Mali Golak and wonderful views

Last weekend was glorious - sunny, warm, ideal for some outdoor activity. After getting whipped with some late afternoon wind on Zelenica on Saturday (more about that in the next post), I went on an early-morning hike with Jaka on Sunday. The original plan was to catch the sunrise on top of Mali Golak, but a series of mishaps prevented us from getting there on time. :) We didn't really mind as the hike was worth going at any time of day.

We set off at 4 a.m. and after almost 1.5 hours we parked the car in the forest above the village of Predmeja. The walk through the woods in the dark without headlamps was exhilarating and we kept listening for wolves. Yes, we both have a vivid imagination, haha. Getting lost wasn't part of the plan though, and we ended up backtracking a bit. Soon it got lighter as we climbed the trail through the forest. There was quite a bit of snow, which was hard and frozen. In the last stretch below the summit the sun rays finally reached us as we were ascending up the western slope and away from the morning sun. The long shadows of the trees in the soft morning sunlight were mesmerizing.


Once on top, the views all around opened up. It was amazing! We could see the whole Slovenia and then some! Apparently Mt. Blanc can be seen on a really clear day!
Jaka was ecstatic. :p
The visibility was really good. This is Mt. Triglav, 48 kilometers away.
Mt. Kanin and its wide range.
Mt. Krn (38 kms away). An avalanche trail is visible on its slopes proving that hiking in some parts of the mountainous world can be pretty dangerous at the moment.
The Kamnik Alps are about 70 kms away.
The views towards the Adriatic Sea.
The Vipava valley.
After taking pictures in all possible directions, eating a sandwich and drinking some tea we made our way back. We were in no hurry and preferred to enjoy in one of the most beautiful beech forests in Slovenia.
Play of shadow and light.
Some of the blazes were barely visible as there is so much snow it covers the tree trunks up to the height where blazes are usually painted! Well, this one is, obviously, an exception. ;)
The obligatory "looking up" shot.
I couldn't help but play with the fish-eye a bit.
By the time we returned to our car (after some hearty jota in the hut on the way) at about 11 a.m., it had got really warm and the snow was seriously melting. But the hike was pretty nice! I have to explore this part of our little country more often.
More photos here.