Oltar From the North Over Grlo Pass

Oltar From the North Over Grlo Pass

Page Type Page Type: Route
Location Lat/Lon: 46.44779°N / 13.83385°E
Additional Information Route Type: Mountaineering, Scrambling
Seasons Season: Summer, Fall
Additional Information Time Required: Most of a day
Additional Information Rock Difficulty: Class 4
Additional Information Difficulty: UIAA II
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Overall grading (by hiking standards)

  • 0. General: from 760 m (Martuljek) to 2621 m (summit), exposition N (the summit part E), not marked (except the beginning - till Za Akom) rock climb. On the Swiss Hiking Scale the overal grade would be T6.
  • 1. Effort: 1860 m of elevation gain, 5 h 30 min for ascent only,
  • 2. Power: 4 - demanding,
  • 3. Psyche: 4 - demanding,
  • 4. Orientation: 4 - difficult.

Logistic

This tour can be best combined with the tour over Kačji jezik. They both start in Martuljek, branch at Three Larches, so the upper part is a wonderful, but demanding round tour. In that case it's more recommended to do this tour in descent!

The other interesting option is to gain the summit by this tour and to descend into the Vrata valley - that's very quick due to long, soft scree slopes. But then you need two cars or any other logistic support (bike?).

Approach

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Oltar from north, from...
Oltar from the north

From Martuljek village you go towards the south, by the Martuljek creek you take one of the two marked paths and proceed either through the gorge (more beautiful) or right of it and reach the area above the First Waterfall. here both paths join and you proceed through the woods, a bit turning towards the SE.

In the woods soon one path deters to the right (under the Špik) but you go straight towards the SE. Soon the slopes through the woods become steep, you leave the creek deep below on the left and climb to the rocky barrier. Here some steel ropes and pegs help you to overcome the steepest rocky part. Just below this section a tiny path (also marked) can bring you to the Second Waterfall. It's certainly worth to see it (from there you must return by the same path)! Steel ropes bring you just on the upper part of the waterfall and behind the corner you reach the flat lower part of basin, named Za Akom. The path from here on is no more marked. If you are looking for the bivouac - it stands some 50 meters above the edge of basin - to the right.

See also other routes from to Za Akom basin!

Route Description

By the Three Larches. This...
By the Three Larches

The broad basin Za Akom is a beautiful place. Here is the water source, it's sunny and all around are wild mountains. Our climb goes further towards the south.

At first, you can still follow the path, later it is lost in the scree. The orientation is the broad, 800 m tall, vertical wall of Široka peč and below it, on the right side, a distinctive elevation with 3 larches. The scree falls through the left and the right ravine of this hill and it is preferable to choose for the ascent the left one (between the hill with 3 larches and Široka peč wall). This couloir is almost all the year filled with snow, and as it is steep on the upper part, you will probably here first time use crampons and ice axe.

At 3 larches you must take a long rest, this is one of the most beautiful places in Martuljek, which itself is for me also the most beautiful group in Julian Alps. Here the routes to Veliki Oltar over Grlo pass and Over Kačji jezik split. From the Three Larches you proceed towards the south by a scree shoulder. It is not dangerous, but also not very comfortable. Above, it's likely you will already reach snow fields. They continue southwards, towards the left you will see Jug's Couloir - the ascent option to Dovški Križ. Just continue southwards into the basin below Oltar. Ascend the snowfields up, till you hit the rocks below Grlo pass.

In the basin below Grlo pass....
In the basin below the Grlo pass - you climb the saddle from the right
Veliki Oltar from the Grlo
Veliki Oltar from the Grlo

The snowfields below Grlo can be steep and especially in late summer hard. So here you will need at least an ice-axe, if not also crampons. From the top of the snowfield you go left over easy rocks and in many turns over the rocks to Grlo pass. These passages are marked by cairns, so with some care you probably will not miss the easiest passages. Difficulties should not exceed degree UIAA I.

In the summit ravine (above...
In the summit ravine

From the Grlo pass you proceed right, as described on the normal approach from Vrata valley. First you have a steep ravine, then (in the middle) it is best to exit it on the left side and climb over the rocks to the highest point. This requires UIAA II climbing.

The march in the World War II

By this passage over Grlo during the World War II a group of Slovenian partisans moved from Vrata valley into Martuljek. They were led by local climbers and even if having no proper equipment, nor mountaineering experiences, they all reached the other valley safely.



Parents 

Parents

Parents refers to a larger category under which an object falls. For example, theAconcagua mountain page has the 'Aconcagua Group' and the 'Seven Summits' asparents and is a parent itself to many routes, photos, and Trip Reports.