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| Day 4: July 13,
2007 - Bohinj |
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Seven Triglav Lakes
In the early morning we'll trek high in the
mountains above Bohinj through pine forests
that bring us to the heart of the Julian Alps.
Passing by shepherds' cottages and green meadows
we'll climb Ticarica (6,795'), double-summit
mountain that gives us breathtaking views
of the Seven Triglav Lakes set below us like
glittering pearls on a string. Return to Bohinj
by way of the valley of the Seven Triglav
Lakes. (6-7 hours hiking; 3,031' elevation
gain/loss.)
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Today
was the longest hike of the trip. At 7:14:28.4
we covered around 12km. The hike started with
a winding road that alternated between gravel
and pavement from the valley up to around
1100m. At times we wondered about the road
because it was filled with blind turns and
step precipices.
Our trek started with a trail sign (see
the picture at the right) which informed
us that we couldn't catch butterflies,
couldn't take snails and we were not
to walk our seals. This part of the
trail was very steep and took us through
mixed forest. The track was well maintained
with skree mixed with dirt, pine needles
and leaves. It was an hour of leg torturing
slow climbing until we reached the first
mountain hut around 1453m. At the hut
we could see the cows drinking out of
the first of the 7 Triglav lakes.
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Another 1 1/2 hours
of mostly hiking up, we reached the valley
of the ships - although it could also have
been the valley of the sheep; we're not 100%
sure. The valley rolls through small hills
and you can see where the water is seeping
into the limestone and slowly building craters
and caves.
As we descended into the valley of 7 Triglav
lakes, we were treated to spectacular views
of peaks across the valley that ranged from
1800m - 2100m. There were a few puffy clouds
to make the scene beautiful. We walked in
sight of those peaks for another 30 minutes
before turning back into a thicker forest.
Bushes and flowers slapped at our legs as
we made our way to the hut where we would
have lunch.
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| Valley of the 7 Triglav Lakes |
The double lake |
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The hut is in a smaller
part of the valley and sits just behind what
would normally be two small lakes. Due to
rain in the area, they had merged together
into one completely crystal clear lake. You
could still see the bright yellow and purple
flowers completely submerged.
All through the trek back we sang and carried
on, keeping spirits high on the long hike.
Clouds started to build in, but we stayed
ahead of any weather. At the first hut, Ursula
went ahead to pick up Kirsten at the hotel.
The rest of us finished the last hour of the
hike and piled into the van. Luka took off
for the restaurant and we had a lovely dinner
- everyone scraped their plates clean.
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Kirsten was feeling
a little tired from yesterday and opted to
do some hiking around Bohinj rather than attempting
the large elevation gain with the rest of
the group. Shortly after the rest of the group
left in the van, Kirsten set out on her walk,
beginning with a little exploring of the small
village of Ukanc where the hotel is location.
Next, she followed the trail along the far
side of Lake Bohinj to the town of Stara Fuzina.
Luka had recommended a trail that went from
there called Korita Mostnice. After wandering
through the town for about 30 minutes, the
proper trail was found and followed to the
small waterfall. At this point, Kirsten headed
back to Stara Fuzina and back to the lake
to continue on to Ribcev Laz to have lunch.
After lunch put together from supplies from
the market, it was either wait 45 minutes
for the boat that would go back to the other
end of the lake, or walk the bike path along
the road and complete the circuit of the lake.
Since it would take about the same amount
of time, Kirsten walked back to the hotel
rather than wait. The roundtrip with the wanderings
through the small towns totaled close to 20km.
Kirsten arrived back at the hotel with plenty
of time to do a little laundry, shower, and
take a short nap before being picked up by
Ursula for dinner. |
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| Panoramic view of Bohinj Lake |
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