Hail to the King, Baby

Slovenia, Italy and Austria all sat within my field of view. High in the Julian Alps, perched atop Mt. Triglav, we had powered our way up this mountain to the highest peak in Slovenia at 9,396 ft (2,864 m), using a climbing method popularized during the first World War.

Via ferrata, or “The Iron Path” is a thick steel cable that runs along a climbing route, connected to the rock every 3 to 30 ft. Climbers wear special gear, harnesses with carabiners, that hook onto the cable, minimizing the damage during a fall.

Mt. Triglav is known as the “King of the Julian Alps”, and is the national symbol of Slovenia. It’s the jewel of the nation’s coat of arms, it graces the national flag, and is the pride and joy of former president Kucan who once said every countryman and woman has a duty - climbing Triglav at least once in their lifetime.

Summer crowds, when Triglav is clear, can be unbearable. In the winter when the pegs and cables are covered with snow, and the mountain itself is under ice and snow, the crowds are much smaller (and in our case, nearly nonexistent) since the risks involved with climbing increase greatly.

For anyone with climbing experience, we recommend the fall/winter ascent.

Here are some of our favorite shots from our climb and a windy video from the summit.

Quick rest before the incline begins.

That’s a slug. A big, big slug.

A beautiful day in the Julian Alps.

We start to spot snow.

At Triglav basecamp. That building to the left is the basecamp church.

Basecamp and our home for the night.

Hot tea warming us up after a cold hike and before an even colder climb.

Tying our group together so if one falls, the others can stop them.

That view - the best part of any climb.

Via ferrata shown to the left. This was our literal lifeline.

This section of the climb we were completely unhooked from the rock, but still hooked to one another.

At the summit!

Celebratory beer at the summit.

At the summit of Mt. Triglav, Slovenia’s highest peak. 9,396 ft (2,864 m).

Early morning at Triglav basecamp.

Aching and proud of our accomplishment, we boot up for the trek back down.

VERDICT: Mostly Harmless - IF you stay latched in…