Dolina Kot - Dom Valentina Staniča (Lojze Rekar route)

Access to starting point:
We leave the Gorenjska motorway at the Hrušica exit and continue following the road in the direction of Kranjska Gora. Just a little before the village of Dovje, a road branches off to the left from the main road, leading to Mojstrana (Vrata, Kot and Krma). We continue following the road towards the village of Radovna and the Krma and Kot valleys. The relatively steep road then takes us past the TNP sign, after which the road soon levels out and brings us to a junction, where a gravel road branches off to the right into the Kot valley (straight ahead Radovna and Krma). We then follow this occasionally somewhat poorer road to the parking lot, where we also notice the mountain direction signs.

Route description:
From the end of the road, we continue along the wider marked path in the direction of Staničev dom and Kredarica, which ascends gently through the forest. After a few minutes we reach the gravel bed of Kotarice, which we cross transversely to the other side, where the trail reappears.
This is followed by some gentle walking through the forest, after about half an hour of walking the path quickly becomes quite steep and, due to often quite slippery ground, also dangerous for slipping, especially on the descent, so a fair amount of extra caution is required on this section. On this part, we are assisted on the more difficult sections by some pitons. Higher up the gradient eases and the path takes us to the spring Pri studenčku, which however dries up on dry days.
Here an unmarked path branches left towards Macesnovec, we continue straight across the torrent, after the torrent we cross a short secured but not particularly difficult section. This is followed by an ascent through a belt of dwarf pines, higher up we arrive in an increasingly rocky terrain, where we already see a larger boulder nicely in front of us. Here our path is crossed quite unobtrusively by the PP path (Planica - Pokljuka path), but we ascend with ever better views to the aforementioned boulder called Debeli kamen.
At Debeli kamen the dwarf pines occasionally finally end and we continue through an increasingly high-mountain landscape, where we mostly ascend on scree. On this section, looking back, a nice view opens up to Ladja (Ladja is a distinct precipitous promontory or peak overgrown with dwarf pine that rises above the Kot valley), we then ascend to a marked junction, where the climbing path to Vrbanove špice, or the Lojze Rekar path, branches off to the right.
We continue in the mentioned direction (left Dom Valentina Staniča and Rjavina) and already after a few meters the path turns right again, where with the help of some steel cables and pitons we traverse steep rock faces below Vrbanove špice. Then we turn left and in a slight ascent cross still quite steep slopes. Soon after we turn left again and with the help of some protections begin to climb steeply up the slope partially overgrown with grass and dwarf pine. The path then turns slightly right and takes us to the ridge, where a view to Cmir opens up. Here we turn left and with the help of pitons and steel cables begin to ascend the steep and narrow ridge, which soon takes us to a junction. From the junction we head left (slightly right the path continues towards Visoka Vrbanova špica) and with the help of some pitons and bolts reach the summit of Spodnja Vrbanova Špica. The summit also has a stamp and a summit register.
From the summit of Spodnja Vrbanova špica we then return back to the junction where we follow the signs for Staničev dom. The path ahead in a slight descent bypasses the summit of Spodnja Vrbanova špica on the northern side and on a fairly wide ledge takes us back to the ridge. From here we have only a few meters to Plesišče (2244 m) across which a marked path does not lead, but it is well marked with cairns. Plesišče is a large flat slab from which there is a wonderful view of Spodnja and Visoka Vrbanova špica, Rjavina and Cmir. Plesišče is interesting also because in the middle of the narrow and precipitous ridge of Vrbanove špice nobody expects such a large flat slab.
The path then follows the ridge and first ascends slightly, then with the help of steel cables and pitons descends to a smaller natural window through which Cmir can be seen nicely. From here we then climb with the help of pitons over a slightly overhanging chimney, followed by a descent that is also slightly overhanging on a shorter section. Then we ascend on steep rock, which via a well-secured narrow and exposed ledge takes us to another window. Here we again begin to ascend, this time with somewhat more numerous pitons. This is followed by an ascent with the help of steel cables on fragmented rock to a grassy slope below the summit. From here we have only a few minutes of easy walking to the summit of Visoka Vrbanova špica.
We continue further towards the southwest, where we begin to descend on a fairly wide ridge, which in ten minutes takes us to a junction at Begunjska vratca, where we go left in the direction of Dom Valentina Staniča (right Begunjski vrh and Cmir) to which we have approximately another five minutes of easy walking.

Starting point - Pri studencu 1:25, Pri studencu - Debeli kamen 1:20, Debeli kamen - turnoff for Vrbanove špice 0:30, Turnoff for Vrbanove špice - Spodnja Vrbanova špica 0:45, Spodnja Vrbanova špica - Plesišče 0:15, Plesišče - Visoka Vrbanova špica 0:55, Visoka Vrbanova špica - Begunjska vratca 0:10, Begunjska vratca - Dom Valentina Staniča 0:05.

Along the route: Pri studencu (1330m), Debeli kamen (1810m), Odcep za Vrbanove špice (2005m), Odcep na Spodnjo Vrbanovo špico (2279m), Spodnja Vrbanova špica (2299m), Plesišče (2248m), Visoka Vrbanova špica (2408m), Begunjska vratca (2342m)

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