This was a last minute trip, as I realized a few days before the weekend that there wasn’t a day trip planned for the weekend. There were seven of us including 2 prospective members and Rodney who met us at the Wooden Gully carpark. Wooden Gully Track was closed so we chose the Ridge Track as a suitable replacement. It was the quickest way to get to the tops anyway.
On my first CTC trip about 1.5 years ago there were around 12 trampers and I was quite shocked to find such a big group! I hadn’t tramped in groups of more than 3 people before. Well, in a year and half of being a member of the club I’ve grown to appreciate these bigger groups. So far the biggest group I’ve experienced was on this trip to Bealey Spur Hut where 28 people came to enjoy a beautiful day on the edge of Arthur’s Pass National Park.
As I don’t work Mondays, I decided to organize some Monday trips. The first one was to Mt Somers with only one brave participant, Heidi. We started off at Sharplin Falls Reserve and followed a well marked trail to the start of Mt Somers Summit Track. From there, a steep section of unstable rocks followed.
Gorski Kotar in Croatia is magical. I’ve been to Croatia many times but next time I’ll head straight to Gorski Kotar and not bother with the over-populated coast. Sometimes it’s called Croatian Switzerland and there is a good reason for it, though it’s far from the tidy looking Swiss villages with the tremendous scenery of the Alps in the background.
When I was in Croatia about 7 years ago, I desperately wanted to hike up to Vojak (1401m), the highest peak of Istria peninsula. I was convinced that one day I’d come back and stand at the top. Now, 7 years later, we were standing at the car park at the crossroad of 5047 road and a road called Cesta za Vojak, deciding whether to go up.
When you say “Slovenian mountains”, I reckon that most people imagine the breathtaking scenery of the Julian Alps. White peaks with green valleys, sprinkled with colorful dots of alpine flowers and lakes with water clearer than your bathtub.
This last stage is purely a volcanic experience with a gradually increasing amount of a black sand. Marking is relatively good. There is no water in Reykjanesviti.
The shortest stage of the trail is still very dry and volcanic but gets a bit busier thanks to a nearby main road. At the end of the stage it’s possible to make a detour to the famous hot pools, Blue Lagoon, or the city of Grindavík with a supermarket. There isn’t any water on the trail itself. Very vaguely marked.
The fifth stage starts by crossing a colorful volcanic range. An easy grassy part is followed by an extensive mossy lava field. Only vaguely marked overall, and the initial range not marked at all(!). There are tiny streams in the grassy part but no water at the end(!).
First part is forested but after the quarry it gets volcanic again. Marking is sometimes confusing, especially around the quarry. Water only at the start (a small river flowing out of the reservoir) and the end (a tiny stream going to the lake Djúpavatn).