Podrožca / Rosenbach - Kahlkogel/Golica (via Medji dol)

Access to starting point:
A) Through the Karawanks Tunnel, we drive to Austria, and then we drive on the highway towards Beljak, which we leave at the first exit. From the point where we left the highway, we follow the signs for the settlement Šentjakob v Rožu / Sankt Jakob im Rosental. When we arrive at the mentioned settlement, we leave the main road and continue driving right in the direction of the settlement Podrožca / Rosenbach. After a few kilometers of further driving, we arrive near the railway station in Podrožca, where we continue left downhill, then at the next crossroads right in the direction of the Medji Dol / Bärental valley. Further on, we drive on a somewhat narrower asphalt road, which we follow to the first crossroads, near which we notice the hiking signposts. We park in a suitable place by the road.
From the toll station at Hrušica to the starting point, it is approximately 23 km.
B) Via the Ljubelj border crossing, we drive to Austria and follow the main road towards Celovec / Klagenfurt. When we have already arrived in the valley, at the second roundabout, which is still on the right bank of the Drava River, we take the exit for Bistrica v Rožu / Feistritz im Rosental, then drive along the main road to the settlement Podgorje / Maria Elend. Beyond the mentioned settlement, we turn left towards Podrožca / Rosenbach. The road then leads us through the settlement Tale / Tallach, after which we arrive in Podrožca. In Podrožca, we first drive through the underpass under the railway line, a little further on we already notice the first signs for Golica / Kahlkogel, where we continue along the main road. At the next yellow signs, about 50 m further, we continue left onto the narrower asphalt road leading into the Medji dol / Bärental valley (at the crossroads there are signs for the chapel in ruins / Kapellenruine). From the crossroads, we drive about another 1 km, then park in a suitable place near the crossroads and the hiking signposts.
From the Ljubelj border crossing to the starting point, it is approximately 35 km.

Route description:
From the starting point, we head onto the left road following the signs for Rožca / Rosenbachsattel (straight ahead Kepa / Mittagskogel). The road first crosses a bridge over the Gračenica / Schönbrunnen stream, then begins first gently, later moderately ascending through the forest. Further on, we ascend along the forest road for quite some time, then arrive at a marked crossroads at 900 m elevation.
From the mentioned crossroads, we continue left towards Golica / Kahlkogel and the Kladje / Quadiaalm mountain pasture and continue ascending along the road, from which higher up we occasionally get some views of the surrounding mountains. Higher, at about 1300 m elevation, we reach a small saddle, where we also leave the road and walk along a forest path to the nearby marked junction, where the path past the Kladje mountain pasture joins from the left.
We continue towards Golica and proceed along the forested ridge, which is initially quite gentle, higher up narrower and steeper. Somewhat further from the salt lick, the ridge becomes quite narrow, and the path is especially when wet on a short section dangerous for slipping. After this section, the path leaves the ridge and turns slightly to the left, crossing the slopes to the left. Further on, we cross a landslide-prone slope, where due to the torn cable additional caution is required (June 2017). After the landslide area, we walk another dozen steps on steep slopes, then the slope becomes somewhat less steep. Further on, the forest begins to thin, and the path becomes steeper and steeper. When we reach the ridge amid fine views, the path becomes even steeper, ascending very steeply further on. For some time we ascend through the dwarf pines, then, when the dwarf pines end, we quickly reach the border ridge, where we continue left.
This is followed by a few minutes of moderate ascent along the panoramic ridge, and the path takes us to the summit of Golica.
Starting point - Kladje saddle 2:20, Kladje saddle - Golica 1:25.

Along the route: Sedlo Kladje / Quadia Sattel (1300m)

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