Veliko Rujno from Cavici

About Route

Cavici (read Chavichi) is small hamlet placed at the rocky foot of Bojinac group, on the small terrace, some 100m above the sea. Cavici are just few hundred meters away from Milovac village, trailhead for classic Veliko Rujno approach. While Milovac route ascends steeply and takes you to closer SE corner of Veliko Rujno, Cavici route traverse SW (seaboard) side of Bojinac group and enters Veliko Rujno on its NW corner. This route is bit longer but less steep and has better sea views, which are open most of the way. If you are doing daily Rujno trip from the coast it is best to leave the car in Milovac and ascent via nearby Cavici route. From Rujno use Milovac route to descent. This way you avoid repeating same route up and down and make nice circle around Bojinac group and visit whole Veliko Rujno.

There is no suitable space to leave a car in Cavici. If you are only using this route leave the car on the Adriatic Road where bad and narrow macadam branches towards few hundred meters distant Cavici. Parking space for several cars can be found there. When coming from Starigrad Paklenica Cavici macadam branches towards right around kilometer behind Milovac junction. First there is right bend. Cavici junction is in on top of next left bend.

Veliko Rujno from Cavici: 3h

From Adriatic Road it takes around 5mins to Cavici hamlet. Marks turn left, up hill, between two houses in the left corner of the hamlet. Mark is on the wall. Some 10mins it ascends straight up, in several short turns, before taking left direction. Marks quite faded here so be careful. Once path turns left ascent subsides. Path traverses slopes around Razvrsje Cavica (240m) rocky head, above Velebit channel and Adriatic Road. 20mins from the hamlet you are on the small rocky pass at the edge of rocky terrace. In front are rocky slopes of Bojinac. Over the terrace and after slight ascent path reaches the edge of Mali Ledenik field, 35mins from Cavici. Green grass of Mali Ledenik is in great contrast with all the gray rock which surrounds it. On the opposite edge is quite large but deserted Mali Ledenik hamlet.

Path goes right around the field and in 5mins reaches the hamlet. Some houses are in ruins some still intact. After short trip through the houses path turns right and begins to ascent again. in 10mins you are on the small terrace Krapica Dolac with nice green meadow which is fenced by rocky fence (suhozid =dry wall). Behind path ascends left of rocky valley then turns left to another one. 15mins from the terrace below you are on the small pass where view towards sea opens again, 1h from Cavici.

From this spot begins nicest part between Cavici and edge of Rujno where path ascends steadily, traversing open rocky slopes of Bojinac group, with nice views towards sea. Well below is Veliki Ledenik field, similar but much larger terrace than Mali Ledenik. After 30mins gradual ascent ends on a small panoramic shoulder where path enters small valley between rocky head on the left and Bojinac on the right, so from this spot last open view towards sea and rocky slope of first step of Velebit spreads. Left of the path is huge lone boulder at the entrance into the small valley.

10mins behind is junction where path towards left leads to Poljak route towards Veliko Rujno. We are going right. 5mins behind you’ll cross the dry bed of torrent which descends from Veliko Rujno towards sea. In glacial times it carried waters from the mountain. Steep ascent through oaks and hornbeams takes you to the edge of grassy Aptovacka Kosa (800m) in 15mins, 2h from Cavici. You can consider ascent is over. Now you are on Aptovac, side field of Veliko Rujno, placed between Zvirjak (927m), on the left, and Bojinac (1110m), on the right.

Over the grassy/rocky plateau path continues towards Rujno. Few minutes behind the edge is junction where from left Poljak route towards Veliko Rujno approaches. 15-20mins takes to reach the edge of Veliko Rujno where beautiful panorama opens. Behind its flat grassy plateau is Rujanska Kosa hill, behind it are Ribnicka Vrata pass(1240m). Right of wide pass is massive Viserujna (1632m), left of pass are Vilinski Kuk (1401m), Buljma (1420m) & Celopek (1414m), all above Malo Rujno, which is not visible (behind Rujanska Kosa).

From here path is not easy to follow. One branch leads by the left edge towards Malo Rujno while right is towards center of Veliko Rujno. In front, at the foot of Rujanska Kosa VPP trail passes on the way from Stap towards center of Rujno and further towards Struge. If you can see right branch from this spot continue straight towards VPP and when you reach it turn right towards center. You can also follow the dry bed of the periodical creek which makes gradual turn towards center. VPP crosses it so on that spot you’ll surely meet it. From here it takes around 40mins till the St.Mary church in the center of Veliko Rujno, 3h from Cavici.