Žetale - Donačka gora

Access to the starting point:
Leave the Podravje motorway at the Zakl exit, then follow the signs for Žetale. When you arrive in Žetale, turn left at the municipal building and park in the asphalt parking lot.

Path description:
From the parking lot, return to the main road and continue along it in the direction of Rogatec. At the Žetale Primary School, cross the main road at the pedestrian crossing and continue along the pavement to the nearby crossroads, where you turn right onto a side road, marked Donačka gora. Walk along this road for a short distance and then, in front of a nearby house, turn left onto cart track, which then ascends diagonally to the right and leads across a meadow into the woods. There is a short climb through the woods to reach the Church of Our Lady of Consolation.
Continue along the road, which descends gently to a marked crossroads, from which you turn right. From the crossroads, walk along the road for a short distance, as before the hamlet and after a small garage, continue left on the marked cart track in the direction of Donačka gora. Just a little further on, we return to the road, and this time we continue along it to the vicinity of the next house, in front of which we go slightly left on cart track, which then turns into a forest. This is followed by a longer crossing with a few short ascents and descents, where we occasionally approach individual houses, and occasionally we also get some views of the other side of the valley, where we can see Maceljska Gora. At a few small crossroads, follow the signs, but keep going in roughly the same direction. When you merge with the cycling transversal, go right and climb above the nearby stream. Higher up, leave the forest and climb through the hayfield to the saddle between Donačka gora and Resenik, where there is also a marked crossroads by a small hamlet.
Continue along the road south-westwards, and after a few steps turn slightly left onto a footpath towards the top of Donačka gora (the path continues along the road towards Rudi's house).
A short climb through the forest leads to cart track, where there is a misplaced mountain direction sign. The signpost for Donačka gora points down cart track to the right, we go a few steps to the left, and then on the right we see the continuation of the mountain trail, which continues along the north-east ridge of Donačka gora. When we reach the next cart track we continue to the left, and a little further on we have already reached the next marked crossroads.
Here, the path from the Vrhe Pass joins us from the left, the path to Rudi's house branches off to the right, and we continue straight towards Donački gori.
The path ahead becomes quite steep, and another path from Rudi's home joins us from the right.
Again we continue in the direction of Donačka gora, and the path gradually changes to steep and, especially in the wet, slippery slopes, over which we mostly cross-climb. We then come to a short technically difficult part, where a rope ladder helps us with the steep climb up the rocky slope. When the steep, difficult climb ends, we reach the main ridge Donačka gora, where the route splits.
Continue left (right main summit) and quickly reach the precipitous eastern summit of Donačka gora.
From the eastern summit, return to the last crossroads, then continue on the marked path, which continues slightly left of the ridge. There are a few short ascents and descents, on a path that occasionally leads up a rather steep slope, where there is a greater risk of slipping, especially in the wet. After about 20 minutes from the eastern summit, this route leads us to the one metre higher western summit Donačka gora.
Žetale - Church of Our Lady of Consolation 0:15, Church of Our Lady of Consolation - East Peak Donačka gora 2:00, East Peak Donačka gora - West Peak Donačka gora 0:20.
Description and figures refer to the situation in April 2022.

On the way: Church of Our Lady of Mercy (Brezje nad Žetalami) (382m), Donačka gora (eastern peak) (883m)

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