A very wet hike @ Slovenia

"Never go hiking in the mountains unprepared" - that was what we learned again! on this hike.

We had started at the skiing area of Kope near Slovenj Gradec. (46.502399 15.2102 - also here is an official caravan parking on top of the mountains) A lovely hike leads over the Pohorje Hills with views to the higher mountains in the north and west. 

Črni vrh - the first peak we reached

We came to a traditional hut, which was covered in bark on the outside. They were built as temporary housing for the people who worked in the mountains, mainly producing charcoal with earth mound kilns, which needs a lot of attention during the process. Today this hut was constructed as a shelter for hikers in distress. When we past this hut we didn't expect that we could need one an hour later.

Today we had packed our 100mm macro lens and when we spotted flowers covered in butterflies and bumblebees we had to stop and try to capture them.

Mohrenfalter or Ringlet

Finally we reached the next skiing area and the mountain hut there - Ribinška Koća. 

We could have walked on to reach a lake, but the clouds were closing in and getting dark so we turned around and were on our way back, when it started. First it was just rain, so we got our jackets out and covered the backpacks. Soon the rain got very heavy and the path turned into a river.

But then the hail started, which was not so funny any more. The grains where only 5mm in diameter but they hurt! We were hiding under the trees for a bit but it got cold and staying in the woods was no solution. So we walked on but then the lightning started and didn't stop. The thunder was extremely loud and coming from close. I jumped every time and started to walk as fast as possible. We stopped in the forest for a couple of times on the way back waiting for the worst to pass, but it seemed the thunderstorm din't move and was just circling above us. The scariest was to pass on top of the mountains over open land while counting the seconds between lightning and thunder. I was already happy when I would count to two, still very close for my taste. But often they came just one after the other with nearly no break, which meant the lightning was striking very close to us.

Next time I will wear contacts ;-)

Finally back

We had passed other hikers crouching under trees and not even having a rain jacket with them. It took us an hour through the storm until we reached our starting point, where we jumped into the caravan and threw all the gear into the shower, as we were soaking wet from top to bottom. We felt very lucky compared to other hikers, as we could jump into dry clothes and prepare a cup of tea, while others had to get into their cars with probably nothing to change into.

We left the mess in the shower and drove down the mountains to a great caravan parking near a river and a lake where we spent the night, after hanging everything outside to dry. The hiking boots got stuffed with newspaper again. Luckily we had some left from our last rainy hike.

Happy to be dry again