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Slovenia: Kamniška Bela Valley

Kamniška Bela Valley is a glacial valley transversely located on the valley of Kamniška Bistrica. During the time of ice ages the glaciers coming from Planjava and Ojstrica had been sliding along this valley. The bottom is covered with a forest and above it the steep slopes of Rzenik, Vežica and the ridge of Zeleniške špice are rising.

Today I decided to hike to cave called Kamniška jama and on the way visit some attractions like The Bela partisan hospital, Waterfall Orlišče, a rock called Ladja (The Ship) and natural bridge called Velb.

 

Path through the steep valley led me to The Bela partisan hospital.

Otto Hinds, an american pilot died in this hospital. Otto fought to keep the B-17G plane level as the crew bailout. When it became time for him to leave the aircraft he somehow prematurely opened his parachute in his lap while still seated. This had to result in a very difficult bailout. Thus his chute did not fully deploy and with only a 300 meters of altitude remaining, Otto suffered severe and eventually fatal injuries. He died 2 months after the accident.

Bela partisan hospital was active from 1943 to 1945.

 

Small waterfall Bela just above the partisan hospital

 

Waterfall Orlišče has many names: Orličje, Orglice or Vorglše

 

Rock called The Ship - Ladja. It's shaped as an open grassy area, from which a sharp spike protrudes. Since it is located above the canopy, it offers a magnificent view of the landscape below.

Kamniška Bela Valley

Velb is a hardly accessible natural bridge above Orglice Waterfall.

The natural bridge is 15 m wide and about 8 m high with the circumference spanning about 10 m.

Kamniška jama is the largest horizontal cave in the Kamnik-Savinja Alps. It is extremely abundant with aragonite cave urchins, a very rare and tiny cave form.

View from the first part of the cave. Other parts are inaccessible, since the entrance is locked.

The cave consists of four parts: the eastern part, the main cave passage, the bottom part and the passages behind the waterfall.  Bones of many animals have been found in the cave, particularly those of a cave bear, martens and bats, and the new species of beetle, named after Kamnik - Aphaenopidius Kamnikensis Drovenik – this little creature is considered to be the most important finding of all.

 

Time to return back to the valley

Nice forests on the way

 

Nature

Hike to Kamniška jama cave, also known as Cave under Zeleniške špice

 

Church of St. Nicholas in Goropeče

GeoCaches found (all received a visit by trackable items "De reiziger", TB6R4VV and "Canada Moose", TB7H26W, until some were dropped off):
- Kamniška Bela #1: Parkirišče/Parking, GC73WXA, where I retrieved trackable item "gran san bernardo", TB84C9J and it stayed with me for the rest of the day
- Kamniška Bela #2: Nad tolmuni/Above the pools, GC73PQ4
- Kamniška Bela #3: Kosmata bukev/Furry beech, GC73PQW
- Kamniška Bela #4: Pogled na Vežico, GC73PR3
- Kamniška Bela #5: Po dolini/Through the valley, GC73RD3
- Kamniška Bela #6: Razcep/Intersection, GC73RDZ
- Kamniška Bela #7: Partizanska Bolnica / Hospital, Multi, GC740M6
- Goblin’s burrow, GCZPPN, where I discovered trackable item "Austrian-Slovene-Friendship-Geotoken", TB8E1YP
- Kamniška Bela #8: Ladja/The Ship, GC73REC
- Kamniška Bela #9: Kamendol, GC73RG9
- Kamniška Bela #10: Velb/Stone bridge, GC73ZN2
- Kamniška Bela #11: Proti jami/Towards the cave, GC7409W
- Kamniška Bela #11 A: Borba za preživetje, GC7N6B2
- Kamniška Bela #11 B: Dvojna bukev / Double Beech, GC7N6B8
- Kamniška Bela #12: Kamniška jama/Kamniška Cave, GC74223, where I dropped off trackable item "Canada Moose", TB7H26W
- Kamniška Bela: Bonus, Mystery, GC7407N
- Postovka, GC7KQDR
- Sv.Miklavž na Goropečah, GC5QT91