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Croatia: Veliki Vitrenik - Golić

The weather for climbing wasn't ideal, so I decided to go hiking. Starting almost from the seaside I passed by some mirilo memorial stones, created in the period from the 17th to the 20th century to my first peak, Veliki Vitrenik. Soon I continued through the strong bora wind to Golić peak. Staying at the top was impossible due to too much wind and since the whole ridge was too windy, I had to find my own path on the leeward side of the mountain. When I lost some altitude and entered the forest the conditions improved and I was able to return back to our apartment through the Velika Paklenica gorge.

There are several preserved groups of mirila in the area of Velebit. These monuments to the dead were built as part of funeral customs of the locals in the past. Due to the distances between parish churches and respective cemeteries in the area, the deceased sometimes had to be carried on a long voyage. All groups of mirila are located along the paths leading towards the sea, and they would typically be built halfway from the settlement to the cemetery.

Despite major distances that needed to be crossed, which entailed the hard work of carrying the deceased, it was not permitted to put the body to the ground in order to get some rest. Instead, the villagers would take shifts in the duty of carrying the dead, in order to cover the required distance in accordance with the custom. In this procession from the household of the deceased to the graveyard, it was permitted to stop for rest, and lay the deceased on the ground only once – on a place that would become mirilo. It was there that the deceased would be "measured": two stone plates would be used to record the position of the head and the feet. Mirilo would be built only after the burial.

Towards my first peak.

View to the Adriatic Sea.

View from the windy Golić, 1265 m.

View to Golić from my way into the Velika Paklenica gorge.

Nice paths, where I meet only a few mushrooms.

 

Along the Brezimenjača I returned back to civilization, where the dinner was ready.

Hike to Veliki Vitrenik and Golić.

Geocaches found (all received a visit by trackable items "Alpenschlumpfine", TB8F2VE, "Romulan4's Salute to Birds of Prey", TB5K3T8 and "Saruman NC Travel Bug Dog Tag", TB6D3EZ):

- Starigrad Paklenica - Old tree, GC6PP0A

- Veliki Vitrenik, GC901DT

- Strazbenica, GC7XPQR

- Ivancev Dom - Parici, GC5DVT4

#seaside #AOTržič #hiking #Velebit #NPPaklenica #geocaching