| smatjaz26. 09. 2022 19:39:36 |
10.09.2022 pathless to Javoršček
This time for the penultimate day of our vacation in the Bovec area, we chose a somewhat special summit called Javoršček, which doesn't exceed 1,557 m in height and actually looks nothing special in the shadow of its famous brother, the Bovec Matterhorn - Svinjak or correctly the old Slovenian Svitnjak. I won't describe the route to the Javoršček area, as it lies in the Bovec basin on the left side of the Soča River at the altitude of the village Kal - Koritnica, above the confluence of Soča and Koritnica, more precisely above the villages Jablenca and Čezsoča. Since a marked hiking path runs along the bed of the Golobarski Stream on a mule track, which is routed under the former route of the Golobarska cableway, whose lower station is visible on the main road from Trenta at the right bend just before Kal - Koritnica. In short, the exploratory spirit doesn't let us rest and armed with some "local" information, a paper map, and navigation, we head off from Počivalnik at one-third height of less than 600 m, where we arrive by road to the Javoršček viewpoint at the large rockfall used by climbers for their activity. From here we continue along the road past the rockfall and at the right bend where the road also ends (once it went much higher, before the rockfall), we turn into the forest. The path begins to ascend steeply and is entirely unmarked and hard to follow, so you need to be careful and keep your eyes peeled, as it only crosses rocky cliffs in one and only section and you can soon stray into impassable terrain where continuation is impossible. With difficulty we follow the very little visited hunter's path to the crossing over the cliffs, where a "fragile" secured path over overhanging cliffs with wire that electricians usually use awaits us, but better than nothing. In any case, I strongly advise against this path in wet and slippery weather, accidents are known on this path, even the worst ones. So slowly as on "eggshells" we reach the last overhanging section, where metal steps of rather shaky reputation are installed, but if you don't have better, use what's available and we're across. The continuation is somewhat, mildly put, more pleasant along the aforementioned wire until we climb to the top part of the ridge, where there's no more danger of slipping and falling. If I mentioned before that the path is hard to follow, here it's a real art to find it, despite every now and then a stone placed where it shouldn't be, indicating it's a "path". So slowly a bit below the abandoned forestry hut we join the marked hiking path, which we follow without features over Golobarska planina to the Utre saddle, where the path turns right onto the ridge and along it to the very summit of Javoršček. An interesting fact about Javoršček is also that it's drilled lengthwise and across, like many summits in the Soča area where offensives took place. Right through it ran the border between Austria-Hungary and Italy during the 12th offensive, so it was the first front line here. Since clouds began to gather, we quickly hurry back to the valley (although nothing came of them afterwards and they dissipated). At Utre, armed with locals' information and the map, we turn right past the sign that the path is closed due to rockfall and soon find ourselves at the hunter's hut, from where we continue to the Slatenik stream on the slope of Slatnik. At the junction we head to Planina Slatenik, where we encounter the first rockfall, which can be safely crossed above it. We continue on the once marked but now unmaintained hiking path over Slatnik along the slopes of the Slatenik stream valley to Laške peči, where we encounter a huge rockfall, which cannot be safely crossed, actually impossible at all. Since on the way here in the forest we saw a huge number of wooden structures, some somewhat better preserved and some already collapsing, and on the map saw a hunter's path running a bit lower that (according to locals) allows crossing the rockfall, we descended twice towards the stream but didn't find it. At home on the computer I only then saw how close we were before turning back. In short, we return to the junction and turn left towards the Polovnik ridge under Vršice and Lipnik, which is also marked with a red-black sign indicating we're on the Path of Peace leading to Planina Predolina. This path too is narrow, slippery and heavily damaged by rockfalls in places, but still safely routed and visibly maintained. Upon reaching Planina Predolina under Polovnik, we head right onto the forest logging trail descending towards the valley and (per map) also crossing the hiking path. The descent on this path was quite long until simply this path ends. We continue on not too steep pathless terrain where we encounter huge remnants of battles and the front (helmets, weapon remnants, structure remnants, rifle trenches, barbed wire....). The pathless terrain begins to descend ever steeper to the overhanging walls of a large gully which is impassable, the path marked on the map nowhere and we didn't find it either. Therefore we head away from the gully into the steepness of Mrzli dol and slowly descend it. During this darkness catches us and we call on our headlamps for help, which fantastically performed their task. Due to the steepness and slippery terrain we spend quite a bit of time to descend to the Slatenik stream, which we cross and soon also find the sought hunter's path and mule track. Soon we arrive under the previously mentioned large rockfall, which here can be "fairly safely" crossed with the help of our already favorite electrician wire. After crossing the rockfall the path turns into a mule track (after descent through Mrzli dol it was a highway for us) and takes us past Škratova dolina, Zahonca and Osojnica to the end of the Slatenik stream valley and to the main road connection between Čezsoča and Jablenca. Since we had Pločevinkota much higher, I had no choice but after 14 hours of wandering pathless to go for it too, which turned out as a "piece of cake". So we soon landed in our accommodation in the valley, where satisfied and with new experiences we went to rest.
As a WARNING, let me mention that the marked path over Slatnik is closed due to a large rockfall, underneath it runs an unmarked hunter's path that is quite dangerous due to the rockfall, which although on the map is extremely hard to follow and if you miss it, you end up in impassable terrain. Unfortunately, I didn't find the path that's also marked on the map from Debeljak to Polovnik nor from Planina Predolina, because it's very likely overgrown and untraceable due to very low visitation. Perhaps in daylight I could find it, .........maybe next time.
In short, there are NO marked paths to Planina Predolina and Polovnik, nor to Javoršček via Slatenik stream valley. There are hunter's and unmarked poorly visible tracks, which I don't recommend to everyone who lacks a sense of orientation and following them.
photos: Matjaž and Romana (until dark i.e. Planina Predolina and Mrzli dol)
https://photos.google.com/u/1/share/AF1QipMJ-7qBiVivWW08CE5OJsRdNso5cE3NQxyWUJJk9Xm1Eb5pbWguZbbcBnUWS-7sWQ/photo/AF1QipNiuWBm7A217Nkh0UeiCKflr1MkezAu1FEusBcp?key=S3cwQURjV0NwRkJCM21ZeFJXRk1LUVQ3UV9QRk1B
|
|