Lanzevica Over Lepa Komna (Ski Tour)

Overview

Lanževica from the NE - the slopes above Lepa Komna plateau

The hills of Lepa Komna

Lepa Komna is a special world. Hardly anywhere in Julian Alps you will find yourself on a so broad high plateau, with thousands of only small hills rising all around you. The feeling is strong especially in winter - like beeing on a wide open sea, with soft waves waving all around you.

The ski tour itself does not offer a lot of skiing by itself. It is appropriate for more romantic souls, looking for an exceptional scenery, and, yes, it is also appropriate in harsh winter, when steeper slopes are dangerous for avalanches. That was the case in early March, 2014. On Komna plateau there was 3 to 5 meters of snow. After almost 3 months of rain in the valleys one would only wish to enjoy long crossing of a high, picturesque plateau. So, from the two huts on Komna plateau, you ascend only a bit on some 100 m higher Lepa Komna, cross it in a long, almost horizontal arc, and finally do a 400 m ascent on a very panoramic summit. Skiing down is nice in the beginning, then a flat return to the huts follows, and finally some 850 m of skiing down through the woods. This year we ended by skiing almost into the trunk of our car. For the first time in our lives from Komna.

Getting There

Koča (hut) pod Bogatinom

The real trailhead is the parking place by Koča pri Savici, 653 m, in the very end of Bohinj valley. But the practical trailhead is in one of the two huts on Komna:

> Dom na Komni, 1527 m. 2 h 30 min from the parking place.

> Koča pod Bogatinom, 1513 m. 2 h 40 min from the parking place, 15 min from Dom na Komni.

Rating The Route

This is an easy ski tour. Only basic knowledge of skiing is needed. But certainly you can do the tour only with tour skiing equipment. Lepa Komna is flat, so without skis of snowshoes you will not get far - unless snow is hard enough. On the tour you do good 500 m of ascent (from the hut), but quite some kilometers, so the time for ascent is some 2 hours. The tour is of course also possible in one day. That would mean 2 h 30 min to Dom na Komni, 2 hours on top and some 2 h 30 min for skiing down. But on crossing of high plateaus you should never hurry - count some more time for sightseeing, enjoying summit panorama and even sun bathing - before sliding down into the shady valley.

Gear: Only normal equipment for tour skiing.

A part of great Lanževica panorama - towards the north and east

Route Description

Velebit - Above Koča pod Bogatinom

Ascent on the saddle above Planina Na Kraju

From Dom na Komni, 1527 m, you go by a well beaten track towards the W-NW. It is best to use skins from teh very beginning, as Koča pod Bogatinom is only 14 meters lower. There the ascent starts. The ski track detours the huts on the northern side, but you immediately at huts leave the main track, going on Bogatinsko sedlo, and deter right. Towards the NW you see a distinct saddle, which is some 1600 m high (100 m above the hut). In a few switchbacks we are up there. Looking back we have a great view on Spodnja Komna and the South Bohinj Range mountains.

On the saddle we are on the edge of Lepa Komna. We simply continue by nice passages towards the NW. The route goes only slighly up and in some parts also sligtly down. But no hurry there! The scenes on the plateau are just fantastic! We are winding around the hills, all the time on approximately the same altitude of 1600 m. Finally we slide down a bit towards the edge of Poljanica ex alpine meadow.

There the route turns towards the south west. Broad slopes are naturally leading us towards the saddle between Vrh nad Gracijo, 1917 m, on the left and Lanževica on the right. The route is again winding a bit left and right, choosing the easiest passages. Before reaching the saddle, however, we usually deter right. Ascending the saddle and continuing by the main ridge is also possible, but gaining the saddle is a bit steeper. So, the route crosses towards the right, all the way across the flat eastern slopes of Lanževica, reaching finally the northern ridge and after few minutes towards the left the highest point.

The "Street"

Crossing Lepa Komna

"Lost" on deep snow

On Lepa Komna

The ascent

Skiing down is a matter of choice, because in good conditions and good visibility we can ski almost everywhere. But the main direction must be towards the east, roughly in the vicinity of the ascent route. When reaching Poljanica we keep strictly to the ascent route. Some people mount skins again, but not doing so this winter we were much faster than the group which did so. Ascend a bit first, then slide joyfully those few kilometers and you are on the edge above the hut.

Mountain Huts

Dom na Komni, 1525 m.

Koča pod Bogatinom, 1505 m. Only 15 minutes away from Dom na Komni.

When To Climb?

This ski tour can be done any time of winter and spring, when there is enough snow on Komna. Normally, this is from December till April, in some cases even May. But in April and May the feeling on Komna is not winterish any more.