Mountain Biking in Slovenia. Rob Houghton
and to protect from the cold if necessary.
shoes – sturdy outdoor shoes at least, but ideally specialist shoes with an inflexible sole.
glasses – to protect the eyes from sunlight as well as mud and stones; a pair with interchangeable lenses for different light conditions is ideal.
padded shorts – either close-fitting or baggy to provide comfort for your day in the saddle.
In addition, comfortable, quick-drying clothes will make your ride more pleasant and it is always worth packing a spare warm layer for the mountaintops and a lightweight waterproof for the occasional shower.
Some people – especially those who are into downhill – would also consider wearing body armour. I would say it wasn’t essential kit unless you’re intending to ride specific downhill routes that tend to be very technical and come with a high chance of falling off.
Everything else
Riding a mountain bike can take you to fairly remote spots, so self-sufficiency is important. A tool kit is vital to get you out of common mechanical problems and as a minimum it should include:
a couple of spare inner tubes
tyre-levers
a pump
a compact bike tool with a range of Allen keys
a chain tool and spare link
Trailside repairs aren’t so bad under these conditions (Route 10)
Mountain biking can be dangerous. Carrying a first aid kit is not only a sensible precaution, but I would count it as essential. It needn’t be large but it should contain the following:
sterile wipes for wound cleaning
plasters/band-aids
larger wound dressings (self-adhesive)
triangular bandage (for slings and limb immobilisation)
antiseptic
paracetamol (or other painkiller)
rehydration sachets
fully charged mobile phone (local emergency number 112)
EHIC (European Health Insurance Card), which allows access to local health services for free
Of course, it’s also important to know what to do with these items so, if you don’t already know, book yourself onto a first aid course.
Finally, food and drink are, obviously, essential additions to your backpack. You may have to carry your lunch with you if the route doesn’t take you past any hostelries but, in any case, you should always carry a few high-energy snacks with you as well as plenty of water. In the Alps of Slovenia, where it can be both hot and frustratingly free of streams, at least two litres would be a sensible precaution.
Waymarking
Many of the rides in this book make mention of waymarked routes and cycle route signs. While there is a wealth of marked routes, these signs cannot be relied on in general. The local municipalities are responsible for creating, maintaining and signing cycle routes; many of the municipalities are very good at this but, frustratingly, there is no national system for signage. So in Kobarid you might be following a blue circle with a white bike in it, and in Vipava you might be following a stylised orange cyclist. If you check in at the local tourist information centres they will be able to give you a good idea of how extensive the network of marked routes is in that area.
Signage varies depending on the municipality
Maps
The maps in this book have all been provided by Kartografija and are extracts of their series of 1:75,000 scale maps, reproduced at a scale of 1:50,000 for ease of use. When a map is referenced at the beginning of each route, it is the Kartografija 1:75,000 that is being named. These are the maps I would recommend that you carry, and there are only eight of them to cover the entire country. However, there are also 1:50,000 and 1:25,000 scale maps available from both Kartografija and from Geodetski Zavod Slovenije (the national geological survey). All of these can be bought from Amazon or a specialist map shop such as Stanfords (www.stanfords.co.uk).
In addition, you might want to go paper-free and use your smartphone for additional navigational help. There are a number of apps available for this purpose but, in most cases, you will have to buy the map of Slovenia from the service provider. One example is ViewRanger GPS (iOS and android); the app shows you in real time (on very clear maps) where you are and you can create routes. The whole of Slovenia can be bought at 1:50,000 for US$42.99.
Emergency situations
Should the worst happen, it is vital you know what to do. All across Europe, the emergency services number is 112, and from this you can access the fire service, ambulances and emergency vets. The police are on 113 and mountain rescue on 140. In all cases, the calls can be held in English. For all likely bike-related incidents, this should cover you but it is also worth noting that should you have a car accident, as a foreigner, you will need to call the police. If it’s not an emergency, the contact details of medical centres can be found in Appendix C; there will always be English speakers in those centres.
It makes sense to get travel insurance for any trip to Slovenia. While there is reciprocal health care through the European Health Insurance Card or EHIC (for the time being at least – Brexit may alter this), it is always a good idea to take out extra insurance. This could also include third party liability and protection for your bike if you’re taking it.
Using this guide
Each region described in this guide has its own distinctive feel, as we’ll see shortly. However, this guide is designed for riders with a general interest in mountain biking. There aren’t many rides for the absolute beginner in here, but then there aren’t many rides for the hardcore extremist either. Most of the routes included fall into the cross-country style of riding and, while they often require a decent level of fitness, they generally aren’t too technical.
The regions
This guide has been split into four regions to cluster rides together. These regions are a touch artificial but they do give an idea of which rides are accessible from where. Slovenia is a small country; you could drive right across it in less than a day. However, to make journeys shorter, you may wish to base yourself in one region and do the rides within it. Alternatively, if you happen to be on holiday in Slovenia and you fancy a day out riding, these regions give you a rough idea of what’s accessible from wherever you’re staying.
The routes
Each ride is written as a self-contained, circular route with a place to park at the start and returning to the car at the end. All the salient information about the route, such as distance, height gained and grade, is presented at the beginning in its own box. There is also a profile to give you an idea of the route’s hills and descents, but please note that the scales on each profile are not necessarily the same as any of the other rides. Finally, there is the route description itself: pertinent directions presented in paragraphs that break the ride up into manageable chunks.
The grading
Each ride is given a grade similar to those used at British trail centres. Blue is easiest, followed by red and then black.
In Britain, however, the grade is largely to tell you only how technical the route is. In Slovenia, many of the routes are not especially technical but may become quite remote or require a high degree of physical fitness. The grades used in this book, therefore, can be summarised as follows: