AA Day 18

Today’s trail description includes the sentence “Whilst most active sports lovers take the cable car to reach the summit, the Alpe-Adria trail leads towards the summit along forest tracks…”

Surely active sports lovers would much prefer walking the 1197m vertical to the summit we said to ourselves this morning as we left the hotel, walking out of the village downhill on the road.  The downhill section didn’t last long before we started the long uphill section.  (There was some impressive damage repair taking place in the valley following the rain of two weeks ago.  Two bridges had been damaged and the banks of the river were being stabilised with boulders.)  We were initially walking on road before we changed onto a forest trail.  This road was in good condition, but a fairly shallow gradient, which meant long stretches between each of the zig-zags up the hill.  A gap in the trees allowed us to see the top of the Gerlitzen, the end of today’s stage.  We stopped for lunch (crisps and sultanas) just where the road ended.  The path then worked its way almost straight up through the pine and larch forest.  The trees were widely spaced, allowing grass to grow, and there were numerous large ant hills.  We had now reached 1655m and had a relatively flat section before suddenly reaching the end of a tarred road and seeing “several romantic Alpine lodges”.  We then met the Germans with their dog; they had taken a lift from the hotel all the way to the start of the forest section this morning!  From here we had the choice of going via a water park, or walking the road directly to the top.  The wind was increasing and the mountains to the south had disappeared in the storm clouds, so we decided to take the fastest route.  We still had 230m vertically to go, with the wind increasing all the time and the valley below us disappearing in the rain clouds.  We made it to the hotel and remarkably it still hasn’t rained.  The top, with several ski lifts dotted about, is a desolate place.  The wind has now dropped, as we no longer hear it in our bedroom.  The bedroom seems to have had a very recent facelift with a very fancy, large, bathroom, and the hairdryer definitely unused.

If it was clearer, we would be able to see the Slovenian mountains to the south.  We will have another rest day in two days, so will be into Slovenia in six days.  Na zdravje!