Days Three and Four

Dom Valentina Staniča pod Triglavom

Bad weather had been forecasted and it came right on cue. We woke to swirling mist and the threat of rain but set off to take a look at where the Prag and Tominšek paths merge above Vrata, popular ascent routes of Triglav. The rain started on our way back to the hut so we surrendered to a lazy day reading books and snoozing in our room. During the night a storm broke over Triglav with almost continuous thunder and lightning. We awoke the next morning to snow and frost, piercingly blue skies with incredibly clear views. At last we could see Triglav, almost near enough to touch, but now we had another problem – we had not bargained for snow! In places the paths were quite tricky and Triglav looked too difficult, for us at least. Forced to spend one more night at Dom Valentina Staniča (not a hardship!) we recced the route up towards Kredarica and climbed another peak, Begunjski vrh (2461m) spending the rest of the day taking photos and just enjoying being where we were.

Looking across the Vrata Valley in the Julian Alps, Slovenia

Day Five

Despite yesterdays sunshine, the covering of snow remained and the shaded traverse across the north slopes of Rž was distinctly unnerving as we made our way to Kredarica. There are several routes up Triglav but the easiest and, most used, are from Triglavski Dom at Kredarica or from Dom Planika. Because the initial part of the climb from Kredarica looked extremely slippery due to the snowy conditions we headed around the base of Triglav to Dom Planika. Determined to reach the summit and with adrenaline pumping we set off up the path amazed at the number of folk, including children as young as seven or eight, who were either ahead of us or coming back down.

Sarah on the east ridge of Triglav

The well walked route is steep but, as long as you are careful and have a head for heights, is not particularly daunting as the most difficult parts are well protected with wire cables and steel pegs. The snow was less of a problem on this, the sunny side of Triglav, and it seemed like no time at all before we had reached the summit of Mala Triglav where we joined the route up from Kredarica. The final ridge is an airy but easy scramble and a cable is always where you need it.

What an exhilarating moment to be on the summit of Triglav (2864m), standing next to the Aljažev stolp, a round, metal, rocket-shaped structure, the highest point in Slovenia!  Summit cloud obscured the views but we didn’t really care – we had realised our dream!

You might think that, having achieved our goal, the rest of the holiday would be an anti-climax. Not at all. Each day to come was unique – the ridges and summits offering different challenges, terrain and views. Every hut had its own ‘personality’ and there were were always new people to meet.

Day Five stats – 5 1/2hrs walking, approx 750m of ascent

Tags: Bohinj, Črna prst, Julian Alps, Kanjavec, mountain huts, mountains, Rodica, Seven Lakes Valley, Slovenia, Slovenian, Slovenija, Triglav, Triglav Lakes Valley, Triglav National Park, Vogel, walk