Juliana SkiTour 4 - Vogel (1922 m), from the Upper Carniola to the Littoral side

We take the gondola to the upper station at Rjava Skala (1535 m), from where a magnificent view of Lake Bohinj and the peaks around it opens up.

Immediately in front of the hotel, by the log cabins, we descend right down the ski slope, which leads us to our actual starting point – the Zadnji Vogel alpine pasture (1413 m). Behind the lodges, we descend a few more meters into the valley bottom, which ascends towards our ridge.

We follow the valley only to the first terrace above the longer flat area. Over a steeper slope on the right, we look for a passage into the neighboring valley. The steep slopes at the end of this neighboring valley are already the slopes of our Vogel. We also avoid this valley – when the right side opens completely in front of us, we look for passes onto the rounded ridge, which we follow below the ridge line.

When the ridge disappears into the summit slopes, we continue forward in the same line. The final part of the increasingly steep ascent we will most likely have to finish with skis on our shoulders.

We reach the ridge in the area of the saddle between Vogel and the neighboring peak Krnic. Because the descent from the very top of Vogel is quite awkward, it is best to leave the skis at the saddle and hike up to the Vogel summit (1922 m, 5 minutes from the saddle) to catch the best view. We return to the skis and ascend to the neighboring, lower Krnic peak (1896 m).

From the Krnic summit, we ski down into the cirque, which is enclosed on three sides by the Krnic Peak, Vogel, and Žabiški Kuk. From the edge of the cirque, we choose the most beautiful slopes that lead us to the Razor alpine pasture. The most suitable and clearly visible passage through the beech forest from the edge guides us to the right.

We ski across the pasture to its lowest point at the lower edge (1200 m). If snow conditions allow, we continue down the mule track to Tolminske Ravne (913 m); if there is not enough snow, we descend on foot.

The route can also be done in the opposite direction. The usual winter access to the Razor pasture follows the summer path from Tolminske Ravne. From the pasture, we continue straight up. Before the slopes begin to ascend more steeply, we look for a passage through the beech forest on the right side. Soon we are again on the clearing; the world leads us towards the unmistakable cirque below Vogel and Žabiški Kuk. From the cirque we look for the most suitable passage to the ridge between both peaks and ascend it to the Vogel summit. From the saddle between Vogel and the neighboring Krnic peak, we carefully slide or even better – descend on foot. From the summit and the saddle, we already see the direction of our skiing – the Zadnji Vogel pasture, which is our goal, with the ski slope behind it. If conditions are favorable, we can ski straight down the steep slope into the couloir below Vogel summit. A safer variant is to follow the distinct ridge along the left edge of the valley beneath the summit and at the end of the valley find a pass to the right into the next valley, which leads us to the Zadnji Vogel pasture. From there, we continue down the valley along the ski slope through Žagarjev graben.

If the mountain hut at the Razor pasture is open, it is worth treating yourself to a drink and excellent štruklji.

If you want to return to Bohinj, it is most suitable to arrange transport to the train station at Most na Soči and return to Bohinj by train.