21 Sep 2008 - Trekking in Slovenia
Have you ever considered Slovenia for a hillwalking trip?
The Slovenian climate is warm and sunny, perfect for hillwalking, and there are few insects. The countryside is beautiful, the mountains begging to be climbed, and the towns are clean and attractive with open air restaurants and cafes/bars. The balconies of the Alpine houses are so pretty, draped with hanging red geraniums.
I spent the first week of September with 6 walking friends in the medieval town of Radovljica, a quaint, gothic style town, set in meadows and woodlands, with the Julian Alps, the Triglav National Park, the Karavanke Mountains, and the lakes Bled and Bohinji all within reach.
The party consisted of 16 walkers, from Canada, France, UK etc, led by 2 young Slovenian guides.
Our first day was light, a forested climb to Gozd Martljuek, a rugged area of the Julian Alps. After the initial climb, we headed into a deep gorge on a very narrow exposed path with iron handholds fixed in the rock – a via ferrata. Once over the racing river by wire rope, one of the group slipped and badly broke his wrist. Mountain Rescue was quickly called, a helicopter arrived, and our Scottish friend was winched aboard, and operated on that evening at Jesenice Hospital. His plans to complete his last 5 Munros this month are cancelled !
Another day saw us at the mysterious Baron’s Tunnels, which run thru’ the mountain of Begunjscica in the Karavanke Mountains. How the Baron ever rode his horse up the track is not clear, as the path is now narrow, exposed, with more iron handhold support.
We climbed to Golica, the beautiful mountain border ridge of 120km between Slovenia and Austria, and saw the posts where until recently soldiers kept guard at 1835m to prevent illegal border crossings.