Crazy sunset above the fog from Kamniški vrh

After the first serious snow of the season last week, I quickly climbed Kamniški vrh after work on Sunday. It was cloudy in the valley, but I didn't know how high the cloud cover was. It didn't look good from Bistričica, close to the starting point of the hike:



Ten minutes later and 150 meters higher it looked better:



The village of Zakal on the opposite slope:



I rushed up, but I was heading towards a thick layer of fog:



One more look back before I entered the fog:



At the saddle between Planjava and Kamniški vrh, I broke the fog, exhilarated with the light that awaited me!









I literally screamed with joy :) then hurried to the top of Kamniški vrh:



The display below me changed every minute with the wind chasing the fog around the mountain tops:



Velika planina behind me was also bathing in the late afternoon sun:



Trees down below:



The sun was quickly dipping into the sea of fog:



After the sun disappeared, the clouds and light turned pink:






Pink Velika planina:






I only had my small compact camera with me, but oh my, the light I saw on this climb was one of the most colorful I've ever experienced.

More photos here: http://anapogacar.smugmug.com/PhotoJournal/2014/Sunset-Kamniski-Jan-26-2014

First snow in Kamnik

After having a very warm October and hardly any fall colors, it snowed at the end of the month. While I love snow, I wasn't too thrilled about not having any autumn! :) But, to capture the unusual sight of green trees covered with snow I hiked the nearby Špica hill one afternoon to get some views of Kamnik. The views were foggy and the trail was slippery, and what I came away with were some cool pics and a bruised rib from a sudden fall when returning.

The road was ... interesting, to say the least!


Fog enveloped the hill I was headed to.


Lots of broken branches due to heavy wet snow.


The trail was extremely muddy and slippery.


Fall colors? :)


The fog descended upon Kamnik and the sun only peeked through occasionally for a few seconds.


On the way down I was passed by a jogger.


Just as I reached the road again, the sun reappeared in this spectacular display of red glow.


The rib still hurts more than a week later.

Snowy Kamnik

Snow at last! This winter had been exceptionally dry - with the exception of some heavy rain! But no snow... until yesterday. Only a few centimeters in Kamnik, but it was enough to blanket the town in soft whiteness, so in the afternoon, after work, I headed out for a quick spin around town to take a few shots.

First I went up the Šutna street...

... past the Church of Our Lady.


Love those roofs.


Then I climbed the Mali grad hill.


Mali grad chapel with the Stari grad hill in the background - the hill with great views that I climb often.


Kamnik was at my feet.


The Franciscan church with one of my favorite hiking hills in the distance - Kamniški vrh.


Mali grad courtyard and castle.


Mali grad chapel and castle.


A narrow Kamnik street.

Returning from the Mali grad hill I looked down the Šutna street toward the setting sun.

Then I climbed the Žale hill and took this photo from above the Kamnik train station looking toward Zaprice castle.


Zaprice castle up close.


The Franciscan church and monastery from the Žale hill.

Christmas midnight mass on Velika planina

For those who have been waiting for this post: better late than never, they say. :)

After two years of really bad rainy weather for Christmas I was finally happy to hear a nice weather forecast for December 24, so I headed up the mountain in the evening to take photos of an extraordinary event that only takes places once a year - on the Christmas eve. The procession of people hiking to the Velika planina chapel with torches and flashlights is a sight you don't get to see very often, religious or not.















After everybody was gone, I climbed the ridge overlooking the valley and took a few photos of Kamnik, Mengeš and Ljubljana in the mist below.


An hour later the chapel was deserted again.

Views from Stari grad on a windy January afternoon

I climbed Stari grad above Kamnik yesterday after a long abstinence from any hiking. It felt so good! Due to the cold and windy weather my fingers almost froze off while I was taking photos at the top, but the views made up for it.

Is this winter?? Where is the snow? Come on, it's the middle of January. I want snow!


This is the view from the top towards the Kamnik Alps:


Kamnik:


You can sort of see my house from here. :)


My favorite "training" hill, Kamniški vrh, was glowing red in the late afternoon light:


Mt. Brana and Mt. Planjava, as well as the clouds, turned orange-pink as the sunset was approaching.


Then the sun was almost gone:


Mt. Triglav and the Julian Alps in the distance:


Stari grad castle ruins and the after sunset sky:


Even after running all the way down the steep trail back to Kamnik my fingers didn't thaw. I really need to bring my gloves next time. :)

Oh, and all these photos were taken with my new compact camera, Canon Powershot S100, fitted with a polarizing filter. Around 200 grams altogether, heh. It was strange to go on a hike with so little weight. :)