Why Srednji Velebit and Baške Oštarije?
Every opportunity to go hiking is a new adventure, but this winter trip to Velebit will remain in my special memory.
Visiting the websites of various mountaineering societies, I came across this trip on the HPD Runolist website.
Friend Dragec is one who likes photogenic scenes in nature because, you guessed it, he likes to take pictures. His photos are always the best because he simply has an eye (but also a good camera and a lot of patience to snap at the right moment). Mine, I figured out, and then accepted it as such, are mostly documentary and should serve to arrange the events chronologically and so that after a while, I have a short guide to some terrain.
A breathtaking route
This Saturday Dragec and I hiked with Runolist, the guide Gabi and about 20 other hikers on the peaks around Baški Oštarije. The peaks of Debela kosa, Basača, Badanj, the viewpoint at the foot of Kiza, Kuk od Pećica and Grabar are planned.
It was a very ambitious plan that we found out about 15 hours before the trip. In the announcement of the trip, crampons were mentioned, which, as the snow fell in the mountains, became mandatory equipment. I invested in a mini so that I would no longer have to borrow them from better-equipped mountaineer friends and because I firmly decided to hike more in the winter to still give myself a chance to collect about 100 peaks of the Croatian Mountaineering Circuit by November next year in order to complete my ten-year collection of stamps and appropriately celebrated her round birthday. Oh, how much symbolism and solemn moments and promises there are in that!
When I saw that there was a district tour and we planned to visit 6 peaks from 974m to 1270m with a view of Dabarske kukov and thie Adriatic Sea and islands, that was it. I didn't remember to ask the guide what the peaks were, because I concluded that at least some of them (if not all 6) would be on the HPO, and for that it's worth going to Srednji Velebit and walking for 5-7 hours. I immediately invited my friends to join me.
We left at dawn in cars. I'm glad that I didn't have to defrost mine, but joined the still sleepy Tihana and Mihaela and the awake and attentive Drago behind the wheel.
After coffee at the Hotel Baške Oštarije, we set off in cool but sunny weather along the ridge road with a perfect view of Pag on one side and various hills on the other. The team is great. We tell stories from everyday life, the neighborhood, recount adventures from other hiking trips and plan our next adventures. And we look around constantly admiring the beauty of the mighty Velebit. We don't stay anywhere too long so we don't catch a cold and reach the set agenda - lunch from a backpack at the foot of Kiza.
Winter conditions and small victories
t's winter conditions. In some parts, we use the handles to overcome the rocks. Sometimes we come across wedges that make it all easier for us, but time is slowly running out, and the days are short. We are 2 hours late for "lunch", so we miss visiting Kuk od Pećice and Grabar. We have no regrets. The trip was successful. Huge hearts, and we also saw chamois.
An evening full of impressions
We will return to the Hostel in a day. Dinner is waiting for us. It's a pity that the sarma was eaten, so we had to console ourselves with the wine stew. We are all quite talkative, and Miljenko is especially so. I believe that we can thank the long-awaited ćevapi with onions. Lots of onions 😊 But we are all noisy and full of impressions. We don't lock. We will do it again with Runolist, with Gabi, why not cars.
Join the next excursion!
If you also lack ideas, look at my previous blogs, follow the pages and social networks of mountaineering societies, this one and some others. You can really choose an excursion to suit everyone. And dare! Get going! Enjoy new experiences, in powerful nature with dear people! Step out of your comfort zone and collect experiences to recount!
