Dom na Komni & Črno Jezero Loop

The Dom na Komni & Črno Jezero Loop, located not far from Lake Bled, is an alpine trekking destination for hikers to venture into the Slovenian Alps. For those looking for a bit more solitude, it also acts as the trailhead for longer and more intense hikes up into Triglav National Park. This lone Slovenian national park encompasses nearly all territory of the Julian Alps, and thus has some spectacular treks and peaks to offer, both in summer and winter. The Dom na Komni & Črno Jezero Loop is a good baseline circuit for accessing other adventures in the area, as it passes two different mountain huts, one of which is open year round.

Savica Slap is a hike milestone, a beautiful 78-meter waterfall that cascades down a moss-covered rock face into a crystal clear turquoise pool. To reach the viewing platform, it’s an easy 3-kilometer walk up some stone steps with a small entry fee. However, because it is a really cool sight with relatively little effort needed to witness, it can be incredibly crowded. Begin from the western shores of Lake Bohinj, just west of its more popular little sibling, Lake Bled. You can easily drive or take a bus directly from the Bled to the trailhead.

From the Savica Slap trailhead, follow the signs and take the left trail, rather than the right one to the waterfall. About 2.5 hours from the trailhead, through a series of sustained steep switchbacks that reach up to a strenuous 30% grade and climb 783 meters, you’ll reach Koča pod Bogatinom (1,513 m), located at the end of the valley, Spodnje na Lepo Komno. This small mountain hut offers a place to get some food and drink if you need to refuel after the long slog up. Alternatively, you can also stay there from June 15th to September 30, or during the New Year and May skiing holidays.

Hike another 0.5 kilometer (or about 15 minutes) along mostly flat trail, following the very clear signage, to another, larger mountain hut and cable car station called Dom na Komni (1,520 m). The existence of these huts dates back over a century. During World War I, this trail was actually used as a supply trail for the Krn Mountain 50th Infantry Division, over which soldiers used Bosnian ponies to haul supplies. However, once winter came, horses became too inefficient to bring up the massive amounts of supplies through snow, and instead a supply cableway was installed in 1915, which carried 40 to 50 tons of material every day.

The Dom na Komni hut itself was built by Slovenian Mountaineering Association in 1936. It later burned down during World War II and was rebuilt in 1948. Having been last renovated in 2005, it now stays open year round for both summer hiking and winter ski touring. Throughout its 21 rooms, is has 74 beds and more space to sleep in the common room.

From the lodge, you’ll need to retrace your steps for about 0.2 kilometer before splintering off on a left-hand trail to Črno Jezero. These splits are clearly marked. This section of trail descends a bit at first, then rises to its highest point, just over 1,600 meters, over a total of 3.5 kilometers (just over an hour in hiking time) between the hut and the lake. This bit provides some spectacular views of Lake Bohinj and the valley along this stretch, as well as some pretty exposed sections. In parts, the trail scrawls narrowly along the mountainside with steep drops to your right.

Nestled right at the base of the towering Komarča limestone cliffs, you’ll find Črno Jezero (1,310 m), or Black Lake, the lowest and warmest lake in the Triglav Lakes Valley. It is named not for its emerald green waters, but for its location in the middle of a dark and prehistoric-feeling forest through which you’ll hike to and from its shores. The trail here is rocky and overgrown by moss, like the earth trying to reclaim its territory.

The way down from the the lake is slow and steep, alternating between scree slides and via ferrata trail aids. The scree gets tedious, but the via ferrata provide some of the most interesting parts of the trail, in which you’ll be hiking over nothing more than iron bars protruding from the rock.

Toward the bottom of the steep descent, you’ll reach a fork in the trail. The left will take you back to your point of origin, but the right will take you to the top of Savica Slap, the very source of where the waters gush out from a dark cave in the tall cliffs rising on all sides. Best of all, not many people find themselves there, so you’ll likely have the little oasis to yourself. If you look carefully over the edge, you can look down on the paid viewing platform that gives visitors a view of the falls at their base. From there, descend another 240 meters in 2.5 kilometers all the way back to the trailhead.

Possible Modifications: This loop can easily be extended into a multi-day excursion if bagging some of the peaks in the area is of interest. Some of the summits (along with official time estimates according to navigation signs) accessed from these huts are:

• Bogatin (1,977 m): Easy, 1h 45 min
• Mahavšček (2,005 m): Easy, 2h 15 min
• Lanževica (2,003 m): Easy, 2h
• Vogel (1,923 m): Easy, 3h
• Tolminski kuk (2,086 m): Moderate, 3h
• Vrh nad Škrbino (2,054 m): Hard, 3h 30 min