SMT chapter 7: The Worst Natural Disaster in the History of Slovenia

Day 20: The Deluge

We started our day slowly, without an alarm and had a big breakfast from the supermarket next door. Then, we made our way to the bus stop 15 minutes away, to take us to Debeli Rtič, a cape on the northern Adriatic coast in the Gulf of Trieste, which was also the endpoint of the SMT. We waited at the bus stop, but after 10 minutes with no bus in sight, thunder roared overhead, and lightning flashed across the sky. So, we started walking. With our thumbs out, we tried hitchhiking, but no one wanted to give us a ride. Finally, after some time, we spotted the bus, waved to the driver, and he picked us up. Just in time, as a minute later, heavy rain poured down. From inside the bus, we watched the downpour outside.

When the bus reached Debeli Rtič, the rain had eased a bit. We got off and started our walk towards the cape. As we strolled through the vineyards, loud thunder rumbled directly above our heads. The dark clouds ahead didn’t promise anything good either. So, we quickly decided to seek shelter at a hotel. We ordered coffee, and once again, torrential rain poured down outside. M and I enjoyed our coffee while observing the spectacle from a safe distance.

 

 

After the rain finally subsided, we stepped outside and managed to make it to the endpoint of the trail without getting wet again. However, we decided to skip the dip into the sea this time.

From here, we started hiking north, but unfortunately, after just 5 minutes it began pouring rain again. So, we continued our hike in the rain. When lightning and thunder joined the scene, we were definitely less relaxed, but at least we were close to civilization, which made us less vulnerable compared to being in the mountains.

We hiked through the rain for several hours, but there was no end in sight. We took a short break at a small supermarket to have lunch and then set off again in the rain.

Just before reaching the small settlement called Tinjan, the weather deteriorated significantly – even worse than we had thought possible. The rain was so intense that literal waterfalls formed on the streets. The thunder was loud and aggressive, so M and I sought shelter in a bus stop that honestly was not very protective. When we thought it was getting better, we set off again, but after only a few minutes, just another torrential downpour came upon us. I can’t remember the last time I was so soaked.

 

We reached Tinjan and a small church that stood on the highest point of the hill. In the entrance, we sheltered from the rain and checked the weather forecast. The news we’re overwhelming: many hiking friends had messaged me, and one sent a warning from the Slovenian Alpine Association, declaring a state of emergency and urging people to avoid hiking or any trips to the mountains. In the northern part of Slovenia, some villages were flooded after a month’s worth of rainfall in just 24 hours, numerous roads were closed, and over 16,000 households were without electricity. I said to M, “This is the kind of situation you always hear about happening somewhere else, but you never think it will affect you until it eventually does.” Fortunately, in our current position, we were less at risk because we had unknowingly left the high-risk area yesterday. While we did experience a lot of rain it was never as bad as it was in other parts of the country. Later we learned that this has been the worst natural disaster of Slovenian history. Many people had to be evacuated, hikers were flown out by helicopter because they haven’t been able to hike down themselves. It was so hard to believe we escaped this disaster by just one day.

After spending some time sitting in the church entrance, watching the rain, we had to make a decision for the rest of the day. Since the weather wasn’t expected to improve significantly, we needed to find a place to stay overnight. M went to explore the area around the church and came back shortly after, explaining that a Slovenian man had offered us a place to stay with him.

I was initially a bit skeptical, but it seemed like the best offer for tonight. I followed M to the house, and at the door, we were welcomed by Bogdan. He was very friendly and allowed us to sleep in his attic. We had dinner in his living room and went to sleep to the storm raging outside.

Day 21: Hike on Hold

Bogdan made us coffee, and we had breakfast in his living room. We checked the weather, replied to messages from concerned friends and family members, and M eventually decided to head back to Holland. However, I wasn’t ready to give up yet. I didn’t have a job waiting for me, and the train route to Austria was flooded anyway. The weather was expected to improve in 2 days, so I booked a hostel and decided to wait it out for a while.

We thanked Bogdan and hiked 4.5 km downhill to the town, where we dropped off our backpacks at the hostel. It was still early in the morning, so we decided to take a trip to Koper and explore the city. After waiting for a long time at the bus stop and the bus not showing up again, we started sticking our thumbs out. The first car picked us up, driven by a kind woman from Koper who even shared some information about the region. We thanked her and wandered around the city.

 

 

After running some errands, including buying half a kilo of almond butter, we had enough of the city and took a taxi back to our hostel in the early afternoon. The owner allowed us to do laundry, and we cooked in the communal kitchen, enjoying our meal on the terrace.

Day 22: Saying Goodbye

We spent a cozy morning at the hostel until M took a taxi to Trieste to return to Holland from there. His decision to go back home made me doubt whether it was wise to continue hiking alone. Many hikers had reached out to me in the past few days, informing me that they had to abandon their hikes. Now, I was fortunate to be outside the flooded areas, but it still felt a bit strange to keep hiking while significant parts of Slovenia were underwater. The southern region was mostly unaffected by the floods, and the trails were not closed, whereas almost the entire northern part was impassable. I decided to reevaluate my situation every day and determine whether it was justifiable to continue.

I feel deeply sorry for everyone affected by the floods and I don’t want to encourage anyone to keep hiking in conditions like these. If you’re currently on the SMT, please reach out to the huts in your area and check this website to see if trails in your area are affected. I am lucky to have finished the part of the trail that is affected by the floods and hiking in Southern Slovenia seems kind of safe but I don’t hesitate to head home if I encounter dangerous terrain as I don’t want to put any more strain on rescue personell.

Here you can learn more about the floods in Slovenia

stay safe out there everyone <3