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Climbing above Vršič Pass

Climbing in Slovenia » Julian Alps » Climbing above Vršič Pass

Climbing the rockfaces above Vršič pass is as close as one can get to Plaisir alpine climbing in Slovenia. You’ll start above the treeline, hike for 30-45 minutes, and enjoy an extensive collection of trad- or bolted multi-pitch climbs, either in full sun (southwest face of Nad Šitom Glava) or shadow (north faces of Nad Šitom Glava or Mala Mojstrovka).

At a Glance

Difficulty
IV through VII+/6b
Altitude
2087 m
Coordinates
Start: 46.433416,13.743486
Peak: 46.43914,13.73875

Starting point Hiking map

I loved climbing these routes:

  • Stoletje (VI-/IV, 180 m)
  • Juševa smer (V/IV, 180 m)
  • Zajeda skozi okno (V+/IV, 180 m)
  • Severovzhodni greben (Northeast Ridge) of Nad Šitom Glava (IV-V/II-III, 200 m)
  • Smer po zajedi (V+/IV-V, 300 m)
  • Severni raz (North Ridge) of Mala Mojstrovka (IV/III-IV, 300 m)

Severni Raz in Mala Mojstrovka’s north face is the easiest of them all and suitable for total beginners (trust me, we tried it out); the others require at least some climbing skills to be enjoyable.

Notes

  • The routes in the southeast face of Nad Šitom Glava are a bit shorter (180 m versus 300 m), steeper, and more demanding.
  • The southeast face of Nad Šitom Glava is in shadow after 2 PM, making it possible to climb there in summer; you’d be better off going there in spring/autumn and enjoying the sunshine.
  • When I was younger, I climbed at least some of the above routes as the lead climber. Today, I prefer climbing them with a mountain guide – I can highly recommend Tina di Batista or Gregor Kofler.