Platak - Snježnik - Mirnjak - Guslica - Platak (07/2023)
Trail photos
Author
Trail stats
- Distance
- 7.84 mi
- Elevation gain
- 2,047 ft
- Technical difficulty
- Moderate
- Elevation loss
- 2,047 ft
- Max elevation
- 4,946 ft
- TrailRank
- 51
- Min elevation
- 3,601 ft
- Trail type
- Loop
- Moving time
- 4 hours 17 minutes
- Time
- 6 hours 46 minutes
- Coordinates
- 2292
- Uploaded
- July 15, 2023
- Recorded
- July 2023
near Platak, Primorsko-goranska (Hrvatska)
Viewed 121 times, downloaded 11 times
Trail photos
Itinerary description
Technical difficulty: 2/5
Note #1: The trail is mostly very well marked and accessible, but hikers don't usually do such a loop in the area. They go either to Snježnik alone, rarely to Guslica, and very rarely Mirnjak. For this reason, some parts of the trail (specially around Mirnjak) are a bit overgrown and having long pants is advisable. The most interesting peak on this trail is Guslica, which stands atop an ex-military base and is ripe with urban legends about secret nuclear shelters and espionage.
Note #2: Even if the trail is about 60-65% in the shade, there's no springs or potable water anywhere. So make sure to bring enough hydration with you.
Note #3: The marking on Intersection #14 are a bit hidden due to logging activity. See the waypoint description for more info.
--
The trail starts at the huge parking lot on Platak. From the parking lot, a forest trail leads first to the Snježnik peak (variant 'preko grebena'; eng. over the ridge).
From Snježnik, you can see Mirnjak plainly further north. Immediately below Snježnik there's the ruins of an out-of-use mountain lodge, and going past it after a short while (and couple of smaller hills) you'll reach the intersection for Mirnjak. After a 10 minute walk on the hill and another 20-25 minutes trek through the woods you will arrive at the Mirnjak base, a section which requires you to use your hands to scramble over rocks.
From the peak, you backtrack back to intersection #10 and continue towards Guslica. From Guslica, backtrack about 10 minutes to Intersection #13 and descend towards Platak.
The last 1.5-2km of the trail are on the asphalt road leading to the parking lot on Platak.
Waypoints
Car park
3,798 ft
Car Parking / Platak
Car parking at Platak; parking itself is free, while other amenities in the area (like renting sports equipment, grill space, etc.) is paid. There's always plenty of space, and if you go on workdays chances are there'll be nobody there.
Intersection
4,450 ft
Intersection #7 / Rimska vrata / to Snježnik
'Rimska vrata' aka eng. The Roman pass/doors.
Summit
4,930 ft
Snježnik (1505 m)
The most-famed and visited peak in the area, Snježnik. It's highly accessible and a perfect introduction to hiking for beginners and non-hikers in general. It offers just the right amount of pain & gain. A nice and not too difficult hike, rewarded by a beautiful view.
Intersection
4,539 ft
Intersection #9 / to Mirnjak (right-hand path)
Note that the signs are faded here, but Mirnjak is on the right-hand path form here.
Intersection
4,584 ft
Intersection #11 / go left
Panorama
4,517 ft
Rudenjak's Viewpoint
Rudenjakov vidikovac (eng. Rudenjak's Viewpoint) offers a great view of the western slope or Snježnik
Intersection
4,488 ft
Intersection #12 / go straight
The marking is not really visible until you go a bit further straight. If you go right and see the tree with the vertical writing "Srebrna vrata", you're going the wrong way.
Summit
4,669 ft
Mirnjak (1426 m)
Mirnjak is a rarely-visited peak, due to it being just outside the most popular routes. It's a shame because it offers a really nice view, similar to Snježnik. Further North there's Guslica and Planina peaks, with the Slovenian peak Snežnik looming in the distance (Snježnik and Snežnik are sister-peaks). You can also plainly see the Lazac valley.
Summit
4,813 ft
Guslica (1490 m)
Guslica is a special peak, due to its history. At the time of Yugoslavia, it was an air traffic radar base of the Yugoslav National Army (JNA). It was fully completed at the onset of the Balkan Wars, and abandoned by the JNA. The Croatian Army took it over, but simply let it fall into ruin. The whole base was pillaged and scavenged. It got its infamy due to the fact that there are four levels of underground tunnels under Guslica, designed to house about 50 people. Urban legend said that it was built to shelter the political and military leaders in case of nuclear war. Whatever the truth is, today's it's used by the Croatian Ministry of the Interior as an air traffic radar again, with a telecommunications tower being built on top. All the entrances to the tunnels have been sealed... but the mystery still remains :)
Intersection
4,120 ft
Intersection #14 / !!! read description !!!
At the time (07/2023) the next marking from here is obscured due to logging activity. From the tree in the photo, take a slight left (roughly in the direction of the marking on the other side of the tree) and then continue. After about 20-30 m you should get back on the marked trail.
Intersection
3,983 ft
Intersection #15 / go left
Intersection
3,629 ft
Intersection #16 / go left
You can add a comment or review this trail
Comments