Begunjščica 2058 m: steep ski slopes above Ljubelj Pass

BegunjšÄica is an interesting but also demanding mountain for ski touring. On its northern side we find four “avalanche paths”, all of which begin on the ridge with a narrow couloir or gully, and then widen towards the valley into a broad fan that is snow-covered in winter and filled with scree in summer. The first, if we follow them in sequence from the starting point, the NE avalanche path, and the third, the Central couloir, already fall into the category of ski mountaineering descents in their upper sections. The second, the Šentanski avalanche path, and the last, the Smokuški avalanche path, are also suitable for less extreme skiers, but even in these two cases good conditions are required for a safe descent.

The Šentanski avalanche path is the least demanding of those listed, but due to its steepness it still represents a serious choice. It begins with a wide runout onto the abandoned Zelenica ski area; the higher we go, the narrower it becomes. Just below the ridge, a channel branching off to the right provides a relatively favourable exit from the steep terrain. From the ridge, we still need about half an hour to reach Veliki vrh, the highest point of BegunjšÄica. We ski back along the same route.

BegunjšÄica is an excellent viewpoint. To the east we see the neighbouring Kamnik–Savinja Alps; on the northern side, past Stol and Vrtača, we look towards the Carinthian plains framed by high Austrian peaks; to the west lie the more distant Julian Alps with the prominent highest peak, Triglav. On the southern side below us stretches the entire Gorenjska region; particularly striking is the view of Lake Bled with its unmistakable island and church in the middle.