Zadnjica - Lake Zgornje Kriško jezero

Access to starting point:
From Kranjska Gora, drive over Vršič Pass towards Bovec or vice versa, but only to the 50th hairpin turn of the Vršič or Russian Road (near the village of Trenta). Here, turn onto the side road, along which after a few hundred meters park at the parking lot by the road.

Route description:
From the parking lot, continue along the road, which takes us past a few houses, mostly weekend cottages, in about 15 minutes to the point where the road splits into two parts (there used to be a parking lot at the intersection, but parking is now prohibited).
From the old parking lot, head left onto the road towards Pogačnikov dom at Kriške pode (the right road leads towards Prehodavci and Dolič). After another 15 minutes of walking, the road brings us to the lower station of the cargo cable car, where it ends.
Continue the ascent along the marked hiking trail, a mulatjera, which moderately ascends through the forest. The trail, rising above the valley of Beli potok, quickly brings us to very steep slopes (danger of falling rocks), across which a wide path leads. The trail then crosses the Veliki Presek gully, after which we reach a short exposed ledge, which we cross with the help of a fixed rope. Further on, the path returns to the forest, where it moderately ascends in numerous switchbacks. A bit further, the trail brings us under a small overhang, where we can notice numerous sticks that hikers place to prevent the rock from falling into the valley (the sticks are placed more for fun than seriously). The trail then crosses a few smaller gullies, then past a chapel brings us to a larger gully. With some caution (easy), we cross the mentioned gully, after which in a few minutes of further walking we ascend to a pleasant rest area (two benches by the trail). Further on, we cross another large gully (possibility of snowfield in early summer), then the path returns to the forest. Higher up, the forest becomes sparser, the trail somewhat steeper and increasingly scenic.
The trail, continuing to ascend along the old mulatjera, then past two more benches brings us to the belt of dwarf pines, beyond which we enter a more rocky terrain. Further, we ascend over smaller scree slopes along an increasingly scenic trail that higher up brings us to a pleasant spring.
Just a few dozen steps above the mentioned spring, we reach an unmarked junction, where an unmarked trail branches right towards Spodnje Kriško jezero, which is two minutes away; we continue slightly left along the still wide alpine trail. The trail further leads past smaller ruins, which we follow all the way to a marked junction, where the trail from the Vrata valley joins from the right. Continue left and after two minutes of further walking arrive at Pogačnikov dom at Kriške pode.
From the hut, continue past the upper station of the cargo cable car along the marked trail, which in two minutes of slight descent brings us to a marked junction, where we continue slightly right towards Križ and Škrlatica (left Razor and Planja). Further, moderately ascend across the vast Kriške pode along the trail that past a spring and numerous sinks brings us to a less noticeable junction, where the trail to Zgornje Kriško jezero branches right from the marked path (there is a small cairn at the junction).
Continue along the unmarked trail, which in a few short ascents and descents in about 10 minutes of further walking brings us to Slovenia's highest-lying lake.
Starting point - Na placu 0:15, Na placu - lower station of cargo cable car 0:15, lower station of cargo cable car - Na Utrci 2:00, Na Utrci spring below Kriške pode 1:05, spring below Kriške pode - Spodnje Kriško jezero 0:05, Spodnje Kriško jezero - Pogačnikov dom 0:20, Pogačnikov dom - Zgornje Kriško jezero 0:45.

Along the route: Na placu (714m), Spodnja postaja tovorne žičnice (797m), Na Utrci (1506m), Izvir pod Kriškimi podi (1877m), Lake Spodnje Kriško jezero (1880m), Pogačnikov dom na Kriških podih (2050m)

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