18th July

Vrata Valley

Wednesday, 18th July 2012

Distance:	14 miles
Total Ascent:	2,550 feet
Total Descent:	2,000 feet
Maximum Altitude:	4,905 feet
Time:	7.5 hours
Weather:	Sunny for most of the day

We caught the local bus to Mojstrana and walked beside the Bistrica river on an easy path to the Koča pri Peričniku near the waterfall. We walked up to the waterfall and along the ledge behind it to return down the other side. The waterfall was created as a result of glacial activity in the Vrata Valley. During the retreat of the glaciers, glacial material was carried away by water and deposited further down the valleys. In Vrata, deposited material formed a conglomerate rock face which runs along the left bank of the Bistrica river, stretching up to 100 meters in width. We had elevenses at the Koča then continued walking along a path close to the river and which passed the ‘Galleries’ where the conglomerate nature of the rocks could be clearly seen.
Reaching the Aljažev Dom we took a break for lunch before continuing further up the Vrata valley. Vrata (which means Door) is a glacier valley cut in at the base of the majestic Triglav North Face. Our route ascended quite steeply over rocky ground and soon after the Luknja pass came into view it was time for us to cross the gully to the Bivak Pod Luknjo. From here we descended through the woods to the Dom where we met the mini buses to take us back to the hotel.

Scroll down to see photos of the walk

Looking to the mountains above Mojstrana . . .

before we cross the Bistrica River

An impressive house in Mojstrana . . .

and nearby an interestingly constructed wood pile . . .

especially compared to this one

Some of the group take a good look . . .

at the river

Our first view of the Peričnik waterfall . . .

seen again in close up . . .

but we can only see the bottom waterfall

Climbing up to the waterfall . . .

some of the group are already behind it

Reaching the ledge behind the waterfall . . .

we can look back to the path we walked along . . .

before continuing along the path . . .

and another shot looking back to the waterfall

Some of the group have found another vantage point . . .

so we try out the same spot . . .

and zoom in on the bottom of the fall

Time for a couple of . . .

personal photos . . .

and a last look down . . .

at the force of the water as it reaches the rocks

We return to the Dom for elevenses . . .

before heading along a riverside path . . .

which undulates . . .

and weaves its way through the trees

We are suddenly rewarded with a good view of Triglav

which the group stops to enjoy

Information about 'The Galleries' . . .

which we now reach . . .

and take some time . . .

to photograph . . .

in both directions . . .

before taking a closer look at the conglomerate rock

Then a wooded area . . .

takes us to the car park where we see the flanks of Stenar to the right (the C+ destination)

The Aljažev Dom is the venue for our lunch stop

Continuing on our way we pass a giant rock piton with a karabiner – a memorial for all victims of the mountains.

The north face of Triglav comes into view . . .

and we have nearly reached the source of the Bistrica river

The Luknja Pass c- but we aren't going quite that far . . .

and to our left . . .

the great north face . . .

of Triglav

As we cross over the gorge . . .

we see a group descending from the pass

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