If you haven’t already, you might want to go and read the first in this adventure. As we climbed higher, away from trees and the mountain hut we got closer to an eagle. Wildlife in the Julian Alps is really amazing.
The trail became narrower as we went higher. We were after this. The narrow, exposed paths wiggled along the mountain contours.
As we climbed higher, the vegetation and wildlife disappeared. There was not much to see above 2000m, apart from rock and stone. The scenery is stunning, though.
On the other side of this high valley, we saw Dom Planika – the highest mountain shelter in Slovenia – and where we would be staying for the evening. The mountain hut was still a good distance away, but seeing it in the distance gave us the motivation we needed to continue climbing.
We scrambled up the steep, rocky terrain for a few hours before reaching the base of the mountain. The summit of Triglav could be seen from here – or would have if the clouds hadn’t been there!
The herds of sheep on the plateau were a surprise to me. Mountain goats and sheep are always a mystery to me. It must be easier and more pleasant living down on the mountain.Dom Planika, a 2408m-high mountain with incredible valley views. It was around 150 years since the first cabin in this area was constructed and opened, on 18th September 1871. The name of that cabin was Triglav Temple. I like it better!
We were fortunate to be able to secure one of the smaller bunk rooms with only four bunks. The room was shared with two lovely Italian ladies who were enjoying their holidays.This mountain hut did not have running water. It was something that I had not appreciated prior to my trip and I regretted it immediately for not having packed some antibacterial or wet wipes.The feeling was only heightened when I saw that the outhouse toilets were nothing more than a hole cut in the ground in a mountainside. The toilets were truly, truly disgusting. The views were incredible from the hut.
Sunsets are also a great pleasure. As the sun set behind other mountains and cast a vibrant orange color over the sky, we sat down with the sheep.It was as exciting as it was beautiful to see the jagged mountains of the Julian Alps.We checked the map again as we were eating dinner. We had the same plan as everyone else in the hut: to get up early to catch the sunrise and make the best of it.We woke up and ate breakfast after a great night’s sleep. We put on our climbing equipment and started our climb towards the top.
The mist clouds at the valley bottoms were a wonderful sight.We were soon high above the mountain hut, and the hut was just a small box off in the distance. We were waiting on the summit of Triglav…