Nestled in the center of the Julian Alps, Triglav is the highest mountain peak in Slovenia. Triglav is a significant symbol of the Slovene Nation. Although the origins of this name are uncertain, it is thought that an ancient Slavic deity was supposed to have a throne atop the mountain. Or it could just be that mountain appears to have three peaks when viewed from the south-east side. Either way, Triglav is impressive. Slovenians are naturally very outdoorsy people.
Therefore, it came as no surprise when I learned that many Slovenians believe that every true Slovenian must summit Triglav in their lifetime. It is thought of as a patriotic duty, and a rite of passage β whole villages will gather together to make the journey up to the summit. My husband Matt and I learned of this tradition during our trip to Slovenia in , and we were excited to take part. Luckily, this summer, we got our opportunity.
So this was it, it was going to happen! The three Pogos Matt, his sister Dee, and I were going to summit the three-headed mountain. After lots of research, I decided to book a guide for a two-day climb to Triglav, via the Krma valley route. I had no idea how intense this type of training was. Needless to say β we were in good hands. If you are a hiker, you might be thinking, a guide?
The trail is rocky, steep, treacherous and very easy to lose track of β unless you are with someone who knows where they are going. He was also knowledgeable of the weather, and how safe it was to continue in certain weather conditions. You wear a via ferrata kit that includes a helmet, climbing harness, and small leads with carabiners on them which you can use to clip onto the cables, preventing you from toppling off the face of the cliff should you slip.
Not scary at allβ¦. We started our journey to the top of Slovenia from the Krma valley. The Krma valley route is described as the easiest and most frequently used route to reach Triglav. The trail started out fairly level, meandering through lush forest on the valley floor, then began to climb steadily.
