New year, new beginning, new blog

A New Year is always a chance for a fresh start and a new beginning.

Link to the new blog: https://neverse1.wordpress.com/

When the night comes

Time well spent

After work, Logatec.

Climbing on Vršič

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

Mountains above Vršič

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.

The dice has fallen

The desire to climb the mountains is perhaps one of the most basic needs that I feel for quite some time. I never questioned myself why. The answers are always there: freedom, a sense of peace, complex emotions that you get when you ascend a peak.

In the past I have been to Mont Blanc, with its 4,810 m the highest mountain in western Europe.  While not technically challenging, ascending Mont Blanc requires a high level of physical fitness and experience using crampons and an ice axe.  But it is a nice feeling to  stand on top of the roof of Europe and look down on all of the major summits of the Alps.

The second time that I had a chance to stand high above the clouds was during the Annapurna trekking. Nepal’s most popular trek took me from the lovely valley of Manang over the 5415 meters high Thorang-La pass to the sacred city of Muktinath. This Annapurna circuit trip circumnavigates the Annapurna Himal and starts in lush bamboo forests and takes you to bone-dry high mountains landscapes. 

After a long rest, the time has come for another trip. I decided to ascend the Matterhorn. With its 4478 meters is one of the highest peaks in the Alps and is considered to be an iconic emblem of the Swiss Alps. The Matterhorn is the perfect geometric mountain with four ridges, four faces, and tremendous vertical relief on all sides. The peak is an anomaly in the Alps chain in the way the glaciers have left it standing proudly isolated at the head of the Zermatt Valley.

 Photo: commons.wikimedia.org.

The more common route that people choose is the Hornli Ridge which starts in Zermatt on the Swiss side on the mountain.  In order to avoid the very frequented Hornli ridge the decision was made to ascend it from the Italian side via the Lion ridge. 

So, now all I have to do is keep my fingers crossed for a good weather in June.

Almost forgotten journey

I had a LOT of spare time this weekend, so I did what I should have done a long time ago. Saved almost forgotten photos from oblivion. Almost a year has past since we departured for a journey through Mongolia. It was an amazing experience; pitching a tent wherever you wish to, cooking on a gas stove, washing up with clear, but cold water from lake, feeling total freedom, forgetting all the worries…. Here are just some photos. Click on the photo for a closer view of true Mongolia.

If you carry your childhood with you, you never become older.

I can not remember the last time I went  to ride in a sleigh. Despite the bad weather, it was raining and snowing, we decided to climb up to the Valvazorjev dom, like we did hundred of times back in our childhood days. After the necessary refreshment in the hut it was time to go. It was snowing quite strong when we started our descent. And that only made things even funnier. But it all ended so quickly. That’s why we decided that we have to repeat it, very soon. This time in the evening with headlamps.

Black and white feelings

I believe that now and then we all get those “black” feelings, when we feel alone, isolated from the rest of the world. Sad feelings where everyone can become a stranger. And loneliness is about the scariest thing there is.

In those moments it is always important to know that there is somewhere someone who dreams of your smile, touch, … who finds in your presence that life is worth while.  

Friends will keep you sane, love will fill your heart. And as Charlie Brown said “Hapiness is anyone and anything that’s loved by you.”

Cattle farming

Today I was sorting out photos on my computer and I ran onto some almost forgotten pictures.

A few months ago I had an opportunity to experience life on a real, working cattle farm in Poljče, where a good friend of mine works. This is a a classic state-owned property running over 300 head of cattle.

Normal “day” starts at 4 am and lasts till 7 pm, with a 4 hour break in between. As I realized very soon, this job is hard and requires both endurance and love for the animals. After few hours of work I was completely exhausted and needed a good rest. Of course I skipped the afternoon part, .

So here are some memories.