Snežnik (Krainer Schneeberg)

Krainer Schneeberg (Snežnik)

The Carniolan Snow Mountain in Slovenia offers typical karst terrain with a very challenging trail descent and a magnificent view at the summit.

Description

The tour starts in the picturesque village of Sviščaki, which lies at just under 1250 meters above sea level and is mainly used as a winter sports resort in winter. In summer, this village with its mountain huts offers a perfect base for mountain sports enthusiasts. From here, you first take a well-maintained gravel military road that rides towards the summit. The last section of the uphill is particularly challenging. The last 100 vertical meters follow the motto "no mercy for the calf" and test the cyclist's endurance and strength. You then have to carry your bike on your back as you work your way up past mountain pines to the summit of the Carniolan Snow Mountain, also known as Sneznica.

The view from the summit is spectacular and offers panoramas ranging from the sea to the snow-covered Julian Alps, via Ljubljana to the Karawanken. The subsequent descent is technically very demanding and is rated S3 and S4 in terms of difficulty. Maximum concentration and perfect weight distribution are required due to the loose rocky ground typical of the Karst. In between, there are also easier passages that allow you to take a deep breath and cool your brakes and head.

Finally, you reach the parking lot where you shouldered your bike and roll downhill. You then follow a few more trail sections, which vary between difficulty levels S1 and S2 and offer a mixture of cart paths and trail sections. Finally, you return to the starting point in Sviščaki.

This tour can also be combined with the Štanga trail tour from Ilirska Bistrica, resulting in an extensive all-mountain tour.

A note for the summer months, especially in July and August: the summit trail can be very busy.

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