Slovenia in 5 days
After 1142 km, a closed tunnel, a cut in the finger (if you stand still for 45 minutes, the boredom starts and you do stupid things … Check whether your leatherman is really sharp for example), go wrong a few times and 11 hours later we arrive in Slovenia at our destination .. Mark and Mac from MTB galaxy are already waiting for us. First a beer!
Still in the “work” mode we ask what the plan is for tomorrow .. What time do we leave, which trails are we going to ride etc etc. Mac intervenes immediately …. “Guys, get in to vacation mode please! We can see where we will drive tomorrow, where the weather is good and the trails are even better! “OK, CHILL !!
MTB Galaxy will show us during the next 5 days how beautiful Slovenia is and especially how good the trails are over here. But first some beers to recover from the trip and then a good night sleep! We stay this night in a 4 star hotel, not really our thing but fortunately this place of overnight is not part of the package that MTB Galaxy offers. The more local places are more often.
To see as much of Slovenia as possible, to ride as many trails as possible and because it is just very relaxed, the whole week is equipped with uplifts. Here and there a small piece of climbing but in general only downhill!
On the first day we do 3 areas in the north-west from Slovenia.
Flow trail Robe Twist
This flow trail is located near Kranjska Gora. Mac brings us up with the 4×4 with the trailer full of bikes until he can not continue anymore. 20 minutes of peddeling up to get warm and there it is. The RobeTwist … it is indicated with a big board with the rules.
OK .. Lets go! Everyone is stoked to hit the trail! And what a nice flowy trail to start with. It is always nice getting used to the big mountains when you are used to the flat Netherlands.
Mount Peč (1.509 m)
Better known as the Three countries point, Slovenia, Austria and Italy are visable from here. The 4×4 brings us all the way to the top this time, we do not have to climb a meter! The trail starts at the top on the Austrian side, at the beginning of the ski slopes. The view is phenomenal! There are several trails from the Mount Pec, we get a trail for that has a lots of roots, big roots. That combined with delicious sharp switch backs makes this trail 1 great playground!
Vrsic pas (1611 m)
A downhill of 800 altitude meters with fantastic views. The first trail towards the Trenta Valley is a nice technical descent and ends at the origin of the Soca river. Below is the 4×4 ready to bring us up again. The 2nd trail itself is not very difficult but the views make it all good !. And this was only day 1! NICE ..
Total: 55 km; 300 climbing meter and 2900 downhill!
Dag 2. Epische afdaling in Soca Valley (West-Slovenië)
This morning we left our hotel (after paying the minibar bill …..) and we went to our next place to sleep, a nice apartment in the Soca Valley. This is more our thing .. The Slovenians do everything to make you feel comfortable, there nice people!! Today there is only one trail on the schedule, from the planning that is actually not there 😉
Monte Matajur (1545 m)
The uplift brings us up 2 / 3rd today and the rest we had to climb ourselves. Like all guides, and Mac is no exception this climb is only a small one, 45 minutes more not more. Then you already know that it takes at least half an hour longer and that the last part is with the bikes in our necks. Not bad if you know that a single trail of 12 km with 1400 vertical meters is waiting for you. Even the climb was beautiful, fantastic views, through a forest and then a green meadow with white rocks that provide a nice contrast. The guide also tells us that this road was made in the 1st world war and used by the army to supply the frontline.
Matajur is located on the border between Slovenia and Italy. The descent that we are going to do is entirely on the Italian side. On to the GELATO !!.
The upper part of the trail is a combination of rocky and meadow paths that are worn out by the rain and snow. Nice and technical .. The 2nd part is fast and flowy through the alpine pasture, a lot of overview so lat’s kill this trail!
Then we dive into the forest where the enduro skills should come up. Looking far ahead and choose the perfect lines and maintain speed. The day before it had rained and that makes some pieces nice and muddy. No Brakes !! was a much heard call in the lower part. Except for a few scary gliding parties, luckily nothing happened. As mentioned, there was only one descent planned but it tasted for more, so let’s do an other one. There was no planning after all…..
Kolovrat
The shuttle takes us to Kolovrat on the border between Slovenia and Italy. (you will be crazy about all messages from your provider in this area) .. We are going to ride a trail with the name: “the way of peace” back to Slovenia. The first part of the trail runs through the trenches and bunkers that are still tribes from the 1st world war. A lot of up and down in this trail but it is impressive! At the bottom of the trail we have to cross a little creek, which asked for very beautiful images.
In the evening we go to a campsite in the neighborhood for dinner. Super nice location with an even better atmosphere, campfire, tasty wine and delicious food! Recommend to eat a bite there. (Lazar camping in Kobarid) We spend the night in Ajdovščina.
Safety and crime.
Meanwhile, we have already been to 3 different places and we have had our smelly clothes in the car for a few days. You can imagine that the car starts to smell properly. “Then you leave the windows open in the night” says Mark. ??? Sure .. It can you are still in Slovenia! We also regularly leave the bikes behind without having any insight into them. It is still possible in Slovenia!
Total: 55 km; 500 meter climbing and 2700 meters downhill!
Day 3. Vipava Valley
After Soca Valley we leave for a new valley in the west of Slovenia, Vipava Valley. And to the city of Ajdovščina. Of course we are going to ride trails here again and the 4×4 of MTB Galaxy drives us via the paved road to the small village of Otlica. During this ride you have fantastic views over the Vipava valley and once arrived at the top the view is even more beautiful than we have already seen.
The trail back to Ajdovščina has so much flow and is long !!! We want more! Because the weather is fairly unstable with a lot of thunderstorms in the area, the 4×4 does not go all the way up but we stop at a “middle” station. Here we start a wonderful trail again! The ground is wet and the trail is strewn with roots .. GLAD so. Everyone does his best to stay on the bike but a few mud baths do not stay out. But everyone comes down with a smile from ear to ear! And the mud is behind all over our faces. After a short break to restore the energy we come to a trail where the local riders train their enduro-skill. Super fun trail with drops, switchbacks and a few gaps! A wonderful afternoon playing in the forest.
Unfortunately the rain starts again. So we decide to stop earlier than usual. Maybe we will be able to shred in the dirtpark opposite the hostel in the later this day.. We order a “Yes Boss”! A delicious beer from the local brewery. Because the rain is still going on. We took some more pints….. We have not been to the dirtpark. 🙂
Total: 40 km; 100 climbing 2000 descending
Dag 4. Krvavec TrailPark
In the morning we pack the car and drive for an hour to the north to Krvavec. Here we will spend the night on top of the mountain! NICE .. Park the car near by the lift and load everything in the cabin. Once upstairs we have to take a chairlift up to arrive at the place of overnight stay. The luggage is nicely picked up by the owner of the complex. A cup of coffee and we pop into the bike park of Krvavec. Note: it is a real trail bike park with 1 black, 2 red, 2 blue and 1 green line.
We take the red line first! A flow trail with some technical pieces here and there. Again fantastic views over the valley. The trail brings us all the way down to the lift again. What a nice trail. We are completely stoked again! Once on top we take the black line … This starts with 3 delicious smoothy high switchbacks. EASY so .. but immediately the rockgardens pop up around you and you know why this is a black line. But MAN what is this delicious! Super technical descent with large rockgardens, jumps and everything that can make a trail black. FAT!
Time to eat something! We go to the restaurant at the hotel and order some meat. Mac orders for 4 man meat and we are 8 men … Mac sees the surprise on the faces of Rik and me .. (we are decent meat lovers) “Trust me guys, this is more than enough”. And of course he was right! What a mountain of meat and that for only 4 men, Spareribs, schnitzels, chicken wings and also some vegetables ..
After dinner we decide to drive the red trail again and capture the beautiful places on camera. We had forgotten the first run a little bit. We ride this trail the 2nd time much harder and also discovered a new trail! Nice bonus.. 🙂
Downstairs we say goodbye to Mac, who spent the night in Ljubljana. He lives there and after four nights he wanted to visit Mark with his wife! hahaha. Unfortunately we will leave the Netherlands the next morning and the rest will have a day to ride trails around the capital Ljubljana.
But the day is not over yet .. we wanted to go up again to catch a final trail. We walk to the lift and it is immediately obvious that the lift is stationary … “too dangerous, lightning on top SHIT, we are stuck at the bottem and have to wait until the thunderstorm stops. But fortunately we still have a six pack of warm beers in the The car 😀 , and at the last hot drink the lift started moving again. After a delicious meal with delicious wine we are looking for our beds, no more slovenian trails for us .. We will definitely come back here!
There is so much we have not seen! Big thanks for Mac, Mark, Anja and Jan from MTB Galaxy for the fantastic trip. They showed us how beautiful Slovenia is!
And ofcousre the video: Mountainbike Adventure I Feel sLOVEnia:
