From North Over Grlo Pass : Climbing, Hiking & Mountaineering : SummitPost

Overall grading (by hiking standards)

0. General: from 750m (Martuljek) to 2621m (summit), exposition N and E, above Za Akom not marked (only partially weak trail), rock climb. Gear: Good shoes, ice-axe, crampons, rope.
1. Effort: 1900m, 6h,
2. Power: 4 - hard,
3. Psyche: 4 - hard,
4. Orientation: 4 hard.

Approach

Veliki Oltar and its routes. Over Grlo pass is #2.

See other routes how to reach from Martuljek village (cca 750m) to Za Akom basin!

Route Description

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 south. First you can still follow the path, later it is lost in the scree. The orientation is the broad, 800 m high, vertical wall of Siroka pec and below it, on the right side a distinctive hill 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 Siroka pec 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 Kacji jezik split.

From the Three Larches you proceed towards 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 proceed southwards, towards left you will see Jug's Couloir. Just continue southwards into the basin below Oltar. Ascend the snowfields up, till you hit rocks below Grlo pass.

Below Grlo

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 snowfield you go left over easy rocks and in many turns over rocks to Grlo pass. These passages are marked by ciarns (heaps of stone), so with some care you probably will not miss the easyest passages. Difficulties do not exceed degree UIAA I.

Above Grlo

From Grlo pass you proceed 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 rocks to the highest point. This requires UIAA II.

Miscellaneous Info

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