Page Type:
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Route |
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Lat/Lon:
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46.35125°N / 14.54847°E |
Route Type:
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Hiking |
Season:
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Summer, Fall |
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Time Required:
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Half a day |
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Difficulty:
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"demanding" hike |
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Overview
[img:723972:alignright:small:][img:723824:alignright:small:]> 'Demanding'* marked-and-secured-mountain-hiking-path.
The Skuta standard is the SW ascent. It starts from the Cojzova koča mountain hut which is perched on the Kokra saddle (Kokrško sedlo, 1793m). Both valley-access paths to the Kokra saddle are 'undemanding'*.
From the Cojzova hut, we do not see Skuta. The enormous Grintovec SE ridge (Dolge stene, the Long walls) blocks the view. Yet upon arriving on Veliki Podi (the Big karstic grounds between Grintovec and Skuta) do we visualize the rest of our way.
By fog, orientation may be of some issue along the Veliki Podi grounds, and we then strictly stick to the blazes (red and white marks)!
After crossing Veliki Podi, we are treated to the (secured) climb of a shorter wall, and upon arriving on the ridge, we are offered the great views of the N side of the range, now easily following the main W-E ridge of these Alps until Skuta's summit.
Timing: the Mountaineering Association guide proposes 3 hours from hut to summit.
* three difficulty grades are used throughout Slovenia for marked-and-secured-mountain-hiking-paths: undemanding, demanding and very demanding.
Getting There
Start from the Cojzova koča mountain hut (both access paths to the hut are 'undemanding').Route Description
[img:666181:alignleft:medium:]Our route (described due N, from the hut to the summit) is the yellow line on the map.We leave the hut due N, up a first step (signposts for Skuta, Grintovec...). Soon after reaching a small plateau, the signposted path for Grintovec splits left. We follow the path to the right, signposted Skuta, and soon dig through the Grintovec ridge along a miniature canyon (Mala Vratca).
The path bends left, crossing the E slopes of Grintovec (one secured and exposed section) and we now head towards the karstic terrace called Veliki Podi (Big grounds), reaching the bivouac Pavle Kemperle (2104m). Soon after the bivouac, the path ascends and splits; we stick to the Skuta signs (left).
We are now crossing quite chaotic grounds and if the visibility is low we must strictly stick to the red and white blazes. A marked path signposted Mlinarsko saddle routes/Česka koča soon splits lefthand, but we continue NE-wards (Skuta sign). Further, another path comes in left hand (signposted Mlinarsko sedlo/Česka koča), but we stick to our direction (below Dolgi hrbet S) and we are next treated to the climb of a short wall (secured), close to the notch between Dolgi Hrbet and Štruca.
Having reached the ridge, we meet the route crossing Dolgi Hrbet that comes in left-hand. From the notch (Škrbina on maps), we simply follow the ridge - eastwards (the unmarked path/cairns to the Štruca summit soon splits right hand). The walk along the Skuta W ridge takes us to the summit of the third highest peak of the range (2532 m).
[img:726061:alignright:small:]
Essential Gear
A map (check the Skuta page), a whistle, a head lamp, rain and wind clothing.Possible use of via-ferrata type self protection on the few secured sections.
A helmet is quite common nowadays among mountain-hikers.