13772

Slovenia: GeoCaching around Lake Bled

Today, Nada and me visited Bled and besides some GeoCaching, we circled around the lake and walked on frozen lake. Lake was quite noisy from time to time, but that didn't scare us or 1000 other people to walk to the island.

Lake Bled with an island. The lake is of mixed glacial and tectonic origins. It is 2,120 m long and 1,380 m wide, with a maximum depth of 29.5 m.

Towards the island with several buildings, the main one being the pilgrimage church dedicated to the Assumption of Mary, built in its current form near the end of the 17th century.

99 stairs

Tuši and Nada

1000 people walking / ice-skating /cycling on ice

Hike around and on frozen Lake Bled

GeoCaches found (all received a visit by trackable item "1704 Happy Caching - Ladybird", TB1KCTP):
- Blejski otok / Island on Lake Bled, GC26YR7
- Blejsko jezero / Lake Bled, Mystery, GC1TTCA
- Plecnik XVI - Belvedere, GC324DW
- SL #20 - Razgled na Bledu / Overview in Bled, GC4KQG2

13771

Slovenia: Sledding from Dom pod Storžičem

In the evening Nada and me wanted to attend a presentation of one of the best ice climbers in the world, Klemen Premrl, but we missed it, so we just went sledding. Dom pod Storžičem, 1132 m, was a great choice and the track was smooth and very fast.

Fully loaded

Sledding time

13769

Slovenia: Hike to Vrh Ljubeljščice

Two GeoCachers, Roman and Jure, invited me to join them on a FTF (first to find) attempt to Vrh Ljubeljščice, 1704 m, where a new GeoCache showed up today. We started early in the morning, Roman and Jure with skis and me on foot. We found it and logged it. Another great start of the day.

Good morning mountains

View to the West

Roman and me

The flow

Run back to the fog and later to work

Morning hike to sign in GeoCache

GeoCache found:
- Vrh Ljubeljščice (Triangel), FTF, GC6ZFP6, where I took trackable item "1704 Happy Caching - Ladybird", TB1KCTP

13768

Slovenia: Ice-Climbing in Jelendol

In the afternoon Rok, Gašper, Vlado and me decided to climb another waterfall. This one doesn't have a name ant it is usually just called by the name of the village, where it flows. The names that I got were "Slap Jelendol", "Slap Puterhof" or "Slap Jelendol nad igriščem".

It was quite an easy climb with 2 jumps and we all made it. On our way down I lost Rok's camera, so the day didn't end as we expected. Maybe with luck we will find this waterproof Panasonic DMC-FT5 camera sometime in the future and then also the pictures will come to this post.

Lost in action

13767

Slovenia: Ice climbing Mokre peči - Lucifer

Waterfall Mokra peč is 80 meters high. In winter time, this waterfall is one of the most picturesque ice climbing walls, named by first ice climbing ascenders as Lucifer. It is the first climbed waterfall in Slovenia, climbed by Vanja Matijevec, Blaž Oblak and Lado Vidmar in 1979. There are many more demanding ones, however the ascent over it is still an exciting experience.

With Slavc, we decided to climb it in the morning before work and a little past 7 a.m. we were set to go. Slavc was climbing as first and I just following him. The steepest part was a bit harder, still I enjoyed a lot. The ice then continues for another 100 meters with much less demanding parts and then you exit on a path, that leads you back to the starting point. Our hike nad climb track - Garmin Connect.

Mokre peči - Lucifer

13765

Slovakia: Backcountry Skiing in Vysoké Tatry (High Tatras), Day 4

In the morning we packed our things and left Zbójnicka Chata hut. We decided to take it easy today, since some also had to drive back home for more than 800 kilometres. Easy ascent, a little bit of powder and a descent back to the valley on a snowy rodeo track was all that we had out of backcountry skiing today. After a quick refreshment in Starý Smokovec we were stuck in a van on the road for the rest of the day.

Awesome 4 days were behind us (Stojan, Slavc, Jure, Igor, Milan, Borut and me) and we all had a great time, so thanks to all, especially to Jure for organising. Cheers!

Previous days in High Tatras: Day 1, Day 2, Day 3.

Zbójnicka Chata, 1960m - http://zbojnickachata.sk/

View to where we skied yesterday ...

... and where we skied today, before returning back home

 

Just a rodeo descent and we were back in the valley

The Magnificent seven: Stojan, Igor, Milan, Jure, Slavc, Borut and me

Back in Starý Smokovec

Good-bye and hopefully see you soon

Backcountry Skiing in High Tatras, Day 4

Red - Day 1, Purple - Day 2, Orange - Day 3 and Blue - Day 4

100jan created a short movie about our backcountry skiing trip in High Tatras

13764

Slovakia: Backcountry Skiing in Vysoké Tatry (High Tatras), Day 3

After a long snoring night we finally got up, breakfast was ready and so were we. Our today's menu was served for us on the northwest and in 4 skinning ascents and 4 descents we conquered Svišťový štít, 2383 m, Prielom, 2290 m, unknown peak and Hranatá veža, 2260 m. Another awesome day was again finished in Zbójnicka Chata.

Previous days in High Tatras: Day 1, Day 2.

Good morning

 

Time to warm up our muscles

Fog in the lowlands, sun up in the mountains

Our first peak, Svišťový štít

  

Powdered

Descent from Prielom

Left or right? Both.

Valleys everywhere

 

Last climb to Hranatá veža

Tuši, Stojan, Borut, Jure and Slavc before last descent of the day

Winter wonderland

Cheers and good night

Backcountry Skiing in High Tatras, Day 3

13763

Slovakia: Backcountry Skiing in Vysoké Tatry (High Tatras), Day 2

Our first night in Zbójnicka Chata was a bit short, but we all managed to get up. After the breakfast we put the skins on our skis and we were ready for backcountry skiing. Our first goal was Priečne sedlo, 2352 m, and then a descent to the Téryho chata (Terinka), 2015 m, a hut where we decided to have a break and to say goodbye to our Slovak friends Iva and Vladimír.

We continued in the direction of Baranie Sedlo, 2393 m, and somewhere in the middle we split up. Milan, Stojan, Igor, Slavc and me continued over the saddle to the peak called Baranie Rohy, 2516 m, while Borut nad Jure had their own plans. We reached the top, unfortunately the view wasn't clear, so we quickly descended. After a while we regrouped and returned back to Zbójnicka Chata, also via Priečne sedlo, but the opposite way.

Previous day in High Tatras: Day 1

Good morning view from Zbójnicka Chata

Our first destination, Priečne sedlo

Ready to go

 

Photographing "goats"

Posing Chamois

Our tracks from yesterday from Malý Závrat, 2270 m

 

Skinning up to Priečne sedlo

Last meters for Iva, Vladimír and me.

 

Time to lose some altitude

Break at Téryho chata

Borut, Milan, Tuši, Igor, Stojan, Jure, Iva and Vladimír. Slavc was MIA.

 

We continued uphill towards Baranie sedlo

 

Borut and his elegant skiing

Virgin tracks in powder

Another ascent to Priečne sedlo and then skiing back to our hut

Backcountry Skiing in High Tatras, Day 2

GeoCache found:
- Alphaforce VI -Attingere caelum diagito, GC17X1D, where I retrieved trackable item "1704 Happy Caching - Ladybird", TB1KCTP