Koča na Starem vrhu - Mladi vrh (via Stari vrh)

Access to the starting point:
Go to Škofja Loka and turn in the route Železniki. In the village Praprotno, just after the inn "Pr Birt", turn left onto a side road in the direction of STC Stari vrh and follow the narrow but still asphalt road through the village Zapreval until you reach the parking area at the upper station of the 6-seater railway or the Stari Vrh Guesthouse and Pension.

Path description:
From the parking lot, walk a few metres back along the road we drove on to a less visible path that rises steeply across the meadow (in winter a ski slope), crossing left up to the edge of the meadow (where the markings begin) and then leads us very steeply up along the left edge of the meadow to the top station of the ski lift, where we see the starting house and next to it the newer log cabin - the "Na vrh" refreshment room.


Go around the start house on the right and soon after you will see a marking and a sign on a wooden board "lookout point 10 min". Follow the less visible path, which soon climbs quite steeply and leads us mostly along the ridge, where it rises very steeply a few times on a single rocky peak and then descends again just as steeply until it leads us to the aforementioned viewpoint, where there is a bench and a signing-in book. From this point, we have a beautiful view of the Poljanska valley, which is no longer visible from the trail.


From the lookout point, the path descends steeply to the saddle between Stari vrh and Mladi vrh and then climbs again just as steeply, mostly along the edge of the slope and along the broad ridge of Mladi vrh. Just above the saddle, you come across some younger trees and branches strewn on the path, and just beyond these you see a newly constructed poorer forest road, which you just cross and continue the steep ascent. About 500 m below the summit, a sign attached to a tree warns "silence, chamois". Unfortunately, due to the foliage, walking in silence is not possible, as in many places the foliage "wades" up to your ankles and you have to be very careful, as you cannot see the ground (rocks, roots) or the edge of the path, and a clumsy step can lead to a nasty fall or a slip down a considerable slope.


At the top of Mladi vrh there is a small, somewhat flimsy bench, a registration book and a stamp, and the view is rather limited due to the trees, only fully open to the east. From the top, a marked trail leads further in the direction of Blegoš.


We return along the same path to the saddle between Mladi and Stari vrh, and here we can either choose to return along the approach path, or we can choose an easier (unmarked) path, which branches off to the left at the saddle, barely visible, and leads along the northern slope of Stary vrh (Old Peak).


The branch is marked on a tree with a large letter "S" and a directional arrow, and again with an "S" on the next tree on the left side of the path. After a few 10 metres, the path widens and becomes visible, and to the left below us, through the sparse trees, we see a forest road, which leads almost to the aforementioned saddle. After a few minutes of walking, the path narrows again and becomes barely visible, leading us up a steep slope at a moderate incline. Later, the track widens again, slowly turning into a wider, abandoned forest road or cart track, which becomes wider and more visible. Twice, another cart track branches off to the right of our path, leading upwards, and we descend gently and soon see the upper station of the six-seater railway and the parking lot ahead of us below.


General impression of the route:
Technically easy, but strenuous because of the steepness and, in fog, difficult to navigate in places; slip hazard in wet conditions because of the abundance of fallen leaves and the steepness. The trail is well marked with mountain and European footpath markings, but the trail itself (in autumn, due to the abundance of fallen leaves) is for the most part difficult to follow, sometimes practically invisible. The whole time we walk in a sparse beech forest, there are not many views either on the path or at the top.

On the way: Stari vrh (1217m)

We can extend the trip to the following destinations: Koprivnik

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