If ever you find yourself in Slovenia or Northeastern Italy, do yourself a favor and spend some time in the Julian Alps. The Swiss Alps get all the attention and glory, but the JA are equally impressive and far less expensive.
Foothills
My travel buddy Jules and I approached the JA from the Slovenian side. This route climbs the infamousVršič Pass; a steep, winding mountain pass consisting of about 50 hairpin turns (Lombard St. style) that was constructed by Russian POW’s in WWI. During the winter, an avalanche claimed the lives of over 400 workers and to this day hikers still find human remains and old tools scattered on the mountain.
About halfway up the pass we stopped to see Ajovska Deklics, the woman in the mountain. We heard several variations of her lore ranging from, “a giant carved her face” to “she misguided local farmers and a witch entombed her in stone.” Jury’s still out on which one is true.
On the other side of the pass were the gorgeous Soče Rifts. I cannot adequately explain how crystal clear the water was nor how beautiful the rock formations were and pictures don’t come close to doing them justice. Basically, you’ll need to go yourself – bummer.
Our main mission while in the JA was to try Canyoning. Essentially, you hike up a mountain, squeeze into a wetsuit, strap on a helmet and then descend said mountain via a series of natural slides carved into the rock through centuries of erosion.
One of the slides
There were natural pools along the way for cliff driving and several slides dropped us right into pitch black caves. Unfortunately there aren’t any pics from the actual descent (I didn’t have a waterproof camera and decided that trying to take my Canon in a plastic bag wasn’t the smartest idea).
Our guide was an awesome 26-year-old local who enthusiastically sent us down slides face-first, backwards, sideways, up-side-down and every combination of those possible. Even though each slide provided its own adrenaline rush, it was impossible not to notice how freakin’ beautiful the Alps were!
Jules and I are a pretty fearless duo, but the other 3 in our group were openly terrified. It was great to see them confront and overcome their fears. However, at the end of the day, one girl regretted her decision to participate – she was visibly shaken by the experience and will probably have a fear of water for the rest of her life.
For me, it was an unforgettable day. In a good way.
Post Canyoning dinner
**Slovenia, I love you, but GO USA!
Canyoning sounds great! I’d probably hate it when I did it. But, wow!, what an amazing way to experience mountains.
lovely shots. thanks for sharing your trip.
My goodness. Who knew? Those mountains are spectacular – so glad you shared!