High On Slovenia

October 1 - 10, 2007

LJUBLJANA, Slovenia
As the train gently crossed the Croatia/Slovenia border, the rolling hills almost instantly transformed into steep tree-covered hills that stretched for the sky. As the train approached the capitol Ljubljana, I began to see the already snow-capped mountains in the distance. I didn't realize that I would soon be at the summit of one of the peaks. My hostel was supposed to be one of the top-rated hostels in Europe, and had the dubious distinction of being a former prison in an area that had been transformed into somewhat of an artist's district.

It was immediately obvious that LJ was a city obsessed with fitness… as I wandered through the pedestrian-friendly city a stream of joggers, rollerbladers, and cyclists constantly whizzed by. The cool brisk evening air still did not deter anyone from practicing outdoor yoga, cycling, walking, or drumming in the massive park on the edge of downtown. Other locals kept the social vibe alive by crowding the many outdoor cafes alongside the downtown canals, where they could watch people crossing the historic bridges such as The Cobbler's Bridge, The Dragon Bridge, or perhaps the Triple Bridge.

BLED, Slovenia
Only an hour bus ride outside of LJ, the touristy town of Bled typically attracts many tourists for its beautiful lakes and mountains. It was great to be amongst the mountains… the hills smelled of adrenaline, while the town still lingered of Ben-Gay from the hordes of recently departed blue-haired tourists. My first task in Bled was to investigate the local adventure guides to see what mountain adventures were happening. I spent the rest of the day walking around the lake and walking amongst the forests until I received a text indicating there was a hike/climb that would leave at 6am the next day to the top of Mount Triglov, the highest peak in Slovenia.

Since I was already supposed to be back in Canada, I was completely unprepared for any excursions such as this, and I had to borrow all the outdoor gear except for socks. The next morning, under the rising sun, a German girl, myself, and our tour guide began to hike up to the base lodge located more than a vertical kilometer above us. The weather fluctuated drastically throughout the next six hours as we trekked through teaming rain, baking sun, and ankle-numbing snow. A short lunch at the base warmed us up enough to begin the 2-hour ascent to reach the top of Triglov at 2984m above sea level. The final climb included helmets, ice-axes, ropes, and a little bit of concern. This is a popular hike in the summer, where the ant-like formation of tourists apparently file along one by one up to the peak, but the snow-covered cliffs deter all but the most fearless (or possibly naive)! The view from the top was stunning and we managed to take in the panorama before descending for 2 more hours back to the warmth of the base lodge.

I spent the next several days in Bled walking through neighboring small villages, a local gorge, and the gorgeous Lake Bohinj. The damp weather was comforted by the delicate smell of fresh flowers and the warm scent of wood-burning stoves wafting through the misty streets. Before leaving for Italy, I spent another day back in LJ to visit a photography exhibit that was spread through many of the micro-galleries throughout the city.



Ljubljana, Slovenia. My hostel, a former prison, was located in a district named Metelkova which has been taken over by some rather artsy folks. These are the faces that I woke up to when going for a walk the next morning...


Ljubljana, Slovenia. The Dragon Bridge is guarded from evil and danger by... well... dragons.


Ljubljana, Slovenia. A view down the canal, with mountains in the background.


Ljubljana, Slovenia. The canals are lined with busy cafes full of young people.


Ljubljana, Slovenia. Another canal view where the willows and other colourful plants sweep along the walls.


Ljubljana, Slovenia. The morning market in LJ.


Bled, Slovenia. Lake Bled and the surrounding hills.


Bled, Slovenia. Another view of Lake Bled with the castle up top.


Bled, Slovenia. A church in the middle of the lake, with the castle in the background.


Bled, Slovenia. A view of the church in the middle of the lake.


Bled, Slovenia. This is the hut near the top of Mount Triglov and is where we stayed a night after summitting the highest peak in Slovenia.


Bled, Slovenia. View from the top of the world... well, at least Slovenia.


Bled, Slovenia. We had to ascend and descend using ropes and ice-axes, and here proves that I actually made it all the way up to the top of Triglav!


Bled, Slovenia. The trees were changing colour in the valleys. The highest point Mt Triglov.


Bled, Slovenia. This is part of the hike that we had to do in ordre to get to the hut at the base of Triglav.


Bled, Slovenia. The gorge.


Bled, Slovenia.


Bled, Slovenia.