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Slovenian Mountain Trail
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Slovenian Mountain Trail

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  • Matkan aloitus
    25. elokuuta 2017
  • cb-travelsSlovenian Mountain TrailMatkaaja

    Ljubljana... Wow!

    25. elokuuta 2017, Slovenia ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    Ok, yes, I can almost hear you... This indeed looks more like a pub crawl than a mountain trail. I'm still very much in realm of modern civilization. In fact I'm staying in a fantastic little airbnb with a lovely host who gives me tipps and is always up for a chat or a glass of wine.

    What you see in the pictures is an average summer Friday in Ljubljana. And let me tell you, Londons Borough Markets seem a tad boring all of a sudden. I'm not gonna do it justice with words, all I can say is that if you like your food (and not just the quantity) you will have an awesome time in Ljubljana.    Lue lisää

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  • cb-travelsSlovenian Mountain TrailMatkaaja

    Last minute

    26. elokuuta 2017, Slovenia ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C

    Day 2 really was about finishing my preparations. Thankfully Ljubljana has numerous outdoor sports shops so it was easy finding what was missing and replace what was broken. Since my Slovenian is still only about 10 words in total it took a fair amount of time. But hey, I'm on vacation... I'm even more relaxed than usual!

    The other last minute prep was deciding on a final route for the next 2 weeks. The R1 is far too long to walk all of it, so I've been pondering and deliberating on sections. There are some real mountainous sections in the middle where ropes and climbing gear are advised. I'm not gonna attempt those.

    Instead I'm gonna test my mettle on the easy route from Maribor to maximum Solčava first. 111km for which my guide book says 8 days. I'm hoping for a few less, but let's see how we go.    Lue lisää

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  • cb-travelsSlovenian Mountain TrailMatkaaja

    And I'm off!

    27. elokuuta 2017, Slovenia ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    Prep done, packed and ready to go. I'm on the first train from Ljubljana to Maribor. Thankfully that means a gentle 7am start... nice and easy.

    Oh... as it turns out it also means a but of rail replacement service... a term at which any Londoner would normally cringe and shudder. So far it's a very relaxed affair even with the promise of a refund at the end because of the slower train. Take that TFL.Lue lisää

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  • cb-travelsSlovenian Mountain TrailMatkaaja
    1

    Day 1 on the trail - first half

    27. elokuuta 2017, Slovenia ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    Hiking! Finally! And uphill... what a start! 2 hours straight up up and upper. It's hot and I'm soaked. They say that long distance hiking means to get comfortable with being uncomfortable... so this was a very fitting start. The bag feels heavy and the walking poles still need some getting used.

    All the Slovenians that I've met so far have been really nice and welcoming. And my host at the ski station is no exception. Banging his huge kitchen knife on a pot, he's calling the holiday makers from the cabins across the slope who join us for a late lunch fresh from the barbie. Some of those sausages are for me though... not very vegetarian, but they are delicious and most certainly very welcome :)    Lue lisää

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    Day 1 - second half

    27. elokuuta 2017, Slovenia ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    It got a lot easier after that. A lot! After lunch the trail was a lot less scrambling up rain drainage paths and a lot more forest roads. Still, I finished my first hiking day after around 12km. Less than I could have done but more than the guide book suggested. I even treated myself to a nice 14 Euro room and a shower (and and a cooked dinner of course). The plan is to start early tomorrow and make the most of the cooler temperatures in the morning. And with that.... good night :) (at 8pm!)Lue lisää

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    Section 2 - before lunch

    28. elokuuta 2017, Slovenia ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    Two footprints for the same section? Again? Yes... it's been a loooong day.

    But first things first.... getting up early sort of worked. I was back on the trail before 7. At 8.30am I stopped for coffee and breakfast in a lovely picnic area besides a stream. Jetboil working like a charm :)

    The trail then basically led through beautiful woodlands all day. There were a lot of people out and about foraging for mushrooms. We all wish each other "Dober dan!" a "Good Day" when meeting, but I wish I could talk a little more. A couple of people spoke to me... or tried to... and with one of them I had a little chat in german which was nice.

    Lunch came a little late at 1.45pm because I inadvertently took a detour and had to backtrack for about 30 mins. However 20km before lunch, I felt pretty happy with myself.    Lue lisää

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  • cb-travelsSlovenian Mountain TrailMatkaaja

    Section 2 - after lunch

    28. elokuuta 2017, Slovenia ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    ... and then the weather took a turn for the worse and we experienced what's known as a heavy thundery shower. Luckily I was still at the koča for lunch when this happened but it set the tone for the rest of the day.

    I didn't really fancy being on the trail with something like this coming down. So I decided to wait it out and then set off at a brisk pace for the remaining 10km of the day. After it had cleared initially however, I got caught in another heavy downpour towards the end. Luckily without the thunder and lightning bits this time... just very wet. It made for some spectacular views too but nevertheless I'm looking forward to the remainder of the week being warm and dry.

    First 20 mile day! Yeah!!    Lue lisää

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  • cb-travelsSlovenian Mountain TrailMatkaaja

    Ribinska to Slovenj Gradec - Morning

    29. elokuuta 2017, Slovenia ⋅ ⛅ 8 °C

    So after a day of playing cat and mouse with the next downpour.... what will the morning bring?? Well... FOG... lots of fog... great! Luckily the sun made it through eventually and turned the misty morning into a stunner of a day.

    This section started the appearance of the shrines. There are quite a few of the along the way now... but not all of them as big as the one in the foto.

    Walking wise, I feel good... not gonna do 30km every day though ;)    Lue lisää

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  • cb-travelsSlovenian Mountain TrailMatkaaja

    Slovenj Gradec

    29. elokuuta 2017, Slovenia ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    Lunch, apart from being delicious, also brought on the wise decision not to do a crazy push for 30km today. Especially not with 13km pretty much uphill towards the very end.

    So instead I went for a quick resupply in the pretty town of Slovenj Gradec. It was the first time the trail actually led through a town, so time for a little "see and be seen" (or ."..be smelled" maybe? .... the day was getting really hot now).

    Anyway... I enjoyed the aircon in the supermarket, snapped a few pics and was back walking to find a place to camp for the night.    Lue lisää

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  • cb-travelsSlovenian Mountain TrailMatkaaja

    Good morning

    30. elokuuta 2017, Slovenia ⋅ ☀️ 10 °C

    After an early start and an hour of good hiking, it's time for breakfast. (also, I ran out of water over dinner last night so needed a refill)

    Mostly the world is still asleep. I startled deer, a few dogs and exchanged gloomy nods with a couple of people driving to work. Guess I'd be gloomy as well having to go to work on a morning like this. It's a serene and very beautiful morning in Slovenia, and I love it.

    Btw... the slightly dark pic was taken from the tent when I got up ;)    Lue lisää

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  • cb-travelsSlovenian Mountain TrailMatkaaja
    1

    Mount St. Ursula

    30. elokuuta 2017, Slovenia ⋅ ☀️ 15 °C

    ... or in Slovenian "Uršlja Gora". I hiked it for two reasons.
    1. To honour my favourite aunt Uschi
    2. It happened to be en-route ;)

    It was a really nice hike up the 1680 meters. The trail was quite narrow at times and fairly steep. So steep in fact that somebody had thought to create a little side trail to a water source halfway up.

    I startled yet more deer in the forest and even overtook a fellow hiker... mind you, she had enough breath left to have a phone call!

    Fantastic views from the top! Somebody built a church right there, though I fail to see how that's gonna help attendance numbers each Sunday :)    Lue lisää

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    The magic forest

    30. elokuuta 2017, Slovenia ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    Well the day went on after Mount St Ursula... no rest for the wicked ;)

    The afternoon turned out to be magic forest time. I have taken a lot of pictures but none really come close to what is was really like. In fact it felt a little bit like walking from the Shire to Bree... but without any black riders (sorry non-Tolkinistas?). Sometimes it was idyllic, sometimes dark and oppressive but there was hardly any trace of forestry, even the paths were too small for modern tractors. I didn't encounter a soul for the whole afternoon. Pretty cool!Lue lisää

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  • cb-travelsSlovenian Mountain TrailMatkaaja

    The weather

    31. elokuuta 2017, Slovenia ⋅ 🌙 8 °C

    I am setting off early again. 5 o'clock waking up, 6 o'clock heading out. And the reason for this is the weather.... tomorrows weather to be precise... which is meant to be thunderstorms and rain. Combining that with climbing a 2000 meter high mountain seemed a really bad plan. So instead, why not get up early and do it all in one go! Better plan? Hopefully :)

    But before I can even start making it up a really high mountain, I have to hike 13km to get there in the first place. So let's go!    Lue lisää

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    Veliko Raduha

    31. elokuuta 2017, Slovenia ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    After pushing pretty hard for about 4h this morning (the signs indicate 5.5h for that section) I finally got to Koča na Loki. Isn't Loki the ancient norse god of mischief?? (Thank you Stargate for this nugget of wisdom)

    Anyway... left again after only half an hour of break with coffee and water. The idea was to have a late lunch after the big mountain. Unfortunately that meant doing the steepest climb in the hottest hours of the day... and boy was it hot.

    The views from the top however were awesome! Raduha is the first mountain on the trail that's over 2000 meters and it was great just to sit there enjoying the view, pondering life.... and figure out how to get off this mountain again.

    I was a little anxious about the descent since it mentions cables and pegs in the guidebook and I would have preferred my first taste of that to be uphill not down. In general, I really,really don't like going downhill...

    Anyway, it turned out they had changed the path and it was much easier. Mind you, there were still a few moments that got the heart going and it was definitely not a path for those afraid of heights! Finally, after about an hour of downhill hiking/sliding/jumping, I finally get a nice lunch, coffee and break. By now it's about 2.30pm.    Lue lisää

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    Fangorn forest to Solčava

    31. elokuuta 2017, Slovenia ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    The 3rd and final leg of the day was meant to be just 5km down to the valley to Solčava...

    Well, nobody had thought to mention that the path would be the most narrow and gnarly so far on this trail. So, to keep with the Tolkien metaphor (sorry, normal people)... this was now Fangorn Forest, wild, overgrow and with fallen trees and rocks putting obstacles in my path. It was AWESOME! Eventually the going got easier and the views switched on postcard mode. Wow! That's all I can say.... wow!

    By then I had hiked for more than 10 hours, not counting breaks. So with the trail starting to follow forest roads, I was a bit on autopilot and missed a turnoff. Instead of the direct path to the village I kept following the gravel road which lead to an additional hour of walking. Great.

    The day finished with camping in Solčava by the side of a quiet side road. I had asked the neighbours and they said it was fine. There was a stream nearby to freshen up in and I was set up, washed and had dinner just as it started to go dark, roughly 14h after I had set out in the morning.

    What a day, what a day! :)    Lue lisää

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  • cb-travelsSlovenian Mountain TrailMatkaaja

    Sitting, waiting, wishing

    1. syyskuuta 2017, Slovenia ⋅ 🌧 15 °C

    Not much happening today. I got up, packed everything and ventured to find a bus out of Solčava. It was 8.30am. Turns out the next bus is at 1pm.

    So, nothing to do but to wait at the café across the road, have breakfast, drink coffees (4), try the local liquor (1, blueberry), chat with the waitress (1), watch the locals (many) drop by and the rain roll in.

    Very relaxing... Cheers!    Lue lisää

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  • cb-travelsSlovenian Mountain TrailMatkaaja

    Re-supply

    2. syyskuuta 2017, Slovenia ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    "Re-supply? What shopping does he need eating at mountain huts every day???" - I can almost feel your raised eyebrows through the internet! Yes, I admit, my re-supply is basically bying more gummy bears. That and sleep. It's been great getting up each day to hike but omg did I enjoy lying in bed for a day! Now I'm ready for the second part of the trip tomorrow.

    So, no pictures? Well, what would go better with a rest day than food pics! Here are some examples of what my diet has been like the last week:

    Stews, stews, stews.... they seem to be the go to food at the cabins. Big portions of hearty, rustic, delicious one-pot wonders served with slices of bread. Ingredients vary and some huts seem to have local specialties. Of course there is goulash as well but to be honest, I'm not a big fan of the slovenian version. It's not spicy and seems to be more of a case of pieces of beef in a mix of gravy and mashed potatoes. However, some of the other stewy creations were fantastic, like Pasulj, Jota or Ričet.

    Add ramen or rice for when I cooked on my stove and of course loads of veggies and some treats today in the city. I almost get hungry again just writing about it... hhmm, maybe a gummy bear... just one...    Lue lisää

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    Back on track/trail

    3. syyskuuta 2017, Slovenia ⋅ ⛅ 11 °C

    I'm hiking again! Yes! And what better way to start than with a 3.5h slog from 600 meters all the way up to 2067 meters.... up up up!

    There were some great views again though. In the last but one pic (rocky path on the right) you can actually see part of the valley where I started the day (in the distance illuminated by the sun).

    It was a lot chillier up there as well. First time wearing a jacket and full-length trousers.    Lue lisää

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  • cb-travelsSlovenian Mountain TrailMatkaaja

    Valley of the Triglav lakes

    3. syyskuuta 2017, Slovenia ⋅ ⛅ 9 °C

    As seems to be so often the case, after lunch was once again different than before lunch. Firstly, I had only about 2h to go to reach my destination for the day and secondly it was mainly downhill. Yeah! (not steep downhill, mind ya, we hate that)

    Also, nature decided to put on a little show for me. It started with a brief snow shower which turned into dramatic clouds over glittering lakes and for the last act a couple of locals made a special appearance, namely ibex, marmots and even an alpine salamander all in black.

    That little guy was moving so so slowly, it must either have been very cold or maybe it was convinced it would blend in (like the little chameleon in Dr. Dolittle)... hhmm, not as much as you think my friend, not as much, hahaha!    Lue lisää

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    Krn

    4. syyskuuta 2017, Slovenia ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C

    2244 meters. It's what's gonna be the highest point of this hike for me. Arriving here unfortunately wasn't that much of a highlight but rather more of a fog light (sorry, terrible joke that). I didn't even add a picture it was so grey at the summit.

    The way to the mountain on the other hand, much more interesting! It was like Ansel Adams with some history mixed in.

    And tonight I would spend the evening at 2182 meters with a colourful group of people ... some Americans (who incidentally have done the John Muir trail in Northern California before), some Slovenes (who are here to look for artifacts from the 1st World War battles that raged in this area) and a group of Latvian girls with gigantic bachpacks who just arrived just now. Last but and least two czech guys and of course jolly "old" me!

    What a mix... all stuck together in a hut on top of a mountain without electricity or running water but instead with two hosts full of conspiracy theories.    Lue lisää

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  • cb-travelsSlovenian Mountain TrailMatkaaja

    Down, down, down

    5. syyskuuta 2017, Slovenia ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    Another glorious day of hiking... mostly downhill as hinted on already. Two small oddities here....

    1.) A mushroom picture - no hike is truly complete without one

    2.) For those curious about my American hiking buddies... you can see them in the blue-sky picture. They are smack bang in the center of the frame, silhouetted against the sky. Might need to zoom in just a tiny wee bitLue lisää

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    Hiking on top of the clouds

    6. syyskuuta 2017, Slovenia ⋅ ⛅ 11 °C

    And just in case there was any doubt about how cool this place is... let's bring in some clouds. Wow... that was pretty spectacular! There were some moments that got the heart pumping and this again definitely wasn't the time to be afraid of heights. But the views... really, really cool.

    Actually walking IN the clouds rather than ON TOP of the clouds.. not so interesting... but that is another story.    Lue lisää

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    A walk in the woods

    6. syyskuuta 2017, Slovenia ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    It ended the same way it began... with a walk in the woods. The last 8.5km of my trail today led from up in the clouds at Črna Prst all the way down to Petrovo Brdo and went along beautiful forest paths/roads.

    Navigation was easy and so I had time to take it all in once more... the sounds and smells of the forest, the fresh air .... and of course also the burning in my legs from walking for 9 hours. It was a fantastic journey.    Lue lisää

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