Mala Paklenica route

About Route

Seline - Mala Paklenica - Sveto Brdo: 9-10h

Mala Paklenica is canyon some 3 km east of Velika Paklenica and as name says (Mala = Small), is smaller and shorter. But it is steeper and very wild. Cliffs are 250-300m high. Bottom is strewn with huge boulders. On some places canyon is so narrow that you almost could touch both sides with your arms spread. Path doesn't have anywhere to go but through the bottom of the creek and this means pure canyoning in rainy season (from October to May). Mala Paklenica is almost non passable in this period. This is the toughest approach to Sveto Brdo and should only be considered by those in great shape and it is impossible to do it both ways in one day. If you want to make it even more challenging you can go through the canyon of Orljaca. Orljaca joins Paklenica at the altitude of 500m, it is not marked, so don't forget the map (you can buy it in the entrance of Velika Paklenica)! In the dry season there is no water in the canyon so you have to carry with you as much as you need. There is a source on Veliko Mocilo, the only one on the whole route.

Seline - Mala Paklenica - Lekina Njiva: 3.30-4h

In the Seline village turn from the main road towards the Velebit following the sign "Mala Paklenica". After some 2.5 km, non surfaced road ends at the entrance in the canyon. If you walk it is 30 mins from the main road. For the next 40 mins path crosses the creek few times and gets to narrowest part of the canyon where path goes around waterfall using small shelf in the cliff. This place is secured with steel rope.

From here the steep climb begins for the next 40 mins. Scenery around you is spectacular, it feels like the walls are pressuring you. On the top of this climb bottom flattens a little bit but it still climbs constantly. There is no path, you just follow the marks, going over the rocks, jumping from one to another. It is very narrow on some places and some spots are secured with steel rope. This is nothing to worry about, just makes it more fun. In next 30 mins you get to entrance of small cave Kapljarka, here you can find water. Another 15 mins of climbing over or even under the rocks (on one place you go through window under rock, which is waterfall when there is water) gets you to top of the climb. You should reach this point in 2.30h from the entrance. It is very hard to give exact timings because it depends how fast anyone can go through this terrain.

In the next 30 mins marks, which still follow, here mostly flat bottom, get you to the point where Orljaca joins Mala Paklenica (altitude 480m). From the entrance to this point it takes around 3 hours.

Do not go through Orljaca unless you are experienced in the mountains on unmarked and wild terrain. Going through Orljaca will get you either to path from Modric to Vlaski Grad (on Libinje plateau) or you can follow it all the way to the end, bellow Vlaski Grad, and steeply climb to the pass and here join that route. You should get here in 3-4 hours.

Our marked path continues to follow bottom of Mala Paklenica for next 30 mins (1 km) and than leaves it, climbing steeply over left side of the valley for next 30 mins to Lekina Njiva (680m) where is important junction.

Lekina Njiva is a meadow which is placed above Mala Paklenica, on the edge of large plateau between Velika and Mala Paklenica canyons. Here we join path which approaches from Velika Paklenica valley via Jurline and continues towards Ivine Vodice via Veliko Mocilo. If you are caught by bad weather it is better to go Velika Paklenica from here (2h) than to return through Mala Paklenica.

Lekina Njiva - Veliko Mocilo - Martinovo Mirilo: 1.30h

On the crossing point of paths you turn right towards Veliko Mocilo and Ivine Vodice.

After 15 mins of climbing path continues at same altitude, high above Mala Paklenica with beautiful views on main ridge of Velebit and Sveto Brdo. On the right is huge Jerkovac - Vrsina massif. In 30 mins you reach Veliko Mocilo (750m), which used to be complex of meadows. Today there is little bit left of meadows, which are now mostly overgrown by pine forest. If you are looking for water follow the "Crni vrh" direction. Source is just on the beginning of the climb towards Crni vrh, 10 mins away, on the other side of Veliko Mocilo basin. Than return the same way on path towards Sveto Brdo.

In the next 30 mins path climbs again, sometimes steeply, in sharp bends over the Jablanusa pass (1000m) and descends on Martinovo Mirilo pass (914m), which is the touching, or dividing, point between Velika and Mala Paklenica. Here is important junction where our route joins Velika Paklenica route, so read that section for further going. Till this point you needed around 5.30 hours of walking and another 4h to Sveto Brdo.

Route through Mala Paklenica will give you a feeling of a true adventure in the wild place where very small number of people go.

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