Hotavlje - Kucelj (above Kopačnica) (via Srednje Brdo)

Access to the starting point:
a) From Železniki, Kranj or Medvode, drive to Škofja Loka, and from there continue in the direction of Gorenje vasi in the Poljane valley and Žirem. After Gorenja vasja, in Hotavlje, leave the main road towards Žire at the junction after Gostilna Lipan and turn right towards the ski resort Cerkno and the village Leskovica. Before the end of Hotavlje, turn right in the direction of the path to Blegoš, the Marmor Hotavlje company and the Loška cooperative (straight ahead Kopačnica, Leskovica and the Cerkno ski resort). After about 100 metres from the crossroads, you will arrive at the Loška cooperative, where you will park.

b) From Horjul or Polhovy Gradec, drive to Lučine and from there descend to Gorenjska vas. In Gorenjska vas, turn left towards Žire, then in Hotavlje, at the crossroads after Gostilna Lipan, turn right towards the ski resort Cerkno and the village Leskovica. Before the end of Hotavlje, turn right in the direction of the path to Blegoš, the Marmor company Hotavlje and the Loška cooperative (straight ahead Kopačnica, Leskovica and the ski resort Cerkno). After about 100 metres from the crossroads, you will reach the Loška cooperative, where you will park.

c) From Vrhnika, Logatec or Spodnja Idrija drive to Žiri, from there continue to Gorenjska vas and Škofja Loka, we take the main road only to Hotavlje, where we turn left in the direction of the ski resort Cerkno and the village Leskovica. Before the end of Hotavlje, turn right in the direction of the path to Blegoš, the Marmor company Hotavlje and the Loška cooperative (straight ahead Kopačnica, Leskovica and the ski resort Cerkno). After about 100 metres from the crossroads, we arrive at the Loška cooperative, where we park.

d) First drive to Cerkno and from there continue over the Kladje Pass (Podlanišče) towards Sovodnje. From Sovodnje, drive along the Hobovščica stream, then turn left at a slightly larger crossroads towards Gorenje vas (right Žiri). Follow the main road towards Škofja Loka to Hotavlje, where you turn left towards the ski resort Cerkno and the village Leskovica. Before the end of Hotavlje, turn right in the direction of the path to Blegoš, the Marmor company Hotavlje and the Loška cooperative (straight ahead Kopačnica, Leskovica and the ski resort Cerkno). After about 100 metres from the crossroads, you will arrive at the Loška cooperative, where you will park.

Path description:
From the starting point, go back a good 100 metres to the crossroads, and from there continue to the right in the direction of the Cerkno ski resort. Walk along the main road for a short distance, then turn slightly right onto the ascending road towards the Makovce and Srednji Brdo viewpoint. After about 15 minutes of climbing, we reach the first houses of the village Srednje Brdo, and we continue our climb through the village, enjoying the occasional views. At a small crossroads in the upper part of the village, go slightly left, and after the last house, the asphalt ends and we continue along a dirt road that quickly leads us into a small valley. In the valley the road splits, and we take the road slightly to the left, which climbs along the edge of the forest and soon turns into a forest through which it climbs crosswise. The narrower road forks higher up, and we continue to the right, following the wider cart track, which gradually leads us to Makovc (Makovc are meadows on a small plateau), where we cross the road leading from the village of Studor. Then walk across the meadow and join the track from Studor.
Continue straight ahead, initially still in view of Blegoš, and then along the slightly other side of the hill to a small saddle, where you go right and then immediately left, where you cross the hill and climb up to the left.
A little further on, we leave the forest again, which we entered at a small saddle, and then, with beautiful views, we climb up the slopes of Kuclj. After the lookout we return to the forest, and after a few minutes we join the marked path from Kopačnice.
Here, go right and in a few 10 steps of further walking you will reach the 920 m high summit.

Description and pictures refer to January 2021.

On the way: Srednje Brdo (520m)

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