This is the end of a hike that I could hardly have imagined to be more dreamlike. As always, I didn’t know what to expect. I did very little research and just went with the flow.
A long day, deliberately chosen. Not because it made more sense, but because giving up usually starts in my head—and shouldn’t be allowed to take root there. The heat, the route, the kilometers: everything dragged on. Small decisions suddenly became big ones, shortcuts turned into negotiations with myself.
Day 15 demanded everything early on: steep climbs, changing landscapes, cold lakes and packed trails. Between exhaustion, brief moments of euphoria and technical doubts, it became clear that something was changing. Loneliness gave way to people – and for the first time, the end of the trip was within reach.
The day was downhill overall, but that didn’t mean that there were no climbs. According to the route, there were two peaks on the way: Razor and another one I can’t remember the name of, which I deliberately skipped later – a good decision, as it turned out.
Some days just dribble by monotonously, one step in front of the other, without much spectacle. This day was completely different. The ascent to the highest point, good company and good weather. Everything was just right and was rounded off by the sunset with a view of the valley.
The day began with an arduous descent to Mojstrana and an unexpected strain. After fresh provisions and encounters with friendly locals, it ended in a relaxed atmosphere, scoring points with a soothing shower and interesting conversations.
These three days felt like a condensed image of the whole trip: Moments of lightness and wonder alternated with physical exertion, unpredictable weather and little surprises. While in some places I almost seemed to be flying, other passages demanded full concentration and patience. Again and again, new perspectives opened up – on the landscape, on myself and on what is important to me.
The days slowly blur into a rhythm of walking, looking, marveling – and yet every section of the high alpine trail brings new surprises. Sometimes the path leads over rugged stone slabs that seem hard and angular underfoot, then again over springy forest floor that fills the senses with the scent of coniferous wood and damp moss. Peace and variety alternate almost every minute between quiet stretches of forest and expansive views.
In search of my next adventure, I ended up in Slovenia.
I had often heard how beautiful and pristine the nature there is – green forests, rugged mountains, crystal-clear lakes. And as I wanted to get out into the mountains again anyway, preferably on a long, continuous route, I ended up on the Slovenian High Alpine Trail.
You can’t find much about it online – at least not in German. That made it all the more exciting for me. The High Alpine Trail, or Slovenska planinska pot in Slovenian, is the longest long-distance hiking trail in the country and runs for around 600 kilometers right across the Slovenian Alps – from Maribor to Ankaran on the Adriatic.
This time I wanted to take it a little easier: without a tent, with reduced luggage, from hut to hut. I was in the mood for the mountains, but also for a little more spontaneity and lightness on the road. No meticulously planned stages, just see how far I get – and how it feels to just keep going day after day.
And so it was again and again on this hike. We often conquered more than a thousand meters of altitude and thus overcame the bad weather.
