Jalovec
2,645 m
Slovenia
Also known as Яловец, Γιάλοβετς, +1Also known as
Яловец · Γιάλοβετς · Monte Gialuz
- Elevation
- 2,645 m
- Prominence
- 511 m
- Difficulty
- 4/10
- Alpine hike
- Best Season
- Jul–Sep
- Routes
- 2
AdvisoryReported 10 Aug 2026
User reports on hribi.net: on the Kotovo sedlo route several pegs have been pulled out and the path is covered in loose gravel; no snow on the route (10 August 2026). In July 2024 a peg near the exit of the Jalovška škrbina wall was missing.
hribi.net
Routes
2Sources differ: zelo zahtevna označena pot (very difficult marked trail) (PZS / hribi.net)
The southern and least difficult approach to the emblem peak of the Slovenian Alpine Association: from the head of the Trenta valley up to the small Zavetišče pod Špičkom hut (2,064 m), then a partly protected, stonefall-prone climb across the face of Veliki Ozebnik to the Jezerca saddle and an exposed ridge to the summit. About 1,700 m of ascent; no route up Jalovec is easy.
Elevation Profile
- Distance
- 5.8 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +1,809 m
- −131 m lost on the way up
- High Point
- 2,645 m
- Time Up
- 7h 01m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 4h 47m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
Start at the end of the road in Zadnja Trenta (about 960 m; the track is barred at the car park). A comfortable path climbs through forest to a first signed junction in about an hour, then on to a second, where it drops slightly, crosses scree and traverses left through dwarf pine onto the karst terraces below Špiček; the route from the Vršič pass joins here. The Zavetišče pod Špičkom (2,064 m) is about 3½ hours from the valley. Just before the hut a path marked 'Jalovec' on the rock branches up towards the mountain. From the hut a fairly well-protected rock rib leads to the climbing section, which goes steeply up the face of Veliki Ozebnik (2,480 m), then bears right across steep slopes where a slip would be serious. This part has little protection and heavy stonefall; a helmet is essential. A short exposed gully leads to grassy ground and a slight descent to the Jezerca saddle (2,390 m), about 1½ hours from the hut. After a short climb the route from Jalovška škrbina joins from the right; the path climbs steeply again, with some protection and quite exposed sections, to the main ridge, and follows the narrow, at times very exposed crest past the junction with the Kotovo sedlo route (2,613 m) to the summit. Allow about 6 hours from Zadnja Trenta, or 6–6½ hours from the Vršič pass (1,611 m) via the Rutarska Trenta junction. Most people return the same way or split the trip with a night at the hut, which is small and open only in summer. Protection is sparse (a few pegs and short cables) and is often damaged over winter.
Start
Zadnja Trenta963 m
- Summer buses over the Vršič pass between Kranjska Gora and Bovec stop at Vršič and in Trenta; check the current timetable.
- Parking at the trailhead
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zadnja Trenta → Jalovec | 5.8 | 1,809 | 131 | 7h 01m |
Waypoints
- Parking: Zadnja Trenta963 m
Track barred beyond the car park
- Hut: Zavetišče pod Špičkom2,047 m
- Feature: Veliki Ozebnik2,412 m
Route climbs its face and traverses below the top
- Col: Jezerca2,407 m
- Summit: Jalovec2,645 m
Key Passages
- Steep climb up the face of Veliki Ozebnik
- Poorly protected, stonefall-prone traverse to the Jezerca saddle
- Narrow, exposed summit ridge
Equipment
0/7 packedDownloads
Route confidence 75%Overview
A sharp limestone pyramid (2,645 m) above the Planica, Trenta and Koritnica valleys in the western Julian Alps, whose outline is the emblem of the Alpine Association of Slovenia. Every route is long, exposed and only partly protected; local climbers rate it harder than Triglav.
Jalovec rises at the junction of three valleys: Tamar and Planica to the north-east, Loška Koritnica to the west and Zadnja Trenta to the south-east. Seen from Tamar it is a slender pyramid split by the steep Jalovec couloir (Jalovčev ozebnik), and that view is the logo of the Planinska zveza Slovenije. It is the fourth-highest summit of the Julian Alps and stands entirely in Slovenia, inside Triglav National Park.
There is no easy way up. The marked routes are all classed as very difficult (zelo zahtevna) and involve 1,500–1,700 m of ascent, exposed ledges, steep loose ground and sparse pegs and cables that are often damaged over winter. The southern route from Trenta or Vršič via the small Zavetišče pod Špičkom hut is the least difficult; the northern route from Tamar over the Kotovo sedlo is one of the finest protected routes in Slovenia; the Jalovška škrbina route and the couloir hold snow far into summer.
Expect a long day of 10–12 hours car to car, or two days with a night at the hut or the bivouac below the Kotovo sedlo. The summit view takes in Mangart, Triglav, the Kamnik Alps on clear days, and the Italian Julian Alps.
Climbing Notes
You need very good fitness for 1,500–1,700 m of ascent, long experience on exposed, loose limestone and a steady head; this is not a first via ferrata. A helmet is essential on all routes, and the PZS recommends a harness and self-belay set (sling and two karabiners). For the Jalovška škrbina route bring an ice axe, and for the couloir a rope and crampons, as snow lingers well into summer.
Typical plans: from Zadnja Trenta or Vršič to Zavetišče pod Špičkom (3½–4 hours), summit next morning (about 2¼ hours) and descend; or a long day from Planica up via the Kotovo sedlo and down via Jalovška škrbina. A popular traverse goes up from Tamar over the Kotovo sedlo and down past Zavetišče pod Špičkom to Vršič, returning by the summer bus. The hut is small and open only in summer; book ahead.
The season is July to September. Before July and from October, snow on ledges and in gullies makes all routes winter climbs. Start early to avoid afternoon storms and the stonefall triggered by parties above, and check comments on recent condition of the protection.
History
The first recorded ascent was in 1875 by Karl Wurmb with the local guides Črnuta and Strgulc. Jalovec later became the symbol of Slovenian mountaineering and appears on the badge of the Planinska zveza Slovenije. The Jalovec couloir, the most direct line from the north, was once a marked route but has been closed as a path for decades because of rockfall and ice.
Season
Best Jul–Sep- January: Not advisable
- February: Not advisable
- March: Not advisable
- April: Not advisable
- May: Not advisable
- June: Possible
- July: Best (best window)
- August: Best (best window)
- September: Best (best window)
- October: Possible
- November: Not advisable
- December: Not advisable
- Jan
- Winter mountaineering only
- Feb
- Winter; avalanche risk
- Mar
- Ski touring to the Kotovo sedlo for experienced parties
- Apr
- Spring snow; avalanche risk
- May
- Snow on ledges and gullies
- Jun
- Lingering snow; Zavetišče pod Špičkom open only occasionally
- Jul
- Season starts; hut open daily; snow in the Jalovška škrbina gully
- Aug
- Usually snow-free on the southern and Kotovo sedlo routes; afternoon storms
- Sep
- Stable weather, fewer people; hut closes at the end of the month
- Oct
- Hut closed; early snow and ice possible
- Nov
- Winter conditions
- Dec
- Winter conditions
Access & Permits
- Hut Booking
- Zavetišče pod Špičkom (PD Jesenice) is open daily in July–September and occasionally in June; book through the PD Jesenice reservation page or by phone. A small winter room is open outside the season. The Bivak na Kotovem sedlu is a free, unstaffed shelter.
- Fees
- Paid parking at the Planica Nordic Centre
- Hut overnight fees with discounts for alpine club members
- Rules
- Triglav National Park: no camping or bivouacking outside designated places; stay on marked paths
- The road from Planica to Tamar is closed to public traffic
- The Jalovec couloir (Jalovčev ozebnik) is no longer a marked route
- Sleeping bags are not used in Slovenian huts; bring a liner
- Getting There
Kranjska Gora (Planica side); Trenta and Bovec (south side)
Ljubljana Jože Pučnik (LJU); Klagenfurt (KLU)
- North: drive to the Nordic Centre in Planica near Rateče and walk 45 minutes to Dom v Tamarju
- South: drive over the Vršič pass or up the Soča valley from Bovec to Zadnja Trenta; or start at the Vršič pass (1,611 m)
- Summer buses run over the Vršič pass between Kranjska Gora and Bovec; check the current timetable
Hazards
- Rockfall
- Exposure
- Weather
- Avalanche
Huts & Shelters
3- 1,108 m
Planinski dom TamarHutStaffed
51 beds
- 1,977 m
Bivak na Kotovem sedluBivouacUnstaffed
- 2,064 m
Zavetišče pod ŠpičkomHutStaffed
Daily July – September, occasionally in June; small winter room