Discovering the Juliana trail.

I'll be honest, I was initially skeptical about the Juliana Trail. As someone who spends a reasonable amount of time hiking in the Julian Alps, I'm usually drawn to the high mountains whether it's to bag a summit, or reach a spectacular viewpoint. The idea of a multi-day trail that meandered through villages and countryside didn't really appeal to my peak-bagging sensibilities.

But when some friends visiting from Sydney mentioned they were planning to hike a few stages of the Juliana, I thought "what the hell" so Ali and I decided to join them for what would turn out to be an enjoyable adventure. Sometimes our perception of things can be completely off the mark, and this trail proved to be a perfect example of that. What I discovered over two days was just how diverse and beautiful this route truly is. It may not have the singular focus of summiting a 2000m peak, but it offers something equally rewarding: a genuine immersion into the heart of Slovenia's alpine landscape and culture.

Day 1: Juliana Stage 5 - From Lake Bled to Pokljuka

We set off early from Lake Bled on what turned out to be an unseasonably hot June morning. Stage 5 proved to be more varied than I'd expected, taking us from the tourist hub of Bled through quieter villages and eventually up into the Pokljuka plateau.The route begins right at the lake, passing the castle and following the shoreline before climbing out of Bled and passing through the neighboring villages of Spodnje Gorje and Zgornje Gorje. I was pleasantly surprised by how the trail managed to find interesting paths even through these more populated areas rather than just sticking to main roads.

After leaving the villages behind we entered a gorge which is one of the more interesting sections of the path and climbs up through a limestone cave with three natural windows. Once above the gorge the remainder of the day was spent on a shaded paths meandering our way through beautiful forests and alpine meadows enjoying a light breeze, serenaded by the sound of cow bells.

The final stretch offered views of Viševnik, Draški vrh and Triglav mountains as we made our way to the Sport Hotel Pokljuka and after a full day of hiking, we were ready to put our feet up. The hotel proved to be a perfect base for hikers, offering comfortable rooms and hearty meals that hit the spot after a big day on the trail. The cooler temperatures up on the plateau were a welcome relief from the day's heat, and we spent time planning the next day's route while enjoying a cold beverage on the hotel's terrace.

Day 2: Stage 6 - From Pokljuka to Stara Fužina

Day two brought more unseasonably hot weather as we set off from our hotel in Pokljuka. Stage 6 took us through more varied terrain, starting with forest paths and local roads through the plateau before beginning the descent through hay fields towards Gorjuše. Along the way we passed small clusters of beautiful alpine chalets with manicured lawns and perfect wood piles. We opted for a mid-morning break at the Alpine Homestead in Gorjuše where we enjoyed an iced coffee and some much needed shade then it was time for the final push.

After taking in the spectacular viewpoint from just outside Koprivnik the final approach to Bohinj involves a steady descent through lush forests, with the trail providing regular glimpses of the lake and the villages below. It was a little choppy underfoot in some places on the descent, especially at the road crossings but with a little care these challenges can be easily managed. Eventually we popped out in the village of Jereka which is at the far end of the upper valley, then the trail leads you through another three villages before eventually arriving at Stara Fužina, which is located just a kilometer from the lake.

A Pleasant Surprise

What started as a somewhat reluctant decision to join friends on an unfamiliar trail turned into one of the more enjoyable hiking experiences Ali and I have had in recent memory. The Juliana Trail showed us a completely different way to experience the Julian Alps, one that combines natural beauty with cultural immersion in a way that pure mountain hikes simply can't match. The variety of terrain, from lakeside paths to mountain forests, coupled with glimpses into traditional alpine life, has completely changed our perspective on multi-day trail hiking. We're now genuinely excited about completing the remaining stages of the Juliana Trail and discovering what other surprises this remarkable route has in store.

Midweek micro adventures!

With Spring in the air, I’ve been slowly increasing my hiking in the mountains behind the village, trying to find my mountain mojo, and more specifically my mountain legs and lungs in preparation for another Summer of adventures. While we are still many weeks away from the Winter snows melting in the high backcountry the recent shift to daylight savings time triggered an urge to get up in the mountains, so I settled on the idea of a mid-week micro adventure to climb Mt. Rodica, the highest peak on the ridgeline south of lake Bohinj.

I love the idea of micro adventures, a term first coined by British adventurer and author Alastair Humphreys, who popularised the concept with his book “Micro adventures: Local Discoveries for Great Escapes.” Humphreys defines a micro adventure as an overnight adventure that is “small and achievable, for normal people with real lives” that can be had close to home, even on weeknights. He also calls these “5 to 9 adventures” but my current work schedule (or lack thereof, as Ali would point out:)  affords me some additional flexibility, so I calculated this one would be a 5 to 12 adventure and set about organising my gear in preparation.

Now it’s worth highlighting that micro adventures don’t happen without overcoming a little bit of internal friction. Let’s be honest the idea of trading your warm comfortable bed for a night on the side of a mountain in subzero temperatures isn’t everyone’s idea of fun. However, over the years I've learned that many of life’s best experiences happen outside your comfort zone, so I’m well versed at getting past the resistance that accompanies these types of activities. There is something inherently satisfying about overcoming this resistance, even if it isn’t always apparent until after the fact. 

So, after trawling through the shed for the relevant equipment and overpacking, which is characteristic of my “better to have it than not” ethos I set off from the house about 5pm with a little under 3hrs of daylight remaining. Leaving Ribcev Laz I was quickly on the trail climbing out of the valley and after 2hrs of steady toil and about 850m of ascent I arrived at Planina Suha (1385m). With snow on the ground and the sun dropping behind the ridge it was not a time for lounging, so I quickly devoured my dinner and settled in for the night.

After a fitful night’s sleep, I awoke around 5.30am, packed my gear and following a quick breakfast of coffee and trail mix, donned my crampons, shed a few layers and started making my way out of the frozen meadow towards the ridgeline above.  While the original forecast for clear weather had been replaced by overcast conditions there was little or no wind, making the going pleasant and within an hour I was on the ridge with a sweeping view of my surroundings.  From there it was a steady hour’s traverse on hard packed snow eventually delivering me to the summit of Rodica (1966m) around 9am.

While I had originally planned to return to Suha via the same route I noticed some tracks below Rodica approaching the meadow from the east, which is a popular route used by ski tourers and decided this might be a better option. This decision ultimately proved to be a reminder of the importance of returning over “known ground” as I was forced to down climb 2 steep icy sections where recent warm temperatures had melted the snow leaving large areas of exposed rock and ice. I cautiously picked my way through these obstacles and eventually found myself back in Suha a little after 10am. By this time the sun had made an unscheduled appearance, so I enjoyed a second cup of coffee, packed away my boots, ice axe and crampons and stowed my gear for the final 90-minute descent down into the valley.

Shortly after 12 noon I arrived back in the village, having packed a full mountain experience into less than 24 hours. There's something uniquely satisfying about squeezing an adventure into the middle of an ordinary week, it transforms what might have been just another Wednesday into something memorable and any sign of the friction I felt pre-adventure was long gone.

As I stowed away my gear, I was already thinking about my next adventure. With each micro adventure, the friction is reduced, the ability to be comfortable being uncomfortable increases and summer's bigger challenges somehow seem less daunting. Where to next? The possibilities are endless.

A long overdue return to blogging!

The past few years have been a busy time and a period of significant change, first with COVID, then dealing with the many challenges and surprises life throws at you. During that period, our adventures at Sublime Escapes have taken a back seat to the day-to-day demands of work, aging parents, weddings, funerals, and a long list of unexpected events that tend to blindside you on some idle Tuesday when you least expect it.

However, the good news is that we have continued to thrive in our little slice of heaven here in the Julian Alps, and as Spring approaches, it feels like a good time to resume these blog posts, as 2025 promises to be a year of transition for both of us. With COVID serving as the catalyst, in recent years I have slowly stepped back from full-time work, and with my partner in crime retiring at the end of May, we are both looking forward to having more time for health, outdoor pursuits, and of course, lots of adventures.

It's hard to believe it's been over 9 years since we came here on a ski holiday to celebrate Ali's birthday and left as homeowners. It is certainly the most impulsive purchase we've ever made but one we've never regretted. Even then, it was only ever intended to be a holiday home, and yet we've been living here now full-time for the past 6 years, and life continues to evolve in ways we never could have imagined.

So, where to from here? If the past 9 years have taught us anything, it's that you never know what lies ahead or what exciting adventures might be just around the corner, so as we lean into this next chapter, I will do my best to keep you posted while also sharing some of the beautiful places that exist right here in our backyard.

Sublime Escapes.