Tosc from Uskovnica

Overview

Due to the wonderful summit panorama, ascents on Tosc are rewarding from any side. The path from Uskovnica meadow leads us through nice high forrests, across steep slopes high above Voje valley and finally over a steep grassy and rocky slope on the summit plateau. In the upper part it is identical with the approaches from Velo polje (Vodnikov dom) and from Konjščica meadow (or Rudno polje). Basic characteristics are:

Starting point: 1180 m (by the bridge over Ribnica) or 1100 m (Lom meadow).

Altitude difference to make: 1100 m plus some ups and downs.

Difficulty: T3 by the Swiss Hiking Scale.

Orientation: easy, except perhaps in fog on the summit plateau. See also the GPX track in the header!

Time for ascent: 4 h.

Time for descent: 3 h.

Gear: Only good shoes and poles.

Getting There

The chapel on Uskovnica

See the main page of Tosc for general orientation!

Uskovnica alpine meadow is one of the biggest and most beautiful ones in Julian Alps. It is sunny and panoramic. Nowadays shepherds huts are mostly converted into weekend huts and unfortunately, despite being on the border of Triglav national parc, forrest roads are uncontrolled penetrating higher and higher into the parc.

From Srednja vas in the upper Bohinj valley we can drive up (in summer) till Lom meadow, which is only some 10 minutes below Uskovnica. From Bled we can drive up almost through the entire year on Pokljuka plateau, till the winter sport center on Rudno polje. In summer we can continue from there towards the south-west almost to the creek of Ribnica. The road is closed for public traffic on some 1180 m, where we can park.

Route Description

From the crossroads where we park, we walk down by the road towards Uskovnica. Soon the road crosses the wild Ribnica creek (gorge) and in a few more minutes we reach the chapel on Uskovnica. There we keep right ahead, while the marked path goes left to the mountain hut on Uskovnica. By a cart road we cross the meadow and then start ascending across the slopes above Voje valley. By the last weekend huts the cart road ends (2012) and we continue by a good marked path, following inscriptions for Vodnikov dom on Velo polje meadow. The path goes now through nice woods.

Water source

Above Voje valley

Soon the path reaches a nice water source which may be in hot summer also dry. If not dry, this can be the last water on our ascent, unless the ravines further up are filled with water (after rain). We now continue towards the north, the slopes are getting more and more steep. From Voje valley many ravines are reaching up the slopes of the ridge between Mesnova glava, Močile and Ablanca. The path must cross many of them and also the ridges between them. On some places it is steep and even protected by cables, on other places the path can be also deteriorated. Even if it is not difficult, it still requires some safe step on those places. Further, where the path goes through larches and pine bushes, nice views open down into Voje valley and across it. The last ravine (may be water there) is rocky and a bit more deep, it comes down from below Ablanca. After the path crosses it, it soon reaches the Lower Tosc meadow, 1650 m. It crosses it in the western direction, then does a few more steep turns ascending and soon reaches the Upper Tosc meadow, 1780 m. That is a nice, grassy balcony above the valley of Voje, a bit above it we reach the path which crosses the southern slopes of Tosc, going from Studorski preval, 1892 m (the saddle on the right), towards Vodnikov dom. There is a small bench, where the path on Tosc deters up.

Zgornji Tosc meadow

Zgornji Tosc

Voje valley from Zgornji Tosc

Over the southern slopes of Tosc

Triglav

From the Upper Tosc meadow up the path is not marked any more. But due to many visitors it is well beaten, so no problems following it. In many turns it goes up over steep grassy slopes, intermitted with rocks. Looking up it keeps left of a grassy ravine, which once represented the normal passage on the summit plateau (and the route of skiing down in winter). Nowadays the path does a small detour towards the west, using the easiest passages over the rocky section. Then the slopes flatten a lot and we turn right, towards the north-east. Soon we reach the summit plateau where we first time see the mighty Triglav in its full splendor.

The summit plateau

The summit cone is still quite far on the north-eastern part of the summit plateau. We cross the plateau, keeping right not to lose altitude. The path almost disappears. When we reach the south-east edge/ridge we are on a small notch, where the steep ravine from Vrtačica (from the east) comes up. There we turn left and in a few minutes reach the grassy summit. The full view on Triglav group and the King itself is ahead of us!

Images

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