Slovenia: Vrsic Pass

[Tristan_He]

The Vrsic Pass (1611m) is one of Slovenia's highest roads and rather disconcertingly features on a website called dangerousroads.org! The reason for this is that there are 50 hairpin bends on it, 26 on the southern (Trenta) side and 24 on the northern (Kranjska Gora) side. The road was constructed during World War I by Russian prisoners of war, presumably a a supply line to Austrian troops fighting on the Italian front, and is still known as 'the Russian Road' locally.

We visited there hoping to see some alpine butterflies, but the weather was too cool and windy for them on the day we visited so we went for a walk and some alpine spotting instead. We headed up towards Robicje (1900m ish) which looked like it might have some suitable and accessible habitat.

Things started well when we were confronted with a beautiful, very dark blue gentian of the G. verna persuasion near the car. There were also quite a few Gentianopsis ciliata and Gentianella campestris. On the busy path up the mountain we encountered many nice plants including Juniperus sp., Clematis alpina, Dryas octopetala, Cyclamen purpurascens (this seems almost ubiquitous in Slovenia), Linaria alpina, Saxifraga aizoides, and a couple of nice pinks. Unfortunately I didn't take many photos. 


Gentianopsis ciliata

Just above the treeline we started to get true alpine areas, with huge limestone boulders, screes and slabs. Here were more goodies including Gentiana cf. acaulis (not in flower, so I did not attempt to identify it); Saxifraga burseriana and S. crustata, the latter in natural rock crevices.





There were also several ferns including this one which I think is Gymnospermium robertianum


The scenery, as in most of Slovenia, was again pretty spectacular. This is the view east towards the Triglav massif.

[Maggi Young]

Spectacular scenery indeed! 
The Vrsic Pass, with its numerous hairpin bends has, I believe, featured  in the cycling event - the Tour of Slovenia.
Such roads are very popular in the professional cycling tours - well, with the spectators and fans, if not with the cyclists!

[Tristan_He]

There were lots of cyclists going up it when we drove up too. Respect!

Also quite a lot of bikers, which weren't always quite so welcome as many of them were going up too fast for my liking.

[Tristan_He]

Forgot to mention this one - Rhodothamnus chamaecistus - which we came across on Vogel as well. Here flowering in the Julian Botanic Garden.

[Tristan_He]

But of course, the question is, did we see the most iconic flower of this part of the Alps, Campanula zoysii? Well, yes as a matter of fact we did. We had a good search on some boulders just above the treeline, but the cracks in these contained only faily common species such as Dryas octopetala. I decided to scan the rock faces above us with my binoculars, however, and could see some blue flowers. Now, this is not so unusual in Slovenia because the place is heaving with various Campanula species, many of which seem to like nothing better than to grow in a limestone cliff. Anyway, we climbed over a scree and then up a steep grassy slope to the bottom of the rock face. And there it was, quite a lush patch and flowering well.





Now, I realise that these photos are not going to win me any awards. In fact they are shocking. I was so thrilled to see it that it was only when I got down that I realised I had taken only a single photo, which had a small amount of camera shake. I'm also an arrant coward when it comes to heights and so did not really climb up close enough to get a really good shot. Ah well, perhaps another time.

I'll leave you with another view of the mountains here, which doubtless contain lots more C. zoysii.

Of course, ironically when I got home I found that slugs had eaten my specimen in the garden. 

[Maggi Young]

Of course, ironically when I got home I found that slugs had eaten my specimen in the garden. 

Oh dear , that's a cruel blow. 

Great scenery though - wonderful things, mountains.

[Gabriela]

Great mountain pics! Thanks for sharing; I'll noted down, we may stop by for a visit next time we head for the Carpathians.

[Maggi Young]

Forumist Zvone has shared  wonderful photos from Slovenia in this thread :
http://www.srgc.net/forum/index.php?topic=8276.0 - clearly a very beautiful country.

[Matt T]

Wonderful pics. I especially like the Saxes in the natural rock crevices - just SO alpine!

[Tristan_He]

Yes, I really want to go back now in the peak flowering season. End of May half-term beckons...

There is a great blog about Slovenian wildlife and flowers here: http://carniolicum.blogspot.co.uk/ - well worth checking out.

Tristan