Dobar Dan from Slovenia !

Voir en plein écran
29/04 - 8/05 (10 days)

              

            

Day 1 - 30/04 - Trieste - Lipica - Razdrto (Kraj. Park Planinsko polje)

I have to thank a lot the bike association Muli in Bici of Trieste (that helped me getting started on the trip).

Equus caballus - Lipica race

Slovenia - region of Kras Plateau (karts)

Well, Slovenia at first sight was Padis Park at a national level (karstic landscape all around), plenty.
Day 2 - Razdrto - Predjamski Grad - Postojna - Iski Vintgar 

Predjama Castel - largest cave castel ever, linked to Postojna, they say.

Postojna Jama (24k cave system) (and get to know Proteus anguinus:)

still fresh but not for a long time :D

Day 3 - Iski Vintgar - Ljubljana

the road to Iški Vintgar (gorges and first partisan hospital (that i did not see)). First time bike meets gravel, luckily for me the bike holds the shock:) 

                                                                 Iški Vintgar gorges

Ljubljana (source: web)

While in Lubljana I have discovered Druga Violin restaurant which I recommend heartly. Great cuisine, many events going on, and most of all an exemple of kindness and enthousiasme into supporting the employement of people with special needs. Truly impressesed!

I was washed away by the prekmurje cake (nuts, popy seeds, raisins,apple), served warm.

Day - Ljubljana - Škofja Loka ­­- Kranj - Bled 

The weather was supposed to be bad, and to tell you the truth I was afraid that if I were to make the planned day trip (through the North through Logarska Dolina), I would not get in time to Trieste at the end. I think it was a wise decision.

Kamnik, old medieval city

yes, I do like to eat and it is an important part of a day:). lots of special things that remind me of home, like this heart of Slovenia (so much like my grandma's pastry)

Škofja Loka - best preserved town from the Middle Ages in Slovenia

and Kranj.
all in all a good day but I felt les good, beacause I've spent most of the times on big roads, I was used to no cars around:)

Bled Lake

I can say this is what I came here for:). Just joking. Presentig the Bled Cake, does it remind you someone?

Day 5 - Bled - (Vršič Pass 1611 m) - Bovec 

mountains:D, yeah. Approaching Triglav National Park

the super food that will get me passed the pass

painting

I was under the impression my heart wanted to pop out. I was swearing and cursing while climbing up the hill, up from 11% killed me, continued mubling to myself...until I have reached this point. more than 380 people died while bulding the road, so my suffering had no place. It had en effect on me. Up from there I cooled, kept silent.

Vršič Pass - The Russian road - Built by the russian POWs in 1st WW (strategic purpose near the Isonzo front).

(source:wiki) 

finally :D. Only at 1611m, but grueling, all its 24 bends

 

Soča. A mesmerising colorful river. I was glad to have it as a companion along the descent. Every now and then I would stop and have another look at it: has it changed, did it keep its colour? :p

While in a moment of meditation, while plunging my thougts into its whirling color I've had an acrobatic spectacle before my eyes: i got to meet the dipper (cinclus cinclus). What an superb bird, at first I feard when it got in the water and stayed there for a while. The most elegant diver. No wonder, Soca invites anyone into playing;

Day 6 - Bovec - (Bohinjsko sedlo 1277 m) -  Bohinjska Bistrica

due to its geographical situation also, Slovenia had a difficult history in the world wars

Boka waterfall (very special indeed: gets out of a karst spring and a soon as she's seen the day, drops for 106m)

look at that beauty go. Little did I know it was the last time I has a glimpse at her.

entering the BačaValley (like a hidden spot on the earth). A railway trip here must be amazing!

my village?

almost 19h and I have to get going for another pass (Bohinjsko sedlo)..getting scarry in the night:p

Day 7 - Bohinjska Bistrica - Bohinjsko jezero - Refuge Koča pri Triglavskih Jezerih (Triglavski narodni park)

Bohinjsko Jezero (the largest of Solvenian glaciar lakes)

I hid the bike and all in the bushes for the night (as the village camping had been flooded a few days ago) and went hiking towards the Valley of the seven lakes

Črno jezero (1300m)

Refuge Koča pri Triglavskih Jezerih and Dvojno jezero. My home for the night. I've never seen such a clean winter refuge. When I entered I was under the impression someone had just finished changing the bed linen)

Veliko jezero (1838 m) and its profound silence, you could hear only snow melting).

Day 8 - Refuge Koča pri Triglavskih Jezerih - Gorenji Novaki

Dom na Komni, enormous hut. the place and telpher line was also used during the ww2.

when you thought you were finished with climbing, here we go again!

Day 9 - Gorenji Novaki (Partizanska bolnisnica franja) - Idrija - Predmeja

I have to say a cycling trip is no easy. I had not trained and I felt it. I was tired every day even before I opened my eyes. My tights were stiff, I prayed the muscles fibres would rebuild during the night :p

it seemes like a holywood scene?

but its not. this place really made a mark on me. The Franja Bolna Partisan Hospital, hidden in the unexpected Pasica gorges.


The town of Idrija - in the Unesco world heritage (mercury mining and industrial heritage). Here is one of the biggest mercury ores.

fly fishing destination

entering the Krajinski Park Zgornja Idrica. 
Divje jezero (where karts and tectonics meet)

so today in a way I was happy it was my last day pedalling. I had some km to go to Trieste. But I was rather cool and confident. Every thing will be ok and I took my time. Bad ideea!

because sometimes there is the unexpected. And sometimes many unexpected things come all together: closed roads, gravel path (all the way to the end of the day, although I was sure it will be asphalt, while doing a lot loads of climbing, alone on a path nobody else pas passing, no signs or posts (find your way in the maze of forest expolitation roads) and most of all summer storm with thunder and lightning above my head (as I was very high up on the mountain), and there was 3 times this storm that came and went and I thought it was there that I would leave my bones. And who knows when someone will find me. Yeap it was the hardest day ever, althogh i was wistheling this morning with my big smile. In our country we say 'don't say hop until you haven't cross the fence'. It goes well.

and continued pushing my bike for many km to go in the storm, until the night fall and in the dark forest in the mist alone on the top of the mountain, being cold, wet to my socks and so chilly. Yes, I feel Slovenia!

Day 10 - 08/05 - Predmeja  -Trieste

so...I had a pile of wet clothes, yesterday was a fight for life :) but no problem, this is the last day!
It must have been cold during the night the tent was a popsicle.

and the longest descent and best beer in the world in Trieste with Andrea:)
You might ask. Why Slovenia? Easy. While I looked at a map..Slovenia seemed so green, this must be the place for me. So I have choosen the roads that made me pass trough the Natural Parks and most of all to get me closer to Triglav too. And it really was a great surprise. Apart this, I felt like home. The landscape, the karst, the wilderness, the culture, the food (saussages, soups, polentas, cakes), achitecture influences by austrians, and life in the villages and the people there reminded me of home, of Transilvania.

Le Néron - Traversée des arrêtes

Today we get the chance to meet Néron. Another one of Grenoble's giant buddies. Thanks for having us.
With Yves permission more photos on his site: Le Néron. Thank you for the day!

I do sometimes excessive fits of imagination. So I believe, that now, after 2 months in Grenoble, today is my 'christening'. I was so happy to share a wonderful day out.
I adore my home :), look around, there are so many places to discover!


Voir en plein écran

Parc Naturel Régional des Monts d’Ardèche by bike

Voir en plein écran

Easter weekend.
Parc Naturel Régional des Monts d’Ardèche.
3 days, 220km, 4000 D+
John from the Alpes, Feather, Ela and Blue, now guess who is who:).

Valence

always keeping up the good spirits

you know, Ardeche is not that high a region, but 4000 D+ was made up of col..

after col, after col...must have been a 20 or so

like untouched forgotten land

one of the least populated departements of France, if I'm not wrong. 

Mont Jerbier de Jonc, source of the longest rivers in France, la Loire.

That is what I loved the most, filling my water bottles with fresh Loire water, it cleansed my heart!

the most sacred part of the day :D

and what a lesson have I learned. It is April, and I can get a freezing cold at 1000m altitude. So skinny shorts, transparent sleeping bag and no gloves is the key to catching a real cold.

The second thing I loved most, besides the Loire, was the open spaces and the fact I was walking such a divers and ancient land. He evolved from 550 mil. years ago, so you can travel into time, almost every stage is represented, from old to the youngest volcanic.

such a wonderful photographer am I. Makes you fell of the face of the Earth, but you get the picture anyhow

Le Rhône

Formation Alpinisme - Intro

Imperial trail Fontainebleau

Fontainebleau Imperial trail - 17.09.2016

About 60k, 1500D+

10h18 :D

18F - 6SE

Forêt de Fontainebleau is about 280 km², 60k from Paris. But if you are a climber you must certainly have heard about it by now, great playground. And for me the most beautiful place in Ile de France, the last corner of living nature, undisturbed. I adore it. I try to go from time to time, but now it will take me however 3h aller-retour. 

I really don't know how many we were. But it was grand.

I had reserved the month of September for a far away trip at the other end of the Globe. Tickets were bought, vaccines were made. A big trip, I chose it in order to quench my thirst for freedom end exlporing. It has been such a long time since I could wonder about free somewhere on the face of the Earth. Things don't always work the way we want, but don't let that get you down. 

A new professional opportunity arrised and I had to put up the trip for another moment (that is my logical side of the brain took control, and the need to integrate in the society, have a job, follow, pay your bills, (and remain the sheep that wakes up every morning and follows the flock to work) and I had to smother my wild and primitive side of the brain, (like I've been doing for 5 year now, even though is the basis of my existence).But anyway.

So running about remained one of the last moments I feel ok and get to level my mind. It only works while running in the forest or parcs...but there are not many options around, to tell you the truth :(. 

Trail running. I started doing it because I hadn't much time to spend in the mountains. So I took to it, needing to see more, go higher, spend more time in the bushes. I also choose to go in places I do not know, because during the trail, I like to discover a new region. Running a competition in Ile de France had never attracted me because I already seen those places and all. This time I went however to this Imperial Trail, as I cancelled my trip, and in the end I was very glad to be there.  

(this part is for other beginner runners ). Absolutely no training but I made it to the end. 

I underestimated the trail, it was quite technical. Not to mention the time..10h. 

A big surprise was that I had to put up with my first and most impressive :D intestinal concern. Literally I was s***ing my heart out. I did not understand what was happening. Hopefully for me I was however running in the bushes and I could stop as needed...9 or 10 times. I was to a point getting scarred, and not knowing how my body manages did not know if I should better stop, or will it become dangerous, am I putting me in danger if I continue? In the (first  two post de revitaillement)..everything I ate..made me in 5 minutes time go to the bushes...so even if it was a 60km trail, and I eat a lot usually...this time I ate less and drank even less water after the 15km because I had understood my camelback was the reason of all this problems. The night before, telling to myself while looking in the fridge, I did not train for this how can I help and make it out?...I mixed water with my mother's super natural fir tree bud syrup (that has gone bad, I suppose and so tried to kill me). Yes, mother! I was thinking...a the supernatural drink that will boost me. So after the first 4 or 5 hours of pains and distress I changed the water with clear pure H2O and managed to rebuilt myself. I have even managed to eat. I've lost a lot of energy in this first part of the run and I felt most of all dehydrated. 

But all in all it was a great trail and I was RUNNING HAPPY (which by coincidence was the sponsor's moto (run happy!). A few years ago when I've done the first long distance trail...I have discovered the way to run zen (it was sheer meditation during 26h, I felt astonishing, by the meer fact I was in the forest and running wild, free).