| Lukito4. 10. 2021 14:03:59 |
Friday, 1.10.2021 - KSA loop around Jezersko
Ravenska Kočna - Czech Hut - Jezerska Kočna - Kokrska Kočna - Jezerska Kočna - Grintovec - Long Ridge - Štruca - Skuta - M. Rinka - Š. Rinka - Križ - Kranjska Hut on Ledine - Slovenska - Ravenska Kočna
Around approx. 6:30 I parked, in front of me one car with CE and one hiker, next to me another with KR and three more running hikers. CE started first, then KR, I went first to check the situation in the bushes.  When I returned to the parking lot it was just dawning and so I tackled the path too.
Towards Czech Hut I caught up with CE, then he overtook me at the Hut and we exchanged a few words about plans for the day. He went towards Long Ridge, so his path branched left higher up, I unsuccessfully chased the KR runners. Higher up the path gets steep, so I stowed the poles, put on the helmet and continued on the more climbing part towards Kočna. There the KR team slowed down enough that I finally overtook them and soon we almost together panted to the ridge and turned right towards the Huts. Here you have to deal with a bit tricky part where you take off the backpack and literally crawl on the smooth rock to continue towards Kočna. At Jezerska Kočna we also exchanged a few words with the KR team, they gave me a sideways look when I revealed the plans (or rather at that moment more wishes) for the day. Then we said goodbye, I headed towards Kokrska Kočna, they back to the valley.
The path to Kokrska Kočna needs some love, some piton is already loose, markings will also need renewal soon. As my own contribution I tested for the first time on Kokrska my new acquisition - vignette remover and thus scraped off (almost) all stickers and put them in the backpack. The tool will need some improvement, as the blade is almost too soft. Then I turned around and headed back towards Jezerska Kočna, lay down on the rock at the low passage which is so worn that you slide to the other side by yourself. Or into the abyss if you don't watch out.
I continued along the ridge towards Grintovec and reached it quite quickly. There I took some time, had a snack, asked fellow hikers for a photo, returned the favor and weighed how to proceed. Time-wise everything was OK, so I headed towards Mlinarsko sedlo. The path there is airy in a few places, wire ropes help. Here I had to decide: down or pull quite a few more kilometers. And I went. Further.
Towards Long Ridge the most airy is probably the entry. Further on the problem is more orientation. Markings are completely faded, especially from the top of Long Ridge towards Štruca great care is needed not to stray. And it happened to me a few times too, when the path becomes too demanding - look if you see some marking. And so I'm not the only one in this story, CE also climbed out of some gully and commented that the path surely doesn't go there.
When you reach the junction for Štruca new markings greet you. A bit further a family of Ibex. So I bypassed them, touched the summit and continued towards Skuta. The path there is without features too. At the top we chatted a bit, took photos, then each to their side. Descent from Skuta is quite demanding, a bit collapsed, a bit exposed, a bit smooth, but nothing extreme. Further the path goes left as high as possible on the scree and soon found the marked path to the signpost.
Then I turned directly up to Mala Rinka, where you can also nicely see Mrzla Gora. From there to Štajerska, where there is no logbook in the box. I realized I had 0.5l of liquid left - golden reserve somewhere at the bottom of the backpack. So the plan to do the full loop and include Ledinski vrh and Velika Koroška baba in the tour slowly collapsed. Well, quite tired I approached Križ (Koroška Rinka), signed and then headed down the secured path to the Jezersko side.
They are still renovating this path and I believe it's much easier up there than down. But it's a bit loose in the upper part, so it went quite slowly and not exactly with pleasure, when I looked that below me there's nothing for about 500m. Lower you notice the path is better maintained and even newly marked. I descended towards the fog and finally reached the scree. Ledinski vrh and Baba were out, at the Hut on Ledine there is water outside - no other choice. So I plunged into the fog and soon reached Kranjska hut, only there was no water outside. 
Some windows were closed, some open, so I tried my luck. Well, the warden had just arrived so it was open, otherwise only open on Saturdays and Sundays. So I got a liter of isotonic and a long debate about how they steal skis and other stuff. Lately in the mountains really many things disappear, and quite a lot of unnecessary (trash) remains. Then we continued the conversation in front of the hut long enough that I could put the headlamp on the helmet and descend via Slovenska to the car. Here I wasn't particularly excited either, mainly because visibility is about 3 meters and it's good to know the path beforehand.
Total 13h, 2600vm, 21.3km
The watch says movement 7h 30 min, I think it's about 9h.
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