Triglav is the mountain defining Slovenia.  The three-headed mountain – Triglav means three heads – is so beloved, it takes center stage on the nation’s flag (Quick aside – Slovenia is one of eight countries with mountains on their flags and one of three featuring a three headed peak –San Marino and Slovakia are the other two.  Costa Rica has three peaks on its flag, but they are separate mountains, actually representing different mountain chains, Slovakia’s three bumps also represent three separate chains.). A hike to Luknja in the shadow of the giant mountain can unveil magic on an incredible scale at nor too hard a physical cost, not always an easy sale on Slovene mountain trails.

TRIGLAV IN THE SLOVENIAN SETTING

The national poet, France Prešeren, included this line in his epic poem Krst pri Savici – Baptism on the Sava, “Sunrise now gilds the threefold peaks unbowed Of Carniola’s grey and snowbound height.”  The poem details the forced Christianization of Carantanians – western Slavs living in present-day Carinthia.  More recently, the music group Laibach updated the poem as Krst pod Triglavom – Baptism below Triglav, updating the theme of change being imposed militarily or culturally.

Triglav, while meaning three heads, also is the name of a significant three-headed god of ancient western Slavs.  The all-important Wikipedia notes the name of the god has nothing to do with the mountain, but the importance the peak holds in Slovene consciousness – former president Milan Kučan, a person who led Slovenia towards independence, once said that climbing Triglav at least once in life is a duty of every Slovenian person – makes the name think of the Slavic god.  Especially considering Prešeren’s poem.

RITE OF PASSAGE

As noted, a climb to the top of Triglav is almost a rite of passage for Slovenes – and others. This means the summit and many of the routes up can be quite crowded, especially the higher you go.  The busiest routes are from the south.  The hardest routes are from the north out of the Vrata valley.

VRATA VALLEY

The Vrata is one of three large glacial valleys radiating northeast – Vrata, east – Kot, and southeast – Krma, from the summit.  The Vrata is the deepest of the three and the longest ending on the Sava River at Mojstrana.  It is a heavily forest canyon with towering peaks rising quickly from the floor.  Unlike the Krma, there are no large meadows where agriculture took root on a much larger scale.  The valley ends in the 1000-meter-high North Face of Triglav – aka The Wall or in Slovene, Triglavska severna stena. 

An example of international relations and rites of passage could be found in the 8 September outing by the chancellor of Austria, Sebastian Kurz, who was led up the North Face by the prime minister of Slovenia, Janez Janša following talks in Ljubljana regarding government responses to the Covid pandemic.

Across the upper valley from The Wall, Škrlatica rises to 2,740 meters, the second highest mountain in Slovenia and the third highest in the Julian Alps.  Škrlatica has its own 1000-meter north face and is just as hard to summit as Triglav, if not more so.

THE VALLEY

The valley extends about ten kilometers out from Mojstrana before you reach the central outdoor point from which outings go out from. You can drive up the valley, though you need to be early to find a spot. At the main parking area just below the Aljažev dom mountain hut there is a €3.50 fee. 

Alternatively, there is a free bus making hourly trips up the valley – the bus starts from the former railway station next to the main road up the Sava valley – a free parking lot.  In Mojstrana, there are two pay parking lots, one near the grocery store and one at the Slovenian Alpine Museum – Planinski Muzej – Slovenski planinski muzej v Mojstrani ponuja pravo gorsko izkušnjo za alpinistične navdušence.  From Mojstrana the hourly departures run from 0600 to 1700 ending at the Aljažev dom mountain hut.  Return trips run from 0700 with the last taking off at 1800.

Slap Peričnik

From the museum, the next stop is at Pri Rosu where there is a small parking area from where trails take off.  You can reach Slap Peričnik – Peričnik waterfall from here.  The next bus stop is at Koča pri Peričniku, a mountain hut next to another parking area – €3.50 fee for two hours.  When the hut is open, you can get drink or food for sale here.  This is from where most visitors take the fifteen-minute hike up to the dramatic 52-meter-high lower falls.  There is a 16-meter-high upper falls lying another fifteen minutes up.  Both falls are plunging in nature, and you can walk behind them.

The next bus stop is for hikers to visit the Galerije area, another kilometer up the road.  This stop and the next – Poldov rvt – can be used to make a one-way hike to the Galleries, an area of overhangs like the Peričnik overhangs and which water drips after rains.

The last stop brings you to a large parking area – it fills quickly in the summer, especially on weekends.  From here, it is about 250 meters on to the Aljažev dom mountain hut.  There are beds, food and drink here, though for a bed, reservations should probably be made.

Jakob Aljaž

Named after Jakob Aljaž, a Catholic priest, composer, choirmaster and mountaineer.  He put the first verse of the poem Oj, Triglav, moj dom – Oh, Triglav, My Home -to music which has become the anthem for the Alpine Association of Slovenia – Planinska zveza Slovenije.  He was also responsible for the building of huts throughout the Julian Alps.  His most famous alpine contribution is the Aljaž Tower – Aljaž stolp in Slovene – which is a small storm shelter sitting on the summit of Triglav.

NORTH FACE ROUTES FOR TRIGLAV

Prag

To climb Triglav without a rope, there are two demanding routes from the hut.  The easier of the two starting from the Vrata is the Prag route.  From the parking lot you go forward on the road passing the Aljažev dom to the left with a chapel on the right.  A little farther is a big rock with a huge piton standing erect from the rock with a large carabiner hooked in.  This is a monument to fallen partisans, also mountaineers, who died during WWII.  In this area, not unlike the present prime minister, many men had lots of alpine experience.  Those that did not, gained it quickly in the savage war.  The mighty north face gets more impressive as you begin to get closer.

SO IT BEGINS

Another 200 meters brings you to the beginning of the Prag route going off to the left from the main trail which continues up to Luknja.  You cross some rocky terrain moving up a streambed where you get your first bits of protection – spikes stuck in rocks on which you can help yourself up.  A hundred meters away from the trail junction, the path begins a traverse of a hundred meters to the east still aggressively gaining altitude.  This eases at about 1300 meters and you get a short distance where you almost think the trail levels out.

After catching your breath, the way becomes serious with iron stair hoops to step up and assorted iron pegs and chains laid out to help you gain some 15 vertical meters of ground on the rocks.  You make your way up the east side of a giant wash dropping down from the Kotel – a rocky basin below Kredarica peak.  Past the wash, the way becomes easier, a simple hard mountain trail.  You traverse over to met with the Tominšek route. 

ABOVE THE PRAG

Above, the route branches at the edge of the Kotel.  To the right – slightly quicker – the path ascends, again with the help of iron cables, the southwest edge of the basin.  You then climb higher until you reach the Kredarica hut just below the peak on its west side.

To the left, you can cross the northeast side of the basin meeting the path coming up from the Kot Valley.  This path takes you up the north wall of Rž.  Just beneath the summit, the path turns west to come out on top of the Kredarica peak.  The views along this ridge are the first you have to the south of the Triglav-Rjavina massif.  From the peak, a short drop takes you to the hut.

FINAL BIT

The hut is the starting point for many people to take on the upper part of the mountain.  Here, you need a helmet.  There are a lot of people on the path and the possibility of rockfall is ever present.  The two major routes – all routes on the upper Triglav are iron routes, via ferratae – meet atop the south head of Triglav, Mali Triglav, a climb of a couple hundred meters.  It seemed many hiked the upper sections without via ferrata slings, though. From here a ridge walk of a hundred meters gains the 139 meters.  The hardest part of the last sections of the trail are the numbers of people on the route.  You only go as fast as the slowest.  Plus, there are plenty of people coming back down, as well.

Times listed for the Prag route:  Vrata to Begunjski studenec (Refugee Spring) 3:30 hours; Begunjski studenec to Kredarica hut 1:30 hours; Kredarica hut to Triglav summit 1:10 hours.

Tominšek

The Tominšek route is an iron route, as opposed to the Prag.  It is rated as a “B” via ferrata, and a helmet is needed.  It is a serious three hour climb with lots of exposure only easing some when it meets up with the Prag route high below the Kotel.  The first hour climbs up through forest before the real ironworks begins.

Times given are Vrata – Begunjski studenec 3:20 hours; Begunjski studenec – Kredarica hut 1:30 hours; Kredarica hut to Triglav summit 1:10 hours.

LUKNJA HIKE

For those not quite so ambitious, a hike to the pass at Luknja – 1758 meters – is more reasonable.  No iron pegs on this trail, only fabulous views of The Wall.   From the Aljažev dom, the path moves past the Tominšek and Prag routes gaining height in a reasonable manner.  Once past the Prag, the path gains 600 vertical meters in a little over a kilometer.  This being a Slovene mountain path, a little physical effort is required.

Luknja translates to “hole”, but it also can mean “gap”.  Either way description aptly describes the dramatic pass at the terminal end of the Vrata valley separating the Triglav mass to the south from the jumbled mass of mountains making up the north side of the valley and the even more complex group going off to the north and northwest terminating with the massive Prisank.

BEYOND THE HOLE

Dropping down on the west side of Luknja is a wide path snaking down the Korita.  This was a military mule track used by the Italian army to supply their border posts between WWI and WWII when Luknja was the border between Yugoslavia and Italy.  The path comes up from another main mule path which supplied an Italian fort – ruins still seen – on the west side of Moregna, a subpeak of Triglav on its west side.

The hike up to Luknja takes 2:30 hours with 2 hours needed for the return.  Elevation gain is 700 meters.

NEARBY PEAKS

More peaks beckon to the north of Luknja – Bovški Gamsovec and especially Stenar.  The path to Bovški Gamsovec – 2,392 meters – ascends from the pass through grassy slopes frequented by ibex the Zlatorog of Slovene legend.  Part of the Slovene Mountain Path, a long-distance trail covering much of the high ground in the entire country in one extended go, the way up becomes more involved than just a normal trail with plenty of iron steps, pegs, steel cables, and exposure as 634 meters in the next 1.5 kilometers need to be ascended.  You get a great view from the peak of the North Face of Triglav, but being the realm of the Zlatorog, a tourist hike it is not.  Time:  Aljažev dom to Luknja 2.5 hours; Luknja to Bovški Gamsovec 2 hours.

Stenar

Another option for views as good as Bovški Gamsovec is Stenar – 2501 meters.  Sometimes the highest peak does not offer the best views for the best views often involve the highest peak.  Triglav has a lot of views and a lot of crowds to offer.  Yet Triglav, itself is such an impressive peak that cannot be appreciated as much when you are on it.  Seen from Jerebikovec or Debela pec or a multitude of other places, like here atop Stenar, can the magnificence of the three-headed mountain really come into focus.

Stenar can be climbed from Luknja, but you would have to go up over Bovški Gamsovec first and walk up the ridge to the north.  For descent, the options would be to continue from Stenar to Križ and further north to descend past the bivouac hut – Bivak IV – at Na Rusu directly down to Aljažev dom making a grand alpine loop.  This would involve a lot more time and energy.  To the 4:30 already taken to gain Bovški Gamsovec, you need another two hours gaining Stenar.  And then comes another five to six hours to descend over Križ to Aljažev dom on something noted as a “very difficult marked way” involving plenty of pegs, iron steps, steel cables, exposure and loose scree.

SOVATNA ROUTE

An easier and still physically draining route to gain Stenar’s views is to climb up the Sovatna path.  From the Aljažev dom, start out as going to Luknja.  About a kilometer past the Mountaineers’ Monument, take the right trail signed “Pogačnikov dom 4h”.  Climbing through a beech forest – Bukovlje on the map – there is a spring at about 1350 meters which can dry out late in the season.  Another path coming over from a bivouac hut near Luknja joins as you reach the foot of Sovatna, a large washed-out valley coming off the south face of Stenar separating it from Bovški Gamsovec to the south.  No rest for the wicked now as you gain 780 meters climbing up the steep gully with views getting better with each step.

GOING UP

The gully narrows with a short, exposed climb aided by a steel cable gains the upper basins – 2000 meters – lying at the bottom of the summits rising above.  You are now firmly in the realm of the Zlatorog.  Reaching the ridge at Dovška vrata – 2180 meters, from here the path goes left to Bovški Gamsovec or straight ahead descending to Pogačnikov dom.  The path to Stenar goes to the right.

Walking now along the ridge coming north from Bovški Gamsovec, the scenery opens onto new horizons now than just the amazing North Face of Triglav – Bovški Gamsovec, Pihavec, Razor and the Trenta valley far below to the west.  At Stenarska vratca, the path moves up through rugged rocks before a quick level and then upwards to the summit.  Return the same way.

Time:  Aljažev dom to Dovška vrata 4:00 hours; Dovška vrata to Stenar 1:15 minutes.  Come early in the day to miss possible afternoon thunderstorms as well as minimize possible heat problems.  Carry a lot of water – three or more liters.

Zadnjiški Ozebnik

While Stenar is not as well known as Triglav, it still gets visitors.  Zadnjiški Ozebnik stands much lonelier yet, an outlier from the main Triglav-Kanajavec ridge.  Zadnjiški Ozebnik is described on the website of Summit Post as a “not very important mountain”.  At 2084 meters, the peak remains well down the list of heights to reach for in the Julian Alps.  But, many times, highest does not equal best.  Zadnjiški Ozebnik is one of those cases.

The climb to the top is still a physical demand.  While not technical, a map can be very useful as there is no established trail to the top.  The Italian army used the peak for an artillery observation point between the wars when Italy occupied this region.  The ruins of an artillery barracks are still visible on the southwestern side of the peak – 1851 meters.  From summit, a great view spans to positions high on Morbegna below the base of Triglav as well as the mule tracks snaking up from the Trenta River valley going to Luknja, Morbegna and Prehodaci.

Zadnjiški Ozebnik translates different ways.  My ability in Slovene is limited to “Dober dan” and terms found on maps.  I used to have a little ability in Serbo-Croatian, but Slovene ventures away significantly from that camp.  Google translator gives us “zadnjik” as anus, and ozebnik as frostbite.  Other translations give the name of the summit as the Last Frostbite otherwise frostbite anus?  Maybe frostbitten ass?  I am not sure if I want to know the origin.

THE HIKE

The hike leaves the Trenta highway – going from Kobarid to Vršic Pass – at the last road east south of Trent – about 100 meters from the village center.  Trenta was where the Italians set their headquarters for this area in the village of Trent– the headquarters area used today as the administration building for the Triglav National Park.  Find a parking spot and set off.

The first section is a continuation of a forest road.  After a couple of switchbacks, the path changes from road to muletrack crossing the Beladovec Creek and ascending to Palnina Krotica – 961 meters.  At Planina Trrebisčina – 1412 meters and the site of the former Italian Furioso refuge – an old mule track ascends to a former Italian barracks for an artillery position at Na Koncu – 1851 meters.  You can get to the summit from there, but the old mule tracks can be hard to discern in the forest.  Easier to continue up to Čez dol -1632 meters – just past the trail going off to the right to Predhodavic, another former Italian muletrack.  The junction is hard to see at the height of summer, but there is a cairn marking it.

Ascend the former muletrack – hard to see at times in the overgrown grasses.  Going up a gully, one reaches the ridgeline just at over 2000 meters, gain of around 400 meters in elevation.  The path is easy now following the ridge to the summit to the northeast.

Time:  4:15 hours.  Take water and food.  Return the same way.

GETTING MORE SERIOUS – PLEMINCE (BAMBERG)

Luknja can be the start of the hardest iron route on Triglav, the Plemenice.  Rated as a B/C via ferrata, the route wastes no time getting serious from the pass.  Helmet on and belay gear at hand, the route ascends almost vertically.  A memorial plaque set into the rock wall gives an idea of the seriousness of the route.  After the initial climb, some of the steel cables and iron spike disappear and the path moves across a very exposed stretch without protection.  Another 300 vertical meters, you reach a ridge where one can catch their breath. After taking in the first views to the east while traversing the ridge, the ironworks reappears as the ascent gets more earnest once again. 

Finally, after passing the Sfinga – Sphinx, the tallest of the columns on the North Face at 2384 meters, the path eases crossing a rocky plateau on which snowfields can linger into late summer.  At the base – Zahodna Triglavska planota – of the final mass of the summit of Triglav, other routes join.  The summit of Morbegna – 2556 meters – is almost level with the junction.  More ironworks for the final 300 meters.  Not as hard as what came before, but a lot more people now on the route.  First part is an ascent to the notch at Triglavska škrbina – 2650 meters – before a final push up to the summit – 2864 meters.

Times on the Plemenice route:  Vrata – Luknja 2:30 hours; Luknja – Zahodna Triglavska planota 3 hours; Zahodna Triglavska planota – Triglav 1:00 hour.