Slovenia: Julian Alps Traverse

Day 1
Fly to Ljubljana; transfer to lakeside town of Bled. Any items of luggage not needed during the trek may be left here for collection at the end of the week

Day 2
A leisurely breakfast before our trek briefing followed by a short transfer to our warm-up walk in the Karavanke Mountains (you only need a small day pack today). Making our way around the outside of Mt Begunjscica - offering magnificent alpine views - we lunch in Roblekov Dom (1635m - Dom means hut or home). A rich variety of mountain trails are possible for our return walk, each varied and selected for the pace of the group and weather conditions on the day. In the evening we have dinner freshly prepared in our lodge Gostice Koren.

Day 3
Leaving the Ljubelj Valley we drive through picturesque Lake Bled to Lake Bohinj - and the Triglav National Park from where we start our trek. For the next five days we are away from roads and civilization and will be carrying our lightweight gear and our Triglav safety equipment/helmet on our backs. We ascend through the tree line passing to Dom na Komi - offering a stunning bird's eye view of the lake. We leave our rucksacks at the hut and spend the afternoon exploring one of the most beautiful areas the Bogatin Saddle before making our way back to Dom na Komni. Alternatively in stable weather conditions we may begin our trail slightly above Bohinj Lake and takes us through beautiful forest to the peak of Prisivec (1761m) offering a bird's eye view of Lake Bohinj and the valley below. Leaving the peak we pick up forest trails taking us to the first lake in the Valley of the Seven Lakes - the Black Lake or Crno Jezero, nestled away this is the perfect introduction to our trail and gives an idea of what's to come. We then head towards Dom na Komni our base for the night (this trail is only possible in stable weather due to it's openess).

Day 4
Leaving the hut we walk towards the start of the Seven Triglav Lakes Valley. The lakes are the source of Lake Bohinj and the Sava River, which runs into the Black Sea. Carved by the Triglav glacier, each lake has a unique feature of its own, be it shape or colour. We follow the route through the centre of the valley, passing five of the lakes, and leave the greenness of Bohinj behind, before reaching Hribarice. The end of this amazing day is Koca na Dolcu, one of the most welcoming huts in the park. We spend the night in a great setting looking up to Triglav.

Day 5
We are now located in the heart of the Julian Alps with a rugged limestone, moonlike landscape. The Triglav massif dominates the skyline and takes on different appearances as we approach. An excellent days walking takes us across high mountain passes and along spectacular ridges as we head for Triglavski Dom (2515m), the highest hut in Slovenia.This is the normal Triglav day. With our closeness to Triglav and depending on the weather, it may be possible to attempt the summit this morning before heading off to Triglavski Dom. The ascent of Triglav takes us up the East Ridge, over Mali Triglav (little Triglav) towards the summit. The trail follows the ridgeline for most of the way. There are some quite exposed sections where we have to use the harnesses, which can be attached to the fixed ropes. The guides will be on hand to offer guidance and support. This route is not traditional 'via ferrata' as ascents and descents are not steep. Once upon Triglav we have a complete panorama of Slovenia and on clear days into Austria, Italy and even the first of the Croatian Islands. Our normal route down from Triglav takes us over Mali Triglav to Triglavski Dom. This hut is open twelve months of the year and in the winter finds itself surrounded by up to 7 metres of snow. Time and weather allowing, it may be possible to attempt Triglav later if it wasn't possible this morning.

Day 6
From Triglavski Dom we descend to Vodnikov Dom (1817m) a picturesque hut standing 200m above the Velo Polje field and framed by the Tosc cliffs. We may continue further on to Blejska Koca Hut (1630m), with its high mountain meadow under the ridge. Our choice of hut will depend on which day we make our ascent of Triglav.

Day 7
Our destination today is Brda, a fine viewpoint situated on the far end of a lower ridge across the valley from Triglav. At 2009m we have a splendid view back across to where we have trekked, as well as 1000m down into Krma valley and across to Bled and the rich pine forests of Pokljuka. After soaking up the views we head off into the forests and wild alpine meadows below, the ground underfoot becomes softer and greener marking the end of the ruggedness of the Julian Alps. Weaving our way through the woods of Pokljuka, Slovenia's most dense forest, we arrive at Rodno Polje (1301m) - where the shepherds huts produce mountain cheese marking the end of our trek. After a rest and a beer, we will meet our transport and be transferred back to our hotel in Bled.

Day 8
Free time to rest and enjoy the lakeside town. Optional activities on the lakes and rivers are easy to arrange.