About Routes
Info about Veliki Golic in on the main page in its own section. Summit of Veliki Golic is approached by two paths. One leads from
Strazbenica pass, the other via its long
SE ridge.
Strazbenica is accessed by
3 paths. One is short branch from
Paklenica hut – Struge – Vaganski Vrh route. Other leads from
Paklenica hut via Mozak ridge and third comes from
Veliko Rujno. Route via
SE ridge branches from
Velika Paklenica – Veliko Rujno route via
Njivarska Strana.
Both approaches are completely different.
SE ridge is sharp and open, has beautiful views, but terrain is made of sharp rocks which makes it tough to walk. Before the main summit there are several fake ones. On the other hand approaches from
Paklenica hut & Strazbenica lead through beautiful beech forests which on Strazbenica turn into black pine forests. Paths are soft and comfortable having plenty of shade in hot summer months. Which to choose depends what you prefer. If you are based in Paklenica hut perhaps it is best to ascend via
Mozak & Strazbenica and use
SE ridge for descent.
Velika Paklenica – Njivarska Strana – SE ridge - Veliki Golic: 3h
This route branches from main
Starigrad Paklenica – Paklenica hut route,
1h from
parking in Velika Paklenica and
30mins from
Paklenica hut. Till this point check
Starigrad Paklenica – Paklenica hut route description on
Liburnija (1710m) page. Wooden sign by the path points
Veliko Rujno via Njivarska Strana. You have to add mentioned 1h or 30mins to the route, depending from which direction you are coming.
Njivarska Strana (Side of Njive) is actually a name for the side of the valley placed below
Njive plateau which is behind the edge of the valley. Path ascends up the side in countless zigzags some
45mins till the edge. From the ascent is nice view down into the valley and towards sharp
Vidakov Kuk (862m) on the other side of the valley. Just below the edge is a
junction where from right approaches path which leads from
Paklenica hut via Suha Draga. This is nice variation if you are climbing Veliki Golic from Paklenica hut via SE ridge or if you are returning to the hut this way.
Behind the edge path passes by the
Njive meadows and in some
10mins reaches
Ramici hamlet where is
junction. Left between the houses path leads towards
Vidakov Kuk (843m) and
Starigrad Paklenica via Tomici. You go right through narrow ‘street’ between rocky fences on both sides. Street cuts across the field and at its end turns left and begins to ascent. At first gradually then in few zigzags till the
junction, some
20mins from previous junction in Ramici. Left path leads towards
Veliko Rujno. You turn right towards Veliki Golic.
You go by the right edge of
Donji Borovik meadows. Once behind it path begins to ascent towards the descending ridge of
Grabar (1198m), which is high to the left. Veliki Golic is further back and its not visible. After some
10mins you reach panoramic ridge of Veliki Golic and Grabar which falls steeply towards Velika Paklenica from this point.
Here path turns left and keep this direction all the way. It leads straight up the sharp ridge. On the right is deep
Suha Draga valley while on the left view expands towards sea. In some
50mins you reach
Grabar (1198m).
Behind it ridge gently ascends till the last climb below
Veliki Golic (1265m) which you reach through the pines, some
40mins from Grabar.
Paklenica hut – Mozak ridge – Strazbenica – Veliki Golic: 3h
Mozak means Brain. Up this smart ridge leads very beautiful path towards the Strazbenica variation. Initial part from Paklenica hut has
2 variations. One immediately ascends to
Kosirica, which is beginning of the ridge. The other goes for a while through
Brezimenjaca part of NW end of upper Velika Paklenica valley and then ascends to the ridge reaching it between both Mozak heads. This last variation is called
via Javorje. Both are beautiful so I wouldn’t know which one to recommend. First one via Kosirica begins steeply but has nice views while the other begins gently and ascends little bit later through beautiful beech forest.
Kosirica variation
By the Paklenica hut is small fire-place house. Next to it sign points left to
Suha Draga. After
5mins path reaches the
Brezimenjaca creek and crosses it. A minute after path passes by nice semi-cave
Babunjasa which can also be used to sleep over if hut is too crowded. Behind steep ascent begins. You should reach the ridge in some
30mins from the creek or bit less. Here is immediate
junction where is straight to
Suha Draga and
Njive where this path joins route from
Velika Paklenica which ascends
via Njivarska Strana.
You turn right here. Path traverses slope right of ridge going through nice pines with beautiful view down to the hut, upper Paklenica valley and towering high part of Velebit above, where
Crljeni Kuk (1661m) dominates. Path then begins to gradually ascent through beech and pine groves. After
20mins you’ll reach
junction where from right approaches variation
via Javorje.
Javorje variation
This path begins near the pool above the hut where it branches towards left, passing just behind the hut. You can also climb to it from fire-place house, path is 10m above it. In next
30mins, maybe little bit less, path traverses slopes right above
Brezimenjaca creek gradually ascending till the
junction. Right branch continues towards
Buljma pass while you go straight.
Marks descent little bit till Brezimenjaca creek where you cross it. On the other side it immediately begins to climb steeply but after several minutes it takes right direction and through beautiful beech forests ascend up the slope of Mozak ridge. Forest is so beautiful that we always called it enchanted. After some
30mins you’ll reach the ridge where is
junction. From left approaches
Kosirica variation.
Joint path continues to ascent up the ridge. Some places are steeper other are less. On few places path crosses over from one side of the ridge to the other but constantly going through beautiful beech forest. On few places views open towards high peaks of Velebit while Veliki Golic peeps through branches on the left. In
1h you reach
Strazbenica (1120m) pass. Last ascent before pass is quite steep leading over red rocks. On the pass there is a
junction where right path leads to nearby
source and further towards
Buljma pass & Struge refuge or down to
Paklenica hut. Idyllic Strazbenica pass is fantastic place to rest a bit and eat something. Just right of the junction is perfect place for with wooden seats and decomposing wooden eaves. It is placed in perfect beech forest with some pines.
Signs on the junction point left towards
Golic & Veliko Rujno.
5mins behind the junction is beautiful
viewpoint from where you see
Veliko Rujno plateau. On the left is large cone of
Veliki Golic, your goal. On the right dominates huge
Viserujna (1632m).
From the viewpoint path descents little bit and in few minutes reaches the
junction where right branch descends towards
Veliko Rujno while you continue straight. Path begins to ascend again and in few bends reaches the pass between
Strazbenica (1160m) peak and
Vrata od Suhe Drage. From here is beautiful view down into
Suha Draga valley. Path now traverses the slopes of last one horizontally through beautiful black pine forest. In
20mins from last junction you’ll reach
Zupkov Docic, nice meadows on the pass between
Vrata od Suhe Drage and
Veliki Golic.
From here path ascends in many bends, quite steeply. Through rare pines and with beautiful views path reaches the summit of
Veliki Golic (1265m) after some
15-20mins.
Paklenica hut – Buljma pass route – Strazbenica – Veliki Golic: 3.15h
This Paklenica hut variation uses classic
Buljma pass – Struge – Vaganski Vrh route to access Strazbenica towards which leads separate branch in last 15mins. You don’t have to check that description because here I’ll repeat whole section till the junction. This route is bit longer than the one
via Mozak ridge which is also more beautiful. You can combine one for the ascent and the other for descent if you don’t want to return to Paklenica hut via tough
SE ridge. In that case it better to use this one for ascent and the one via Mozak for descent.
Right of the hut path passes by the pool and enters the woods. After few minutes of ascent view towards peaks which tower above Paklenica opens. It is dominated by massive
Crljeni Kuk (1661m). Behind is view down the Paklenica valley. After short ascent path turns left and is almost horizontal till Ramici hamlet and Jole's house
10-15mins from the hut. Here is
junction where 3 routes divide. Little bit to the right leads
Lipa Staza towards
Vaganski Vrh (1757m). Straight forwards is
Bukova Staza which also leads towards
Vaganski Vrh (1757m) via Babino Jezero lake. Left is our branch towards
Buljma pass.
In next
10mins path leads over flat then gradually ascends till the
junction where from left approaches hut variation from which
Javorje variation towards Mozak branches. Our direction is right but path immediately makes 180° turn and ascends through lower maples and hornbeams. Soon you’ll reach high and beautiful beech forest with huge trees. Through it path constantly ascends above
Brezimenjaca valley. On the other side of the valley is parallel
Mozak ridge. From last junction it is
1h or bit less till nice balcony with high black pines. Here is usuall rest. Above are cliffs of
Rapavac (1617m) while in front, some 10km away sticks
Sveto Brdo (1751m).
Above the balcony path continues to ascent and in next
30mins you reach
junction where right continues route towards
Buljma pass & Struge refuge. Continue straight towards
Veliki Golic as sign points.
Hundred meters behind the junction is nice water source, which dries during summer. Narrow path now traverses steep slopes below Viserujna, slightly ascending, with beautiful view down towards
Velika Paklenica valley, with
Sveto Brdo (1751m) in the background. After
20mins you reach
junction on
Strazbenica pass (1120m),
2.15h from
Paklenica hut.
For further going see the route above.