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96 Hits
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75.81% Score
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6 Votes
Page Type:
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Route |
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Lat/Lon:
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46.44704°N / 14.42968°E |
GPX File:
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Download GPX » View Route on Map |
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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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T4 (Swiss Hiking Scale) |
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Overview
From the northern side Tolsta Košuta / Dicke Koschuta can be reached only by a few rare, quite demanding clasical climbs. No normal hiking ascent goes there. So this route takes you quite around. Over the geologically extremely interesting eastern face we reach the SE ridge and then hike steeply to the summit. A wonderful tour which unfortunately for the return requires to use the same itinerary.
Geo Trail through the Meli
The path takes you along the geological boundary, at first between beautifully formed stone tables, made of conglomerate, and a sequence of layers of black shale clays, brown layers of marl, and dark, layered limestones. The latter are clearly visible in the southern wall of Tolsta Košuta, in the form of folded structures and steeply standing layers. The main ridge of Košuta itself is made of Dachstein limestones. In the upper section of the track, the Geo Trail runs through a bizzare mountain world marked by slender karst towers, which is built from the so-called Schlern Dolomites. (The section of info table translated.)
Getting There
You start the tour in the valley of Freibach / Borovnica. In Sele, near the Trkelj / Terkl inn you take the weak road southwards, along the eastern shore of the creek, following inscriptions to Koschuta Haus and the nearby football playground. After the stadion you drive 1 km more and park for free on the place where the road is officially closed (Forststrasse - forest road): 46.464501, 14.436596
General Information
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Difficulty grading on the Swiss Hiking Scale: T4 (weak path, on some places lost in steep gravel, a few secured sections). Time for ascent: 3 h 15 min (some 2 h 30 min for descent). Orientation: The route is well marked, but in gravel we have to be very careful for marks and best passages. Objective danger: The rocks in the area are very friable, considerable danger of rock fall. Gear: You need poles and good mountain shoes. Less experienced hikers will feel more secure if on a short rope. On the GEO Trail shelter there are two ropes to take (and return, of course, 2024). Season: Easier if there's no snow on the path (JUN-OCT). Water: In the big ravine there may be water flowing, unless it's a very dry season. |
Route Description
From the parking lot 926 m we continue another 900 m up by the mountain road and then On 981 m turn left, following the marked trail to Potok saddle. The first part of ascent we do by a mountain road, then we take some marked shortcuts and finally leave the road and by a good path in many turns reach the saddle, 1411 m. 1 h 15 min till there.
On the saddle we turn right, following a broad, forested ridge. Soon we reach a way side shrine, a nice promontory and then the path traverses above a wild, picturesque gorge. A few minutes further there's the crossroads 1503 m, where we keep left. The path gets weaker, the forested slopes are steep and there are places where safe step and additional care is needed. In the SW direction we traverse the slopes and in some 15 min reach a GEO Trail promontory. It's a covered wooden plateau, with explanatory tables about the geology and on the wall there are even two short ropes which less experienced hikers can use (and later return, of course). Great view on the Meli landscape opens.
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The path enters Meli over a short secured section (cable), then it climbs up by the right edge of rubble fields. Higher, on the border of different kinds of rocks, there are picturesque bands, where the path is secured again. Finally we must leave the safe cables and start traversing steep scree fields. The path is narrow, sometimes there are only some steps in scree, but following marks and the best passages we reach the middle of big ravine withoud bigger issues. 
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In the broad ravine bottom, filled with big, bizzare boulders, often a weak creek flows. There's no path, we simply follow marks, climbing up around boulders. Higher, there are only scree fields, in a few turns we gain altitude and the path starts turning to the left, in the southern direction. Reaching the lose rocks we climb up again, the path is almost lost, but above we soon notice a big pole, indicating direction. From there, a similar terrain continues and over some steeper passages we reach a distinct, very picturesque notch in a side ridge (ca. 1676 m). A bit disappointed, because that's not the Orlovo sedlo / Adlersattel yet, we continue southwards.
The saddle on the state border is near and well seen, but we must first descend a bit (cables again), traverse another small side ridge and only then the good path brings us steeply up and out of the E wall. From the Potok saddle 1 h 15 min.
From Orlovo sedlo / Adlersattel, 1723 m, we simply turn right and walk up by a weak, unmarked trail in the NW direction. The slope gets steeper and steeper, just below the summit the trail requires some sure-footedness.
The return must be done by the same itinerary - at least to the Potok saddle. There we have an option to return more comfortably to the parking place 926 m. We first go towards the NE, using the marked trail to Šajda / Schaida road pass. But already after 270 m, on 1425 m, we reach the place, where a good mountain road reaches the main ridge. There we simply go left down on the road and follow it to the valley. Much easier, more panoramic, but a bit longer variant.