Hike.uno
Hike.uno
Login
Login
Username:
Password:
Login
Not registered yet? Registration.
Forgot password?
      
List of forums / Slovenia / Julian Alps / Seeking mastery on Mojstrovka and in the wrong gully

Seeking mastery on Mojstrovka and in the wrong gully

Print
JusAvgustin17. 01. 2010 18:02:20
It was already 11 o'clock when the decision suddenly fell... Let's go to Mojstrovke, him ski touring, me climbing. I intended to climb the preparatory gully on Mojstrovka (max slope 45 degrees) but it went badly wrong. Due to fog I entered the gully left of the preparatory one. Initially all excited, after a few steps I saw this wasn't 45 degrees. The gully started rising steeply, concentration at its peak. Every step, every ice axe swing was calculated, recalculated and recalculated again. Soon the slope grew to about 60 degrees, when I got used to it somehow, it increased to 70 degrees at the rocky jump. The next rocky jump was even harder, it had 90 degrees or full vertical. Luckily conditions in the gully were fairly solid. Searching for passages I soon turned right... The traverse I planned to cross had more than 60 degrees slope, with all force leaning on the wall seeking good crampon grip, when I finally managed to cross it... Surprise! Jump or passage over dwarf pines about 5m long, with vertical slope. I had to make a decision. I pondered surely 20 minutes, meanwhile I got scared, hands burning, legs aching (in short exhausted). I decided to climb it and I did, conditions there catastrophic, full of powder snow forcing into nose and throat, no base just branches. With last strength I grabbed branches (dwarf pines known for extremely strong branches!) and drove crampons into soft snow. A bit more... I made it! The path then led to a passage I did on my belly, since all around was iced over, other side overhanging rock. Finally the steepness eased, slope reduced to 45 degrees and I could breathe again. I walked the slope for another good 15 minutes and finally climbed to the summit (in the picture) from where I watched people on Mojstrovka. I realize it was close, very close, gully conditions not perfect yet (lots of verglas, base not consolidated in places. Start of gully medium conditions, further on needed to climb some rock clad in ice sheath. Conditions in upper part changed strongly, only unconsolidated dry snow (huge energy spent digging to base that would hold crampons). In the end all effort (adrenaline overcame fear) rewarded, I was alone on x summit, then climbed Mojstrovka too. Up there completely alone. Wonderful views, fast-beating heart and feeling. No words for what all I felt today. Besides all agony endured already on the way to the entrance, in the end my body flooded with complete triumph. And the fact, never again in such conditions!
Pain is weakness of the mind. Regards, Juš

Time: Vršič, gully entrance (wrong!) 30 min
Gully 2h!
Ridge - M. Mojstrovka 30 min
Summit - Vršič 45 min
My most adrenaline-filled tour so far...
Seeking mastery on Mojstrovka and in the wrong gully Vršič in the fog1
Seeking mastery on Mojstrovka and in the wrong gully Fog, soon the sun2
Seeking mastery on Mojstrovka and in the wrong gully Nad Šitom glava3
Seeking mastery on Mojstrovka and in the wrong gully Crossing4
Seeking mastery on Mojstrovka and in the wrong gully Track5
Seeking mastery on Mojstrovka and in the wrong gully 6
Seeking mastery on Mojstrovka and in the wrong gully Avalanche test7
Seeking mastery on Mojstrovka and in the wrong gully Gully (wrong)8
Seeking mastery on Mojstrovka and in the wrong gully Ascent9
Seeking mastery on Mojstrovka and in the wrong gully Prisank10
Seeking mastery on Mojstrovka and in the wrong gully 11
Seeking mastery on Mojstrovka and in the wrong gully Soon it becomes steep12
Seeking mastery on Mojstrovka and in the wrong gully View up13
Seeking mastery on Mojstrovka and in the wrong gully View back (the less dark the better!)14
Seeking mastery on Mojstrovka and in the wrong gully The steepness has eased15
Seeking mastery on Mojstrovka and in the wrong gully 16
Seeking mastery on Mojstrovka and in the wrong gully It was really steep, very steep!17
Seeking mastery on Mojstrovka and in the wrong gully Summit I climbed to18
Seeking mastery on Mojstrovka and in the wrong gully Highway, or better a field19
Seeking mastery on Mojstrovka and in the wrong gully V. Mojstrovka20
Seeking mastery on Mojstrovka and in the wrong gully 21
Seeking mastery on Mojstrovka and in the wrong gully 22
Seeking mastery on Mojstrovka and in the wrong gully 23
Seeking mastery on Mojstrovka and in the wrong gully Step if you dare...24
Seeking mastery on Mojstrovka and in the wrong gully 25
Seeking mastery on Mojstrovka and in the wrong gully Nature works wonders26
Seeking mastery on Mojstrovka and in the wrong gully Butinarjeva grapa route with deviation to the right to 27
Seeking mastery on Mojstrovka and in the wrong gully Without proper equipment, never into the hills.28
like
rok8617. 01. 2010 18:11:17
well, gotta be careful cuz in the mountains you can easily get lost if you don't have mileage in orientation and terrain knowledge. Conditions for gullies ain't ready anyway cuz the snow is unprocessed except on some steep jumps where it's blown off and some piece left to stick into. You know how it goes: Man is dumb cuz he learns from own mistakes not from others' already made ones!
like
JusAvgustin17. 01. 2010 18:17:04
Enough mileage, lack of terrain knowledge screwed me plus going solo... Next time better. Conditions in the upper gully part were ideal though, but only about 100m.jezik
like
grajbos17. 01. 2010 19:09:33
Irresponsible....
like
Nosko17. 01. 2010 19:14:23
Nice pics! What camera is that?
like
JusAvgustin17. 01. 2010 19:22:32
that preparatory route would still go... conditions were very varied in gully. good at bottom, bit less in middle, then dwarf pines in between (that gave me wind), further solid. Still needs snow to settle, some gullies already climbable. Yeah sure take it as well-meant advice, I know too. I'm bloody under skin too... Irresponsible, yes. But feeling... Dreamy, especially see how small you are, and one mistake can be flight over wall.
Camera is actually crappy, can't carry bigger on my adventures (nikon coolpix 4600)eek
like
sebanakis17. 01. 2010 20:43:14
I see you went into Butinarjevo, which seemed most logical to us with that crossing, so we made the track on Saturday, hope it didn't mislead you. The gully was ideal though, and preparatory is super made, we descended there.
Good luck
like
JusAvgustin17. 01. 2010 21:03:19
well finally! someone who gets why we do this. come on tell me, was it crux over the scree huh? I studied it 20 mins whether to go or not. look down too... squeezes your balls. super route, super track, bit worse conditions but still. let's go sometime togethernasmeh
in better conditions!

Regards

grade: rock II., snow, ice II.(no crux yet)
like
zippo18. 01. 2010 06:41:59
I had a similar experience myself. If you have it sorted in your head and know what was right and what wrong - you learned something from it and that's very good.
Worse is if you don't realize it, then from the last mistake you have no more chance to learn anything.
like
strelec195418. 01. 2010 08:37:57
This reminds me of my similar adventures, I know this will stay in your memory forever.eek
Nice pics and probably even nicer memory.
When you're once my age the old saying stays in your memory: If you don't go you don't have a storycool
regards.velik nasmeh
like
bridnk18. 01. 2010 09:59:13
if you don't go check you can't know conditions, super gully otherwise
like
heinz18. 01. 2010 12:53:28
you almost got your PhD in winter ascentsmežikanje
like
JusAvgustin18. 01. 2010 13:34:36
why?nasmeh
like
heinz18. 01. 2010 18:38:04
well, I imagine this experience on movement and conditions told you more than all theory so far.
and good luck!
like
You must log in to post a comment:
Username:
Password:
Login
If you do not yet have a username, you must first register.
         
Copyright © 2026 Hike.uno, Terms of use, Privacy and cookies