Vitovlje - Čaven

Access to the starting point:
From the expressway Vipava - Nova Gorica take the exit Selo and follow the road towards the villages Črniče and Šempas. When you reach the village Vitovlje, pay attention, because in the middle of the village you will leave the main road and continue driving in the direction of the farm Maloščevo (the exit is marked). Continue through the village on a narrow and steep road, which leads you higher up to a signboard saying "Vitovska Circular Route". Continue left past the last houses on the increasingly steep road, which turns into a macadam road only slightly higher up, and then park alongside it (the most suitable parking place is between the fourth and fifth stations of the Way of the Cross).

Path description:
From the starting point, called Križišče, we continue along the deteriorating macadam road, which after a few minutes of walking leads us to a well-marked crossroads, where a marked trail branches off to the left towards Trpinovišče, the memorial plaque and Vodice. Continue on the right path, which leads past the stations of the cross to the next well-marked crossroads near the top of Vitovski hrib. Continue right again and follow the deteriorating road, which here finally turns into cart track, to the viewpoint on which the church stands.
From the top, descend back to the crossroads and then continue the ascent towards Čavna and Sekulak along the old Napoleon route. Soon we reach the next crossroads, where the path to Skozno branches off to the left, and we continue to the right towards Čavno. Continuing on the Napoleon route, we soon reach the steep rocky cliffs of the High Wall. The wide path leads us over an artificially carved lookout ledge (danger of falling rocks), after which the path returns to the forest and leads us to the place where the path to Kopitnik branches off to the left.
Continue slightly right in the direction of Čavna and Sekulak along a slightly narrower path, which initially leads us through some small clearings to a steeper part. The way ahead climbs steeper and leads us only slightly higher to the next crossroads, where we continue to the right in the direction of the viewpoint (Kopitnik on the left). The ascent continues along the gently sloping path, which leads us in 5 minutes of further walking to the Sekulak lookout point, from which we have a view over most of the Vipava valley.
From Sekulak, continue left along the marked path, which continues along the initially very scenic ridge. The path goes higher into the forest and only a short distance afterwards leads us to a small levelling, where there is a noticeably less well-marked crossroads.
The path to the left continues towards Kopitnik, and we continue to the right, where after a few metres we see the signs for Veliki Rob. We continue our ascent towards Veliki Rob on the initially unrecognisably less visible path. The path higher up becomes more distinct and after a while leads us to a lookout point from which we have a view of the Vipava valley, Trstelj, the Gulf of Trieste and the Dolomites. Continue on the marked path, which begins to climb steeply, and leads to a steeper part below the peak of Čavna (1185m). When the path becomes more steep, we leave it and, after a few steps on the pathless trail, we climb to the top of Čavna.

On the way: Vitovski hrib (604m), Sekulak (888m)

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