Struska summit panorama: Karavanke/Karawanken towards the east
As the whole Karavanke range also Struška is ideal for hiking. Especially nice is traversing the whole massif. In winter and spring, here are excellent slopes for tour skiing. In recent years, since the road on Belska planina is made, the ski tour from Struška is becoming one of the most popular in Karavanke/Karawanken. If the road above Javorniški rovt is cleaned, the tour can be done in half a day. And, as the whole Karavanke range, also Struška offers a great panorama, especially towards the south, where the whole Julian Alps group can be seen.
There's one more special attraction of these hills. Mid May, when snow is already away, and grenery covers these hills, suddenly all these slopes turn into white again. It's
daffodils blossom time. Although in the past, when these meadows were cut regularly, the density of daffodils was even bigger, also nowadays every visitor is surprised, seeing flower by flower, wherever you turn around. This is a big attraction of these hills and every mid May a feast is organised on Planina pod Golico.
Matschacher Gupf / Mačenski vrh, 1685m
Mačenski vrh / Matchacher Gupf from the main summit
Quite remote from the main summit of Struška, far towards the north above Drau/Drava valley, the summit of Matschacher Gupf / Mačenski vrh rises. It is actually the westernmost high summit of the northern chain, but as for now it will not get its own page, I'll describe it here. Steep on the northern side, and on the upper 200 meters also steep on the southern side, with a broad clearing on top it is a perfect panorama summit. Let the pictures below talk!
The summit is often ascended. From the famous Plavc farm we can do a nice round tour, the ascent will take us only less than 2 hours.
Plavc, 1143m, is a nice old farm above Baerental/Rute. On its walls is written that it was erected in 1490, today it is renewed and equipped with solar energy system. It is reachable by car, or by a 30 minutes walk-up from Stouhuette.
Ascents on Matschacher Gupf / Mačenski vrh
1. Over Gipssattel / Mrzla raven. From Plavc farm we continue westwards by a good marked path. We pass a few meadows with nice views on Karavanke north slopes, then we pass the water source and soon reach Gipssattel / Mrzla raven (saddle), 1466m. Here also the forrest road reaches (biking!). On the saddle we turn right and over the summit part (very steep) reach the top. 1h 30min.
2. By the east ridge. From Plavc farm we go by the road towards the nearby chapel of St. Mihael. Just above it, the marked path enters the forrest, keeps first below the ridge, but then soon ascends it in continues by the panoramic east ridge on top. 1h 30min.
The two paths can be nicely combined in a round tour.
3. Through Mala Suha valley. From Sveče, in the main Drau/Drava valley we go by the marked path in Oberkrajach / Zgornje Kraje and further into the valley of Mala Suha. So we reach Gipssattel / Mrzla raven and as described in #1 above, in next 30 minutes on top. 3h 30min, marked.
Summit Panorama
Struska summit panorama: Karavanke/Karawanken towards the west and Kaernten - Drau valley towards the right
As every high summit of Karavanke/Karawanken also Struška offers a great panorama on all sides. Here are just some examples.
Getting There
Bor: Winter time below Struška
For the general overview, see the
Karavanke/Karawanken GROUP page!
From the south, we start ascending Struška from the main Sava valley. From Jesenice town, two good roads ascend towards the north.
The western one goes to
Planina pod Golico and further towards Savske jame and up towards Markljev rovt (pasture) and Pusti rovt (pasture). These forest roads are build further and further every year, but some end sections are closed for public traffic. You can now park on altitudes around 1200m.
The eastern road goes from Jesenice towards
Javorniški rovt and further towards Struška. You can park around the mountain hut on the altitude of some 1000m or, if you drive on, higher, on some 1200m.
From the north the most suitable option is the ascent from Baerental. You enter this valley in Feistritz in Kaernten and can drive up to the mountain hut on the altitude of 960m.
You can see a detailed
map on:
http://www.austrianmap.at/.
Classical map: Planinska zveza Slovenije: Karavanke, 1:50000.
Routes Overview
Struska and its marked paths
In summer
1. From the S, through Medji dol. Medji dol is a broad valley, covered with forest, coming to the saddle between Struška massif and Stol massif from the SW. The valley can be reached either from Javornik (from near the power station and its lake, or from the mountain hut), or from the NW, from one of the forrest roads. Medji dol brings us to
Medvedjak saddle and from there we hike to the summit. Easy hike, also a nice ski tour. From Javornik 3h.
2. From the NW, from Kočna saddle. We can reach Kočna pastures either by the main crest (from Suha saddle and below Ptičji vrh) or from one of the two alpine pastures below - from
Markljev rovt or from
Pusti rovt. From Kočna saddle we first go by the marked path towards the south. There we reach an open, grassy ridge (we step over the fence), where we decide whether to prolongue horizontally to Belška planina (pasture) and from there to the summit or directly by the ridge up, by Korenščica summit and then over the summit plateau to the highest peak. The first variant is marked till the hut, further on, there's also a good path. The direct variant by the W ridge is harder to find. The beginning is obvious. An ex frontiers path takes us up and when the ridge gets covered with dwarf pines in avoids a rocky bump by the right side. Above it goes by the main ridge all the time. Keep left as much as possible, just by the edge. Then you cross anice plateau. Above it, you will have to turn right. Following animal paths you get out of dwarf pines on the southern side and proceed there on top. Very nice hiking, especially when spring is on mountains. By this route you can also do a ski tour. Altogether an easy hike, some steep grassy slopes. From the road 3h.
In recent years, from
Pusti rovt a new mountain road was build on
Belska planina. This means of course a serious deterioration of nature. More and more people are coming on Struška, in summer and in winter. The road shortens the approach, because we don't need to go on Kočna saddle any more. Because of this road recently Struška became one of the most popular summits for tour skiing. In normal conditions, the tour can be done in half a day.
3. From the E, from Baerental. From the parking place near the Stouhuette (hut) we follow the marked path towards the SW. Over some nice meadows and through some steeper forest sections we reach Medvedjak saddle. There we turn right and in the NW direction ascend the summit. 3h.
4. From Plavc farm. Above Baerental/Rute there's a nice and old Plavc farm, 1143m, where we can park. A marked path goes from there towards the SW, first over the Plavc meadow, then further towards the main summit. Getting below it, we avoid the steepest part towards the right and reach the main ridge west of the main summit. 2h 15min from the farm.
5. Through Mala Suha valley. We first go some 45min by the marked route towards Gipssattel / Mrzla raven, then continue right towards the south. In the upper part the tiny path goes towards the right and reaches the main ridge far on the west, above Kočna saddle. Then by the main ridge on top. 3h 30min from the main valley, not marked, difficulkt orientation!
Ski tours
1. Through Medji dol (like #1 of the above summer tours). The finest terrains are in the upper part.
2. Western slopes (like #2 of the above summer tours). The passage below Korenscica is narrow, but in good conditions (a lot of snow) possible. The upper plateau is quite flat for skiing. Today, as said almost everybody is skiing from Belska planina down by the new road, or, cutting the part just above Pusti rovt by a flat valley, cleared of trees.
3. Ski tours towards the north and east are not described, but should be possible in good conditions (if enough snow).
Red Tape
No limitations. For Karavanke tunnel you must pay toll.
When To Climb
Struška can be ascended any time of the year.
Mountain Huts
Dom Pristava, 975m, parking place,
Stouhuette, 960 m, parking place. Rieder Margarethe, Bärental 7, A-9181 Feistritz im Rosental, tel.: 04228/2590.
Your Help Needed
Do you have experience and pictures from the northern ascents?
Any fun picture from the summit plateau skiing?
Images
December 25th, 2008 - Map updated, more info about ski tours, tne new road mentioned.
