain places should not exceed level IV, but if you stray from the ideal line it quickly approaches UIAA level V.
In a dizzying slalom we approach the last barrier separating us from the Škrlatica summit building. The corner of the ridge, which has the status of a summit in its own right, is by far the most difficult tower, as the climb to the sharp and airy summit in the final overhang smoothly reaches level 4. From the top of the tower, two rope descents lead to the final notch.

From the notch between the Rokavski ridge and Škrlatica, climb the exposed but surprisingly easy (II-III. ) wall to the summit of Škrlatica, reached to the left of the cross. It took us 5 hours from the top of Visoki Rokav to get here!
The descent to the Vrata is the only thing to follow, but it takes at least 3 hours.
I strongly recommend to all repeat climbers to have a top psycho-physical condition, enough water and experience in climbing in such a world. The world is completely broken and crumbly in places, sharp and opaque. I recommend being accompanied by someone who has been there before, complete climbing gear with at least five rungs. The tour is extremely long and mentally exhausting. At key points belaying is recommended. The technical difficulty of the climb is around IV according to the UIAA, hazards such as falling rocks, bad weather and other factors are not included in the difficulty of the climb. In bad weather, do not go on the tour. No water on the ridge! Retreat is possible from Veliki Oltar and High Rock. I recommend a 60 m rope.
Due to the length and complexity of the tour, I recommend being accompanied by a mountain guide or alpinist.
Climbing this large ridge will present you this part in a completely different light. Only do the tour in stable weather. The Little Altar - Big Altar Ridge is a very risky and difficult ridge.
Mountaineering skills and the ability to climb in a team are a must. In case we will be belayed for all the sections of the traverse, we will not miss the bivouac.

On the way: Pri treh macesnih (1810m), Veliki Melj (1900m), Mali Oltar (2521m), Veliki Oltar (2621m), Rokavska škrbina (2580m), Visoki Rokav (2646m), Škrlatica (2740m)

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