Drežniške Ravne - Lopatnik

Access to starting point:
From Tolmin or Bovec we drive to Kobarid. From the Kobarid bypass we follow the signs for Drežnica and Vrsno. We continue over the famous Napoleon bridge over the river Soča and immediately after the bridge we turn left in the direction of Drežnica. Right Vrsno and mountain pasture Planina Kuhinja. The two-lane road climbs in zig-zags for a little less than 5 km towards Drežnica. When the road flattens, we drive past the monument to the fallen in NOB, which is on our left. At the monument there is a panoramic board, where we can view our destination and neighboring peaks from Krn to Krasji vrh. We continue driving to the village Drežnica. At the beginning of the village we turn left and on a somewhat narrower road we continue towards Drežniške Ravne. At the crossroad in Drežniške Ravne a large information board and signs await us. We continue right upward in the direction of the mountain pastures Zapleč and Zaprikraj and Krasji Vrh. At the next crossroad we again turn right in the direction of the mountain pastures Zapleč and Zaprikraj. The road narrows a little and in some steep turns brings us to a trough with water, where the asphalt ends. Here we park on a smaller parking lot. From Drežnica to Drežniške Ravne it is approximately 2 km, to the parking lot at the trough with water another approximately 1.5 km.

From the trough with water we can drive on a macadam road to the mountain pasture Zapleč and shorten the ascent by 1 hour. However, the road is not always in the best condition, which especially affects cars with lower chassis.

Route description:
From the parking lot above Drežniške Ravne we continue a few meters on a macadam road to the signposts, where we turn right in the direction of the mountain pasture Zapleč, Vrata and Krn. Our destination Lopatnik rises on our right above the saddle Vrata, and across the road on our left is Krasji vrh. The footpath through a meadow leads to the forest, where it widens into a narrower cart track, which ascends moderately to gently through the forest. The path higher crosses a poor macadam road, on which we continue a few steps to the right, then a signpost for the Curk waterfall and mountain pastures directs us left upward. From here the path ascends somewhat more steeply on a grassy cart track among hazels and other lower trees. Higher the path flattens a little and through a fence brings us into a smaller woodlot, which quickly thins out. We continue with a gentle ascent through grassy slopes, from which on our right a nice view opens up on Krnčica, Lopatnik and saddle Vrata and other peaks above mountain pastures Zapleč and Zaprikraj. On our left rises Krasji vrh, behind us Matajur. The path crosses a poor road, beside which there is also a trough with water. We follow signposts for Vrata and Krn, which direct us upward over pastures. A more or less visible footpath ascends along the overgrown bed of a torrent. Here and there we will notice some old blaze, but there are no problems with orientation. After the ascent through the pasture we come to the next wider cart track, which branches off from the road to mountain pastures Zapleč and Zaprikraj. We cross the cart track and ascend further through the pasture to mountain pasture Zapleč. If we find faded blazes, we follow them, otherwise we ascend along the left edge of the pasture. Locally overgrown marked path and cow trails bring us under the edge of the road on mountain pasture Zapleč. Above us on our left we will see a gate in the fence, through which we step onto the road. In front of us is a TNP sign and some space for parking cars. The road continues toward mountain pasture Zaprikraj.

We step through the gate of the fence, which closes the road before mountain pasture Zapleč, and then immediately turn right. On a stone in front of the gate of the fence we will notice a mark for Vrata. Approximately a 2-hour ascent to the destination awaits us, which is straight ahead of us.

A well-marked path runs along a mule track, which in countless zigzags mostly ascends moderately. Most of the path is grassy. In the lower part in mid-summer the grass is very high and can completely cover the mule track. All junctions are well marked, but in the grass the marks can be less visible. In the lower part of the path we can be quickly misled to turn too early or continue too far to the left toward Vršič, so considerable attention is needed.

With every meter of ascent ever more beautiful views open up on mountain pastures Zapleč and Zaprikraj and Krasji vrh, which rises above them. The view reaches to the Kanin mountains, behind us to Stol and Matajur.

Higher the path becomes increasingly rocky and somewhat steeper. It seems that our destination with every step taken recedes further, although it is always in front of us. Approximately 10 minutes below the saddle between Lopatnik and Krnčica the marked mule track ascends transversely to the right toward Krnčica and Krn. A little further a path branches off to the left toward Vrata, which we follow for a few steps, then we ascend through the rocky-grassy slope to the saddle between Krnčica and Lopatnik, from here in a few minutes we reach the summit of Lopatnik.

We can extend our hike along the marked path to Krnčica or Krn, or along an unmarked path to Skutnik and further pathless to Krnčica.

From Lopatnik we descend pathless along the ridge to saddle Vrata and from here along the mule track in the direction of arrival to mountain pasture Zapleč, or we can continue along an unmarked path along the ridge toward Vrh Ruš and Vršič, from where we descend along the mule track to mountain pasture Zaprikraj. Unfortunately the ridge often gets shrouded in fog and clouds already by late morning, in poor visibility continuing along the ridge is not recommended.

From mountain pasture Zapleč to the starting point instead of over pastures we can also go by road. After approximately 1 km we come to a larger bend, where the sign for Pot miru directs us into the forest. Here we can join the mountain path leading to Krasji vrh and descend along it to the starting point above Drežniške Ravne.

Along the route: Krnčica (2142m), Skutnik (2074m), Vrata (1920m), Oblo brdo (1957m), Vrh Ruš (1864m), Vršič (1897m), planina Zapleč (1201m), Planina Zaprikraj (1208m)

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