När jag började motionscykla (19/05/09) hade jag inget särskilt mål med det. Det var mest att försöka köra på så mycket som möjligt, så snabbt som möjligt. Efter ett par veckor insåg jag att allt skulle bli så mycket mer motiverat om jag hade någon sorts mål med min träning, dock inte något som skulle ställa för mycket krav på mig. Så istället för att ställa upp en mängd mil som skall klaras av, eller specifika sträckor som måste betas av valde jag att mitt mål skulle vara att cykla den branta vägen uppför Sloveniens högsta bergspass; Vršič. De första 1,5 minuterna av den här videon visar hur den vägen går.

Så i förra veckan fick jag lite panik eftersom det verkade som mitt mål inte skulle nås och att jag var helt ur form och aldrig skulle klara det i vilket fall. Men efter att ha snackat igenom det med Sara bestämde vi att på lördag ska det ske. Och det gjorde det!

Jag cyklade uppför det jäkla monstret! Jag var och är så sjukt stolt över att jag klarade efter en säsong som endast bestod av 27 träningstillfällen sedan maj! Efter runt 25-26 serpentiner hade jag kommit nära en kilometer högre upp i alperna efter endast 9 cyklade kilometer. Väl uppe väntade supportbilen med Sara och två bekanta som skrek högt och gratulerande. Efter en snabb avtorkning och ombyte var det dags för nästa gren; kortdistanshiking!

Vi gick från passet upp till toppen och ner igen efter att ha tagit ett par fotografier av det helt fantastiskt vackra alplandskapet. Tillbaka vid passet hade vi ett par mackor och, givetvis, en kopp fjällte med en tår rom. Efter det var det dags att börja hemresan men först fick jag en souvenir av Sara:

30 år gammal fick jag min första pokal..

a campsite in the forbidden national park ... thanks to Grga for inspiring this journey!

yeeeha, and then we go DOOOOWWWWNNN

wooo, here we go!

a night's rest by the clearest river I have EVER seen

muckin' around

what lay ahead

thanks for the hammock bapsi!

Six months ago, my friend Mandy and I had decided on a trip to Slovenia. We imagined walking up snowy mountains, chasing eachother through forests, climbing trees and playing in the leaves. She contacted a host through Couchsurfing, and we made plans. A day before leaving though, things changed and we never made it to Slovenia.

Half a year later, now in summer, I was finally going to get to this little European country. Having decided that a hop across from Rijeka to Trieste was just too little of Slovenia (20kms) for either of us, we set our sights towards Ljubljana. First, I learnt how to spell it. We had been staying with an amazing host, Grga, in the north of Croatia, who with the help of google earth, convinced us a mountain pass through the Alps was where we should be heading. I figured the best way to cure my hilly phobia, was to tackle the highest stuff around – so I agreed, a worried smile across my face.

We mounted our bikes for one final farewell to the Croatian Coast. Crossing the border into Slovenia, everything changed. Suddenly, I realised we had left the Balkans. Little perfect houses popped up, with little perfect flowers on their little perfect window sills. Lawns were well manicured, roads pothole free and even lots of little perfect bike lanes! It was quite a marked change from this years travels. On either side of us rolled green hills, neh, mountains, and we could see the Alps nearing in the distance.

15kms outside of the the capital, we met another cyclist. A young Irish guy, Cillian, who had biked all the way from home. Charlie began recounting his debarkle (a broken foot and 3 months of recovery) only to be cut short by Cillian, who had seen the story in the newspaper and recognised Charlie as his bicycle inspiration. Moments later, we were discussing how to survive on few funds, and hence, dumpster diving. I dug out a copy of my dvd, and was about to hand it to him, when he says:
“Oh hangon, you’re on couch surfing right?? Didnt you make a documentary about dumpster diving? Yeah yeah, I’ve already seen it.”

It really is a small world sometimes. Comforting to know that our little community spreads so far and wide.

We spent a few days in and around Slovenia’s capital with great hosts and good adventures. Live music on a mountain top, a squat in an old Bike Factory, a silly drunken night that ended in bathtubs… it was a lot of fun! Finally though, the time came to head out. We peddled a couple of days, through some beautiful lakes and up into the foot of the Alps. I lost my wallet and had to hitchhike back for it (to no avail). We met two french cyclists who inspired us to get to Lyon, and a touring family with the youngest age 5, carrying his sleeping bag on the back of his little bicycle! Beautiful!

Then the climb. Vrsic Mountain Pass is the highest in Slovenia, and had been well threatened to us by locals. By now it was the only way through though, so of course we set to tackle it. Up early in the morning to avoid midday sun, a quick snack and off we went.

It was steep. I knew it would be long (a few hours climbing) but didnt imagine an incline so great. Although in my lowest gear, I wasnt able to just keep pushing – several breaks were taken along the way. Even some of the cars meandering past didnt sound like they would make it up. Together we trugged along though, and I truly enjoyed the challenge. It was definitely tough, the toughest climb yet, but every minute was relished. It was really fun. Like some great impossible feat (in my mind it had doubled in height), accomplishing it would be bitter sweet.

200 metres from the top, I caught up with Charlie and we peddled over the pass. On top at last. Motorists clapped, other cyclists (none fully loaded!) smiled and cheered. And the view – the view was spectacular. Looking out over Slovenia, Austria, and even Italy, my bike and I were pretty proud to have done what their President has said – “Every Slovenian should do at least once”.

Lief Knopje still having fun Thanks mandy!

i rock

soooo blue, or green, or clear... intense! River Soca

it rained. A lot!

Just some photos from today’s climbing on Vršič pass.

I must admit that I was neglecting mountains for quite some time now. On friday night I was looking at the list of summits in Julian Alps and my eyes stopped on Mojstrovka.

On Saturday morning I started from Vršič, following the trail to Sleme and Mojstrovka. The fog was so thick, that I hardly saw a few steps ahead of me. But when I arrived to  mountain pass, it cleared away. Not far from the pass, secured Hanzova route turns right into the steep gorge. The route is really beautiful, following natural passages and quite short. And as Mihelič described it as a steep wall, a lot of air but with the help of iron.

When I reached the top of the moutains, a really fabulous view opened before my eyes. Triglay, Prisank, Jalovec, … All the prettiest summits in Julian Alps.Since  I did not want to finish my day so early, I decided to visit bigger sisters of Mala Mojstrovka, Velika and Zadnja Mojstrovka. I finished the day with the ascent to Travnik and a quick descent down the scree to the Vršič.

Torej, kostanjev piknik sem letos zamudil. Žal pa bi mi bilo le, če bi ostal doma. Tako pa sva se odpravila na izlet čez Vršič v dolino Soče. O vremenu ne bom govoril, slike povejo vse. Ustavila sva se tudi pri izviru Soče in obiskala Kekčevo domačijo, za katero se še danes sprašujem, zakaj se tako imenuje. Hmmm.

Kljub temu, da sva dolino z nahrbtniki in šotorom prehodila od Trente do Tolmina in pred par leti na najinem potovanju s kolesi po Sloveniji tudi prekolesarila, še nikdar nisva zašla v dolino Lepene. Tokrat sva jo obiskala in hvaljen jezus, da nisem spet pozabil stativa.

Aha, naslednje leto pa sigurno pridem na blogerski piknik, pa tudi če pada sneg.

Več slik v galeriji…

S kolesom na Vršič

dober vzpon in odličen spust!

Skozi Jesenice proti Kranjski Gori in potem na prelaz Vršič. Že pred vrhom imate veliko primernih krajev za postanek, razgled pa je že tukaj odličen. Po želji še postanek na samem Vršiču, nato pa spust v Trento. V Trenti zavijemo proti izviru Soče (desno). Do izvira pridemo po pešpoti (15 minut hoje). Če je struga bolj usahla, lahko pridemo čisto do kraškega brezna in pogledamo noter (previdno, predvsem otroci!!!). Plava barva vode je prav mistična. Nato peljemo navzdol po dolini v smeri “Bovec”. Vmes se lahko ustavimo ob Soči in si ogledamo čudovite tolmune.

Potem pa skozi Bovec in Tolmin proti Baški grapi (v kraju Bača zavijemo levo). Baška grapa je ozka dolina, ki pa se na nekaterih mestih tudi razširi in ima zelo lepe kraje ter vasi. Lahko boste videli Porezen, vrhove nad Soriško planino in greben Spodnjih bohinjskih gora. Iz Baške grape gremo prek prelaza Petrovo brdo v Selško dolino in nadaljujemo proti Škofji Loki…

Na turo se lahko podate tudi s kolesom. Vkolikor je izhodišče in kraj vračanja Ljubljana, je tura dolga približno 260 km.

Galerija