Viševnik!

Viševnik (2050m), a quite innocent mountain at first glance, historically took the most lives in Slovenia. However, this is by far not the most dangerous peak; it's simply subject to winter mass tourism. You can leave your car on Pokljuka (1400m), which means it's quite easy and quick to climb. Due to a good weather forecast and solid snow conditions, we decided to test this famous Viševnik - and he gave us everything we came for: a warm cloudless day with no breeze and some powder desert in the forest. Zor was content, while Kebr capitalized the trip by skiing in short sleeves.

From Autumn to Winter...

...in the blink of an eye! On the last days of October, Ana and I felt that autumn and all it's beautiful textures are saying their final goodbye. The mountain meadows below Storžič, Mala and Velika Poljana, were probably the best choice for the sunny afternoon. We were first welcomed by breathtaking colors of nature (dressing up for a harsh winter) and later by a family, staying at a hunting lodge on Mala Poljana. They were making the last count of the chamois population this year and kindly offered us mountain tea. After an hour of chit-chat we realized it was time to link back with reality and descent to the valley.


Less than a week later, winter decided to show all its anger and started with its usual artillery: low temperatures, chilly wind and endless snow blizzards. This turned out to be the winning combination of spices, which allowed Kebr and me to make a an early ski-touring trip to Krvavec. Kebr celebrated our triumph with his usual power drink - CocaCola.

Co-workers and more..

October has not been the most active month concerning sports, however I have been working a lot and writing projects for my studies. I have concluded that I spend about 5x more time with my co-workers than with Ana - my girlfriend. Luckily, they are co-workers one could only wish for - all young, full of energy, share similar values, like to eat well, do a lot of sports and the long hours of sometimes boring IT QM management pass like nothing. The first picture is from our hiking trip on Triglav, while the second one is from last-weeks picnic at my place. To make the family complete, Maja brought her boyfriend (Andraž), I brought my better half (Ana) and Aleš brought his little successor (Valentin).

Porezen.. on two wheels!

Kebr likes to take it easy in life; however, when I give him a call for ski-touring or mountain-biking, he is always hungry for action. This time we choose Porezen (1630m), which stands above Cerkno and shares its rule of the area with Ratitovec (1667m) and Blegoš (1562m). The road got quite bumpy towards the top and we had to be watchful for oblivious cows happily leaping around. The trip was not a walk in the park and we enjoyed long sunbathing at the mountain hut, until we finally climbed our bikes and descended 1300m below us.

Korzika - a mountain out of the sea!

Every summer demands a long vacation and as the Croatian coast is not so exciting after all these years, we decided to try something new. The French island Corsica was the first to fall in my head, probably because it has all the goods: sandy beaches, pointy mountains, idyllic nature, breathtaking biking terrain, extraordinary food and besides everything, we could drive there with my car! The first stop was in Firenze, where we were welcomed by 39 degrees Celsius, however, still enjoyed a nice evening - playing tourists and observing great architecture.


The next day we pushed towards Livorno and after a quick boat trip landed in Corsica - the promised land. As we struggled to find a less crowded camp around St. Florent, we realized that we have arrived on an island packed with Italian tourists at the peak of their "Ferragosta." We decided we simply couldn't stay here and the sunset drive across the desert was probably the highlight of the day. Tired and disappointed we put-up our tent in a crowded camp somewhere around the city of Ile-Rousse.


It was the last weekend of the high season and as we packed our things on Monday morning and moved to a much nicer camp, I could feel that Corsica has shaken-off a big portion of its tourist burden. We found a very shady spot on the edge of the camp right next to the Ostriconi beach. I set up all the commodities (table, chairs, water jug, hammock..), Ana made pancakes and even the summer heat couldn't spoil our happiness. A short biking trip in the evening was inevitable and if I forget the cactus spikes all over my hands, it was a very decent warm-up. Ana was full of energy and decided to chase a little white calf up the road, until he finally gave up the game and bravely jumped off the road. (see picture above)


Early next morning we packed our things and continued to explore the interior of the island - where we found idyllic remote villages, endless mountains and when the sugar in our blood fell below a comfortable level, we simply stopped and ate fresh figs straight from the trees. In the evening time we drove to Calvi, had a short walk on its glamorous riviera packed with high-class tourists and luxury yachts that were posing like a line of polished soldiers. We enjoyed cold Corsican beer (Pietra) on the walls of the Calvi fortress - with endless views and more than a 100 meters of vertical cliff below us.


On the forth day we packed all the gear and moved to Corte - the capital city in times of Corsican independence which sits between magnificent mountains of the island. There we found a peaceful camp in the La Restonica gorge, with a crystal clear mountain spring 20 meters below our tent. We quickly figured that fresh water is the number-1 luxury of a camp. You can swim in the hot hours of the day, it offers a fridge for all the food and most important - I could drink cold Pietra:) Of course, we didn't neglect the mountains and went for a serious hike to a few glacier lakes, which strongly resemble our Triglav beauties.


The last two days were reserved for the east coast, which is the land of romantic sunrises and endless sandy beaches. We settled at a camp a few kilometers north of Solenzara, where the beach was just 30 meters from our tent. Ana continued with her "outdoor" food specialties and after a lot of biking, swimming and hours of simply doing nothing, we decided to spend the last day by a crystal pool of a mountain river, where we could freshen-up and drink cold Pietra again.


After a good week on the island we were ready to go back home, however, determined to return back to Corsica - the island that has it all!



Expenses (for both of us together):

- Food and drinks (including 5x restaurant)..................280€
- Gasoline + highway tolls..........................................200€
- Camps 7x (car, tent, 2 adults).................................140€
- Ferryboat (1 car, 2 bikes, 2 adults)............................85€
- Hostel in Firenze.......................................................40€
- Extra health insurance (9 days).................................30€
Together(2 people).................................................775€

Romantic weekend in Bohinj!

After three days of laborious cycling it was time to relax and get spoiled at one of the best hotels in Slovenia - Bohinj Park Hotel. Ok, this is how the story began.. we went to see a premiere (Špaltna Express - alpinistic film by Freeaproved.com) in Cankarjev dom and at the end of the show, won the first price - a romantic weekend for two in Bohinj Park Hotel. Let's says that this was more than all-inclusive as it included luxuries such as: presidential apartment with jacuzzi on the terrace, saunas, massages, chocolate fondo with champagne, bowling, fancy dinners, etc. Ana and I enjoyed every minute of the experience, however decided to spice up the weekend with sports, while a running competition on saturday morning was just in place. It's a great 12 kilometer race going through forests around the lake and in about 50 minutes I was back at the start with a good reason to continue the spoiling:) Sunday was reserved for a short family hike to the mountain meadows above and after a big portion of sour milk on Planina v Lazu, we were ready to finish one of the most relaxing weekends Ana and I have ever enjoyed. I'm kind of glad such things happen only a few times in life, or else I would get quite used to them and they would simply become too ordinary.


P.S. My favorite accomodation is still a five-star winter room above 1500m, with unlimited blankets and more than 0 degrees Celsius.. home-sweet home:)

Biking sLOVEnia - 2009!

Long hours of sitting in the office produce crazy ideas in my head, which are impossible to get rid of and I simply have to carry them out. This time it was a three-day biking trip starting in Jesenice and ending all the way at my grandmother's place in Postojna - which meant almost 300 kilometers and a 3000 meter climb. (Un)lucky Ana was joining me all the way and after a few days of rest we can say that it was a trip full of laughs, adventure, history, sweat and sites that we will never forget!


Together with "iron" Damjan, we took a very early train to Jesenice - hoping to escape the summer heat. The beautiful cycling path towards Kranjska gora was a great warm-up, and after a quick snack we started pushing towards the mountain pass Vršič (1611m), where the road gets so steep that cycling sometimes resembles a hard training in fitness. After a short stop at the Russian chapel (built by the Russian prisoners in WW1), we made a final push and reached the top at around 11 o'clock. The pass was full of tourists, that climbed it with all kinds of machines, while all three of us were proud of the sweat that was slowly drying on our foreheads. The sun started to get stronger by the minute and we simply couldn't resist the crystal-white Soča on the other side of the mountain. Ana and I felt reborn, while Damjan was determined not to set foot in the 8-degree glacier spring. This was the end of the trip for Damjan, however, the old rascal decided that he simply didn't have enough and planed to drive back to Ljubljana by bike. His stubbornness has no limits and after about 200km of tenacious pounding, he was denied by the darkness around 40km before reaching Ljubljana - still this is a serous accomplishment with a mountain bike: respect!



Ana and I took it a little more easy and slept in the idyllic atmosphere of Bovec. Ok the second day was probably the hardest, but putting biking aside... we saw lots of waterfalls and other natural beauties, visited the WWI museum in Kobarid and really felt the dark history of this place in the Italian WWI trenches scattered across the Kolovrat mountain. We also stopped in Melinki, a remote village in the mountains, which was the birth place of my grandfather. For the first time in my life, I saw the house he was born in and talked to some of his relatives that told us great stories.. ok, but that's another story. I also saw the image of my grand-grand father cut in the stone of the house. A kind neighbor also showed us his private ethnologic museum, full of equipment that was used in the old times and hundreds of his wooden sculptures he has carved in the last 50 years:) Time was running out and we quickly jumped back to the valley of Soca and down towards Nova Gorica. There we crossed the "border" and drove on the Italian side - just for the fun of it. We arrived in Šempetter quite beaten, but were well nourished by my twin cousins.


The final day was a little shorter; however we still had to make a huge climb from Ajdovščina across Podkraj and down to Postojna. There, my grandmother welcomed us with open hands and we ate, showered, rested and then ate again! It was a great trip full of everything.. however; you can see on the picture below, that Ana was more than happy to go home:)

Triglav - undressed!

Summer has finally won the battle for the Alps and erased most of the snow, while I was glad to find out that the Triglav glacier has expanded a little - thanks to a long and harsh winter. You could practically ski at least 300m of vertical drop from the north face of the massif until the end of the glacier:) Anyways, I have put mountains to the side a little in the last two months, while I was doing quite a lot of other sports of less epic proportions - badminton, running, cycling, basketball, etc. Ana has scolded my winter nostalgia quite a few times, saying that "all I think of, is mountains and snow!" :)


Triglav (2864) is the king of the Slovenian Alps and the symbol of our nation and shows its magnificence even in the summer time. Yesterday, it was full of alpinists, mountaineers, hikers and not to forget the "Check" tourists with running sneakers and water-battles in their hands. Our team consisted of my coworkers: Aleš, Mitja, Maja and two other friends - Andraž (Maja's boyfriend) and Damjan. It was a beautiful cloudless morning and we reached the top in around 5 hours - at great tempo. Except for the fact that I forgot my sandwiches at home, we had a great time and decided this is definitely not the last time! Damjan and I finished the tirp swimming in Bled and sunbathing with beers in our hands.

My fruit garden!

They say that every man has to do three things in life: 1. marry, 2. build a house and 3. plant a tree. Well, the first two are still in progress, but I can proudly say that the third one is more than completed:) I have a small nook in the back of the garden (most of it belongs to my mom's flower bushes), where I planted a pear, apple and a cherry tree two years ago. The cherry tree has beared a single cherry this year and believe me, it was one of the best I have ever tasted! The apple and pear tree are also working on a few fruits, but we will have to wait until fall. On the other side, my raspberry, blackberry and currant bushes are a lot quicker and way more ambitious...

Biking around Krim..

Finally came the time to store away the skies for a summer nap and wipe-off the dust from our bicycles. Well actually the two sports are quite similar.. both are very physical, take scene in the mountains, are way fun, full of adrenaline and most important - you can spend time with your girl or your friends. My weapon of choice is still the legendary Merida mountain-bike, which I got for my 17th birthday from my father:) Its minor health issues sometimes remind me that I should perhaps start thinking of a new one, however, nostalgy is not allowing it yet:)


We had a German holiday this monday at work, so Ana and I quickly plotted a biking adventure around the hills of Krim. We started at my place and then continued past: Gornji Ig, Rakitna, Beč, Padež, Pokojišče and back down to Borovnica where we ate like kings:) There was a little bit of everything - adrenaline, sweat, dirt roads, thick forests and forgotten villages! I honestly admit that after 62 kilometers of biking and a 1000m climb.. I realized that my biking form still needs improvement. But no worries of course, the season is still young:)

The Triglav "glacier" and lots of Sun!

When everybody takes-off for an early summer vacation at the coast, we usually cool down somewhere around Triglav. This year I went with my better half (Ana) and we had a great trip with lots of snow, sunshine and tons of fun! We ascended up the glacier valley of Kot, which is still completely submerged in snow and up to Staničev hut (2332m) - one of the highest and most beautiful mountain huts in Slovenia. There was a heavy storm rumbling in the night - Triglav was showing his muscles - however, we were enjoying the comfort of the cosy winter room: cooking soup, joking around and drinking bilberry snaps:) The room had around 13 degrees and we slept like babies!


It was a cloudless morning and we ascended on the ridge of Rž (2538m), where the valley of Krma was practically on the palms of our hands. There was no hurry and we enjoyed the mountain peace and endless views for at least an hour - before we started to pack for our descent. Good compacted snow has been spoiling me for the last month and this time it was nothing different. Ana was quick to follow and in less then an hour we were back in the blooming valley. Summer heat (+30 degrees C) reminded me, that perhaps this is a good time to end the ski season.. but you never know;)

Kotovo Pass.. finally!

Kotovo pass (2134m) holds a special place in my heart, since this was one of my first ski-touring trips. In 2005 Leon and I attacked it with absolutely no equipment and with ski boots in our backpacks. Due to exhaustion and bad weather we were denied and had to turn around on 2000m, however, this was a great lesson - there's no joking with mountains. Ironically, Kotovo pass was never really conquered, since Jalovčev ozebnik lies straight in your path and always successfully seduces you.


This time we were determined and Kotovo pass fell on its knees, as we ascended up the highest ravine (2340m) below Jalovec. The views and the skiing terrain were breathtaking, and even grumping Kebr was more than pleased. Prti had some unfinished business with the "hole," so he went to pay her a visit! There is still enough snow to ski to the car.. and Leon, Kebr, Prti and Ana are all coming back to visit mighty Jalovec and all his playgrounds!

Jalovčev Ozebnik - summertime!

This Sunday my alarm clock went off at 2:30 in the night, which is definitely not early wakening - it's rather a short evening nap:) But this is how it is in the spring: in order to play, you have to be quick! Especially Jalovčev Ozebnik gets dangerous during the day, as Jalovec warms up and fires all its artillery (snow, ice, rocks, bigger rocks...) into the ravine. It was still night when Dadi pushed his car towards Tamar and before we realized, we hit snow at around 950m (with summer tires of course.) This winter has been really generous and the quantity of snow surprises me almost every single time! After a short operation with chains, branches and man-power we got the car back on dry land and started walking just as it dawned.


Hungry for white colored slopes we pushed the tempo and in 4 hours reached Jezerca (2380m). Prti, with his 100+ kilograms, took it a little more easy, but nevertheless - showed his full stubbornness and pushed to his limits. We had "summer" weather in the last few days with up to 25 degrees in Ljubljana. Therefore I had very low expectations from the quality of snow, however it turned out very well compacted and fun. In about 20 minutes we were back at the hut, drinking cold beer and bathing in the spring sun (+15 degrees). The glacier valley of Tamar is something spectacular at the moment - there are meters of snow laying on the ground while the trees are already blooming in all their spring fashion. I love the contrast, I love snow... but then again, I love summer as well! (Alpinistic skiing: III-, S3+)

Juliske ski-crossing!

Since March I have been working full-time and attending an after-graduate program of International Economics, which is definitely not the best scenario for tons of skiing.. however, when you plan carefully and use all the available holidays - the snow days are still kept alive! Well the first May holidays were infinitely white and spectacular while Mare, Uroš, Leon, Artač and Burek would definitely agree. We started our long ski-crossing in Lepena, where spring has long won the winter battle. However, as we ascended above 1000m, snow started appearing and multiplied into meters - goodbye spring for the next 3 days:) The Krnska Lakes were beautiful in the evening twilight as well as at morning dawn. We had a great time at the winter room, drinking liquor and listening to "courageous" stories of great Burek. We ate like kings and followed our philosophy that food is better-off in stomachs than in heavy backpacks:)


The next morning we ascended through the valley towards Lanževica (2003m) and just caught the best conditions before the strengthening sun softened the snow. We ran across bear footprints that were leading towards a deserted military base - and I guess the bear had to take a good nap after some mountain ski-touring. We quietly continued, not to wake-up the fellow, and jumped on Lanževica. Then came some skiing on wet snow, crossing of Lopučniška Valley; and just before the weather turned its back on us, we reach the comfort of the Triglav Lakes bivouac. Again came the cooking, the liquor and not to forget the "Burek amusement program!"


Early morning is an understatement as we started walking before dawn. I was a little surprised that the snow has not frozen over the night and hoped this would change as we ascended up the valley and gained altitude. On around 1900m, the snow hardened and ski-walking across Hribarice towards Kanjavec (2569m) was easy and fun. And the views - WOOOW - let the panoramic picture speak for itself! We then skied Velska Dolina, and reached Vodnikov dom after a short ascent. The original plan was to sleep there and climb Triglav the next morning, however, the winter room was already completely crowded (this meant little sleeping) and we decided that Triglav can wait for next time. After cooking some soup, we ascended to Bohinjska Vratca (1973m) and skied into the glacier valley of Krma. The snow ended only at around 900m, which is definitely a proof that this was one of the best winters in the last 10 years (2005/06 is a story for itself). So we put on our light trekking shoes and began our "short" march towards Mojstrana.


When we started walking, I made some quick calculations and realized that we will just miss the last bus - while spending the night at a barn in Mojstrana was definetly not the most convenient thing. I somehow managed to hitch-hike a bigger van, which agreed to drive us to the bus station. The problem was that we were still late and as we descended towards Mojstrana, we saw our bus slowly taking off from the station. No problem for the old rascal, who stepped on the gas and started pursuing the Bus. We were positioned at the end of the van and couldn't see much on the road.. which was definitely a good thing, since those were the most extreme moments of the trip. We caught the bus a few kilometers before Jesenice, bought some cold beer ... and you can imagine the joy as we layed on the soft seats, with cold Laškos in our hands:)

Rodica... again!

Zor had some unfinished business with the "queen" and since I managed to convince Dadi to ski something less "alpinistic," Rodica was certainly the right choice. I know it's not cool to repeat ski-trips, but believe me, Rodica is definitely worth the sin - especially now, when she's at her prime. The new snow that fell at the end of last week has "ironed" the terrain and froze in the night, which meant we hat perfect conditions for skiing. It was like skiing on compacted ski-pist - but better of course! We skied right to the car, which is amazing for this time of the year, and even Dadi found some steeper ravines in the northern face. We ended the trip at 10 o'clock in the morning, and helped a camper get his van out of the snow. Some beer and spaghetti bolognese at Zor's summer house, plus some economic philosophy with his father, and off we were - back in Ljubljana!

Rodica and a Living Legend!

This Friday I was planning something big - Triglav, Grintavec or Jalovec; however, my faithful companion Zor was determined to visit his lovely queen.. Rodica. The mountain is almost 2000m high, but don't let the height fool you - I'm talking about a serious challenge, which takes a lot of energy, but always rewards you in the end. The normal approach is from the North, where spring is the best time for skiing, while the shadow slopes are usually quite icy, crusty and dangerous in the winter. The last couple of days have been really hot and sunny while meters of snow cannot just melt that easy. This means that you can go ski-touring and at the same time - feel like sunbathing on the beach. Zor was not feeling the best, so he ended the trip on the meadow Suha, where a veteran skier gave him snaps and amused him in the meanwhile. I quickly jumped on Rodica, and had one of the best ski descents in this season (5-10cm of melted snow). When I returned to the meadow, it was time for sunbathing and listening to the veteran. He told us stories of a glacier that existed below Rodica around 50 years ago. He was herding cattle on the meadow during the Second World War (you can calculate his age:), and is truly a living legend. He is in retirement for 20 years now, has a small mountain hut on the meadow and goes ski touring almost every day. When he has enough, he simply skies straight to his doorstep in the village (Laški Rovt) below. He skied so quickly that Zor and I could barely follow him, as he showed us shortcuts and steep ravines that lead to the valley. I really respect the guy - and this is definitely the kind of retirement I'm striving for:)

Kriška Gora featuring Tolsti Vrh!

It was a warm and sunny weekend, which was begging Ana and me to move ourselves about a kilometer higher. Our scouts were doing a two-day trip to Kriška gora (from Tržič), which meant I quickly started to plot skiing from the north side, across its big brother - Tolsti vrh (1715m). Even though snow was still hanging around, spring was mocking my skies and other winter equipement. Snowless Mala Poljana was perfect for sunbathing and daydreaming, while a local cowboy spoiled us with homemade snaps. A few raindrops on Tolsti vrh motivated us to speed up the tempo and take shelter in the comfort of the hut. We spent a great evening with the scouts, while the little buggers were so exhausted that they quickly fell asleep:) The next morning we rushed back to the car, before the sun liquefied all the leftover snow. But don't worry, winter has not said it's last goodbye - at least not in Juliske Apls!

Kočna (cca. 2500m)

Dadi called me on Saturday and proposed a serious ski trip, which I simply couldn't resist. We drove to the magical alpine village Jezersko (my first time), which is completely surrounded by high mountains. Actually some of the best Slovenian extreme skiers come from there; no wonder - they have a ski polygon around them and can ski practically to their doorsteps:)


It was really cold in the morning and one could quickly forget that spring was knocking on the door. We left our car at the end of the road, where serious snow started and began ascending through the forest. The trees ended at around 1300m, where terrain opened and I saw ruins of monstrous avalanches that were raging in the previous months. The scene was quite scarry and I quickly figured the north side of Kočna is never a joke. The plan was to enter the Povnova Valley, which is steep but quite wide and comfortable for skiing. Its only problem is the entrance at the bottom, with high cliffs and a few extremely steep ravines, which offer almost vertical climbing and neck-breaking skiing on the way back. Because of difficult terrain we were slow to advance and when the valley opened up, we had nearly 1000m of climbing left. This time I really pushed the limits of my physical form and I was exhausted when I reached the top of the mountain. Overall we made almost 1700m of climb and I nearly fell asleep, seduced by the warm sun at the top.


The skiing at the top was very steep but quite fun, since we had perfect hard snow and even some soft powder for bonus.


The problem was more at the bottom, where I suddenly found myself on an icy platform, where I started to uncontrollably slide downwards. I somehow managed to stop, but I knew that if I made another bold move, the situation could quickly get srious. I called Dadi, that was around 50 meters below me, to come and give me a hand. He reached me with his ice-axes, took my crampons out of the backpack and carefully put them on my feet. The situation was solved when I had my ice-axes in my hands. I descended the icy platform on foot, put on my skies and continued my descent. I skied the easier route to the left, which turned out not to be so easy, since the slope (55+ degrees) was hanging above a cliff. Dadi said such crossing is quite dangerous with a snowboard, so he rather chose the steep ravine, which had an inclination of around 60 degrees and a short section which was practically vertical (cca. 80 degreees). He descended with an ice-axe in his hand and was doing all right, until he lost control at the very end, made a couple of spectacular summersaults and landed in soft powder at the bottom. Everything ended well.. but we learned a couple of good lessons:

1. Be aware of ice!
2. Never go to mountains alone!
3. Terrain with more than 60 degrees is usually not skiable, even for master Dadi!


Apinistic skiing: (IV, S5. Dadi: S6+)

Plešivec!

Last weekend the weather forecast was "mediocre," however, Mare and I still decided to go ski-touring, but made more conservative plans. Our optimism was paid-off by sunny weather that surprisingly held-on for the whole day:) We decided to try something new and I quickly proposed Plešivec (1801m), which is the last mountain in the Košuta ridge and is considered an easy "classic." Many skiers visit this mountain (especially in dangerous snow conditions), however, such smaller mountains are not on our "must-ski" list, but are rather on the "should try" list. We quickly harnessed our egos and in less than 90 minutes enjoyed a 360 degree view from the top of the "bald-headed" mountain. Mare decided he wants more and Zor and I were quick to accept his new challenge - attack Košuta (2133m) and climb until it gets too dangerous. I knew this was a very bold plan, because we are all fighters and usually don't quit until reaching the top. However, around 1900m Mare decided it was enough.. and we skied marvelous open terrains of Košuta. On the way down, Mare even found a mobile phone, which he later returned to an un(fortunate) skier (he received a box of beer in return:). We drove back to Ljubljana with Plešivec under our belt, and concerning Košuta - we're coming back to get you!

Uncle Blegoš!

This Sunday was completely cloudless and staying at home would definitely be a sin! There is a high degree of avalanche danger in the mountains, which means that uncle Blegoš (1562m) was surely the right choice. Leon and I expected to sunbathe and enjoy an easy trip in short sleeves, while Blegoš gave us just that. It also rewarded us with 700m of great skiing straight to the car and even some soft powder for desert! This time we skied a new route to the North (Potok) and concluded this is definitely the better choice in the spring. We finished a great day with a big roasted chicken from my mom:)


(after reading this blog you might think that Slovenia is always sunny - well sometimes it rains and snows for weeks (currently - 9 meters of snow on Kanin), however, we do most of the skiing in good weather of course!)

Bohinj and Up!

When you spend a winter vacation in Bohinj with girls and receive meters of snow, sunshine, adventure and skiing - there's simply no room for complaint. On Thursday we did a quick warm-up on Komna, which offers great "golaž" and a breath-taking skiing descent on the narrow path through the forest. My dog Bella was so excited that she kept running up and down the whole way and I hypothesized that when we make a 1000m ascent she makes at least three times as much. (next time I will test my theory and fasten my altitude watch to her necktie:)


Friday was the day for some more serious business! There is so much snow around Lake Bohinj that I could start walking on my skies right at the doorway of our apartment. Together with all my girls (Mom, Ana, Bella and sister - Lucija) we enjoyed a beautiful walk across Hudičev Bridge and through the valley of Voje. We split at the waterfall where Ana and I started our steep ascent towards Vodnikov Hut (1817m). The sun was shining like in the middle of summer and we were quickly topless when we stopped for a short snack on the Grintovica meadow. We didn't meet a single soul on the way and I have a feeling that nobody has walked this path for at least a month. This is quite a surprise since the path is almost perfect for ski-touring and it's also one of the most beautiful regions of our Alps. Well later it proved that the path has a few unfavorable spots, however we still enjoyed it very much.


After around five hours we finally reached the hut and found it almost completely buried under meters of snow. The problem was that I had no clue where the winter room was located. And so we started digging - first the woodshed then a privet little house that was completely sealed. The thought of spending my first night in a snow-hole was not very pleasant. We then remembered to call Kredarica, where an alpinist told me the exact position of the winter room. We followed his instructions and skeptically started digging a hole in the snow. After some serious digging the door miraculously appeared right in front of us - check out the photo at the bottom (a tiny aluminum shovel can really do magic and from now on, I'm not going anywhere without it!). The winter room was completely intact - and had soft beds, warm blankets, 0 degrees and all the other luxuries one can imagine after a serious threat of spending the night in the snow. We made some warm tea, hot soup, changed clothes... and words cannot explain the happiness we enjoyed.


Never before did we sleep so well in a winter room - thanks to a long three hours of digging and to our new downy sleeping bags. We woke to a beautiful morning and climbed Bohinjska Vratca (1979m) - Tirglav and greater plans are postponed for the next time. After some great skiing to the valley of Krma we decided this was a good time to end our adventure and we concluded that we enjoyed every single moment - even the moonlight digging!

Storžič!

The north side of Storžič (2132m) has been on the "must-ski" list for quite some time. I'm talking about a steep and pointy mountain that has been cut-off from the Kamniške Alps by river Kokra and therefore stands completely on its own. It was a cloudless day and we had -20 degrees on the ascent, while the sun warmed-up the air to astonishing -11 at the top. The biggest challenge was to keep warm and the mountain certainly showed its teeth. After about four hours we reached the top and enjoyed a cold and sunny lunch. We skied Peto Žrelo (Alpinistic skiing: III+, S4-), one of the many ravines that run down the northern face of Storžič. It was the first time Artač skied something more serious and he concluded that he simply wants more!

Black and White!

Jesenice, a city of flowers and steel, right in the heart of a beautiful alpine valley - is an unforgettable scene. Heavy industry, rusty railroads, enormous steel plants all embedded in tons of concrete. It shocks me every single time - still it's just part of our history and heritage and sometimes I find the city quite imposing. Well before I get carried away.. last week we decided to try something new and drove to Jesenice, made a right turn at the footsteps of the biggest steel plant Jesenice can offer and fired Leon's KIA above the smog. One would be surprised that after only a few-minute drive, you find yourself in the middle of crystal-white mountains - completely intact by civilization.


Struška (1944m) is actually a beautiful plateau, which is part of the long Karavanke ridge that separates Slovenia and Austria. It's very gently sloped on the Slovenian side, however, the Austrian side is quite steep and rocky - sometimes even vertical. Together with Leon and Zor, we enjoyed great sking on compacted snow at the top and on virgin powder in the forests below, all together spiced with some chilly wind. After some adrenaline on the snowy road, we ended up strait at the car (a luxury which is quite common this season) and rushed back to civilization - a place we call home!?

Hajnževo Sedlo!

Heavy and consistent snowfall in the last few weeks has ensured a winter ferry-tale in the mountains. Together with Ana we decided to climb Hanjževo Pass (1701m), which is hard to pronounce, but compensates with its beautiful terrain and majestic views of the Karavanke Alps. The ascent (in deep powder) was quite slow, however, we speeded the tempo, when we saw the sun hanging out on the pass. We had a modest lunch on the top, but enjoyed a million-dollar view. After about an hour of daydreaming, we remembered that it was still around -10 degrees C - and quickly jumped back to the car.

My First Avalanche Transceiver!

This week, five members of our gang, bought D3 Ortovox avalanche-transceivers and I can say it's quite a nice digital toy:) I am talking about a very simple - yet extremely reliable device, which transmits a strong signal and is used to search and pin-point victims burried under an avalanche. Of course, it's also quite crucial to have an avalanche probe and shovel that both assist you in effective rescue of the victim(s). I could talk for hours about avalanche transceivers and other equipment; but luckily my colleague blogger Edo did an extensive research and wrote almost everything there is to it! Check it out here (Slovenian).


There is, however, an issue that I will touch briefly! Don't worry, I will not try to convince you to buy an avalanche transciever and I will not moralize how irresponsible (young) people are - visiting our "dangerous" mountains without the proper safety equipment (crampons, ice-axe, avalanche transceiver, probe, shovel, helmet, first-aid, radio station, etc). I have heard such moralizing from older alpinists way too many times - Bullshit! They criticize young people with new skiing jackets, freeride skies, shiny ski-boots and are shocked how irresponsible these youngsters are without helmets, transmitters, shovels and so on! Yes, principally they are right - but still, they are just typical hypocrites. I have talked to more honest older alpinists, who have admitted that only 20 years ago, nobody in Slovenia had any safety equipment at all. They joked that if you met someone with a helmet in the mountains, you could call him a BASTARTD - because he was a foreigner and thought you where saying "HELLO" to him. The safety culture in Slovenian mountains was simply very low, while equipment was expensive and hard to get! So nobody will tell me that the first piece of equipment that they bought was a helmet or an avalanche transmitter (in theory that would be the right thing to do!).

Today the situation is a lot better, however we still live in reality, where it would take a millionaire to buy all the equipment at once. It takes thousands and thousands of Euros to have everything you need for ski-touring and extreme skiing (not to mention rock and ice climbing). I have been buying separate pieces of equipment each year. And if somebody wants to call me light-minded, buying avalanche equipement in my fifth year of winter mountaineering - go ahead.

After what you read you might think differently, however, safety is my number 1 concern when I go to the mountains. I believe that instead of pointing fingers, we should educate our youngsters and try to upgrade the Slovenian mountaineering culture through clubs and associations. The goal is not to convince people how stupid they are, going to mountains without all the proper equipment, but instead to encourage them to become more responsible and think with their own head. I believe that some of the safety equipment should be subsidized by our mountain association and become more available. Maybe someday everybody has an avalanche transceiver..

Enjoy the mountains and ski with your head, even if you're not wearing a helmet! (Joke)