Triglav, the mountain of the Slovenians

Routes up Triglav

About 30 marked routes of varying difficulty lead to the summit, and all of them usually take more than 6 hours each way. You can climb from the Vrata, Kot and Krma valleys in the north, from Trenta in the south-west, from Bohinj in the south and from Pokljuka in the south-east. The shortest starts in the Vrata valley, and the easiest and longest, about 7 km, is the Krma valley route. The eastern and southern slopes are less steep, while the routes over the north face are among the most challenging in the country. That north face, seen from the Vrata valley, is about 3,000 m wide and 1,000 m high and has around a hundred climbing routes, according to the Kranjska Gora Tourist Board. For runners, August’s Triglav Trail Race keeps the mountain in view most of the way.

Huts: Kredarica and Planika

The advice is to split the climb over at least two days, with a night in a hut. The most visited is Triglavski dom na Kredarici, and around it are Planika under Triglav, Valentin Stanič, Tržaška koča on Dolič, the Vodnik hut on Velo Polje and Aljažev dom in the Vrata valley. The park has 38 huts and they fill up in summer, so book through the Alpine Association of Slovenia.

The final stretch: gear and safety

The last stretch, from Kredarica to the summit, is very demanding and secured with ropes and rungs. Besides the usual mountaineering gear, the Kranjska Gora Tourist Board asks for a helmet, self-belay equipment and a climbing harness, checking the forecast on the official ARSO weather website, choosing a route to suit your fitness and checking its condition before setting off. Triglav is one of Slovenia’s most challenging mountains, and hiring a licensed mountain guide is the sensible choice, especially on a first ascent.

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The three-headed mountain

At 2,864 m, at the heart of the Julian Alps, it’s the only peak in Slovenia above 2,800 m, and its name comes from its three-headed shape. The massif is the core of Triglav National Park, whose rules you must follow. The first documented ascent took place on 26 August 1778, by four men from Bohinj and the surrounding area, according to the Bohinj Tourist Board.

On the summit stands the Aljaž Tower, built by the priest himself and now a protected cultural and historical monument. In storms it works as a Faraday cage, because lightning on the exposed summit claimed victims among the early climbers.

If you are staying the night, see the best hotel deals in Kranjska Gora for your dates: the well-placed rooms go fast.