Kamniška Bistrica to Kokrsko sedlo

Route

Kamniška Bistrica to Kokrsko sedlo

Page Type: Route

Location: Slovenia, Europe

Lat/Lon: 46.33010°N / 14.58590°E

Route Type: Hiking, Mountaineering

Season: Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter

Time Required: Half a day

Difficulty: undemanding

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Page By: Bor

Created/Edited: Jun 11, 2009 / Jul 16, 2009

Object ID: 520599

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Page Score: 87.26% - 5 Votes

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Table of Contents

Overview

Enlarge! The Kamniska Bistrica Trailhead is the brown dot. The hut on the Kokra saddle is the purple dot.

The route from the Kamniska Bistrica trailhead hut to the Kokra saddle hut (Cojzova koca na Kokrskem sedlu) is a most famous mountain-hike, namely the SE approach to the highest peak in the range. It is an undemanding, marked and secured mountain-hiking path, and we may need 3,5 hours on the way up. In the summer, the path is rocky, pebbles, dirt, leaves, roots and some stabilized scree.
Anyone ascending in the snowy period should especially be advised to refer to the avalanche forecast (info at the trailhead hut, general press or here/5 grade system), as the slope below Kokrsko sedlo is statistically shadowed in winter.

The Slovene Alpine Association (PZS) maintains the marked and secured paths throughout Slovenia for the summer period.
In fact, we do not need any description of the paths (a map, allthough not a request, is in general a good idea so as to keep track of which path we are on). Well visible signposts and red and white blazes guide us all along the way (in both directions). Basically consider alpine hiking in this form: using marked paths and sticking to them, which safely brings to and back.

Check the link on the "Cojzova koca na Kokrskem sedlu" Hut page for the opening dates (the hut is open in the summer).
The international mountain-run to the Grintovec summit borrows this route. Walkers try to stick to the marked path and not to make the shortcuts.

Getting There

Info on approaching the range is to be found in the Getting There section of the range page (Kamnik-Savinja/Steiner Alps).

As one may well see on the map, after clicking the coordinates in the primary info (above), and then clicking the map version, the Kamniska Bistrica trailhead may easily be reached by referring to the city of Kamnik. The coordinates show to the beginning of our route, to the Kamniska Bistrica Trailhead.
The trailhead hut is at the source of the Kamniska Bistrica river (shortly Bistrica) in the center of the range.
The hut is open all year long (except on mondays): 45 beds (reserve!), meals searved, two large (free) parking lots (one of which is in fact the bus turning point), garbage cans and a beautiful view of Konec (litterally: the end -of the valley) from the source (pond) of the Bistrica.
Along with the "official" trailhead hut, the guest house "pri Jurju" also proposes meals.
A bus comes in twice a day (Ljubljana, Kamnik, Stahovica, Kamniska Bistrica).
The road 225 from Kamnik to Gornji Grad (eastward) goes through a village named Stahovica. This is where a 8km long (asfalted) road starts, leading to the Kamniska Bistrica source, along the left bank.

NB1: a hiking path ("Kozeljeva pot") leads from Stahovica to the Bistrica source along the right bank.
NB2: Except maybe in winter, driving passed the trailhead hut along the macadamized road, and sticking to the main road leads us to where cars park by the lower station of the Kokra saddle cargo cable-way, thus gaining 300m in altitude.

Route Description

Start along the asfalted road to the right of the trailhead hut (alt.600m). The macadam starts as we enter the forest (2min.), and after crossing the Sedelscek bridge and passing the start (parking space) of the path to the Kamnik saddle, we follow a trail to the right which is signposted KOKRSKO SEDLO, COJZOVA KOCA, or GRINTOVEC.
Interesting rock formations (boulders) lie around along the path through the forest.
We soon rejoin the macadamized road and follow it until the lower cargo cableway station (parking lot), 40 min. The name of the place is Konec/the end (alt. ca 900m).

Our path, the only one which is marked with red and white blazes (also signposts) starts up in the woods, to the left (W) after the station. (Other trails do continue northwards!)
Lacets in the woods, a bench (alt. ca 1400m) right after an exposed and secured detail, soon lower vegetation and then the bare slope of stabilized scree (zig-zags).
Above the forest we may enjoy the views of the Mala Kalska gora walls to the left and the Jurjevec wall to our right.
Just below the saddle and hut (alt.1793m), the steepness increases.

DESCENT:
Reverse,
or descend (W) to the Kokra trailhead along an undemanding marked and secured mountain-hiking path (the Taska variant is demanding), 3 hours
(the second option is a summer option! -I have no winter info)

Essential Gear

A helmet is trendy, maybe really not essential on this tour.
Wind and rain clothing
First aid
A small head lamp fits in any pocket and a whistle also isn't a bad idea.

MAPS
1:25 000
1:50 000

Red Tape, Camping

Unless expressly signalized (barrier, signpost), and upon your own responsibility, macadamized roads are allowed and visible on maps (these roads are mainly maintained for lumbering and hut cable station access purposes).
Fishing & hunting is regulated.
Wild camping and open fires are not allowed.
The Kamnik-Savinja Alps are part of the Natura 2000 program.
This tick link to the SP Forum is useful.

CAMPING (around the range)
Ljubljana
Kamnik
Luce
Trzic
Voelkermarkt