Both canyons in one day. Rio Lavarie was the first one of the day. Altogether it took us around 2 hours and a half. It is beautiful, versatile lime stone canyon.
Rio Patoc is a short, but beautiful canyon. The whole tour took us around 2 hours and a half. We swam in the river on the way back to the car. Honestly, I did not enjoy it very much. It was shallow, so you were bumping on the rocks and the flow was pretty fast.
Thank you for another beautiful day in the canyon!
My second canyon of 2024. This adventure took us a total of 5 and a half hours. Walking up to the start of the canyon took around 1 hour. The fun in the canyon itself was around 4 hours.
Another fun canyoning adventure. Thanks, Rick.
My first canyon in 2024. Vertical 5, aquatic 2, combination I quite enjoy. I love vertical canyons.
Very vertical, just a nice amount of walking, beautiful views. Thank you, Rick.
San Marino is one of the smallest countries in the world. It is also one of the oldest countries. It is surrounded entirely by Italy and sits high on Mount Titano. Despite its size, it has its own laws, borders and a long history of independence that makes it feel quietly confident rather than touristy. We stayed for two nights. That duration was just enough time to slow down and allowed us to really enjoy the place. We stayed in a hotel, which was right in the old center of town.
In the morning we went to see the 3 towers – Guaita, Cesta/Fratta, Montale – symbols of the Mount Titan. In the second one you will find Museum of Ancient Weapons. The third one is nice for a view.
The next thing we walked around town, stopped at Basilica di San Marino. We were lucky enough to experience a parade of the Sammarinese military forces.
I am a maniac for sunsets, so of course we had to find a good spot for it. And we did.
In the light of December festivities, San Marino was lovely decorated. My mom and I even went ice skating – probably the best ambiance I had when ice skating.
While in San Marino we mostly had pasta. I also tried strozzapreti, which are typical or common in San Marino. But you have many other options of pasta, obviously.
On the way out we shortly stopped in Rimini. On the photos Ponte di Tiberio.
On the way in we had a bit longer stop in Padua, in Italy. We had a proper Italian lunch and some sightseeing. For lunch we visited Enotavola, which is listed on the Michelin guide and Falstaff.
Sightseeing before lunch and lunch.
Sightseeing after lunch.
Nice team building trip, with lots of pasta. 🙂
Jalovec (2,645 m) is often called the king of the Julian Alps and it’s easy to see why. Rising sharply above the valleys, its pyramid-shaped peak dominates the skyline. It captures your attention long before you ever set foot on the trail. It’s a mountain that feels powerful and elegant at the same time.
The routes to the top are demanding and exposed in places, making it a true challenge even for experienced hikers. This isn’t a casual walk; it’s a mountain that asks for respect.
For many mountain lovers, Jalovec is more than a destination—it’s a symbol of freedom and endurance. It reminds you how small you are, but in the best possible way. Standing beneath it or on its summit has a way of quieting the mind and grounding you in the moment.
Photos by Rick of me starting the climbing part.
The glorious view of Jalovški Ozebnik.
Walking the main ridge just before the top, photos by Rick.
We made it to the top.
From the summit, the views are breathtaking. On a clear day, the Julian Alps stretch endlessly in all directions, with Triglav standing proudly nearby. Below, you can spot valleys carved by time. There are alpine meadows and rugged rock faces. These features make this part of Slovenia so special.
Jalovec has always stood out to me — powerful and impossible to ignore. Making it up there was far from easy, humbling and incredibly rewarding. I was proud, tired and completely in awe.
Now, every time I see Jalovec again — before or after — it feels different. It’s no longer just a mountain in the distance, but a reminder of effort and respect.
Another adventure in peak summer – 14 and 15 August. It is a famous Italian holiday on the 15th of August – Ferragosto. Since it was Monday and Tuesday, we were off. And my friend was also off, because it is a holiday in Slovenia as well. We decided to hike up Mangart and to visit one canyon in Italy – Rio Malimberg.
In summer, there is a hop on hop off bus. It takes you from Bovec to Mangart Saddle. More precisely, it goes to the last parking lot just underneath it. So, from there to the top of Mangart took us around 2.5 hours on the “Slovenian” way. Down we went on the “Italian” way in around 2 hours. Both ways are pretty demanding, you have to be careful and have proper gear, also in summer. It is smart to go early, to beat the crowds and hot summer sun. When we were going down, there were crowds going up. Many of them not properly equipped.
Going up the “Slovenian” way.
Getting to the top and the views from Mangart.
The views are superb already from the Mangart Saddle. It is Slovenia’s highest lying road. In summer is crazy busy with cars, motorbikes and bicycles. In winter is fun for sledging or tour skiing. We were just in time for sunrise and it was magnificent.
The views on the way down and delicious lunch at the hut. I had “ričet”, which is traditional Slovenian barley and bean stew. In 2025 the hut was not operating anymore, unfortunately. From 2026 probably new caretakers will take over.
The next day we did a canyon, called Rio Malimberg. It is a short canyon. It took us 2.5 hours car to car. It is beautiful, with clear water and nice rappels.
It is a fun canyon, also appropriate for beginners. And my favorite, it doesn’t have any long walking passages. Great two adventurous days with my people.
Via Ferrata Hvadnik is a quite short but unforgettable adventure. It is tucked into a dramatic gorge near Gozd Martuljek in the Julian Alps. It’s accessible for beginners, since it is B/C difficulty. It is also exciting enough to make your heart race. It offers a perfect mix of adrenaline, nature and refreshing alpine air. I have done this via ferrata while doing a beginner’s course of safe movements in via ferratas with Kofler Šport. Our guide was very pleasant and helpful. Luckily for us, the group was very tiny, so we did the via ferrata in 2 hours. Before we started we had a brief explanation of course. And after we tried some more “tricks”. Basically, the whole course lasts around 5-6 hours.
First part of the course at the polygon, right next to the Slovenian Alpine Museum. Photos are from our guide.
Next we went to via ferrata Hvadnik. It is very beautiful. Photos are from our guide.
I enjoyed Hvadnik and the course in general, thank you Kofler Šport!
This was my first proper winter hike on a mountain, which is 2050 m high. Viševnik (2,050 m) is one of Slovenia’s most popular and accessible two-thousand-meter peaks. It is rising above the Pokljuka plateau in the Julian Alps. The hike to the summit is relatively short (around 2 hours ascent) and non-technical. It is incredibly rewarding though, offering wide open views of Triglav, the Julian Alps and Lake Bohinj. Viševnik is a favorite year-round destination for hikers in summer and also ski tourers in winter.
This hike was actually part of my beginner winter mountaineering course with Kofler Šport. Viševnik was a perfect destination for it.
Photos from our guide.
Thank you for a very practical and useful course. It was a great winter hike!
After some years we met with my Canadian friend in Frankfurt. It was a perfect reunion at Christmas markets, what we loved to do when we were living in Belgium. We had one evening and then the whole next day. We for sure took advantage of it.
We tried some typical German dishes and had some glühwein. It was a jolly weekend with many steps done.
Mountain biking in Thailand? Yes! Chiang Mai – a very different experience than anything else.
Good and cheap food, many temples, hungry stray dogs, wild boars and some crazy trails. Also, nice and cheap massage!
This was the first days of riding. We shuttled in a tuk-tuk! The trails ended at a temple. We’ve found some nice views too before going down.
This was one of our first lunches after MTB – Anchan Noodles. We loved their noodles so much, we went there a few more times. It was slightly more expensive than your average Thai place, but still much cheaper than European restaurants. The owner gifted us dried anchan flowers for tea. They use this flower as food coloring, also for their noodles. I decided to get an anchan tattoo. Anchan is known as butterfly pea flower, which in many different cultures has significant meanings. “The Butterfly Pea flower is ruled by the planet Venus. It is connected to the element of water. These associations give it the attributes of love, emotion, serenity, and protection. In India, this flower is named after Hindu goddess, Aparajita, meaning one who can’t be conquered or defeated.”
I have also visited probably one of the most ethical elephant sanctuaries Elephant Dream Project. There is no riding and no touching. The elephants are free to walk around. The sanctuary is trying to motivate others to start the same eco-tourism and keep the elephants in their natural habitat.
One day of our 3-weeks-holiday we went on a Thai cooking class. We cooked and ate the whole day, it was fun! We got to see their garden as well.
We visited street food markets quite often.
And some more MTB adventure and other sight seeing (with a scooter).
An adventure, which I will remember for sure.
Anjability 