Slovenia Trekking
Join Black Mountain Expeditions as we experience world class trekking in the Julian Alps. After some trip preliminaries, we’ll spend the next four days hiking through the breathtaking mountains in Triglav National Park. We’ll stay in mountain huts each night and enjoy home cooked meals for breakfast and dinner, along with opportunities for swapping stories with the hut-keeper and other travelers. The hike will take us through both alpine forests and lakes, as well as gorgeous summits and vistas. We’ll also spend some time in the evenings thinking through our faith and how that intersects with our lives and our parenting. After completing the hike, we’ll return to the land of hotels and restaurants where we’ll have a day to unwind before wrapping up and returning home.
July 21 – 27, 2024
$5200
Itinerary:
Day 1: Arrive in Ljubljana
We’ll gather our group at the Ljubljana airport before taking a private shuttle to Lake Bohinj. This is a glacial lake dammed by a moraine and is the lowest-lying lake in the Triglav Lakes Valley. It is also remote enough to prevent the typical tourist crowds.
After lunch we’ll meet with our guides, pack for our trip and get a good night’s sleep before a big day tomorrow.
Day 2: Our trip begins on the trails of the Julian Alps
From the lake, we’ll get a transfer to the trailhead and start our hiking adventure.
Initially, our path will take us through wild forests to charming alpine pastures with livestock along the way. Further on, the gravel trail leads over mountain passes with great views across alpine valleys enclosed by high mountain walls, from which sharp summits pierce the sky.
If climbing the highest mountain in the Julian Alps, Mt. Triglav, is something we decide to add to the trip then we’ll hike for an additional 2 hours and 1,500’ elevation to a mountain hut just below the summit and overnight there.
Hiking: 6.2 miles / elevation +3,000’ / approx. 6 hours
Overnight: mountain hut (private rooms if available!) with shared bathrooms
Day 3: Trek through the Triglav Lakes Valley
Hike a gently descending path through the Velo Polje alpine pasture, where we can taste fresh cheese at the pasture’s small dairy, nestled under the summits of Mt. Tosc, Triglav and Miselj Vrh. The summits encircle a stunning alpine valley. From here the hike moves over lots of rocks and gravel on barren alpine terrain, where edelweiss flowers or a group of alpine ibexes are likely to be seen.
From the ‘lunar surface’ of the Hribarice Plateau we’ll climb to the highest point of the trip, Mt. Kanjavec, and descend down through the Valley of the Seven Triglav Lakes.
Those who would like to climb Mt. Triglav will meet our IFMGA mountain guides early in the morning at the mountain hut. Together we will tackle a ridge via-ferrata route safely to the summit of the mountain, take in the breathtaking full-circle view from the top of Slovenia and rope up for the descent. Once out of the technical terrain and back on an easier trail, we’ll say goodbye to our guide and continue across the Hribarice Plateau to the Seven Triglav Lakes valley.
Hiking: 7.5 miles / elevation gain +2,100’ / approx. 7 hours
Overnight: mountain hut (private rooms if available!) with shared bathrooms
Day 4: Trek the highlands of the Komna Plateau
Leave the highest peaks of the Julian Alps and enjoy the green meadows and forests of the alpine karst plateau of Komna. The route to our next overnight location is rather short, which makes for an ideal opportunity for a more leisurely day or longer hiking trip with a variety of different detours to nearby summits and lookouts. These trails are rarely hiked so it will likely feel as if we have the whole mountain to ourselves.
Hiking: 4.9-10.5 miles / elevation +1,150’ to 2,100’, -1,500’ to 2,400’ / approx. 3-7 hours
Overnight: mountain hut (private rooms if available!) with shared bathrooms
Day 5: Hike the Southern Bohinj mountain traverse
On the last day of the Triglav National Park Adventure we’ll traverse the mountains south of Lake Bohinj, admire the panoramic view of the Central Julian Alps and treat ourselves to a homemade apple strudel at an alpine farm.
From here we’ll take the cable car from one of Slovenia’s highest ski resorts to the Bohinj Valley. This is where our hiking adventure ends, on the shore of Lake Bohinj with a refreshing swim in crystal clear waters.
Hiking: 8.7 miles / elevation +2,100’, -2,100’ / approx. 6 hours
Overnight: return to our Bohinj lodging for the best shower of our lives
Day 6: Day at Lake Bohinj
Sleep in and enjoy a day on your own at Lake Bohinj. There’s lots of hiking, swimming and sightseeing around the lake, and a refreshing lack of shopping!
We’ll gather after lunch for a post-trip round up (we love a good debrief!) before heading back to Ljubljana. We’ll have early flights in the morning so we’ll stay close to the airport.
Day 7: Return Home
We’ll get you to the airport for an early flight, say goodbye and we start planning next year’s adventure!
FAQs:
No, airfare is not included in the registration cost.
All flights should be booked through our travel partner, Sequel Travel. Julia Buie at Sequel Travel will reach out to you directly to book flights.
It will be different every night! Our nights at Lake Bohinj will be at a small resort hotel near the lake and each night on the trail will be at hiker’s huts. Think stone or wooden homes with bunk rooms, perhaps a few private rooms, showers and a hut-keeper providing a home-cooked meal and maybe a beer.
That works great – just let us know and we’ll plan on meeting you at Lake Bohinj. Venice is another great arrival point so there are lots of options.
Merri-Mac, Timberlake and BME are owned and operated by the Boyd family and this trip is exclusively for camp dads.
You can reach us at the Black Mountain Expedition basecamp office at (828) 669-8766. Please ask to speak to Patrick Emery, our Black Mountain Expeditions director.