Solo travels and hiking adventures

(Possibly) the least-visited via ferrata in Slovenia: spectacular views, that overwhelming feeling of both being huge and tiny all at once On that day—which was a regular workday for most people, but a holiday for us (Friday)—I decided to head out with two friends to climb Velika (Koroška) Baba, right on the border with Austria. This peak often gets overlooked for no good reason—maybe because it’s pretty far away, almost at the very end of the Kamnik-Savinja Alps, practically in Austria, so there’s quite a bit of driving to get there. But hey, there’s a reason we look for those hidden, isolated corners of the mountains. We hardly ran into anyone along the way—just two other hikers from Croatia who had the same idea, and that was it for human company. A very challenging marked trail – via ferrata set and helmet absolutely required The route we chose is definitely not easy and not for people who haven’t already d...

Alone on the Trail, No Crowds and No People, With Views Over Slovenia and Austria Kepa – The Westernmost Peak of the Karawanks Range To conquer the third peak of the Karawanks, you don’t need a lot of driving or wandering around. If you’re coming by highway, just exit at Jesenice, and after Mojstrana, turn right toward the little village of Dovje. From there, you follow a well-maintained gravel road all the way to the Erjavčev Rovt parking area. The parking lot is basically an improvised gravel spot next to the Žakelj stream. That’s where the hiking trail up to Kepa starts. And if you realize you’re maybe not quite ready for Kepa physically, after about 1 km there’s a junction where you can turn off to Dovška Baba (1,891 m), which is a much easier and more accessible summit. Steep, Dangerous Cliffs to the North, Grassy Slopes to the South That’s the main feature of the Karawanks – from the Slovenian side, everything looks lovely and green, but on the Austrian side you’re faced with mas...

  “Emerald reflections at Lago di Carezza, the jewel of the Dolomites.” “A moment of calm: Sass de Pütia wrapped in clouds and fresh greenery.” “Fields of yellow leading toward the Dolomite peaks.” “A carpet of flowers on the trail down, with mountains beyond.” “Wildflowers lighting the way to the Dolomites.” "Lush meadows on a way back from Seceda" “Seceda’s jagged edge—nature’s masterpiece in the Dolomites.” “The dramatic spires of Seceda Ridge piercing the sky.” "Yellow flowers meadow and Odle/Geisler group ridge in distance" "Magnificent Sassolungo in distance"