KARST EDGE RECOMMENDATIONS

CRAG RECOMMENDATIONS

Beginners: Črni Kal, Napoleonica, Vipava, Val Rosandra, Doberdo, Vipavska Bela, Santa Croce, Dolge Njive

Advanced climbers: Osp, Napoleonica, Val Rosandra, MIšja peč, Črni Kal, Costiera, Vipavska Bela, Luknja

The best: Mišja peč, Luknja, Napoleonica, Vipavska Bela, Osp, Val Rosandra, Grotta Katerina, Lijak

Mixed crags for everyone: Napoleonica, Vipavska Bela, Val Rosandra, Osp, Mišja peč

Scenic crags: Vitovlje, Lijak, Costiera, Doberdo, Aurisina

Crags with no crowds: Risnik, Big Wall, Črnotiče, Grotta Katerina, Aurisina

Crags for kids with a short approach: Santa Croce, Napoleonica, Sistiana, Dolge Njive, Črni Kal

Crags where you learn to lead climb: Doberdo, Santa Croce, Črni Kal, Dolge Njive, Vipava

Crags for brave and adventurous: Val Rosandra, Vipava, Sistiana, Lijak, Risnik

Crags with multipitches: Big Wall, Vipava, Val Rosandra, Lijak, Sistiana

Boulder places: Vitovlje, Črnotiče, Napoleonice, Vipavska Bela, Osp

Crags that stay dry in rain: Mišja peč, Luknja, Grotta Katerina, Črnotiče, Napoleonica

Winter crags: Osp, Risnik, Napoleonica, Costiera, Aurisina

Summer crags: Luknja, Dolge Njive, Grotta Katerina, Val Rosandra, Vipavska Bela

Secret spots: Baratro, Skdnj, Paretone, Brišče, Deskle

 

Click HERE for most recommended routes and best challenges!

SOME OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS & EXPERIENCES

TOP dishes to try in a local restaurant:

  • Fritaja (eggs) with wild asparagus for breakfast
  • Fuži (pasta dish) with venison
  • Njoki (gnocchi, potato dish) with truffles
  • Bobiči (a casserole)
  • Fritole (a fried dessert)

 

TOP local products to take home:

  • Olive oil from Croatian and Italian Istria is no.1 in the world
  • Wine: white malvazija and red terano
  • Truffles or cheaper tatrufata spread
  • Schnapps made from local fruit or herbs
  • Piran salt flower – the best salt in the world

 

TOP restaurants:

  • Sočerga on the border with Croatia
  • Pod Slavnikom
  • Švab in Hrastovlje
  • Camp Vovk
  • Žogica near Solkan

 

TOP places to sleep:

 

TOP attractions for rest days:

  • Museum Nova Gorica
  • Postojna cave & Predjama castle
  • Škocjan caves
  • Piran saltpans and the old town
  • Trieste center
  • Hrastovlje church
  • Nature walks around Sočerga, Val Rosandra
  • Whole Vipava valley with range of activities
  • WWI trail in Monfalcone and museum in Gorizia

 

TOP cities for shopping and party:

  • Trieste
  • Koper
  • Nova Gorica / Gorizia
  • Ajdovščina & Vipava
  • Kozina, Divača & Sežana
  • Aurisina, Duino & Sistiana

 

TOP indoor climbing:

  • Ljubljana: PCL, Balvanija, Scena
  • Koper & Sežana: Plus
  • Trieste: Gravita zero, Olympic Rock
  • Nova Gorica: DEŠ
  • Vipava: Tura

 

TOP guidebooks 😊:

  • Karst edge 2019
  • Karst edge 2017
  • Climbing on the Karst edge 2014
  • Osp & Mišja peč 2013
  • Sidarta Brez meja, Sidarta Slovenija, Sul Confine,…

GETTING HERE

Two highways lead to this area: A4/E70 comes from Italy, from Venice along the whole coast to Trieste. Here it connects with A1/E61 in Slovenia, which leads you through Ljubljana to Austria and further. There is a motorway going through Vipava valley, with a slightly lower speed limit. This road connects also to both highways mentioned before. You need to buy a vignette for Slovenian motorways! The crags in between are connected by small and solid village roads. Please drive slowly. The connection with Buzet is simple and fast, even in the summer when other border crossings are all crammed. Public transport is so-so in the villages and even worse for the crags. Depend on your own car. The nearest airport is in Monfalcone – Ronchi dei Legionari. The
other two that are useful are Ljubljana‘s Brnik and Venezia. Main cities with rich infrastructure are Trieste, Koper and Nova Gorica, where you‘ll find everything you need. They are only a couple 10 km from the crags. If you stay in Osp, the nearest shopping is Monte d‘Oro, just a few kilometers from the border.

A WORD ON ETHICS AND CRAG ETIQUETTE

Some species of plants and animals have chosen the walls as their habitat a long time ago. They are specially adapted to living in these walls and for them it is the only suitable habitat. They are mostly rare and endangered plant and animal species, which we are bound to protect even in a wider, European context. People have built their homes under these walls some centuries ago. All these inhabitants here are locals, everyone else – climbers, hikers, bikers – come here as visitors. So respect their peace and way of life.

NATURE:
* Green tufts with white flowers of Moehringia tommasinii are to be left alone – it‘s a very rare plant. The crags of karst edge are its only habitat in the world.
* Some routes are at times closed due to nesting of birds, like the peregrine falcon. Respect the prohibitions and never climb at the time of nesting and thus help the birds to nest successfully and raise their young. If you find an empty nest in the wall, leave it alone. Never destroy plants or animals!
* Anemolites are tufa that protrude from the wall in the overhanging Osp cave. They are special and in such numbers found only here and in Škocjan caves. In any case try not to damage rock walls, signposts and other objects.
* If possible, don‘t defecate in nature. If there‘s no other way, bury your product and use as little bio-degradable paper as possible – and don‘t do it under the wall or near paths.
* While using approach, use only official, marked paths. Walking all over the terrain speeds up soil erosion, destroys vegetation and spreads foreign invasive plant species. While in a village don‘t wander around the houses and courtyards!

SOCIETY:
* Life in a village is different to that in a city. Same goes for municipal garbage men, who don‘t clean under the crags and don‘t sweep the village streets, so take your trash with you, like you would in the mountains. Cigarette butts  included.
* Park only at officially designated places. Never leave your car on courtyards, beside the road, driveways, meadows, orchards, farm lands or anywhere where you could block access for local populace.
* Respect private property and never forget that you are a guest here.
* Camp only in official campings. No, there‘s no camp at the base of the crag.
* Don‘t build a fire!
* In the village you can hear everything that happens at the crag, as many walls are like a big amphitheatre. Respect local habits and don‘t make unnecessary noise, especially at the time of afternoon siesta.
* Preserve and strengthen good relationships with locals. That includes greeting, being polite and possibly buying local produce, which is better than in store anyway. Don‘t steal any fruit.
* In case of emergency call for rescue and help the best you can.

CLIMBING:
* Don‘t make new crags and/or routes without proper consent and permits.
* Don‘t make chalk marks or, if you do, clean them after.
* Don‘t steal or move quickdraws that are already in route.
* Be patient, tolerant and polite to other climbers.
* Don‘t camp in one route for a whole day.
* Never climb closed projects (usually marked with red ribbon).
* Don‘t change existing routes by making or chipping holds.
* Keep your backpack and gear in one place.
* When you pull the rope from the route, alert the others.
* Don‘t yell unneccessarily and don‘t act like a hooligan.
* Control your dog and/or child. If that is not possible, don‘t bring them to the crag. Make sure they have enough to eat and drink.
* Don‘t climb behind someone, who climbs top rope.

Check special notes at every individual crag and read the text at the
end of the topo for some other interesting facts.