A hike in the Kamnik Alps
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Twenty minutes into the hike I emerged from the foggy valley, climbing the forested slope up to the Kamnik Saddle.
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An early start paid off. I reached the first clearing just in time for the first sun rays.
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The larches were still vivid color.
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Great colors anywhere I looked.
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Looking toward the slope where I would soon be climbing.
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The last look to the south before I continued with my hike...
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... toward the Kamnik Saddle.
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The last hour from the clearing to the saddle offered great views.
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The colors shone brightly.
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This is the altitude where the pine grows.
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A trail through the pines and over the scree.
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I couldn't take my eyes off those larch trees.
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I took a break at the Kamnik Saddle at 1,876 meters above sea level. Here I was looking at my final destination, Mount Brana.
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The view from the saddle to the south...
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... and to the north, towards Logarska Valley and the hut at Okrešelj.
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To the north-west, mountains Skuta and Rinke loomed over deep valleys.
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The trail to the top of Brana is marked as "demanding". Well, it does involve some quite steep sections, but it's not too bad as long as you're not afraid of heights.
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As the trail climbed up Brana's north face, I enjoyed the view over the vast saddle and Mount Planjava.
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I soon came upon the first steel ropes. Yes, it was steep. :)
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Here it's clear that while one side of the saddle is sunny and grassy and welcoming, the other one is wild, dark and steeeeeep. If you fall, it's only one kilometer down the slope before you reach the valley below.
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This is a blaze, a sign used in the mountains to mark trails.
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After a good half hour I was at the top. Yippie! There is Logarska Valley in the background.
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A cross is a very typical feature on summits in the Slovenian Alps.
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The weather down in the valley was "sunny", but from above it looked as fog.
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The slopes of the adjacent mountains look extremely unwelcoming to a mountaineer, but they offer enough space for larches.
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I spent over two hours at the summit in only a T-shirt (well, and pants, obviously)! It was really warm for the end of October.
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Jackdaws soaring over the mountains and valleys.
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Jackdaws, however, weren't the only creatures with wings on Brana that day. There were a couple of paragliders ready to take off.
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They carefully set up their paraglides and waited for the right wind.
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The first one ran down the hill and took off.
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In a matter of seconds he was sailing away.
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Then the other one followed.
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And he was in the air too.
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It's amazing how quick they appear to be in the air.
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The wind took them to the south...
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... to their landing spot in the Kamniška Bistrica Valley.
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Before I left the top, I had another view of the Logarska Valley, which was then bathing in the sun.
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Back at the Kamnik Saddle I spotted a pole with a wooden Slovenian flag.
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I was in a hurry to get back to the clearing, which was still full of color, but this time the light was coming from another angle.
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Looking up to where I had just been half an hour before.
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A mountain runner passed by me as I was taking pictures.
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A path leading to the larches.
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Larches in all their glory.
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More trees.
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Threesome.
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Larches in backlight.
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A lonely tree.
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A larch twig.
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Half green, half yellow.
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The last look toward the saddle before I plunged into the forest.
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It was difficult to descend quickly as the trail was covered in leaves and I couldn't see what was beneath.
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Looking up towards the blue sky.
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Another tree, another blaze ... it was a great hike!
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