Chicago skyline at sunset
Chicago skyline at sunset
  • Conquerors of the useless world
    • 27/09/2019
The Vrsic pass was a fairly reasonable climb, as it has 50 numbered hair pin bends winding up and down the mountain, giving a manageable gradient of about 10% on the Kranjska Gora side I was attacking from, so the biggest obstacle in reaching the summit was a flock of sheep deciding to cross the road near the top.
Quite chilly now but have to keep stopping to admire the soca river on the way to Bovec, with the peaks vanishing into clouds.

Spent a day in Bovec, taking a beginners white water kayak lesson since it was drizzling anyway might as well get wetter, but managed to avoid falling in.

Next day completed a measly and super slow 40km down the valley to Tolmin, checked in to the hostel and checked out the nearby gorge walk, which was OK but another example underwhelmation having recently seen more impressive sights.
Delicious pizza and ice cream treat for dinner, followed by Slovenia vs Poland volleyball match on TV - its a small town but the bars are packed with locals cheering every point. Good stuff.

Last ride day then, 90km to Ljubljana with a couple of decent climbs, a proper day to end the journey with, the usual bittersweet combination of excitement to push over the finish and reflection as the hard realisation hits home that after today I won't be feeling the wind in my face and the sun on my arms and the satisfied ache in the legs and the satisfaction at reaching the crest of a hill, seeing a new panorama, an unexpected quirky roadside decoration, a bird of prey, etc etc, all the variety and freshness which makes up a day on the road.

Having reached the top of the second climb, its 40km all downhill or flat to Ljubljana. Unfortunately though, as I'm celebrating that fact with a cheese sandwich a couple in a car passes and then returns to say the road ahead is blocked by construction machinery - uh oh, but normally I can sneak around roadworks on the bike OK. This time more of a challenge, its a single track forest road with rock face one side and a stream the other, and the caterpillar tracked diggers and boulder grabbers completely fill it. Fortunately they very kindly maneuver a few inches to one side to let me past, only to discover I'm walking into wet cement - a hasty retreat allows me to sneak round the edge on dry ground and then its triumphant freewheel freedom with the music turned up down to the river valley.

On the approach to the city I am passed by some Lycra racers and I put on a spurt to briefly keep up, but as soon as we hit a hill I have no chance!


browse by location

Sweden

Germany

Austria

Lichtenstein

Switzerland

Germany

Luxembourg

Belgium

France

Iceland

Slovenia

Hungary

Slovakia

Hungary

Slovakia

Poland

Slovakia

Poland

Czech Republic

Poland

Czech Republic

England

Thaliand

Hong Kong

Thailand

RSA

Zimbabwe

Malawi

Tanzania

Kenya

Tanzania

Rwanda

Uganda

Kenya

Norway

Sweden

Denmark

Germany

The Netherlands

Cuba

Cayman Islands

France

Switzerland

Italy

Switzerland

England

Wales

Scotland

England

France

Holland

England

Germany

England

USA

England

Thailand

Malaysia

Singapore

Fiji

Australia

Samoa

Fiji

Australia

New Zealand

Cook Islands

Mexico

USA

Canada

USA

England