Climbing the North Face in Winter
Put your body and spirit to the test on Triglav’s famous Wall
Experience the full intensity of winter climbing in all its glory
Learn something new and try something different
Gaze out at the dreamlike landscape that surrounds you
Climbing up the snow gully
Enjoying the good snow conditions
Nice snow gully for winter climbing
Guiding on snow gully
Climbing Slovenska route in winter
It is lonely up there in the middle of winter
A cold day in the mountains
Guided
Included in price
What to bring to the tour
Description
Winter ascents are the most demanding and the most rewarding mountaineering adventures. Tackling the North Face of Triglav isn’t only doable in winter, it’s nothing short of a climber’s delight. The legendary Slovene Route across the giant Wall is always an excellent choice, and winter gives it that additional charm and great respect among alpinists. Grab your ice axes and join us on this exclusive wintertime expedition!
Dating back to the 19th century, the Slovene Route has become a highly praised climbing route among Slovenes and foreign mountaineers alike. The route’s difficulty level might not be extremely high, but during winter, the ascent certainly requires a considerable amount of prior climbing experience and psychophysical preparedness. This includes the use of ice axes and crampons. As any expert climber will tell you: Good judgement comes from experience.
Given the right weather conditions, the Slovene Route supplies sufficiently hard snow, offering a superb basis for a speedy and effective ascent. Equipped with ice axes and crampons, you will scale the rugged terrain using a climbing rope. Your guide will make sure that the maximum of two climbers will feel safe and secure as they take on the steep drops, so no prior knowledge of rope techniques is required.
We approach the Wall in approx. 1.5 hours’ time, depending on the snow conditions. The latter may of course alter the schedule considerably. Then it’s 800 metres of intense climbing the gully, accompanied with fantastic views. The overall duration of our winter tours is highly dependent on snow conditions. The guide will let you know a couple of days in advance what kind of climbing and hiking can be expected given the current weather conditions.
Interesting fact: Tone Pogačnik, a Slovene Olympian and cross-country skier, was training on the Triglav Glacier in April 1946, when he accidentally skied off the edge of the North Wall in the fog, jumped, and landed on the Slovene Route 100 metres below. He walked away unscathed.
NOTE: The tour can also be extended into a two-day ascent to the summit of Mt. Triglav per request.
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Things to know
Triglav is amongst the most popular mountains in Slovenia. It has a great symbolic value for us and the saying goes that you are not a true Slovenian until you stand on its summit. Therefore, you can expect a lot of people on the mountain in the high season (July-September), especially on weekends. On week-days, however, it is much more peaceful. Luckily, our guides have some tricks up their sleeves when it comes to avoiding the crowds. Hint: they know exactly when and where to go.
Thousands of people climb Mt.Triglav every year. Some come better prepared than others, who underestimate the climb, which can lead to accidents. But with the right approach, knowing the weather conditions (especially the possibility of thunderstorms and snowfall), with the proper safety equipment and an experienced guide, you can minimize the objective dangers and feel completely safe.
Mountain huts in the Slovenian mountains are very cosy and authentic, but provide only basic comfort. Don’t expect too much luxury. Early bookings are usually rewarded with a room but if all rooms are full there are dormitories. There is no shower and the lavatories are basic. There is running water but it is not drinkable. The food is tasty and local but the menu is limited to a few dishes and drinks.
The earlier the better. The highest season, from July to September, it is not unusual for huts to be fully booked for months ahead. Weekdays are better but we still suggest bookings at least a month in advance. Last-minute bookings are very dependable on the weather – if the forecast is not a perfect bluebird, then some spots usually become available a few days before.
It is important that your clothes are comfortable and water-resistant to keep you warm and dry. Your shoes should be ankle high and waterproof. Expect windy and chilly conditions. It is better to take a bit more with you as you can always leave excess clothes in the van after consulting with our guide.
In case of bad weather, the tour can be postponed or you will be fully refunded. We can not go if there is a danger of avalanches or storms. The snow conditions are usually more stable later in the season, February-April.
The season stated is informative. The tour is possible in stable snow conditions, the best period is usually from February to April. Sometimes the snow can stay late in the gully and winter gear is needed even in June.
The tour is technically demanding and you will be secured with the rope on the exposed sections. Therefore, only two clients per guide are possible, to assure the best and safest experience.
The tour can take most of the day and usually is hard to predict how fast we will be. So be ready for a long and challenging day.
Worry not! The gully is for the most part easy, with a lot of snow making it even easier than in summer. It all depends of course on snow conditions. On all set steep and exposed ground you will be safely secured with a rope and helped by a guide if necessary. You don’t need any prior ice climbing experience but you should be comfortable with tackling a snow slope of around 60º. Our guides will be happy to advise you and give you more information.
Our tours are led by professional local guides. Our guides will make sure that you receive expert guiding combined with great fun and a memorable experience.
The tour is not suitable for children.
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