Today's mountain hike to Čuklo was a real adventure for our family. We set off on an adventure with our five-year-old and seven-year-old son that lasted 7 hours. Here is a description of our route and some tips that you might find useful.
Starting point: Zavrzelno village. We drive to the place where the road crosses a torrent. Here are the mountain signs for Rombon and a trough with water (unfortunately without water), you can park on the right side (there is only space for three cars).
Description of the trail: We start at the ravine, where the markings direct us to a footpath (not a cart track), which initially climbs through a sparse forest. Later, the path passes into a dense forest, where it climbs all the time. When we reach an altitude of 1300 m, we come out of the forest onto a grassy slope and in a few minutes to the Goričica mountain pasture, where there is a very nicely renovated hunting lodge.
Here we have a view of the mountains south of the Bovec Basin. We continue right along the path, which in a few minutes brings us to a crossroads. We choose the right (lower) path in the direction of Rombon (the path to Črnelska špica leads to the left), which after a few easy steps leads us to the ruins of the former military hospital. From here we turn left and cross the last strip of forest.
As we emerge from the forest, we notice numerous military trenches on the right (on the opposite side we see a cross). The path climbs along an old mule track, passes numerous remnants of the war, and then flattens out. The path is well-trodden here, but the markings are unfortunately old and poorly visible in some places, so be careful. Soon we have a view of Rombon. At a poorly marked crossroads, we notice an arrow leading up to the right. We continue to the right (the path leads straight to Rombon) and in a few minutes we reach the top of Čukla.
Statistics:
- Walking time for families with younger children: 4 hours ascent and 3 hours descent
- Walking time for adults approx. 3 hours ascent
- altitude difference: 1067 m
Our advice
- Enough water. There are no huts or water sources on the trail, so you must be completely self-sufficient in water and food.
- Early departure. Set off early. The first part of the trail is through the forest, then you walk through grass and heather.
- The gorge in Zavrzelno is a great starting point! This way you can shorten your journey considerably compared to walking from Kaninska vas.
- The path is safe. The tour is not demanding, just long, steep (you overcome over 1000 meters of altitude) and sunny. It is not steep, it is not exposed. Be careful only below the summit because there is karst terrain there, which is full of holes. Stick to the beaten path. Also watch out for snakes. We only met two blind people .
Summary of our experience
Our family tour turned out to be a full day, extremely rich in beautiful views and historical remains. It took us a total of 7 hours of walking, with short stops for rest, drinks and snacks, and admiring nature. We also saw two chamois! With a five-year-old and a seven-year-old, we proved that the climb to Čukla can be overcome even with younger children, as long as you have enough perseverance.
