Chapter 3. Paklenica – Where Nature Prevails
Paklenica – Give luck a chance, once more…
One thing I should say here: I know.
I know some of you are waiting for more pics, as I’ve been spreading the word they would be great.
In a way it’s nicer for me though, as it’s been about a month now, and pics are memory snapshots – which is great if those memories are good.
But one thing I decided: the pic descriptions and stories will be brief from now on, otherwise this will take forever again. So if something is not clear, or you suspect there’s a nice story behind something, just go and ask (by adding a comment, or whatever).
Enjoy!
Sveto Brdo, the view, a nice cup of fresh coffee, and a smoke…
Anyone going to Croatia to “discover” there’s great beaches there, should… go back and see some more, I’d say.
Low sun @ Sveto Brdo
No comment needed…
Quick stop at the Maslenica Bridge on the way from Plitvice to Zadar: feel like it?
In fact, consider this as a “request” from me to you (anyone who reads this): I’ve never done bungee jumping, if you feel like trying it, let me know!
Butterfly Romance, on the first, easy hike up to Planinarski Dom
Does anyone know how it works for butterflies: which is the bigger, boy or girl?
Lizard Laziness
Also on that way up to the Dom: this lizard let me come so close my lens almost touched it!
Blag:”Come on, we’ve got food, we’ve got red wine!” 🙂
…which would be the start of a great mountain trek!
What happened: after having some beers with two aussies in the Planinarski Dom, everybody had gone to bed and I was just having a last smoke, accompanied by the usual deep thoughts 😎
Then suddenly, some time after midnight, two guys appear from the darkness – Blag and Siki, say hello, and invite me to have a nightly bbq and some wine… It appears they’re from the Velibit Mountaineering Club from Zagreb, that lot’s more people will be coming, and that -long story- they basically forbid me to go into the mountains alone (snakes, bears, and stuff) and tell them to come with them. Well, alright, that appeared to be a good idea! 🙂
PS: To Siki: how should I write To Siki exactly? Not so sure…
Yummy yummy 8oD
(Blag: what was the name of this meat again?
Ivine Vodice Mountain Hut
…on the way to Sveto Brdo…
Blag and Siki, taking a rest 🙂
The view from the mountains on the sea and the islands is, well, fantastic…!
Sveto Brdo, the most beautiful peak in Velibit (or so I’ve been told)
And yes, there’s still some snow there!
Another mountian-sea view – amazing to me.
On the top of Sveto Brdo!
Time for some publicity 😉
Was really glad to have that hat by the way – the sun is pretty merciless in Paklenica!
Blag, making us some coffee, still on Sveto Brdo – how much better could life ever be…
Sveto Brdo: Blag and me
(yes, _again_ Sveto Brdo… sorry, I just liked it a lot!)
Absurd skiing fun coming down…
There was snow, there were sticks… but no skis. Yet, we discovered you don’t really need that 😎
Just one problem: my shoes weren’t waterproof at all…
Next morning, waking up and getting ready to go down through Mala Paklenica!
Hmm… let me get this straight right away: we didn’t actually go all the way through the Mala Paklenica path… instead, we went down from this mountain hut (sory, the name escapes me), and descended towards that path. So, there was no path… 🙂
Though I haven’t seen the lower part of Mala Paklenica, I can assure you that the stretch we did was at least as “fun”! 😎
Trying to find the way down…
Many credits here to Blag and Siki: I guess they did double the distance we did, running up and down the mountains to find a more or less safe way to go down… Tnx!!
BTW, “us” was some seven more people from the Velibit club, and me.
Snake! One of the two poisonous kinds, “poskop“.
“Nose-Horned Viper” is his English name, I believe.
To tell you the truth, before I went into the Velebit mountains, I’d heard about poisonous snakes but for some reason didn’t really expect to see one. I was quite wrong: I’ve seen about ten in total, I think, of which several were right on our path.
Not that it should withold you from going there, but at least I learned to watch my every step, and to check twice before sitting down on a rock…
Some “alpine techniques” come in handy once in a while…:-)
The Gate to “Small Hell”…
…I would call it. “Small Hell” is some liberal translation of “Mala Paklenica” (“mala” is small, “pak” is hell, approximately)
For us, coming down, it was about the end of the tough part of our descent.
Sighing in relief, coming through The Gate…
(Just liked the shot)
One last great shot of the Velebit mountains…
Last, for now, at least!
Who knows this spice? You like spaghetti?
It’s oregano, and smells and tastes very nice when fresh!
By the way, there’s lots of “edible flora” in Velebit – one of my favourites were “wild onions”!
Anica Kuk!
No, we haven’t actually been there – it’s a great rock for mountain climbers they say…
BTW, tnx to Frank&Guanaelle for the “idea” for this kind of pics! 🙂 You might remember a similar pic from Vietnam Vagabonding.
Practicing to meet Anica
(just some guy)
Memory from Velebit: “The” Stamp from the top of Sveto Brdo!
…but not very “mountain resistant” 🙁
As I mentioned before when horse riding, my motorbike shoes have served many purposes (even skiing boots) on this trip. But though they offer quite good protection, they’re far from hiking boots :-/
Tags: z June 2006 - Croatia: Mountain Meets Marine
Frederik
July 26th, 2006 at 11:13 pm
Dear Friend You have very interesting life..Enjoj it, as You allready are