Jano

Slovakia with the boys!

2011-12-30T10:29:00.002+01:00

Slovakia and the Tatra mountains have been on my wish list ever since Martin Wild, a great outdoor enthusiast from Bratislava, visited the Slovenian Alps. My boys were quickly ready for the action and somewhere in the middle of December we set-off towards the Promised Land. We were sleeping in Tatranska Lomnica, which is located on the foothills of the High Tatras (picture below).

The problem is that these mountains are very rocky and steep and would therefore need greater quantities of snow for any kind of ski-touring. So after spending a day on the pists, we set-off towards the Low Tatras, which had abundant snow and are in general more attractive for ski adventure. There we skied Chopok (2024m) and Dumbier (2043m) on different sides. In one of our climbs, a herd of Slovakian chamois were very reluctant to move off our path:

On the way back we stopped in Banska Štiavnica, a deserted but historical mining town. Overall, I can say it was a great trip and Slovakia has proved to be a very good mountaineering and skiing destination. It is almost completely covered with mountains, while High Tatras are reaching well over 2500m. The Slovakian language is similar to ours and it's very easy to understand them. We were also surprised by the low prices of food, drinks and ski-tickets. In different restaurants and hotels we were paying 1.1 - 1.3 Euros for half a liter of beer. The boys were satisfied (picture below) and so we completed another great trip.

A long and foggy autumn!

2011-12-11T09:08:00.003+01:00

Even though the Christmas holidays are quickly closing in, there is no sign of witner. Except for the hard-bitten fog in the Ljubljana basin, we had sunshine throughout November. The problem is that at least a quarter of the Slovenian population (including me) lives in Ljubljana or its surrounding flatland and is therefore doomed to moisture, darkness and cold. I had almost two weeks of free time after finishing my masters diploma, however, I quickly realized that finding a companion for the mountains has become rather difficult, especially during the week. Most of my friends, which were easy-going students just a few months ago, have lately joined the working class. Fortunately, my harry companion Bella is never too busy to hit the action. (The photos are from Kalški greben and Krim)

Master of Economics!

2011-11-17T21:04:00.005+01:00

Even though this blog is mainly reserved for different sports and outdoor activities, I should still mention my master's diploma. Sports have definitely played a big role in my life, shaping my tenacious and target-oriented character, which was needed for such a big project. On 28th of October I successfully defended my master's thesis and (at least for now) finished my formal education. About a week later Ana received her bachelor's degree in law. Now it's time to take a deep breath, a short pause.. and see what's comming next.

October sun!

2011-11-04T11:06:00.005+01:00

We were skiing the slopes of Viševnik in October 2010, while this year the picture is completely opposite. Ana and I were glad to take advantage of this phenomenon and quickly organized a trip to Mali Lošinj. There we enjoyed peace, warm sea and day temperatures up to 30°C. I always try to plan my life (and vacation) very carefully and much in advance, however, I admit that sometimes spontaneous last-minute decisions can really pay off.

Murradweg!

2011-09-23T14:32:00.015+02:00

Our northern neighbors are extreme perfectionists in all aspects, even when it comes to building long and tidy cycling paths. Ana and I decided to check out this famous "Murradweg", which starts at the spring of the Mura river (1800m), runs down the valley for 350 kilometers and finishes on the Austrian-Slovenian border close to Murska Sobota. Besides some afternoon showers and a difficult 4th day, where I miscalculated the distance, it was probably the best biking adventure until now. The trip took us from the high Austrian mountains, through endless meadows, forests and picturesque towns.

We also didn't miss Austria's specialty - medieval castles and churches, which pooped up as we descended. We made a small detour to the Riegersburg Chocolate Factory, where we observed the chocolate manufacturing process and tasted about a zillion different variants. This tourist attraction in the middle of nowhere is a great example of excellent marketing - a quality attribute we are still to learn from our neighbors. This place is so popular that I suggest you make a reservation before you visit, otherwise you might be left outside. (We were so concentrated on chocolate tasting that we forgot to make photos)

On the final day we crossed the border, enjoyed traditional Bograč in Murska Sobota and nested us on the train for Ljubljana. It is hard to paint this 3,5-hour romantic experience, which most definitely brings out nostalgia from any (not too young) Slovenian. The trains still have the old compartments (kupes), which can be closed-off and transformed into giant 2x2 meter beds. I think the Balkans will be the last to say goodbye to this luxury. Ana celebrated the trip with a very long nap, while I simply laid there, meditated and enjoyed the last moments of a great adventure.

Tur Dolenska!

2011-08-12T14:19:00.006+02:00

This summer is reserved for writing my master's thesis (Ana is finishing her diploma) and apartment renovation, however, we still try to find pleasure in short escapes. I have promised Ana that one of the trips will be culturally oriented or in other words: completely "sports-free." And so we set off for Dolenska, where we visited numerous fascination places, all concentrated in the radius of 20 kilometers. We first stopped by Otočec, a spectacular castle standing on the Krka river. Next was the Charthusian monastery in Pleterje and a very well-preserved gothic church. The last stop was Kostanjevica, one of the oldest and smallest towns in Slovenia, which is completely surrounded by the Krka river. There we also visited friends of Ana's family, who showed us the town and took us to Forma Viva, a world-famous gallery of wooden sculptures. At the end of the day we canoed around Kostanjevica, until the sunset reminded us of the late hour. You could say I'm getting a little soft, but I really enjoyed this cultural excursion:)

Bovec, Soča and Svinjak.

2011-07-18T21:19:00.008+02:00

Bovec is an idyllic town in the middle of the Juliske alps, while Soča is probably the most fascinating river in the world.. and Svinjak (1653m), well lets say it's showing-off like the meanest mountain around:) Together with Ana, Adrijana and Marko, I spent an exciting weekend in this remote part of Slovenia. As usual, Bovec blessed us with culinary hospitality but also with a few portions of rain. Thanks to Marko, we made a 15-kilometer descent down the emerald waters of Soča with two mini-rafts. It was interesting to watch brave Czech tourist, that were tenaciously practicing their kayak technique. It is unbelievable how stubborn and target-oriented they are. One could be submerged in water for more than 10 seconds, however, there is no panic and he is back in the river in no time. For the last day we decided to tackle Svinjak - the Matterhorn of Bovec. Before we could realize, it was time to return back to the everyday life. But to think of it, the everyday routine makes adventure that more exciting.

Radenci Marathon!

2011-05-23T14:59:00.024+02:00

I attend a big running event about once every year in order to test my physical and mental strength. This time my father and I decided to run the marathon in Radenci, which is placed in Pomurje, right next to the Austrian border. We usually take it very seriously, however, this time I was more a tourist. I twisted my ankle a week earlier and was therefore not completely ready for the run. Thanks to picturesque scenery, delicious food and vintage wine that I managed to squeeze 21 kilometers in 1:47:01. I also need to mention Ana, who supported us morally and logistically throughout the whole day. October is reserved for the big Ljubljana Marathon!

Triglav.. and the neighborhood!

2011-04-28T14:45:00.019+02:00

At the end of every spring we usually visit the highlands around Triglav, where we cool from the summer heat. This time the company was very diverse: Ana, Nejc, Artac and my coworker Simon from Switzerland. There was a lot of mountaineering, skiing but also tons of food, blueberry snaps and laughter.

We slept in the five-star winter room at Dom Valentina Stanica (2332m), which even surprised us with electricity from sun collectors. This is something completely uncommon in Slovenian bivouacs and winter rooms. Besides giving us electricity the sun also warmed-up the room to a comfortable 12 degrees - check out Simon's satisfaction on the photo below.

We skied practically everything that is possible in the close surroundings: Vrbanova Špica (2408m), Kredarica (2539m) and Rž (2538m). Artač decided to bring the game to a higher level by skiing the North face of Triglav (IV+, S5). I satisfied myself with a steep ravine in Rž, which has been seducing Kebr and me for quite a few years. I have not found this ravine in any alpinistic-ski literature. In current conditions I would rank it as: (IV, S4+).

The trip was very intensive, and I think that in the end every member of the team found his/her own challenges. I can say it was a grand finish of my ski-touring season; it's now time to focus on other adventures.. like my masters thesis for example!

Ski-touring with Lojze

2011-04-19T14:44:00.015+02:00

Lojze (Ana's father) is a universal sportsman, with a long history in many disciplines. However, the ski-touring infection is a completely new chapter in his life. He first tasted the sport on Komna last year, while he has recently only deepened his addiction. Rodica gave us perfect conditions on a Sunday afternoon and Lojze showed all of his skiing maneuvers. We upgraded the game last weekend, when we jumped to Tamar and carved some beautiful lines on the slopes below Kotovo pass. We capitalized both trips with cold beer and big plans for the next season.

The last days of Viševnik!

2011-04-12T10:39:00.008+02:00

My ski-touring season has been marked by short trips, which I tried to squeeze into more or less conventional hours. Sometime in March, Nejc and I visited Krvavec during the night - and were guided by the mystical light of the full moon. Abstinence crisis was growing in the next weeks and so I decided to tackle Visevnik before work. Together with my coworker Ales, we enjoyed the sunrise, compacted snow and just caught one of the last days of continuous skiing, before the sun finally defeated the mountain.

Again on Pokljuka!

2011-03-24T12:29:00.007+01:00

This winter gave us a lot of snow in the mountains, but rather little in the valleys. In such conditions Pokljuka is probably the best choice for ski-touring. Two weeks ago it was time for something sunny and easy - exactly what the girls needed. After a sinfully long sleep, we jumped on Mrezice (1965m), where we peaked at his majesty - Triglav. We then stopped at Blejska koča, where we enjoyed big sausages and cheered for our ski-jumping eagles.

Debeli vrh - extra sun!

2011-02-10T14:41:00.007+01:00

Very warm and sunny days promised mass-tourism on Pokljuka, however, there are simply not many other choices due to snow poverty in lower valleys. Leon and I choose Debeli vrh (1962m), which is located between two very popular mountains: Viševnik and Lipanski vrh. We had "May" temperatures (around 10 degrees Celsius), lots of sun and very well compacted snow. Even though all these factors are very nice for ski-touring, if winter doesn't come back, the fun will soon be over. After some cold beer on the top, we enjoyed a great descent back to our car - but I'm quite sure that Bella enjoyed it even more!

Ice-climbing

2011-02-09T14:00:00.012+01:00

Last Sunday, just before temperatures sky-rocketed, we climbed a few frozen waterfalls in the shady valleys of Prisojnik. This was a completely new chapter of alpinism for me, and I have a hard time finding the right words for the sport. It's easy and fun, but quite intensive and scary at the same time. The only negative side is that you spend the whole day in narrow valleys, where the sun "don't shine!" I came home a little wet, with signs of frostbite on my toes - but overall, it was a good experience and a great time spent with my alpinistic school colleagues.

Schafreuter (2101m)

2011-01-14T14:49:00.015+01:00

Ana is studying in Munich for the winter semester and so we decided the local mountains definitely need our attention. On the first days we did some running at the lake (Sylvensteinsee), but don't worry, we also spent a lot of time in the sauna and reading by the fireplace. However, the highlight of the trip was Schafreuter (2101m) - a pointy mountain on the Austrian-German border, which gave us celestial views of the Alps. Snow was not abundant and the temperatures were high, but this is nothing uncommon in the last two weeks. Ana produced some very nice photos with her new camera.. and just before it got dark, we were back in our hotel (Jager Von Fall) - getting ready for the sauna.

New Year.. food and more food!

2011-01-10T12:51:00.009+01:00

The original plan was to celebrate the new year in Munich, however, my "holiday sickness" gave me no choice but to stay at home. It is interesting that with all the achievements of the human kind, we still have no remedy for the common cold (a sickness that causes the most economical damage in the world - mostly because people are away from work). To make the most of the situation, Ana and I decided to tackle some gourmet's specialties, while my mother is a cooking master already. I don't remember when was the last time we ate so well.. and so much:) On the new year's evening the girls were drinking whisky while I was drinking tea (with extra honey).. but don't worry, I will catch up another time!

Stol and Begunjščica - brother and sister.

2010-12-29T13:11:00.008+01:00

Stol (2236m) is the highest peak of the Karavanke range and has therefore been anchored on my must-ski list for a very long time. I was glad to find out that this mountain was planned for our winter ascent in scope of the alpinistic school. However, when I woke up in the middle of the night and the outside thermometer was showing -18 degrees Celsius, I was seriously thinking of a quick surrender. I had to gather all the stubborrness my character can produce and drove into the frozen night. In the end, mountains rarely keep you disappointed and Stol was no exception. We did some important mountaineering exercises, battled with extreme cold, while some of us even skied back to the car. A few participants went through delicate situations (lack of equipment, lack of physical form, stopping with an ice-axe..), however, all this adds to our crucially-needed experiences.

After my body rested and my fingers thawed, I decided to climb Begunjščica (2060m) - Stol's smaller sister. This is a classic sking mountain, so I will not go into details. Nina and I enjoyed the sunny day and skiied the snaky ravine - Centralna grapa (III+, S4).

Vošca and powder!

2010-12-06T13:55:00.007+01:00

A very harsh winter has seriously kicked-off the ski-touring season. In fact, Kredarica has more than three meters of snow, which is a new record for this time of the year. Big quantities of snow are definitely welcome, however, safer destinations need to be considered. I chose Vošca (1737m): something completely new for me and my crew - Doris, Dadi, Artač and Marko. Besides safety, the mountain also blessed us with powder, solitude and ferry-tale scenery. Our ski lines were like art drawn on perfectly white canvas. Only Siberian cold sometimes reminded us that this is not a child's-game. After some afternoon skiing on the Kranjska gora pistes, we decided to warm-up and capitalize the day with pizza in the nearby inn.

October snow!

2010-11-26T13:02:00.008+01:00

The ski-touring season usually starts rather late, since you need a considerable amount of snow (also in the valleys) to cover all the rocks and bushes. However, this October was extremely "generous" and we received more than half a meter of snow above a 1000 meters. This was just enough to hit the slopes of Viševnik (2050m), which has one of the highest starting points and is therefore very handful for such occasions. We even had a professional photographer (Tomaž Gržo), while Prti was our instructor for riding the bushes (with no snow in sight:). In the end I can say that October simply gave us much more than anybody dared to expect.

Mountains and Gold!

2010-11-19T17:25:00.008+01:00

Just before our mountains pulled on their winter clothes, Leon and I decided to explore Rjavina (2532m) for future skiing adventures. We quickly found ourselves in shiny forests with golden larches showing-off their autumn glory. Our only companions were hairy chamois, which didn't bother much with our presence. We actually approached one to a few meters and Leon quickly started thinking of a warm chamois goulash for supper (in the end we concluded that only Marko Hraščak would be able to make such a kill:). We slept in one of my favorite winter rooms at Dom Valentina Staniča (2332m), while there was nothing "winter" about the weather. We cooked rice with salmon, drank beer and sunbathed for the rest of the afternoon. I can conclude that Rjavina has many skiing possibilities and that autumn mountaineering can definetly pay you dividends.. in gold!

Istambul - Basketball!

2010-10-31T11:38:00.012+01:00

In beginning of September I gathered up my standard Slovenian supporters (Ana, Lojze and my father) with a very clear purpose - to explore Istanbul and cheer for our national basketball team. An important place that basketball holds in my history, combined with great company and national pride, I was very excited about this trip. We decided not to play the role of bloodthirsty tourists and therefore visited only one site per day. This tactic proved very good, since there was lots of time for Istanbul gourmet's, shopping, drinking beer, long evenings of playing cards and most importantly warming-up for the big basketball games. I must say that Slovenia has probably the best supporters in the world. For example, in this championship, there were around 5000 supporters on all (group-stage) games. The second most numerical supporters were from Lithuania and counted 2000 (excluding Turkey, that was the host and always played in fully packed arenas). My father and I still cannot completely explain the Slovenian exodus phenomenon that always happens on bigger sport events. Anyways, we cheered like crazy and our team won all the opponents in the group except America, that proved to be two classes better then all the others. At the end of our trip my father reunited with Bahram - a friend from Iran (they didn't see each other for more than 20 years). To my delight, Bahram is a very enthusiastic alpinist and even holds his own alpinistic club in Teheran. You can imagine the big plans that quickly started forming in my head:) But to keep it real, let's conclude that the trip to Istanbul was a big winner.

Next year Bratislava will host the hockey (Devision A) championship.. and you can definitely count on the Mlinar-Bajt supporting squad.

Ljubljana swamp - as it once was.

2010-10-11T18:38:00.020+02:00

Much of the Ljubljana basin is actually a big swampy area (Barje), which is why the city inhabitants are many times mocked as "frogers" (žabarji). Over the last centuries, channels were dug and the swamp was slowly dried out for agricultural purposes. However, many thousand years ago, Barje was submerged below water and inhabited by Koliščarji (tribes living in houses built on wooden pillars - picture above). Heavy rainfall three weeks ago, which caused very unpleasant floods all over Slovenia, once again flooded Barje - turning it into a big lake. First, Ana and I made a beautiful biking trip across the water. While Damjan also didn't wait long to borrow a long canoe, and called Andraž and me to join in on the action. We canoed all the way to Bistra, and then caught the (Ljubljanica) current back home. It was a good paddling recreation, capitalized by swimming and drinking beer at the sunset. But most important of all, we explored Barje just like our great forefathers.

The Blegoš project!

2010-09-15T09:36:00.005+02:00

Blegoš (1562m) was conquered on skies about six years ago (by Leon and me), and therefore holds a very special place in our hearts. Afterwards, we skied its slopes from almost all sides, however, there was still one project left - biking this mountain straight from home. Kebr bailed out the last minute, and so I was left with two animals - Damjan and Leon, that pushed the tempo on the steepest slopes. There was a big gathering at the hut and we enjoyed live music, hot Bograč and later an adrenaline descent back to the valley. After overcoming Suhi dol pass (cca 680m) we ended the trip with a 100 kilometers and more than 2000m of elevation difference. I can't wait to hit my chair at the office, and rest a little:)

All the girls..

2010-09-14T13:07:00.008+02:00

About once every year, I gather-up all my girls (mother-Mojca, sister-Lucija, girlfriend-Ana and dog-Bella) and take them for an easy hiking trip. Porezen (1630m), the most western mountain of the Škofja Loka range, was a perfect choice for the team. We planned to have lunch at the hut, but were a little surprised as sour soup was all they offered. I usually don't expect any kind of "luxury" in the mountains, however, the girls definetly need to be pampered a little. But ok, the mountains rarely keep anybody disappointed.. and we enjoyed a great day crossing idyllic pastures full of energetic horses running around.

Canoeing on Kolpa!

2010-08-25T13:40:00.004+02:00

Kolpa is a sluggish but very clean river that stretches (for over a 100km) along the Slovenian-Croatian border between Osilnica and Metlika. Ana and I enjoyed a great weekend by the river as well as a 10-kilometer adventure with a canoe. The river can really offer a lot, and I have already started planning a multi-day "Robinson" canoe trip sometime in the next spring. Ok - that is next year, but planning is one of the best phases of big adventures:)

Bovec.. with the boys!

2010-08-11T13:37:00.009+02:00

When the weather is good and the girls stay at home, three days of Bovec can transform into a serious excess of physical outdoor activity. On the first day (where the plan was to take it "easy") we cycled to the Soča spring and later hiked/climbed the rocky riverbed of Boka. The next day we decided to "rest" and therefore climbed Ronbon (2208m), a pointy mountain, where we explored the remains of WW1. There was something missing after 1500m of elevation and so we decided to bust our adrenaline in the picturesque canyon of Sušec. The last day was reserved for the most difficult biking ascent that Slovenia can offer - the Mangart pass (2055m). We had a lot of respect for this trip, which meant we were mentally quite prepared for the hard labor. All the sport adventures demanded regeneration at the end - swimming in Soča, drinking beer, grilling barbeque, etc. Damjan and Artac decided to crown their holidays by cycling back to Ljubljana (after the Mangart pass). To complete their "200 kilometers in one day" exploit, they made another circle before reaching home (Damjan is in a good cycling shape, Artač is simply an Animal). The rest of us (mortals) packed our things and our legs were more than glad to drive back to Ljubljana. After the body rests and the thoughts become clear again, I can say that I had the time of my life.

Montenegro - a true mountain!

2010-08-06T13:21:00.084+02:00

Adventure was the main highlight of this summer's trip to the near Balkans, which took Ana and me through Croatia, Bosnia and all the way to the highlands of Montenegro. We enjoyed a calm finish of the trip on the Croatian island Hvar, in great company of Ana's family. We saw a lot of beautiful, exciting and strange things on the trip.. and to better paint the picture, here are a few snapshots!

We spent the first night in Sarajevo, a city full history and contrast:

Montenegro is full of natural beauty:

Montenegro inhabitants are the tallest people in the world:

Breathtaking Piva and Tara gorges:

Mountain basketball and the bad boys:

Forgotten mountains and snow plantations below Bobotov Kuk (2522m):

Žabljak (1450m), located right next to the Black Lake is the highest town in the Balkans:

Hasan (from Albania) was our host at the Skader Lake:

The trip took us from mystical Skader Lake to the spectacular gulf of Kotor:

We watched the water-polo final (Montenegro-Serbia) in Kotor, and sometimes we had the feeling we were in the middle of Serbia:

We climaxed the trip by relaxing on Hvar.. and much too early our adventure was over. However, not to worry, we shall be back to the Balkans!

The great outdoors!

2010-07-12T09:36:00.008+02:00

The plans for this Saturday were set quite some time ago - together with Ana and her father Lojze, we attacked both asphalt and gravel to reach Žirovski vrh and visit Lojze's relatives high up in the hills. It was quite an adventure, ending with fresh juice, home-produced honey and lots of memories. After about a 100 kilometers of biking, we were glad to be back in Ljubljana and cool-off from the extreme heat (33 degrees) of the summer day.

Sunday was reserved for a hiking trip to the Triglav Lakes, which I promised my coworker Simon (from Switzerland). Simon was very impressed by the beauties of our mountains, and when the summer heat showed all its teeth, we jumped into the crystal waters of the second Lake. Around 12 o'clock we descended back to the valley and had a well deserved lunch with Ana. After some swimming in Bohinj and simply doing nothing (which is kind of nice, after such an active weekend:), we ended our trip with the famous Bled "kremsnitas."

A quarter century capitalized by sports!

2010-06-13T10:16:00.019+02:00

About two weeks ago I celebrated a quarter century of my life and 4-day merry-making was quite proportionate to the gravity of the event. First was a warm-up picnic with my co-workers, then a massive party with friends, followed by my family celebration and finally an easy Sunday lunch with Ana's grandmother, who celebrates her birthday on the same day as me. I had a great time on all four events; however, I can say I was a little beaten at the end.

After finalizing a few academic obligations, it was time to leave the hustle and bustle of the city and enjoy the mountains and the company of Ana. We went cycling in one of my favorite valleys - Završnica, that twists and winds between Begunjščica (2060m) and Stol (2236m). We fantasized about idyllic summerhouses that we saw on the way, and I guess dreams are what make (us) people happy. We left our bikes at Žaga (920m) and hit the slopes of Begunjščica, until we reached Roblekov dom (1657m). There is a famous country song about this hut: "Na Roblek bom odšel.." and now I realized that it certainly stands up to the standards set in the song. We enjoyed a long afternoon of resting, sunbathing, reading newspaper.. and after a warm goulash soup, we slept like babies. Next morning we descended back to the valley and biked all the way to Ljubljana, where Ana suddenly concluded that she is hungry like a lion. A Pakistanian kebab at the railway station was just in place:)

Friends, Love and Mountains..

2010-05-31T11:23:00.009+02:00

Late spring is the time when people start swimming and sunbathing, however, this is also the time for great ski-touring in Slovenian glacier valleys. Many people wonder what is the sense of skiing and alpinism.. and yet, I find far more sense in the mountains than in many things I do in my everyday life. Kebr has a very similar philosophy and on a hot Saturday afternoon, we left spring behind and cooled-off in the valley behind Cmir (2391m). We slept in a cozy winter room located at the beginning of the Triglav glacier, where we enjoyed a great evening with hot sup and icy beer. We woke into a cloudless morning and simply had to jump on Rž (2538m). There we gazed at his highness - Triglav, and we were back in Ljubljana before you could say: "Lunch time!"

The best part of ski-touring is that you spend long hours (sometimes even days) with people that are close to you.. and over time you develop very strong bonds. Romantics was the highlight of the next trip, as Ana and I went to spend a marvelous weekend in the Tamar Valley. The first day was reserved for a long picnic below a waterfall, where we laid for hours and enjoyed the simplicity of the moment. The next morning we left the blooming valley and attacked the highest slopes (2350m) above the Kotovo pass (2134m). It was a great weekend, full of summer, spring and winter.. but most of all, it was spent with Ana!

Begunjščica.. a good start of the day!

2010-05-21T14:58:00.009+02:00

Last year I have signed-up in the "working class heroes" club and since pension is a long way to go, I decided it was time to start making some early-morning ski trips. My co-worker Aleš quickly agreed to join on the plan while Artač was also ready for action (he is always ready:). We woke in the middle of the night and attacked Begunjščica from Smokuška planina (west). Artač was pushing the tempo and for him.. it's simply never enough. We reached the early-morning sun on the very top and enjoyed a marvelous moment of victory. After about half an hour of heaven, Aleš and I remembered that work is waiting for us.. and after a few nice turns, we were back in the valley. The usual problem with late spring skiing is that the snow gets too soft during the day, but hard to believe, this time it was actually still too hard and frozen. So just a reminder for next year, the sunny side of Vrtača would probably be a better choice in such special "before-work" conditions. We took a quick shower at work and smiled for the rest of the day:)

The Triglav Lakes!

2010-05-04T12:56:00.010+02:00

I live in a world, where I face a never-ending struggle with time. Perhaps my grandparents lived in a different world, where they worked the field on sunny days and stayed at home when it rained. However, those times are over, which is why I have to plan very carefully to satisfy all my hobbies and instincts. Working 8 hours per day plus 3 hours of after-graduate classes certanly add to the excitement of the situation:) In the rare free time that is left I try to squezze all sorts of things. Last week, spring ski-touring and hanging out with my co-workers were both very high on the priority list. And that is how it happened - three Slovakian lads, Maja, Andraž and I attacked the magnificant Valley of the Triglav Lakes.

We first passed all the Bohinj meadows - Pl. Blato, Pl. Jezero, Pl. Dedno Polje, Pl. Ovčarija and later entered the beginning of the valley. Just when I was explaining to Martin, that bears do not live in this region we ran into fresh footprints (mother bear + baby bear). Before this, Martin was complaining about exhaustion, but now he speeded the tempo and in about three hours we all stood at the hut on Prehodavci (2071m). Later we witnessed a very romantic sunset, however, the night brought a devastating blizzard that rumbled until morning. I have never seen a snow storm of such magnitude and for a few moments I thought that it will tear down the bivouac. Not used to such destructive power, my companions were also a little pale. We had to abandon all the big plans in the morning, because of the dense fog that that was left by the storm. Using my map and compass we moved meter-by-meter, until we finally came out of the milky darkness somewhere below 1900m. Oh yeh, it was a long way to go.. and it turned almost dark when we finally reached our car. We "waved" goodbye to our Slovakian colleagues and jumped for a monster pizza in Bohinj - hungry, but not beaten.. this is how we celebrated our magnificat adventure.

Komna.. the perfect plan-B!

2010-04-10T20:08:00.010+02:00

My father has recently revived his sport enthusiasm and climbing Kredarica was one of the big plans that were hanging in the air. Last Friday was set as the date, while the crew included Ana and me, and both our fathers. Everything was carefully planned, except for the weather, which simply didn't want to cooperate. Up to 30cm of snow was forecasted to fall in Juliske alps, but when I called Kredarica on Friday morning, they received more than half a meter. My character is very resistant to abandon big plans, however, the only safe and rational choice was Komna. In the end, my humility was more than rewarded, as the trip gave us everything I could wish for.

Komna is a vast mountain plateau, beginning at the South Juliske Alps and ending almost at the Valley of the Triglav Lakes. Like Kredarica, the Komna hut is one of the rare mountain huts that is open throughout the whole year. Even though we usually enjoy the "comfort" of winter rooms, this luxury experience was not to complain about - warm goulash, cold beer, long hours of cards and laughter besides a burning stove... Lojze (Ana's father) had his 50th birthday on Thursday and this was another good reason to celebrate. On the next day I pushed for an early start (even thought this didn't make me extremely popular:), which gave us an amazing sunrise. The new snow transformed Komna into a winter fairy-tale, and we quickly started climbing towards Srednji vrh (1874m). We had two pioneers - Lojze on skies and my father on snow-shoes.. while Ana and I were giving technical support. I was a little worried about Lojze's descent, however, he showed agile skiing and great stability in fresh powder.. I simply thought: WOW, we are definitely doing this again!

Bovec - short and sweet!

2010-04-06T14:17:00.011+02:00

Bovec is an idyllic town located somewhere in the middle of Juliske Alps, more exactly - in the river valley of Soča. There are at least four ways to drive to Bovec, however, all of them required 2 hours and more than 100 kilometers. On the other hand, the remoteness of this region is not so bad since it prevents ambitious attacks of mass tourism.

My sister (Lucija) has a friend, that has a boyfriend, that has a grandmother... that has a summerhouse in Bovec:) This connection turned out quite convenient, and I quickly started planning a short family vacation. What I forgot to mention is that Bovec is the most rainy region in Slovenia, which meant we had a lot of time to enjoy indoor social activities and explore local gourmet's specialties. In the end, my father and I still managed to squeeze a rainy ski trip to Krn Lake. When Ana and Lucija arrived, the weather turned a little better.. giving us the opportunity for a short hike towards Ronbon and a day of skiing on Kanin - the only ski resort in Slovenia, which is higher than 2000m.

Snežnik - The giant of the South!

2010-03-22T13:44:00.007+01:00

Snežnik (1796m) is actually the highest Slovenian mountain, which is not part of the Alps. It stands high above Ilirska Bistrica (a town where I spent the first three years of my life:) and is only a gun shot away from the Adriatic sea. The mixing of hot and cold air makes a perfect combination for hostile weather conditions, while extreme wind (burja) is the local specialty. Early spring is usually the best time to ski this mountain - and that is exactly what we did! It was a very unique experience skiing powder in the karst (limestone) landscape, covered with low and wind-resistant piners. After we returned to Sviščaki, a small ski resort at around 1300m, it was not easy to say goodbye to this true "giant of the South!"

Cross-country skiing - a new chapter!

2010-03-15T09:10:00.008+01:00

Cross-country skiing is an activity that has recently landed on my "must-try list," and with Ana very fond of this sport, it was time to make the first move. I thought the end of the season is the best time to buy discounted equipment. However, after visiting a few shops, I found out this is nearly a mission impossible. There were no discounts, and even more - there was no more skies. The epic battle of Petra Majdič at the Olympics combined with a very good winter in Slovenia, made this sport very popular and all the equipment was simply grabbed. Well, this time I was saved by Ana's father, that generously lent me his. And so we drove to Kranjska gora, put on the skies and raced towards the Italian border. As you can imagine, I was a little clumsy at the start, but what can you expect from a big boy like me:) However, I quickly learned the basics and shifted into top gear. We had a lot of fun in the end and skied for more than 10 kilometers. I must say that cross-country skiing is a great winter sport and I will definitely buy all the gear before the next season. And yes.. ski touring is still number one!

Dovška Baba - a ski touring classic!

2010-02-25T16:24:00.011+01:00

Dovška Baba (1891m) is a very popular ski-touring destination, probably because it has all the necessary ingredients: sunny location, road proximity and most of all.. it's "avalanche-free." Ana was craving for mountain action, but also for something sunny and fun, making Dovška Baba a perfect choice. Due to fresh powder, we left the car in the village of Dovje, which meant we had to fight almost 1200m of elevation difference. It was a warm day, but the chilly wind at the top reminded us that winter is still dominating the mountains. As we skied into the valley, signs of mass-tourism began to appear.. but that's how it is with classic peaks.

Below you can find a great view of the glacier valley Kot, which is perfect for skiing in late spring. I also marked the hut of Valentin Stanič, which offers a small but cozy winter room.

Srednji Vrh... out of the fog!

2010-02-11T13:14:00.006+01:00

This winter is really extraordinary (many people grumble about it, but for us its heaven), and not only in the mountains, but in whole Slovenia. The temperatures are below 0 degrees Celsius for nearly two months and it snows almost every week. Actually, we have about half a meter of snow in Ljubljana.. really a white ferry-tale. However, there is a small cosmetical problem: the days are foggy and dark, which means you need to move higher in order to reach the sun. And that's exactly what Dadi and I had in mind on Monday, when we climbed Srednji Vrh (1797m) and gazed at the giants around us. In no time we were back in the darkness of Ljubljana, but the sunny memories of powder slopes are here to stay. And not to forget - Dadi makes a great companion.

Krim - always at hand!

2010-02-04T13:48:00.009+01:00

I cannot say that Krim (1107m) is a serious mountain, however, it most certainly is the king of Ljubljana. Crowned with a TV-tower it stands proudly just above my house, and becomes a perfect ski-touring destination when there is little time and lots of powder. When I skied through its thick forests last winter, I was thinking that Krim is skiable in every three years. Well this weekend I was glad to find out, that this was a wrong hypothesis. Together with Leon, Prti, Gašper and Bella we enjoyed the slalom between trees and skied practically back to my kitchen:)

Rodica - the queen of winter.

2010-01-24T14:08:00.016+01:00

Rodica has never let me down, and even in these times of scarce snow, I was giving her all my trust. Sunny weather and a long abstinence of skiing brought out all the animals - Kebr, Artač, Zor and not to forget the one and only - Ana! There were only a few centimeters of snow (powder) at the bottom, while it was rather slow to thicken with the altitude. When we reached the top we were jumping around like monkeys, trying to keep warm at -15 degrees Celsius. The skiing was perfect until we hit a few stones above the meadow Suha, which has less snow than last year in June (luckily I had my old skies). And did I mention the views yet?

Krn Lake - a white fairy tale.

2010-01-08T18:37:00.032+01:00

A long and rainy November, which washed away almost all the snow from the mountains, resulted in great plans for the end of the year. The winter room (1387m) situated close to the Krn Lake, surrounded by great mountains on practically all sides, was the joker I pulled out of my sleeve. Just to make sure I wouldn't be going alone, I invited 8 friends to join me on a 4-day ski-touring paradise. However, big plans sound very attractive, but in reality proove to be harder to carry out. So in the end it turned out that only Artač and I were going, while Prti was joining us the next day.

We quickly left the snowless valley Lepena and were waiting for the snow to thicken as we gain on the altitude. However, only around 20-30cm were waiting for us at the hut and we were left disappointed as we gazed at the surrounding mountains that seemed only lightly powdered by snow. We threw off our heavy backpacks (ok, they had around 30kg and "heavy" is probably an understatement), and jumped to see the frozen lake, hoping to find more snow in the valleys above. The lake, with broken ice floes crowded together, was simply magnificent.. yet there was still little snow. We enjoyed long afternoon cooking and when the temperature dropped below -10, we quickly hid in the winter room, where the thermometer stopped at +1 degree Celsius.. almost perfect for a good night sleep. Tired and cold, we jumped into our sleeping bags at around 17:30 and "slept" there for almost 13 hours, while this was probably the longest sleep I had in my life. But what can you do, when it's dark from 4 o'clock in the afternoon till 7:30 in the morning. We were hoping to find more snow in a long valley Northeast of Krn, and when we passed the lake everything turned white and we found ourselves in a snow paradise. To make things even sweeter, I am talking about well-compacted snow covered by a few centimeters of powder. We felt like two kings when we reached Batognica (2164m).. and all the worries of the world were quickly forgotten, or at least pushed somewhere aside!

Prti (Buco) arrived on the next day, and you must understand that when you give this guy skies and put him on the snow - magic happens (it sometimes reminds me of a young boy getting his first bicycle). He quickly jumped on a nearby hill to silence his hunger with a few jumps and turns, while he returned to the hut exhausted, thirsty and hungry like a lion. We were cooking, eating, drinking and after a few hours laughed ourselves to sleep.

Next morning it was time to conquer another mountain and Montura (1958m), hanging above our winter room, was probably the best choice. Due to small quantities of snow, midget piners were still enjoying freedom, giving the surrounding a very green look. As we ascended past the abandoned military facilities of WW1, it wasn't long before we reached the top of the mountain, which is positioned perfectly for a 360 degree view. Bad weather was aggressively pushing from the East, and we quickly tightened our boots and skied into the valley. It was one of the most playful descents in my life, as we had a very dynamic course full of small jumps, drops, natural half-pipes and not to forget ambitious piners. Prti was our playground instructor and you can't imagine how agile 100+ kilograms of pure mass can be;) We packed our things and.. one, two, three.. we were back in the valley! The Krn Lake and its mountain company shall definetly see us again - but not before a few more meters of white powder hit the slopes.

I wish you all a happy new year! And remember to stay healthy, positive and to enjoy life like we enjoy snow!

I feel sLOVEnia... and South Africa also!

2009-11-27T13:30:00.020+01:00

Last Wednesday witnessed an epic soccer duel between Slovenia and Russia - David against Goliath.. and you probably know how the story ends! After a great qualifying round, Slovenia ended second in the group, which meant they had to play an additional match to qualify for the World Cup 2010 (South Africa). Since FIFA simply couldn't imagine this great competition without Christiano Ronaldo (Portugal), France and not to forget Russian millionaires that would spend vigorous amounts of money in South Africa, they staged a "controlled" draw, where the smaller countries were paired with soccer giants. When Russians saw that they were playing against "little" Slovenia, they already started preparing for the World Cup. They even introduced their new team dresses for South Africa. Russian politicians and businessmen, who flew to Slovenia with their privat jets, booked casinos and restaurants for the winning celebration after the game. However, they weren't counting on such resistance from Slovenian soccer heroes (worth 5.5 times less then Russian stars). With the help of 12 thousand faithful supporters (not to forget my father, Ana and me) the boys left their heart on the field and beat Russia 1-0. SOUTH AFRICA.. here we come baby!

Viševnik!

2009-11-17T10:20:00.009+01:00

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...

2009-11-10T13:21:00.008+01:00

...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..

2009-10-29T10:26:00.005+01:00

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!

2009-09-08T09:44:00.008+02:00

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!

2009-08-29T17:02:00.044+02:00

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!

2009-08-26T18:50:00.013+02:00

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!

2009-08-06T22:03:00.016+02:00

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!

2009-07-27T09:07:00.008+02:00

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!

2009-06-08T09:19:00.011+02:00

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..

2009-06-03T12:42:00.008+02:00

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!

2009-05-23T11:33:00.009+02:00

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!

2009-05-18T09:32:00.007+02:00

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!

2009-05-13T14:47:00.008+02:00

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!

2009-05-09T08:35:00.014+02:00

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!

2009-04-28T09:19:00.006+02:00

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!

2009-04-11T20:36:00.008+02:00

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!

2009-04-06T08:36:00.006+02:00

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)

2009-03-23T09:27:00.010+01:00

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!

2009-03-17T20:07:00.010+01:00

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!

2009-03-09T12:17:00.009+01:00

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!

2009-03-01T13:43:00.011+01:00

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!

2009-02-24T11:27:00.007+01:00

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!

2009-02-22T12:27:00.010+01:00

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!

2009-02-13T10:16:00.006+01:00

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!

2009-02-08T15:27:00.013+01:00

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)

Blegoš squared!

2009-01-30T10:39:00.006+01:00

Yesterday we had a double portion of Blegoš and we were more than satisfied in the end. We skied to the North, where we enjoyed firs-class powder and then ascended back to the top. We then skied the classic route to the East that ends up on the steep clearing above the road. There was lots of snow, sunshine, wine and fun-time.. and I can say that Blegoš never lets me down!

Pokljuka and Powder!

2009-01-27T13:15:00.010+01:00

The mountain ridge that separates Pokljuka plateau and the glacier valley of Krma is a very popular ski-touring destination, because it's very easy to access and the high growing pine trees offer shelter from avalanches. The ridge starts with Debela Peč (2014m) and then continues with Brda (2008m), Lipanski vrh (1974m), Mrežce (1965m), and Debeli vrh (1962m). The most resistant piners are thinly scattered to the very top of these mountains and making beautiful lines in deep powder between them is an awesome experience. Together with my mom and my dog Bella, we ascended to the hut on the meadow Lipanca (1630m). It's funny how Bella looses her sense of hearing and doesn't listen to any commands that we practise at home. She is simply too excited jumping around in snow and scarring bypassing skiers:)

When we started to pack our things at the bottom, I realized that I have forgotten my uphill skins at home (skins are put on skies and allow you to ascent on them, keeping you on top of the snow) and I just can't explain the disappointment in me. I thought such things happen to others and not to me! The next few hours of suffering, while I trudged through the snow up to my waste, I had plenty of time to remorse my mistake. I guess everybody is prone to forget a crucial piece of equipment (like skins) at home and if that doesn't happen for a longer period, you simply become more careless about it. And then it happens - and it happened to me:) Except for a couple of extra kilograms on my back, the ascent to the hut was nothing special. The fun started, when my other bandits (Kebr, Artač, freerider Burek) joined me at the hut. After saying goodbye to my mom we started ascending to the top of Mrežce (1965m) and while others were having a walk-in-the-park, I was swimming in deep powder - constantly fighting against the thought of quitting. My stubberrness did not allow that of course! Sometimes I had powder up to my chest and it was easier to crawl on my belly. The last 100 meters rewarded me with hard snow (powder is usually blown away on the peaks), and there I stood on top of a small and beautiful mountain, happy that I beat it and determined never to forget my skins again. After some chat and photos, we descended towards Pokljuka.. and powder was never so sweet before!

Sledding wtih Scouts!

2009-01-24T18:23:00.011+01:00

In the past few weeks, I have been excercising my mind more than my body (Microeconomics III+, S4), however I still found the time for a fun sledding trip with Scouts. Together with Jerro from the "wolf" gang, we organized a trip to Valvasorjev dom (1171m) below mountain Stol. Scout trips can sometimes turn out to be very stressful for the organizers (logistics, nauty kids, weather), but this one was just perfect. The first train from Ljubljana was at 9:45, which forced us to sleep a little more than usually:) All the 36 of us made quite a scene on the train, where we disturbed the peace of casual passengers. Well it wasn't that bad;) From Žirovnica, we walked through a few scary tunnels and across a small mountain ridge where we arrived at the lake on the other side. After about a 600m climb we reached Valvasorjev dom, where we had a quick snack and a few practical lessons with the kids. They learned a lot about hiking equipment, snow conditions and about dangers in the mountains. We also showed them how to make a "snow-cut" (checking the snow layers), and we practices the art of searching for snow-buried people with digital avalanche transceivers.

The grand finale of the day, was of course the sledding descent, which everybody looked foreword to. Legendary Mihić (the guy who walked Slovenia) and Maja Burja were of course the fastest. I descended with my snowblades (1m long), which I attached to my Alpina winter boots. Of course winter boots are way to soft for good skiing, but after a few funny turns, which ended up in fresh powder, I quickly mastered the boot-skiing technique. The road from Valvasorjev dom has a constant inclination and is just perfect for sledding. After about 30 minutes of racing we almost ran into the lake. When everybody arrived at the bottom, we quickly lit up the torches and marched back to the train. We had lots of fun...and many legends were there!

Begunjščica once again!

2008-12-31T16:06:00.008+01:00

I have concluded over the years that there is simply never enough of Begunjščica. The ascent starts on Zelenica ski resort and later continues left on the steep slopes of Begunjščica. Once you reach the top, you can practically ski down any mountain gorge (each with different inclination and difficulty) and still end up skiing strait to the car. Begunjščica is 2060m high, which means that the total vertical descent is exactly a 1000 meters. All the skiing terrain is on the north side, which produces plantations of powder, however, the same reason makes it dangerous for avalanches. This time we had a little quarrel with intolerant ski resort workers, who sent us off the ski slopes. A lot of skiers commented this issue on the ski-touring forum. The forum is the best places for current information and reports on the snow conditions in the Slovenian mountains. Anyways.. Begunjščica rewarded us again with beautiful weather, and perfectly compacted powder in Centralna Grapa (Alpinistic skiing, III+, S4). Mare, Leon, Keber and I all agreed that Begunjščica shall fall again.

Sella Ronda Express!

2008-12-21T23:31:00.008+01:00

Early ski season in Dolomites (Italy) is the time when the prices are low, the ski slopes are empty, FIS competitions takes place... and it's the time and place that we enjoy the most. Ski resorts have not attracted me lately and I have become very reluctant to mass tourism, however one ski week in Italy each year is a must! This time the team had quite a different profile, but it proved to be a great mix. It was my father, my little sister Adriana and of course my better half - Ana. Adriana made her first steps on skies, Ana made a skiing-comeback after 8 years and my father continued his "old school" skiing style. All mixed together, we created an unforgettable winter vacation. We stayed in Val Gardena, but skiied also in Val Di Fassa, Alta Badia and Arraba/Marmolada - which are linked around the Sella Ronda (big mountain massif). Next year, we are definitely coming back.. and until then, Slovenian (mountain) playgrounds - here I am!

Vrtača! (2181m)

2008-12-08T11:10:00.007+01:00

Yesterday the setting for ski-touring was perfect (sunny, Sunday, good snow..) and with a long caravan of 8 youngsters, we certainly added to mass tourism in the mountains. My plan was to attack Srednji vrh, which is relatively safe from avalanches and still very attractive for skiing. However, when we reached the pass Šija (1693m), our ever ambitious Burek and Jerro turned North, and I quickly figured what they were plotting - Vrtača (2181m high and everything but safe from avalanches). Burek has an interesting philosophy about extreme skiing; he says: "Nigga, you either die... or you don't!" Well, it wasn't long before we all followed them - one after another. It later turned out that the snow was more stable than I thought. The winter scenery and the views of foggy Ljubljana were perfect, while we skied into the valley and yodeled from joy. Group picture from left to right: Zor, Jerro, Jano, Burek, Leon and Artač. Brin was taking the picture while my old pal Mare was digging a bunker in the forests below - he forgot the skins for climbing and decided to test his avalanche shovel. (alpinistic skiing: III-)

Vogel Pow(d)er..

2008-12-06T15:45:00.008+01:00

Snow has been very generous this year and we were glad to join in on the feast! There's an old saying that there is no sin above 1000 meters.. and that above 1500m - it's a sin if you don't (whatever that is;). This Wednesday Leon, Keber and I attacked the virgin Vogel slopes that showed very rare signs of civilization and it would definitely be a sin, if we wouldn't. Leon and I were quickly on the top while Keber struggled a little with his (lack of) equipment. Non the less, we had lots of fun in deep powder and let the movie speak for itself:

Kredarica in frost!

2008-11-24T17:15:00.007+01:00

When thermometers show -17 degrees Celsius, it's time we start packing for another trip to the mountains:) (It's funny how snow and cold are not always complimentary - the coldest temperatures are from November till January, while multiple meters of snow usually start in beginning of February and last until the end of May.) Well this time we visited Kredarica (2515m), which is the highest mountain hut in Slovenia and lies on the east side of Triglav, just above the Triglav "glacier," and we got plenty of cold, wind and snow. It was Ana, Mare, Keber (making a comeback this year:) and my dog Bella, who had the least trouble with cold and was happily jumping around in her winter coat. On the way up we met legendary Rok Medeja, with skies on his back, who just couldn't wait to hit the slopes. In fact, this is his fifth ski trip in Slovenia this year - amazing!! After about three hours we reached our destination, while Mare decided to attack the summit of Triglav. At around three o'clock we were all back at the car.. a little tired, but most of all - determined to ski the next time. And at the moment it's snowing like crazy outside.. so I worry not!

Storžič once again!

2008-11-22T09:43:00.006+01:00

When you wake up in the middle of the night and you drive through empty Ljubljana, before all the workers flood the streets.. you can be sure that you're early enough! We met with Marko in Povlje and started walking in pitch darkness. It quickly warmed up and Mare rushed on, while Burek and I played tourists while sluggishly climbing the mountain. Burek again imagined that he is a freerieder, and did some 360 moves on the rock scree. We enjoyed magnificent morning light dancing in the mist and put another Storžič under our belt!

Climbing in Osp!

2008-10-27T20:24:00.005+01:00

The weathermen were forecasting a perfect sunny day and I had big plans to capitalize. However, it turned out that all of my friends had something else to do and I faced a great dilemma of staying at home or going to the mountains alone. Over the last few years, I got used to always having good company and I have become very reluctant to mountaineering alone. Finally Marko called me and invited me for a climbing afternoon near the seaside and let's say that Sunday was "saved"! This time we decided to climb a longer route (5c, 110m) in Osp, where Marko showed me all the maneuvers of longer routs and we climbed for almost two hours. Hanging 100 meters above the ground brings you to a completely new level and the heart rate is constantly a little higher than usual. We faced a couple of smaller difficulties during the climb but generally it was almost perfect. On the top we absorbed the setting sun and glorious views. However, when descending back down, I somehow lost my camera in the bushes. I was furious, especially because I took extreme care of the camera on the climb up and then lost it when I least expected - on the easy walk back to the car. Forgetting the camera, we had the best time - and I'm sure Marko would agree!

Making plans on Stol!

2008-10-22T13:41:00.006+02:00

This year we have one of the most beautiful autumns ever - the sun shines 6 out of 7 days:) When Leon and I train for the upcoming winter season and when we get a bonus of sunny and warm weather, together with endless views - we simply don't complain. This time we went to visit Stol (2236m), the highest mountain in the Karavanke Alps. We analyzed the skiing possibilities on the mountain, as well as on his family members - Vrtača (2181m) and Begunjščica (2060m). After forging our plans and chatting with mountaineers from Bled, we returned to Valvasorjev dom and back to crowded civilization. Ascent time: 1h'27min Altitude: 1070m Average HR: 155 BPM

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANA!!!

2008-10-13T12:13:00.017+02:00

This Saturday, Ana was celebrating her birthday on Mala Planina, which proved to be quite a challenge for some of our friends. However, as soon as everybody had a glass of "borovničke" snaps, all the dilemma was gone. Lucija and Nina pursued bigger things - Velika Planina, while the rest of us satisfied ourselves with Slovenian mountain specialties on Mala Planina. Here are the other heroes:

Prebil - male representative of Paris Hilton

Kure and Katja - Romeo and Juliet

Tine - Robin Hood

Modic - the lonely rider

Lucija and Bella - Beauty and the Beast (or is it the other way around:)

Mass turism on Planjava...

2008-10-12T18:03:00.009+02:00

Planjava (2394m) is not one of the most popular mountains in Kamniške Alps, however, this Friday there were nine youngsters disturbing the peace up there! Together with legendary Jaka we reached the top in 2h'40min and it didn't take long before the mountain shook-off the clouds and gave us celestial views. As promised a week ago, we had a quick "gulaž" on Kamniško Sedlo, said goodbye to Jaka's geography gang and almost flied back to the valley. Ascent time: 2h'40min Altitude: 1400m Average HR: 132 BPM

More on: Jaka's blog and Marko's blog

The sunny side of Storžič!

2008-10-09T10:56:00.010+02:00

Yesterday Leon, Damjan and I decided to visit Storžič (2132m), an attractive mountain that was cut-off from the Kamniške Alps by river Kokra. There are countless mountains higher, however Storžič with its 360 degree views, is one of the pearls of the Slovenian Alps. It can be a pleasant walk in the summer and fall, while it can really show its teeth in the winter. Damjan, decided that he needs a little more challenge and so he partied all night and joined us in the morning - sleepless of course. His courage was soon put to the test, after about an hour of walking! Leon and I had to take it really slowly, while he enjoyed a short nap on the grass about 1800m high:) We reached the top around 10 o'clock in the morning.. and beauty it was. Leon was so satisfied with the trip, that he decided to put a stamp of Storžič on his chest (picture below). Damjan retired form exterm mountaineering and decided to sleep a little next time. And for the end, a few stats: Ascent time: 120 minutes Altitude: 1412 meters Average Hr: 147 BPM

The quest for snow...

2008-10-05T20:43:00.008+02:00

Today our goal was to reach snow and enjoy the autumn textures of nature.. and I can say that we got plenty of both. Together with my sister Lucija, Nina and Bella we reached Kamniško sedlo (1903m) at around 11 o'clock in the morning. The hut will be open until the end of October and on sunny weekends in November, for those that are interested. The "gulaž" with vegetables was so good, that I'm seriously thinking of jumping up there again this week - just for lunch:) Anyways, Lucija and Nina proudly put a new stamp in their mountain journal, Bella played with other dogs.. and me? I was making skiing plans for the upcoming season and played in the snow a little as well..but don't tell around;)

Diploma!

2008-10-04T12:11:00.012+02:00

And so it finally came.. the long awaited day of my graduation! It was one of the longest journeys that started back in the year of 2003. I experienced crevasses, snow blizzards, extreme cold... and the most deadly were evil snow ferries that tried to seduce me and take my attention away from school. But thanks to everybody that supported me, I became a graduate economist on September 22!

Biking sLOVEnia!

2008-09-01T08:16:00.015+02:00

When we make plans to bike across half of Slovenia, someone might think that our country is small. And once we complete the trip, that someone has no doubts anymore:) Still, Slovenia is big enough that it took 3 courageous boys and one very strong and stubborn girl to complete the adventure. We started in Ljubljana and first headed east down the Sava valley. In Zidani most we turned north and quickly reach Lasko, where we all drank one big Lasko (beer). That was the point where Leon decided that his ass had enough torture and quickly bought padded bicycle shorts in Celje. We were done with almost a 100 kilometers, yet the most difficult part was still ahead of us. Annoying mountain passes, endless valleys, unknown villages, misdirection, muscle fatigue, thirst... those were just some enjoyable moments! When we finally reached Haloze - the promised land, we were awarded with all the luxuries a house can offer. The next day we biked to Leon's grandmother in Ljutomer, who cooked and spoiled us even more. On the third day we went to visit a huge aqua-park in Murska Sobota and played in water like little kids. The evening came much too early as we had to pack our gear and drive to the train station!

But - ohh no, the adventure was not ready to say goodbye! The train that was suppose to take us back to Ljubljana didn't take us there. The engine driver shouted: "bicycles - NO GO!" And before we had time to protest the train disappeared in the horizon. Biking was the last thing we had in mind that evening, but another 40 kilometers to the city of Ptuj was inevitable. Ana and I decided that 350 kilometers of biking was good enough and jumped on an early morning train. Leon and Pecek boldly decided to finish the trip in style and biked back to Ljubljana. When we met up again that evening we all agreed that Slovenia is not that small after all:)

Exploring Monte Rosa!

2008-08-08T21:25:00.008+02:00

In early July I was invited to join a shorter expedition to the Monte Rosa mountain range in Switzerland. Marjan, an experienced Slovenian mountain guide, took Ana, her father and me on two 4-thousand peaks - Allalinhorn and Weissmies (both 4027m). There were summer conditions in the valley and nothing else but snow, cold and winter on the top. Ana and I learned a lot about crossing glaciers and had tons of fun in between. Unfortunately glaciers are disappearing each year and there's a big question if any of them will last for another few decades. After seeing the ferry-tale village of Zermatt, Matterhorn and some other beauties we set back to Slovenia - back to the summer heat:)

Birthday!

2008-07-09T11:08:00.010+02:00

They say that you turn 23 only once in a life and that was the reason I threw a big party at my house. A lot of people, barbeque, cake, presents... I got the whole packet. My friend Modic turned 22 and there were almost 30 people that came to celebrate with us. For presents we gut new rides (picture below).. and let me tell you it goes better than BMW:)

Biking warmup!

2008-06-04T11:55:00.012+02:00

Ana and I realized that it was time to start new activities, and have fun until November gives back what May has taken - Snow! So I decided to put Ana on the bike (she resisted a little), which proved to be a great success and a good start for the summer season. Together with Bella we biked up the Iška Valley in great conditions and completed a short - yet a great trip. At the end we quickly regained the lost kilograms with a greasy barbeque:)

Grand Finale - Triglav (2864m)

2008-05-10T09:47:00.005+02:00

Triglav is the highest mountain in Slovenia and also the symbol of our nation! They say that a true Slovenian visits Triglav at least once in his/her life. I say that a true extreme skier has to ski down Triglav at least once in life. This year the weather was very generous and even though it was May already - there was more then 4 meters of snow up there. I quickly assembled the team - Dadi, Burek, Kebr, Brin and me. We ascended up the glacier valley of Kot and straight to Kredarica. We arrived at the hut in dense fog and pitch darkness - but that made the sandwiches and beer even sweeter. After watching some hokey we went to sleep.. and even though we were all tired we slept very poorly (reasons? I guess - exhaustion, cold, excitement, altitude, etc). At around 8:00 we started climbing the north-eastern face of Triglav. The snow quality was great - compacted powder and we were quick to advance. Somewhere in the middle Kebr and Brin turned around while Dadi, Burek and I continued to the mountain ridge. We left our equipment there and attacked the summit. We quickly found out that the wind has made some dangerous snow cornices over the ridge and decided to suppress our youth ambition. We descended back to 2760m, put on our skies and Dadi his snowboard and we started the ride! All I can say is that: it doesn't get much better than that! The incline and exposure were both big and even our courageous Burek was a little pale. But there was no room for fear nor mistakes and we were all relieved when we met up with Kebr and Brin down on Kredarica. Then another 1300m of pure descend on wet powder and we were back on 25 degrees Celsius ... about 2 kilometers below our new success - Triglav! (Alpinistic skiing: IV+, S5)

Triglav Lakes - Wunderbaaa!

2008-04-30T12:27:00.005+02:00

Exams were obstructing Ana to visit the mountains for quite some time, but when finally passing Finances we were quick to make plans, which were both exciting and daring. After some business in Ljubljana, we drove to the meadow Blato (1147m) and had to wait in the car for at least an hour, due to a heavy storm. The weatherman forecasted a clear evening; however, I was more then skeptical when I looked at black skies and could feel heavy raindrops that were pounding on the car. We were constantly tempted to attack the mountain in rain and it wasn't easy to control our youth excitement and the belief of invisibility. We got "wet" a hundred too many times before and therefore cleaverly waited in the car for the storm to pass. Our patience yielded dividends as the clouds quickly broke and the evening sun came to say hello! I put on my skies and Ana her sexy snowshoes (which make here look like a baby Bigfoot:) and so we raced pass the Jezero meadow (1453m) and then to Dedno Polje (1590m) which is also on the picture above. Then we followed the track that led to the Ovčarija meadow (1700m) where four guys were enjoying romantics with their snaps. Ana and I were quick to join the party and bathed in the evening sun; however not for too long, because the night was falling down and we had a lot more to go. We said goodbye to the boys and raced to the Valley of The Triglav Lakes. At the winter room we met 4 wet and exhausted Chezks, that were treading up to their wastes for 12 hours to the hut, totally underequiped - Chezk tourist style! We still had some good times together until monstrous hunger hit Ana and me and we went downstairs to cook noodles and prepare sandwiches! We slept quite well, even though it was 0C degrees inside. I guess that over the past trips we got quite used to sleeping in the cold.

The next day we ascended up the Triglav Lakes until we turned right towards Hribarice. There we climbed a more difficult way to reach Vratca (2190m). The first plan was to climb Kanjavec (2568m); however the mountain was completely in fog and besides snowy wind was blowing form its direction. There we met the boys from Ovčarija again and together we climbed the nearby Zadnji Vogel (2327m) which proved to be a glorious mountain and it was my first time on top of it. From there we skied in great conditions almost until the car. Ana and I had the best time! Yet Kanjavec has denied me for the third time already... but Kanjavec watch out - I wont go gentle until that last goodbye!

Sella Nevea - Kanin!

2008-04-21T18:53:00.004+02:00

Last Wednesday Burek, Dadi and I decided to explore the northern side of Kanin and to see how much snow the Italians can offer. The ski resort of Sella Nevea is closed for a week already; however, there is enough snow for skiing at least until holidays for May 1. Italians like to take it easy and so we enjoyed tranquility when we ascended up the resort. The snow started right at the car and was exponentially growing by the minute as we enjoyed a "walk in the park!" When we reached the top of the resort at around 1800m, Burek's eyes shined in amazement when he gazed at the surrounding giants submerged in meters of snow. Dadi was showing his joy in more conservative ways and I was taking pictures as if I just bought a new camera. The weather was not the best and yet the visibility was O.K. Our patriotism drove us to continue towards the Prevala Pass (2067m) - which is also the border of Slovenia. And the minute we stepped on the Slovenian side the skies cleared up and all three of us were jumping around in amazement. A quick snack and we continued up, towards the top of Kanin ski resort. Prestreljenik (2498m) was seducing us with virgin white slopes; however, we quickly changed our minds when we saw that Kanin was working and that we are actually going to do some free skiing on powder:)

On Kanin, they never check the ski-passes, simply because the only way to reach it is by a long cable car that brings you from the Valley. And so we skied passionately - up and down! Burek is the master of Kanin and so he showed us all the "off-road" Kanin can offer. Even our burning leg muscles couldn't stop us.

At around 3 o'clock black clouds closed the sun and believe it or not, we had a snow blizzard in about 15 minutes! So there we were on 2300m, covered in fresh snow, swinging on the ski lift, on -6 Celsius, cracking jokes - and all I could think of is that this is probably as close to beauty, perfection, glory and happiness as we could ever possiblly get. (Now lets make something clear: I'm not saying that we are normal or that this is omething usual, we just are what we do and we love it!) And then the skies cleared up again and as we skied down in 5-10cm of fresh powder, we could speak no more! Yet we all knew that one gets so lucky only a few times in life.

Grande Kuloar!

2008-04-10T11:34:00.003+02:00

The weathermen were not so sure about last Friday; however - Burek, Nejc and I were more then sure! At first, the plan was to reach the Kotovo Pass (2134m) and Nejc was very fond of such destination. Burek, on the other side, likes to push the limits and therefore wanted to go through the "Kuloar!" So during the whole ascent, Nejc was under constant pressure and persuasion from Burek, to change his mind. Well, around 1700m high, he finally gave up. And so it was - through the great Kuloar - the hole that resembles a passage to heaven. We were quick and the ascent was wonderful. It took us only four hours to reach the top of the Kuloar (2380m) - and heaven it was.

But after sun - it always rains. Chilly clouds appeared on the sky and the worst of all, Nejc broke his ski binding right on the top. A few cuss words and Nejc was in a good mood again. He descended on foot, while Burek and I skied like two hungry lions preying on powder. Burek even jumped some smaller cliffs and imagined he's a freerider:) Alpinistic skiing (III-, S3+)

Powder and fun!

2008-04-03T18:50:00.003+02:00

Mountaineering plans for last week were both optimistic and big, but let's say that the snow was - bigger! That is why Ana and I postponed the Triglav Lakes for some time and went to have fun on the nearby Karavanke. Our destination was Srednji Vrh (1796m), however there was soon too much snow and Ana was enjoying a first-class swim in the sea of powder. However, her tenacious character still brought us to the pass Šija (1693m) where we gazed at magnificent members of the family: Begunjšćica, Vrtača and Stol. On the way down we stopped at a mountain hut, where we played like two kids: making a snowman, snowball fighting, jumping around... I could say - a true manifestation of winter and snow.

Ohh and Ana take it easy, the snowman could get a heart attack;)

The True Love..

2008-03-29T12:33:00.003+01:00

Blegoš (1562) is my first love - the place where it all started! In February 2005, Leon and I attacked the summit of great Blegoš and after fighting against all the odds we finally reached the top in a victorious manner. Since then we had a memorial of this mountain each year. I'm not talking about some large scale, extreme adventure.. however, about a hill that offers a lot of fun in deep powder, especially when it's too dangerous to visit greater mountains. This year Leon had to do some exams, so we had to go without him. It was Mare, (legendary) Burek and me. We skied almost 700m of pure powder and the memorial was one big success.

Grintavec! (2558m)

2008-03-20T11:28:00.005+01:00

If Rodica is the Queen, then Grintavec must be the King! That is why Ana and I took it a little more serious and went to sleep on Kokrško Pass (1793m) on Thursday evening. It wasn't long before the night caught us, however, walking in the moonlight was more than beautiful. We quickly got comfortable in the winter room and were enjoying the luxury of 3 degrees Celsius:) Later in the night Dadi and Rok joined us, and so the dream team was complete. After a couple hours of talking and joking around we went to sleep - and what a sleep it was! I would be very optimistic to say that I slept for 30 minutes - because it was probably more like 15:) The cold, moisture, excitement combined with Rok's extreme snoring gave Dadi, Ana and me the possibility to ponder about life and to dream about better nights.

Next morning, Dadi was the first to "wake up." He set his alarm 30 minutes earlier, so that he could enjoy his morning ritual of chewing his porridge made from boiled millet. Dadi is an old school veteran and he doesn't enjoy luxuries like sandwiches, chocolate, etc. After a few failed attempts, Ana, Rok and I also managed to get out of our warm sleeping bags and joined Dadi at breakfast. When we took off around 7:30, the sky was still clear, however, it quickly decided to spice up our climb with some wind, fog, snow and a blizzard-like environment. Towards the top, the mountain gorge got quite steep (up to 50 degrees) and now the joke was over. When we reached the top, the sun was just saying his last goodbye and we absorbed the last rays and enjoyed the glorious moments. Dadi and Rok went so far, to spend 10 minutes digging out a snow sofa so that they could peacefully enjoy their lunch. Check out how the kings feast on the picture above. The skiing was quite extreme, because the snow was hard and icy.. however our mood quickly jumped up when we reached the Kokrško Pass and the snow became soft as cotton. We were screaming and jumping around in excitement and probably looked like three kids that just got back their toys. Ana was also enjoying romantics, with her dear crampons - of course. At the bottom we went for beer and coffee and smiled at another unforgettable adventure. (Aplinistic skiing: -IV, S4)

Hiking with Bela!

2008-03-19T18:07:00.003+01:00

For my sisters birthday, we went to visit Mala Planina, where we ate lunch and played with Bella on the snow. The hike took us around 40 minutes - a small step for us, but a great mountenering step for Bella:) So here's two photos of our White Swiss Shepard, 8 months old... cute and naughty like any child.

Snow digging - white ecstasy!

2008-02-21T12:49:00.002+01:00

For almost a week, the weather was "showing off" with no wind and cloudless skies. And when Ana finally passed her exam, it was time to capitalize big plans and seek the white powder in the Bohinj Mountains:) Some heavy snowfall in the beginning of February turned the area into a winter wonderland. Ana and I were half in ecstasy, when we obliviously drove up the snowy road...and if we were older and wiser, we would leave the car a couple hundred meters lower. However, we are not! In fact, we are both still extremely young and naive:) And so we drove higher and higher, until we finally got stuck in soft snow. Of course we didn't have chains nor shovels with us, and so began the white Calvary of saving my car. We were digging with our hands, feet and my skies for almost 5 hours.. and I won't even try to paint the picture, because the English vocabulary simply doesn't allow it. Let me just tell you that when we finally brought the car back on its tracks, we were probably the happiest two digging white moles on the planet!!!

Ok.. so the day was almost over and there was no way we could reach the hut at the end of the Triglav lakes. So we jumped to the first meadow Jezero, where we spent the night in the winter room. Even though there were beds and blankets, it was still not exactly like home. Outside it was -15 degrees, while in the room it was constantly 0 degrees. However we had the ultimate weapon.. a tiny cooker that could do magic - melt snow, make hot soup, warm our hands. And believe me, that hot soup meant more than the fanciest dinner Ljubljana can offer. We slept quite long, until the morning sun warmed the meadow. It was a perfect day and we quickly reached Dedno Polje. From there on, we had some unfinished business from the january attempt! This time the mountain pass Vratca was inevitable - Ana was equiped with snowshoes. Walking up the valley behind Kopica was like poetry! We lost the tracks and were walking on totaly fresh snow, the view was endless and the mountains before us were bragging with their mightiness. A pack of wild mountain goats even came to say hello and they were the only life that we saw in the whole two days. We reached the pass (2200m) around 3 o'clock and then enjoyed skiing the sunset. We came to the car in pitch darkness.. and here comes again our young naivety. But ohh well.. we had the time of our life!

Rodica - Queen!

2008-02-12T12:20:00.002+01:00

Rodica can be crowned as the white Queen of the Bohinj mountains.. not because of its height, but because of its mystical image and celestial view from the top. Nejc, Mare and I went to visit the Queen and she welcomed us with open arms. Great snow conditions, a good dose of sun and a touch of "extreme." On top we could see the Trieste bay and half of Slovenia, but we didn't stop for too long (the queen has other important things to do)! And so we skied.. and skied.. right down to the car:) Ohhh, I think Nejc fell in love with the Queen. Be careful boy, you're playing dangerous games;)

*Also check out a short movie: Rodica

Vacation - white! (Bohinj)

2008-01-30T21:28:00.002+01:00

January was a month that was marked not by extreme skiing, but rather by extreme mathematics II, which I had to pass. It was not pushing the vertical limits, but instead the limits of my intellect. And as any other challenge, I looked it strait in the eyes. On 24th of January I passed the exam - won the game - but still kept all the respect for my opponent. It again proved my point that all you need is a ton of stubbornness and only a drop of talent, and there are no mountains that stay insurmountable!

So it didn't take very long for the mountain bandits to assemble again; and there we were on a beautiful Friday morning seduced by divine skiing slopes of the Vogel resort. We skied the whole day like crazy, until the chilly sunset chased us back to Zor's summer house in the valley. Ohh, don't let me forget, we first attacked the monster pizzas at lake Bohinj, which are definitely "insurmountable." (My friend Pecnik, is still getting ready to prove me wrong - and I just cant wait to see:)" Anyways, all four of us were hungry like animals, and were still extremely optimistic when we ordered 3 pizzas. We were fighting with them like old hungry veterans, however could only finish two and a half. The battle lost, but the fight continues! Next time we will arm ourselves with professionals - Pecnik! So.. after the pizzas we finally went to the summer house and enjoyed a romantic evening! You will probably demand that I define romantics. Well here it goes - Leon playing electric guitar, Zor playing on piano, Maja's endless happiness and laughing, Ana's singing, burning fireplace, Laško beer, cold leftovers of the monster pizza... did I convince you yet?

In the next morning, all the romantics was over, when we sluggishly prepared for the ski touring. When Marko joined us from Ljubljana, and we made a couple of sandwiches, we were already on our way towards new adventures. Because of the snow on the road and our summer tires, we had to leave the car very low. This meant an extra hour of walking on the snowy road. We were cooking a little jealousy, when a few cars rushed passed us. Nevertheless, we were quickly on the first mountain meadow Blato, where the real ascent started. Marko was on skiies for the first time, while Zor was baptized a week ago.. and was already walking like a pro. Ana, of course, not very fond of skies, was enjoying romantics with her crampons:) As we rose to the next two meadows - Jezero and Dedno Polje - the quantity of snow was not joking any more. However, there was a 5-10 centimeter frozen crust on top, which I knew was the worst combination for downhill skiing. So when we came to the last meadow, Mare and Zor had enough and decided to take a vacation there. So we bathed in the sun, listened to music, had some snowball fights.. and the best of all - danced Salsa in skiing boots and crampons:) However, like usually, Ana and I were not satisfied just yet. So we decided to go a little higher. We soon met an older skier who tried to convince us that it was mission impossible for Ana to continue without skies since there was simply too much snow. This made her even more stubborn and tenacious, and even though she was sinking deeply into the snow, we speeded up the tempo:) In the end, we didn't reach any serious mountains, because it was getting quite late, however we jumped onto a smaller one (around 1900m high) which probably had no name, but for Ana and me - it was more than glorious.

The downhill skiing was not the best I experienced... actually it was ****ing horrible. Hehe. It looked more like funny acrobatics on frozen snow. We still had a ton of fun! Zor was not very satisfied with the skiing, however, still concluded in the end: "Ski or die trying!"

Partyslava and more...

2008-01-20T22:15:00.002+01:00

So here it goes.. something that is not as white and pure as snow, but yet still very exciting and addictive! Some people like to call it "PARTYING!" This new year, 13 friends decided to welcome 2008 a little further away - in Bratislava, Slovakia. We spent 3 unforgettable days and Nights there with lots of funny, interesting, peculiar but most of all - great moments. It is probably safer and better for your health that I don't go into extreme details and that the photos that I show you are chosen very carefully and diplomatically.. Check out the first photo where Miha is calling a "TIME OUT," and believe me when Miha has enough - then you know things are "hard core!" Anyways, what was funny is that we were clubbing with almost 2000 Slovenians, listening to a Slovenian band and probably the only pretty Slovakian girls that we saw were on billboards in Bratislava.. but let it be, a chapter left for next time:) We all came home smiling and tired and that is the perfect sign that it was worth it!

And for the end - happy new years to everybody! And don't forget that SPORT IS EVERYTHING.. well at least for now, until you get to know me better;) And then you can start partying with our Santa Clause and me!

Koroška Rinka

2008-01-02T13:39:00.004+01:00

The year of 2007 was just about to say goodbye; however, we didn't let it slip away without closing the final chapter. This time the team was very diverse: Mare - extreme surfer, Dadi - extreme border, then comes me the extreme skier.. oh and let's not forget Ana - the extreme photograph poseur;) We started at waterfall Rinka and ascended through Turski Žleb to Koroška Rinka (2433m). I could go on and on about the trip, but lets just say that it was a manifestation of beauty, mountaineering, skiing... It had everything from powder, vertical slopes, narrow passages, ice, rock, sunset, endless horizons, laughs, fatigue... but most important of all - friendships. Oh we even met our Statistics II professor and took a few legendary photos 2100 meters high. The skiing was great from top to bottom and the snow conditions went through all the spectrum of quality. (Alpinistic skiing: III).

And for the end.. the mystical sunset and Ana giving us the "look" that tells the whole story. The story of adventure, happiness, fatigue and that its time to finally go to sleep... adieu!