16342

Slovenia: Kršiše

In the morning, Bronco and me did our daily walk to nearby Kršiše. In our valley, the spring flowers already came out.

Hellebore (Teloh in Slovene) indicate that the Spring is coming.

Bronco.

#hiking #mountains #Karawanks #CatahoulaLeopardDog

16341

Austria: Backcountry Skiing - Kreiskogel and Sledding competition

My neighbors Žiga and Vid had a sledding competition in nearby Winterleiten and we decided to cheer for them. Since we were in the mountainous area, Badžo and me decided to do a backcountry skiing trip before the competition. We successfully conquered foggy Kreiskogel, 2306 m - Garmin Connect.

 

After the start, we came to military area. No worries, we don't know German, so we continued.

 

Foggy and windy weather didn't bother us.

On top of Kreiskogel, 2306 m.

Let's go Slovenia!

#BackcountrySkiing #LavanttalAlps #Sledding

16340

Slovenia: Bowling Competition

Our local sport society ŠD Podljubelj organized a bowling competition we decided to go. I wasn't bad nor good and in the end I took 7th place.

  

Tuši in action.

#bowling #ŠDPodljubelj

16338

Austria: Backcountry Skiing - Hochalpl

8th of February is a Prešeren Day, the Slovene Cultural Holiday and since it's a free day, we used it for a backcountry skiing tour to Hochalpl, 2384 m high mountain in Carnic Alps. We drove to lesna dolina valley (Lesachtal) from where we started ascending towards the peak. As ussual, the way back was much nicer - Garmin Connect.

Nice day in the mountains.

Looking back to Hochweißsteinhaus and the valley with Ingridhütte.

On the border between Austria and Italy, pass called Passo di Sesis/Bladner Joch, 2126 m.

Last meters below the summit.

Looking over my shoulder.

#BackcountrySkiing #CarnicAlps #CheraHiking

16337

Slovenia: PST, Vladimir Kante, The Biggest Stadium in Ljubljana, Bojan Štih, Ljubljana Railway Station and Union Pub

I guess you wonder, what all those things have in common. Well, they are all related to Slovenian History and they all have dedicated geocaches, except the last one, which was my last point of the day, while I was kick scootering through Ljubljana and geocaching.

PST or Trail Along the Wire follows the layout of the barbed wire fence that enclosed the Ljubljana city for 1171 days during World War II. Memorial marches have been organised on the trail since 1957 as the annual recreational March along the Wire at the beginning of May. The length of the trail is almost 33 km.

Dr. Vladimir Kante was the most important OF (Liberation Front od the Slovene Nation) informant and the highest ranking spy in the police force of Province of Ljubljana during WW2. Read more here: CLICK.

In 1922, the first "zlet" (gathering) of Yugoslav Sokol movement took place in Ljubljana, a multiple-week event for which a large and modern stadium was built in today's Bežigrad area. During the main days of the rally, 50000 performers and visitors flocked to it. Read more - CLICK.

Bojan Štih (18.2.1923 – 14.101986), was a Slovene literary critic, stage director, and essayist. He was one of the most influential figures in modern Slovene theatre after 1945.

The Ljubljana railway station, located at the Trg Osvobodilne fronte right next to the northern edge of the ancient city center, is a pivotal railway hub.

Union Pub in Ljubljana, part of the Pivovarna Union Brewery, is a historic and vibrant spot that celebrates Slovenia's beer culture and that was my last stop (Garmin Connect), where co-workers from Slovenian office of company Rimac Avtomobili gathered the last time. The office will be closed and we will start working at our new jobs in different companies and so we had a lunch with few beers in this nice pub. We had fun for a little more than 5 years.

While I was walking on the PST, I ran into a tank.

 

The Trail of Remembrance and Comradeship (Slovene: Pot spominov in tovarištva, initials PST), also referred to as the Trail Along the Wire (Pot ob žici), the Trail Around Ljubljana (Pot okoli Ljubljane), or the Green Ring (Zeleni prstan), is a gravel-paved recreational and memorial walkway almost 33 km long around the city of Ljubljana.

The Church of St. Cross (Cerkev sv. Križ) at Žale in Ljubljana, where Vladimir and Bojan are resting.

Geocaches found (all received a visit by trackable items "Spartan Medal", TB9K7R9 and "Second Angel of peace", TBA8B55):

- #E01 - PST / Trail Along the Wire, GC8KJ04

- #D14 - PST / Trail Along the Wire, GC8MDP6

- #D13 - PST / Trail Along the Wire, GC8QNDF

- #D11 - PST / Trail Along the Wire, GC9JQPA

- #D10 - PST / Trail Along the Wire, GC8R8HG

- #D09 - PST / Trail Along the Wire, GC8ZFDF

- #D08 - PST / Trail Along the Wire, GC96HC9

- #D04 - PST / Trail Along the Wire, GC8RQKC

- #D03 - PST / Trail Along the Wire, GC9VAFH

- #D02 - PST / Trail Along the Wire, GC8W23F

- #D01 - PST / Trail Along the Wire, GC9JGQH

- dr. Vladimir Kante - Slovenian Top Spy in WW2, Virtual, GC7B79A

- Največji stadion v LJ / The biggest stadium in LJ, GC9VV9H

- Bojan Štih, GC9TJ9C

- Ljubljana Railway Station 🚉, GCAEGHH

#geocaching #kickscootering #UnionPub

16336

Slovenia: Prelaz Ljubelj

Usually, when we had an extra hour and nothing to do, Nada, Bronco and me simply go to the pass above our house, Prelaz Ljubelj - Garmin Connect.

View to Šentanska dolina valley.

Nada, Bronco and Tuši on top of pass Prelaz Ljubelj.

#hiking #mountains #Karawanks #CatahoulaLeopardDog

16334

Slovenia: Poljanska Baba, Planski vrh & Snowy Cave

Even though the Spring is not here yet, it was a very warm day and Nada, Bronco and me used it to explore some less known peaks of Mežakla plateau. We drove to village Kočna, where we left our car and then we started hiking. Our first stop was 8 m high solitary rock, that is called Poljanska Baba. We continued to Planski vrh and later on to natural bridge on Mežakla. Soon we returned back via cave Snežna jama and mountain pasture Planina Obranca - Garmin Connect.

I think it really is 5 minutes to the top.

 

This solitary 8-meter-high rock formation has a striking shape that, with some imagination, resembles a female figure. The unique shape of the rock has inspired a local legend that adds a mystical aura to its presence.

 

Legend has it that the unusual and very distinctive shape of the rock was named Baba after a hard-hearted and ruthless daughter of a noble family. One day, the nobility of Mežakla had fun hunting game. The evil lord's daughter stood on the edge of a rocky overhang and watched the grove. At that moment, one of the beasts attacked the farmer, the hunter had already raised his rifle to shoot the beast, but the maiden stopped him. Everyone silently watched as the beast killed the farmer. At that moment, the sky opened and lightning turned the young lord's daughter into a rock.

One of the first selfies today. With Baba, off course.

View from the paragliding take off site on our way. We can see Sava valley, Karawanks with its highest peak, Ljubljana basin and Kamnik-Savinja Alps.

On April 9, 2009 at three a.m. the inhabitants of the Zgornjesavska dolina valley and Austria's Carinthia region were woken up by a loud bang and eyewitnesses saw a very bright flash in the sky. All sky meteor cameras detected a shine up to 30-times greater than that of the full moon. All of this was a consequence of a meteorite entering the atmosphere at a speed of 14 km/s. The meteorite exploded in the atmosphere and fell on the wider Mežakla area, measuring around 800 hectares. Only three pieces were found: the first largest piece named BOJO was discovered by Jožef Pretnar and Bojana Krajnc on May 17, 2009; the second piece was discovered on August 27, 2009 by Danijel Repe; and the third was found on June 21, 2009 by Germans Ralph Sporn and Martin Neuhofer. A scientific analysis found that the meteorite circulated between Mars and Jupiter for about 4.5 billion years. The Jesenice meteorite is only the eleventh meteorite in the world whose orbit has been precisely calculated by astronomers. With its astronomical data it therefore represents an outstanding object in the geological heritage of Slovenia.

One more selfie on top of Planski vrh, 1299 m.

 

The natural bridge on Mežakla, located right on the edge of the Triglav National Park, was created due to the erosive action of water and the weathering of rocks of varying resistance. This approximately 15m long, 3m wide and 8m high natural arch is especially beautiful in the springtime. Since it lies on the edge of the Plateau, we also saw Jesenice from above.

 

Mežakla is mainly composed of limestone and dolomite, and in some places marlstone and sandstone. Such a composition of rocks led to the creation of a typical Karst relief with numerous smaller and larger sinkholes. The cave lies at an altitude of 1109 m and is 70 m long and 20 m deep. There are two entrances, the western diagonal entrance and the eastern vertical entrance. They are separated by a natural bridge.

 

Over the winter, a lot of snow accumulates in the sinkhole. Due to its shaded position and cooler air, snow and ice are preserved for a long period of time. According to locals, the cave was once used to collect ice for obtaining water for shepherds and forest workers. During the second world war partisans used it for storing food.

Mountain pasture Planina Obranca lies in the south-east part of Mežakla at 1035 m above sea level. 10 to 15 heads of cattle still graze there in Summer.

During the second world war and the German occupation, Mežakla was home to many partisans and activists, but was also an important transient area for military units and couriers. Soon after the occupation of Jesenice the first groups of Jesenice partisans gathered at Obranca, where they made plans for various acts of sabotage against the occupiers in the valley.

 

Remains of the shepherd's hut.

Monument for partisans that fought in WW2.

Geocache found:

- Mežakla Natural Bridge, GC1WZHP, that received a visit by trackable items "Spartan Medal", TB9K7R9 and "Second Angel of peace", TBA8B55

#hiking #mountains #JulianAlps #CatahoulaLeopardDog #geocaching