- Introduction: Why solo hiking? The fact is that solo hiking is becoming more and more popular. My reasons are a little more down-to-earth. Since it's too hot to take the kids, and the tourist season is in full swing, so the adults are busy with it, I didn't find anyone for company. I decided to try myself in a solo visit to the mountain. I chose Kozjak and the ascent of St Juraj because Sitno Gornje, Mosor, Umberto Girometta's mountain lodge and Veliki Kabal seemed too far for this hot summer adventure.
- Preparations and arrival at the Putalj mountain lodge https://planinarski-portal.org/planinarski-domovi/putalj/I started my hiking on August 10, starting from Trogir. I decided to drive to the Putalj mountain lodge, which turned out to be more challenging than I expected due to the bad road.
- Ascent to St. Juraj https://www.hps.hr/info/hrvatski-vrhovi/kozjak-vrh-sv-jure/: Path and experience The path from the mountain lodge to the first peak, the fifth control point of the Mountain Route "Dalmatia" bypass, was pleasant and in the shade, which made the first steps easier. Although I was wearing regular tennis shoes, which is not ideal for hiking, I successfully overcame all the obstacles.
- Natural beauties and challenges on the way During the ascent, I enjoyed the view of Solin and Split, and only birds, butterflies and the occasional fly kept me company. Although I was afraid of snakes, luckily I didn't meet them. Maybe it helped that I tried to be as noisy as possible on the way. For these purposes, I also took stones and occasionally rattled them.
- Return and relax in the mountain lodge The return was somewhat more challenging due to the heat, but the caretaker's warm welcome and cold Coca-Cola were a real salvation. It is important to note that hydration is key - I carried 2.25 liters of water and it was enough for me. I only managed to eat half a box of Jaffa biscuits. I just wasn't hungry. I returned the Kviki gric unopened.
- Inspiration: Mountaineering movies and future plans After returning home, I was again inspired by the movie "Wild" and asked myself - maybe the next challenge could be a long mountain hike in Croatia?
Conclusion: Solo hiking - worth a try, and every time it gets better
In the end, the solo ascent of St. Juraj was a surprisingly pleasant experience. Although at first I was a bit unsure how everything would go, it turned out that these kinds of trips have their own special charm. Being alone in nature brings peace and gives you the freedom to go at your own pace, regardless of whether you were wandering in your mind or simply enjoying the view.
Ako ste se ikada dvoumili oko solo planinarenja, moja preporuka je – isprobajte! Definitivno se pomiču granice, a divan je osjećaj usuditi se. Ne morate odmah ciljati na velike avanture, ali sigurno ćete otkriti nešto novo, kako o prirodi tako i o sebi. A tko zna, možda će baš ovo biti početak neke nove planinarske priče.