Široka Peč-Škrlatica (Ridge Traverse)

redbull12. 07. 2021 15:59:30

Široka Peč-Škrlatica (10.07.21)

The weather forecast was super, although it later turned out to be a bit off about that, but we didn't let it bother us. With David we parked a bit closer than to leave it by the road in Martuljek. A little before five we start hiking Za Akom. I have old Alpine shoes; they've lasted 11 years and I really trust their rubber and flexibility of the "slippers". With Scarpas on which I have new soles I honestly didn't dare to take them on the route, as they now look more suitable for hikes to Celjska koča. Definitely several cm thick and no contact with rock, so such ones are definitely not for climbing, where you have to trust the shoe, above all yourself. It wasn't cold, not too hot either. We're already standing in front of the wall of Široka Peč, which takes your breath away. There'll be no shortage of snow in the gully and we took the entry from the snowy part to the rocky part by best feel. We didn't go to the end like the original route, but entered lower to the left, as it was an easier passage. Scrambling over scree and higher we reach the aforementioned original. Ice axe is mandatory; of course I recommend having crampons. In the wall, where a III+ jump awaited us, we belayed. Some snow compared to last time has already melted, but there's still enough for walking in the amphitheater. Some sun, otherwise mists—I could say fog. We didn't rush, but we were still quite fast to the top in 3:30. We kept a constant pace and didn't linger too long anywhere, as it's a very long traverse. Nice climbing towards Dovški Križ with one rappel. I know it well, as we were there last time. We progressed nicely; of course David nicely recorded us in the summit book. Already the fourth time this year I'm standing on Dovški Križ—really incredible. Someone would say: what the hell did you forget here? We continue to the top of Jugova grapa and head along the ridge onward; the normal route goes left down. Not bad, but every step must be careful. On the last tower with the cairn we take a slightly different line and go to check if a peg for rappel is hidden somewhere. Look at that, it was hidden behind a rock; in recent years we have a good "nose" for such things. The 40m rope was perfect and brought us nicely to the end of the gully. I mustn't forget how on the right side a nice big chamois was nicely munching grass. Further we had more or less a walk to Veliki Oltar, where we ate something small. It was foggy; there really wasn't any heat. Here and there you'd almost wish for gloves. The descent from Oltar must be maximally careful, as they aren't easy routes. Where it starts ascending there's still a nice patch of snow. I bypassed it on the right, David on the left. Since we've already done it twice, let's climb to the ridge a third time. The normal route goes right. On the ridge there are really narrow, pointed towers. One wonders: will it hold? It must! At the end there's also an obligatory rappel. Some more climbing and we're standing on Visoki Rokav. Mate Franc with friends left us Isotonic cans. They did a nice ascent through the serac—congratulations, especially to Sonja. It's not just anyone; she's a good climber. We put on rather thin jackets up there; there was no stuffiness. Last year with Denis we climbed the Finančarjev ridge, so the fog didn't bother us either. I remembered the ridge well. We're already at the first stance, nice airy rappel. 40m of rope is enough for the entire ridge. We descend carefully and reach the ledge. Some crumbly descent, right around the corner and on the right chimneys, saw, and gendarmes join us—that's what old timers called them. Juševa, Dragova, and especially Jovanova stories about this traverse are unimaginable. He nicely showed all paths and routes. We climb the first tower, which is solid III. The rock is still OK. There are quite a lot of rappels and if you don't know how not to "miss" them, you find them easily. Just in case, leave a spare sling next to them. There are huge towers that you climb up and down. After the fifth rappel came the slightly harder part, where we belay. David climbs first, I belay him and later vice versa. It's really an interesting, not at all easy part. Right along the ledge into the gully and up it. Relying on hands and feet is inevitable. IV for sure. At the top of that there's now our rope for the next ones; they'll be belayed more easily. We descend once more, traverse carefully to the last overhanging wall and here the last seventh rappel awaits us. Nice overhanging descent. The rock for the final ascent to the top of Škrlatica is good; only before the last part the route turns left along the ledge to the notch. Up it to the upper part and just a walk to the Queen. After a little less than 12 hours from the car we're standing on top, i.e., the great ridge traverse of the Martuljek mountains is complete. We were happy, of course tired. With some pause, but of course we need to descend from the top to the valley. It flew to Vrata; we were there in one hour and forty minutes—I wouldn't have thought. Tjaša was already waiting for us with transport. It's really a crazy traverse on which we didn't browse the net, but dedicated our thoughts only to this traverse; only like that can you safely ascend and descend. I'd only regret that the weather wasn't a bit nicer, especially more views of all those climbed towers.