Julian Alps :: Diary

October in Slovenia

The early snowfall has melted back off the southern aspects but out of the sun, which shined all week, it was cold and certainly not inductive to handling rock. There was significant hard snow and some ice on the northern slopes but the southern approaches were cool summer conditions.

Bavski Grintavec (Sidarta guide)
We managed to drive to the 962m point just and walked up a shady Zadnja Trenta valley. The right sided via ferrata was great though my companions found the loose frozen scree between steeper sections of rock rather testing on the nerves. I would grade the protected scrambling as Grade 3 (Lake District). A magnificent 9-hour day!

Prisank (Cicerone guide)
A comfortable 6-hour day with good sections of protected walking and scrambling. Well protected both up and down. Great views. The descent is complex but well described and much less intimidating than that from Mala Mojstrovka. An easier outing that is spectacular and less scary than the other side of the pass.

Lepena Valley - Soca cycle returning by the main road
A good way of seeing the Lepena valley with its unspoilt woods and pastures. Walks from the end of the valley must be hard going in the summer! Cycling up to Soca on the south side of the river gave many great views of the river that are missed on the main road. (4 hours)

Pogacnikov Dom and Bovski Gamsovec from Trenta (Cicerone guide)
The views are amazing in the Autumn and the temperature was just right. 8 hours to the top and back down, which seemed a long way despite the views along the Soca river miles below, but allow more in the summer. We were fit and rested by the time we did this. The approach was exposed at times and needed care. The Dom was closed though we still saw our first walkers on this outing! Bovski Gamsovec gave magnificent views of high mountains. Though a protected walk, we didn’t feel the need for via ferrata kit though helmets (as always) would have been sensible.