merkur - Recent messages

You on the rock - Ravni dol - ... .
Ločanka, get yourself the Trenta 1:25000 map. From the lower road barrier upwards the touring ski route is accurately drawn (mostly coincides with the path), leading via Ravni dol to Plaski Vršac. In summer the path leads us further along the ridge ... In winter there, if at all, be especially careful!

I got a feeling (hope it deceives me!), that Mr. Bojan despite his youth is quite "sly" and casually intentionally mentioned Martuljek pathless and PP re GPS tracks to poke specific ones... But in general the young guy is right: sooner or later it will happen, whether some (probably already minority) want or not.

By the way I'm curious if (quality and verified!) GPS tracks will be part of the new Julian Alps guide where far-sighted Bojan A (only)mentioned as (co)author. Well, then it would seem sensible (added value) to upgrade path descriptions with GPS tracks and/or at least start points (already some standard). Tracks perhaps added selectively, mainly main connecting marked paths - to increase safety of hikers (interactive web update option would boost usability). Here clear responsibility for quality, PZS should contribute... But enough, all and more is known about it (some realized), anyway off-topic!

These and similar forums have done a lot of good for hiking, but the multitude of photos, especially those with "marked lines", slowly and persistently takes away the romance from us (for safety it probably adds something and takes something). So in the name of posterity I support pikica1's opinion, although the mentioned process cannot be stopped. Fortunately, for now you still have to go on the path and reach the summit on your own feet. Mostly. And yes, fortunately again, the amount of satisfaction at the end of the tour still strongly depends on the effort invested and milliliters of adrenaline flowed! Good luck!

On the path to Skrlatica there are few spots where self-belaying would really come in handy (namely, fixed cable protection on the path to Skrlatica is not the rule) - actually I think there's just one. Yeah, the path to Jalovec via Kotovo sedlo is a pretty good comparison. Of course it's my subjective opinion! My opinion is also that a self-belaying kit isn't really that heavy a thing, so whoever has it should carry it along and strictly (!) use it wherever possible.

@velkavrh Left (unmarked) "path" that actually goes directly below saddle into valley has always been poorly traceable (with remaining snow even more) and rarely someone "decorates" it with rare cairns. If no tracks of predecessors, you have to search step by step - not demanding. That you're on right "path" surely know if advancing don't need to use hands!

The hut is owned (managed) by TNP, so they are probably the right address. Ask! From my own experience I can write (I didn't ask exactly for the hut at Utro and it was four years ago!), that they usually (similar experience of acquaintances) send you away with the answer that they don't rent these huts, saying they are not properly prepared for guests. The latter certainly holds true! But it's a pity! Well, maybe you'll have more luck?! Maybe it's even better to approach the matter "around the corner" - unofficially; what do I know?! I won't hold it against you if you report the result - maybe in private messages ... And good luck!

I also think that Bojan was joking about his own hatred of Slovenian hills, but what worries me more is that he apparently isn't joking at all about writing the guidebook. But probably my concern is unnecessary, because if Mihelič's Tine managed before him, Bojan will of course too ... Jebelacesta!

You can count 4 to 5 hours from Gilberti via Perava (Marussich bivouac) and Vrh Krnice to the Kanin summit, how much you spent for the return over Prevala you know. I wish you a pleasant tour when it comes!

If I may ... It's always like that, some need more time, others less - Mihelič wrote in his Julian Alps guide (long ago) that the descent from Kanin to the bivouac takes 2 hours 15 min. That was some average (when the guide was written). But the essence of the difference in difficulty between Julia and this part of the High Rosojan path is probably really what Igor wrote: the part is unsecured - not even close to a ferrata. So on Julia I saw crowds of hikers going up and down, while to the bivouac usually only a few descend, and some I've seen turning back up and then caught them below on the path to the Gilberti hut (so they descended Julia). Actually, Janez, if anything, why not test, according to the old mountaineering rule, the (presumably harder and new for you) path in the direction from the bivouac up, where you can turn anytime or descend via Julia you know over the summit, and the exit is also a repeat of the descent over Prevala. Good luck!

SuzanaM, nice trip!

May I kindly "correct" two captions? Under the 15th photo it's not "view of the Trebiščina pasture" but view of the Trebiški valley and TNP hunting hut. The remains of the Trebiščina pasture are much lower, located somewhat above the marked trail (unmarked branch through the woods). Under the 67th photo it says "on the road before the village of Trenta", more accurately "on the road before the hamlet Na Logu".

All the best!

That foliage and troubles with losing the reliable trace, everyone who was there (first time) probably remembers ... Nice path, yes! Now I'll deliberately detour over Korenske police, then upper police, then Robičij ridge, Vavovje, Kumlehova glava, ... - because from there you can really nicely see the paths in M. Pišnica, including the one just talked about, which traverses the slopes of Ciprnik (oh, not o, it's i)

That larch yes - it's supposedly the oldest living being in Slovenia.

Hahaha, I remember someone who once on that long upper gravel traverse wanted to conjure a third hand from his pocket ... We're different and that's good.

Turbo, I wouldn't correct or add to you, but maybe it's right ...

I agree with the description of 1. and 2.

Add 3. Probably you mean the direct pathless crossing from Vratc (Vršič - Sl. Špica path) down into M. Pišnica, where there really is some climbing, but you can also find short remnants of cable ... Lower you follow a pathlet that exits into the valley (somewhat below the waterfall) and there joins the path described further ... Another variant. From Grlo (near there is the big larch) down into M. Pišnica you can find a path that all the way allows walking with hands in pockets. First time it's better to come from the direction of M. Pišnica up, because down from Grlo it's not entirely easy to find, and somewhat lower it needs to be properly threaded (it gets lost in places) or turn at the right time ...

Hm, that variant from under Ciprnik down I don't know ... Careful - maybe walking with hands in pockets isn't so obvious. When I walked there (last time a few years ago) in the upper part under the ridge it was always (whether going from below - from Pišnica - up or from the ridge down) necessary to cross part of a steep gravelly and partly sandy slope, which was partly protected by a poorly fixed and not very trustworthy cable. Of course I allow the possibility that from the upper cairn (I too always saw it on the saddle) such a direction downwards is possible to avoid the aforementioned difficulties - I'm just not sure that it's entirely obvious? (By the way. From the hunting hut up this path isn't always entirely easy to thread - depending on the season and how trodden it is.)

When such questions start popping up (justified!), the Bohinj folks with their enterprising mayor at the helm should really think twice!

Turbo, you leave the marked path at the PP sign in V Gubah (Pekel is much higher), that those pegs in the jump were bent so smoothly by snow avalanches I wouldn't stake my hand on. The tour is beautiful - no topo comments!