Matajur East Ski Tour

Overview

Matajur, 1642 m, is a broad mountain in Julian Pre-alps. Its northern and partially also western slopes are mostly overgrown and rugged, on all other sides it shows gentle grassy and with light forrest covered slopes, very appropriate for skiing. On the southern side there is also an ordinary ski terrain, which however is luckilly not stretching just on the top. For people coming from the Italian side, other, shorter ski tours are popular, but the majority of people doing the tour from Slovenian side will use the here described route. It is very nice for skiing, easy, on some places a bit flat perhaps and very panoramic. See the main page of Matajur how to get to Idrsko and Avsa (from Italy and from Slovenia).

Rating the tour

Starting in Avsa, 860 m, we have some 800 m of altitude to overcome. In the upper part the route goes slightly up and down on a few places. From Livek, when the road to Avsa is not cleaned, we have some 160 m of altitude more. Skiing down however, we can do more altitude difference. If we have a victim-driver, then we can ski also down by the meadows along the road Livek-Idrsko. Skiing from the summit is easy, in the lower part the route goes through a forrest which is a bit steeper and requires a bit more than just the beginners level of skills. But we can also avoid this part by skiing around by the mountain road, which finally reaches Avsa. So, by all means easy and panoramic. Also in winter on this route there is usually a beaten track, so the ascent can be done even by people not having a ski tour equipment. Time required for ascent: In winter 2 h 30 min to 3 h, in summer 2 h 30 min.

Route Description

Just before Avsa houses there is a parking place for a good dozen of cars - often too small. From it the marked path deters northwards, using a good cart-road. We can all the time go skinning-up. In the forrest the path slowly changes its direction towards the NW direction. We pass two decayed huts and after good 30 minutes we exit on broader clearings. The path winds up over the meadows, then it enters the fence and soon afterwards we are on a high mountain road. This is Idrska planina, 1240 m, the hut is right below, a few minutes from our route. By a mountain road we continue on the saddle between Mrzli vrh, 1358 m, on the left and Matajur right in the distance. Here a mountain road from Avsa comes up - it goes by the S and W slopes of Mrzli vrh, while we came by its N slopes. Now the route descends a bit and then follows the mountain road towards the W. We ascend two more mountain steps and go two flat parts, until finally the path goes left up and we reach the summit ridge. In some 15 minutes we are on the panormic summit, by a cute chapel. Skiing down. We can ski anywhere, mostly the recommended route is the ascent one. If we really don't want to ski below through the woods (not dense, still very good for skiing), we take the mountain road by the W and S slopes of Mrzli vrh down to Avsa. This road is in winter not cleaned.

Images

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