After a dismal week of rain, cold temperatures and even fresh snow in the higher Alpine valleys, we woke up yesterday to glorious – albeit rather chilly – morning. Naturally, there was only one thing to do: head out into the hills and make the most of it.

As we generally prefer to hike ‘from the door‘ whenever possible, this time we chose a route to Babji zob – a distinctive tooth-shaped rock formation that rises dramatically above the western edge of the Jelovica Plateau.

Our route was mostly circular and came to around 31 km in total, although there are numerous ways to shorten the hike depending on your starting point and whether you have transport available.

Our route:
Lesce – Šobec Camp – Bodešče – alongside the Sava River to Selo pri Bledu – Kupljenik – Babji zob – Tolsti vrh – Talež – Bodešče – Šobec Camp – Lesce.

For those based in Radovljica, it’s also possible to approach via the trail from Talež, which I wrote about in a previous blog post here. The route is marked — albeit very sparsely — with small red-and-white boot symbols painted on trees. You definitely need to keep your wits about you to spot the markers, especially in woodland sections, and if you’re unfamiliar with the terrain I’d strongly recommend using a GPS track.

A considerably shorter option would be to drive to Kupljenik and start from there, although that generally means doing the route as an out-and-back walk rather than a circular one. The first section of our hike was fairly gentle, following woodland paths and tracks past Šobec Camp before continuing  alongside the Sava River. As soon as we started walking up towards Kupljenik the views, as you will see, were stunning.

Once on the main, marked path to Babji zob, the climb begins properly, steadily gaining height through forest towards the ridge. Once you reach the ridge, the reward is immediate. The views suddenly open up across the Radovljica Plains, towards Lake Bled and across the Karavanke Mountains.

And then comes the highlight: Babji zob itself. Perched dramatically above the steep slopes below, this striking rocky outcrop has long been one of the most recognisable viewpoints on Jelovica. The name literally means ‘Old Woman’s Tooth’ — a reference to the jagged shape of the rock formation.

The views from Babji zob are spectacular in a completely different direction: across to Bohinjska Bela, the winding road towards Bohinjska Bistrica, and the magnificent peaks of the Julian Alps and Triglav National Park.

From Babji zob we continued towards Tolsti vrh before descending via Talež. By this point, it felt almost spring-like despite the fresh snow still visible high in the mountains.

If it’s open, I recommend stopping off at Lovska koča na Taležu hut, which is open daily throughout the summer season and at weekends during the rest of the year. It’s a perfect place to get a drink and a bowl of something filling while soaking up the views over the valley below.

All in all, this turned out to be one of those classic Gorenjska hiking days: cold morning air, crystal-clear visibility, quiet forest trails and mountain views that make every kilometre worthwhile.

How lucky I am to live where I do!

© Adele in Slovenia