Mače - Mali Grintovec (via Kozjek and Dolga njiva)

Access to starting point:
From the Ljubljana - Jesenice motorway, take the Kranj - east exit and continue on the road towards Jezersko, but only as far as the village of Tupaliče. Here, the sign for Preddvor directs us left, and we then follow the road towards the neighbouring village of Mače. Through the village of Mače, follow the hiking signs for Kališče. Shortly after the village, we will notice a marked parking area where we park (further driving is prohibited).

Route description:
From the parking lot, continue towards Kališče and proceed along the forest road closed to public traffic. The road, which ascends quite steeply, takes us after about 20 minutes of walking to a marked junction, where the usual path to Kališče branches off to the left; we continue right along the increasingly rough forest road. A little higher, we reach the lower station of the cargo cableway leading to Kališče, after which the road gradually turns into a wide cart track. The further ascent is somewhat difficult orientationally due to the labyrinth of tracks, but if we carefully follow the markers, we cannot go wrong. Higher up, the track turns into a steep footpath, which eventually brings us to the ridge of Kozjek. Here the path levels out and turns left, taking us after a few more minutes to a marked junction.
Continue right towards Srednji vrh, Hudičev boršt, Potoška gora and sv. Jakob (left Kališče and Storžič) along the path that crosses the slopes to the right, reaching the next junction after just a few minutes.
This time continue left towards Cjanovca, Srednji vrh and Mali Grintovec along the path (straight to Zavetišče v Hudičevem borštu and Mačenska pot to Mače), which begins to ascend more steeply through the forest. The fairly steep path takes us higher into a small valley where the forest thins out and the path levels off. After a few minutes walking through this valley, the path turns right, ascends more steeply and after a short climb brings us to the shepherd's hut on Planina Dolga njiva.
Here is a junction; head onto the less worn path that goes horizontally behind the hut, up alongside the valley (slightly right Srednji vrh and Cjanovca). The path then begins to ascend gently up the Dolga njiva valley and after about 20 minutes takes us to the saddle between Mali Grintovec and Srednji vrh, where there is the next junction. Head left following the signs for Mali Grintovec (right Srednji vrh). The path ahead ascends moderately across the slope, which is partly overgrown with dwarf pine. After this short ascent, we reach the ridge, where the path from Kališče and Bašeljski vrh joins.
Continue right along the path, which takes us to the summit of Mali Grintovec in a few minutes.

Start - Studenci 0:25, Studenci - junction to Suha valley 0:35, junction to Suha valley - junction on Kozjek 0:50, junction on Kozjek - junction below Dolga njiva 0:05, junction below Dolga njiva - Planina Dolga njiva 0:55, Planina Dolga njiva - saddle above Dolga njiva 0:20, saddle above Dolga njiva - Mali Grintovec 0:25.

Along the route: Planina Dolga njiva (737m), Spodnja postaja tovorne žičnice (800m), Odcep v dolino Suhe (916m), Greben Kozjeka (1175m), Razpotje Kozjek (1281m), Razpotje pod Dolgo njivo (1282m), Planina Dolga njiva (1600m), Sedlo nad Dolgo njivo (1709m), Razpotje pod Malim Grintovcem (1791m)

We recommend: trips from the same starting point, similar trips, panorama, summit register