SMT Chapter 11: I Finished the Slovenian Mountain Trail!!!

Day 31: Nero (Near Zero)

As you can guess from the title, I didn’t hike much. My stomach hadn’t fully recovered yet, and I felt weak, so I only hiked down into the valley to Trenta.
Our small bivouac was tight, and I had packed my backpack the previous day so as not to wake everyone up. I slept until 5:00 am and quietly left the shelter. The sun hadn’t risen yet, and I walked over to the cabin to sit in the dining area for a while. Here, I rearranged my backpack, changed clothes, and stretched a bit. I bought two small packets of jam from the cabin host and had a breakfast of a tortilla wrap with almond butter and the aforementioned jam. Afterward, I started my hike, initially in the opposite direction, as there seemed to be a water source. After walking down to a lake for about 10 minutes and not finding the mentioned source – the lake wasn’t the one, apparently – I filled my hydration bladder with algae-green lake water and hiked back up to the cabin. From here, I finally set off on the path to Trenta.

 

 

The first few hundred meters of elevation I hiked on barren rock and an old military road. Eventually, the trail led into the forest and onto soft forest floor through a green little valley. A trail runner passed me, effortlessly running uphill with a grace I could only dream of, even downhill – well, he didn’t have a backpack…
After three hours, around 9:00 am, I reached Trenta. I was ravenous, so I headed straight to the supermarket. Shopping while hungry is always dangerous. I bought half a loaf of bread, peanut butter, a huge 300g peanut chocolate bar, and a “piece” of apple strudel. I saw the apple strudel in the refrigerated section and thought it would make a good snack. The cashier cut a piece and handed it to me at the checkout. Only after paying did I realize how enormous the piece of strudel was. It weighed about a kilo and would serve as not only my second breakfast but also my lunch.
I sat in the sun on a bench in Trenta until shortly after 12:00 pm when my bus to Vršič departed. The bus driver was annoyed because I only had a €10 bill and he had little change. Eventually, it worked out, and we set off. Ideally, I would have hiked from Trenta to the hut beneath my last mountain, Jalovec, but I didn’t feel fit enough to tackle another 1500 meters of elevation gain in the afternoon. Moreover, there was a thunderstorm expected, and I didn’t want the added stress of making it up the mountain hut in time. The hut was also accessible from Vršič (in the original direction of the SMT – I had been hiking in the opposite direction).

The bus driver simply passed by the Vršič Pass, apparently forgetting that I needed to get off there. At first, I thought maybe the bus stop wasn’t right on the pass but slightly below it, but as we got farther and farther away, I asked him if he wouldn’t stop. He said something I didn’t understand and opened the doors. I took it as a sign to get off and hiked back up the pass and to the Poštarski Dom mountain hut.

 

Once there, I checked in, treated myself to a luxurious and expensive 3 minute shower, and laid down in the sun. When I later returned to the dormitory, there were two young men, Zoran and Paul, conversing in English about “Jalovec.” They seemed to have the same goal as me, so I walked over and asked if they were hiking the SMT. My assumption was correct, and Zoran said to me, “But you’re not the one from YouTube, are you?” I laughed and said, “I think I am the one from YouTube.” He told me he found my videos very helpful in planning this trip and that he and his friend Volkert – who was still on the mountain – had been wondering if they would meet me. They had encountered Paul along the way; he was from Scotland, and the three of them had coincidentally ended up at the same huts every day, without any prior planning. I chatted with both of them for a bit. Zoran eventually went outside, and I wrote my blog, following him a little later. He was sitting in a sun chair, talking to a young woman. I approached them, and the woman seemed incredibly familiar; she was quicker to recognize me and realized immediately. It was Magda, we had studied our undergrad degrees in molecular biology together. We had even gone hiking together a few years ago, but without her glasses, I hadn’t recognized her. What a funny coincidence. Magda had been on the Alpe-Adria Trail from Salzburg to Trieste with a friend for some time, and soon, her friend joined as well, expanding our small circle.

One of the waiters from the hut brought us a round of schnapps for free – cheers! However, after taking a sip, I passed my schnapps to Zoran; I’m not the biggest fan of strong alcohol. After a while, Volkert also came down from the mountain, and when it started raining, we moved our gathering into the hut. A thunderstorm raged outside, and indoors, the six of us sat at our table in the corner – a nice little group of hikers that only met here by chance.

 

Distance: 12 km, +150 m, -1471 m

Day 32: The Smallest Hut on the SMT

We all had breakfast booked at the hut because Poštaski Dom offered a buffet with fresh fruit, yogurt, cereal, croissants, and much more… However, it didn’t start until 7:00 am, so we got to sleep in. We had breakfast together, and then our paths diverged somewhat: Magda and her friend continued on the Alpe-Adria Trail, Volkert, Zoran, and I headed up to the hut beneath “Špičko.” Paul didn’t feel well and skipped this day and the peak of Jalovec. After saying goodbye, I set off toward Špičko. So early in the morning, the usually tourist-packed Vršič Pass was barely recognizable, until a landing helicopter disrupted the early morning tranquility, and I had to hold onto my cap to prevent it from flying away. But soon enough, I entered the forest and had my peace again. After walking a bit in the wrong direction, I luckily noticed the mistake quickly and adjusted my course towards Špičko. It was cloudy, and the view of the mountains was somewhat obscured, but I appreciated the cool air and looked forward to the sun the next morning.

 

I ascended for about three hours when the clouds slowly cleared, and I saw Špičko and its hut. The ascent was a struggle; I felt better than yesterday but still far from “good.” So, I sat down on a rock and took a break, just 70 meters below the hut, but I simply couldn’t go on. While sitting on my rock and gazing at the mountains, Volkert and Zoran caught up to me. They continued straight to the hut – “See you in a bit,” I said. Then, I put on my backpack and slowly tackled the last 70 meters.

 

 

The thunderstorm that was forecasted for 11:00 am – which was the reason for our hastened ascent – didn’t actually come, and Volkert and Zoran debated whether they should still climb Jalovec, a peak they had initially planned to skip. We were all exhausted and decided to take a nap first in our cozy sleeping area. This hut sleeps only 20 people and I think it’s the smallest and definitely most cozy hut along the trail.
When I eventually returned to the dining area, Zoran and Volkert were already awake, playing chess. I cooked myself some food and joined them. Unfortunately, I had a headache and an overall strange feeling in my body, so around 6:00 pm, I went to bed and stayed there.

 

Distance: 9 km, +865 m, -670 m

Day 33: The End

I woke up as the other mountaineers struggled to turn off their alarms at 4:30 am and then noisily packed their stuff. After many had already left, I decided to get up at 4:45 AM as well. I had planned to start early anyway and had already said goodbye to Zoran and Volkert yesterday. Quietly, I crept down to the dining area, had a quick breakfast, and stepped out into the cool morning air. The sun hadn’t risen yet, but it was just bright enough to hike without a headlamp.

I began the ascent to Jalovec, which turned out to be much steeper and more challenging than expected. If I felt one thing, it was fear. I was alone, I didn’t feel well, and now I was afraid as well. Slowly, I ascended, gripping onto steel cables and taking what felt like a pause every 10 steps. I just had no strength. My entire body was telling me, “Bad idea.” I sat down briefly, looked at the mountains behind which the sun would peek out any second now, and tried to calm myself. Again and again, I told myself, “You can do it,” but it felt like a lie that you had to tell yourself often enough until you eventually believed it. I stood up and attempted to continue my ascent, but after a few minutes, I realized it simply wasn’t worth it. I felt physically miserable as soon as I exerted myself, and the associated fear was the real reason why I gave up.

The sun rose and shone on my face, and I thought to myself “You don’t have to do this.” So, I looked up one last time and then began my descent. The decision felt liberating, and I knew immediately it was the right one. Many mountaineers were coming up, one asked me if it was beautiful up there. “I don’t know,” I said, “I wasn’t up there.”
Jalovec marked the end of my hike, and even though I didn’t reach it, it was done. Theoretically, I had completed the Slovenian Mountain Trail a second time, yet it felt strange. Part of me regarded my giving up as failure, as “You could have done it if you had just pushed yourself.” But for what? Especially after the GR11 last year, I kept asking myself why I went on these long hikes in the first place. My personal answer was: To have fun, to spend time in nature, to slow down my life, to push my own limits while still respecting them – but most importantly, to have a great and unforgettable time.

If there’s something in my life that has shaped me the most as a person, it’s probably my move to Salzburg and all these hikes where I had time to engage with my thoughts without distractions. I love hiking with friends, and the first two weeks with M were undoubtedly great, but I’ll remember most the days when I devised ideas, tried to better understand my own emotions and signals from my body, and responded to them. In that respect, I can definitely consider Jalovec a success. And not just Jalovec, basically the entire hike. After the summer semester, a lot of stress, many exams, and countless hours at the desk, I felt a bit burned out. During the hike, I started a list of ideas and goals for the next “year,” which actually starts more with the beginning of the semester in October than in January.

With joy and contentment, I look back on my hike and can hardly wait to put my plans into action, to take a warm shower that lasts longer than 3 minutes, to eat fresh vegetables, and to dive back into my “normal” life. To reunite with friends and family and to reminisce a little.

I had fulfilled the goals of my hike: to have fun in nature, to reflect, to respect my own limits, and to be kind to myself. For at least half a year, I am likely satisfied, until the hunger for thru hiking awakens again. But until then, I’m excited about all the little things that are otherwise taken for granted.

As always, a huge thank you to all readers, I’m always delighted to have you all on board. ❤️