The Vagabond Hiker

Hiking, trekking, and climbing the world

Walks and wanders in Slovenia and the Azores

As I mentioned at the conclusion of my last blog, The Traverse of the Picos de Europa, my plan in late September was to embark on a one-week trek in Slovenia’s Julian Alps, including summitting the high point, Mount Triglav. Following this trek and some cultural explorations in Slovenia, in early October I was to travel to São Miguel Island in the Portuguese Azores for several day hikes.

Unfortunately, everything went pear-shaped from the start.

A fall walking in the Picos necessitated a midnight trip to Santander hospital to suture up a finger. This injury made a high-altitude trek in poor weather imprudent, so I contented myself in enjoying easy walks around Lakes Bled and Bohinj. After returning to Britain and continuing to the Azores, running through Madrid airport in street shoes on a very tight connection (due to the usual delays at Heathrow and the absolutely predictable effects of Brexit), subsequently hobbled me to such an extent that for several days I could barely walk. Meanwhile, my luggage didn’t make the connection in any event and was ultimately delayed 5 days on a 7-day trip. My time in the Azores thus became far more sedentary and my itinerary resembled that of a typical tourist. Nonetheless, I did manage to capture a few good photos and hope to return to both Slovenia and the Azores when I can do them more justice.

Slovenia, a small country bordering Italy, Austria, Hungary, and Croatia, is an ex-Yugoslav republic that always had more in common with Austria and Hungary than it did with its Balkan neighbors to the south. Not only is it far more developed, but the culture and architecture clearly owe much to the Austro-Hungarian empire. I spent three nights in the capital, Ljubljana, followed by about 10 days in Bled, on the east side of the eponymous lake.

Ljubljana old town street scene
Franciscan Church of the Annunciation, Prešeren Square, Ljubljana
View northeast from the Castle path, Ljubljana. My superb AirBnb was in a quiet wood near here.
River view in the medieval town of Škofja Loka, enroute to Bled
A panorama from my first Bled condo
St. Martin Parish Church at night from my Bled condo
An autumnal view from the balcony of my Bled condo. I had to book very early to get this basic but amazingly situated condo.
Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, seen through the trees, and located on an island in Lake Bled.
Bohinj path. Lake Bohinj was a 45-minute bus ride from Bled, and was MUCH less developed.
Nettle-leaved Bell-flower along Lake Bohinj. There weren’t many wildflowers this late in the season.
A colorful inlet stream (Sava Bohinjka) on the Lake Bohinj circuit path
Another view along the Lake Bohinj (Bohinjsko jezero) circuit path
Bled Lake with parish church and castle. I did the easy 6-mile circumambulation of the lake several times.
Bled Lake and Church of the Assumption view from Mala Osojnica. This was the only real hike I did, gaining several hundred feet up a steep and slick trail to this iconic viewpoint.

After my eventful flights to Ponta Delgada on São Miguel Island in the Azores, I rented a car and settled in to my amazing ocean front AirBnb, Casa da Rocha, in the village of Ponta Garça on the south coast. As mentioned, I did very little actual walking, but did capture several lovely landscape photos during three day road trips that encompassed the island.

Isle Vila Franca do Campo. Photo taken from along the promenade near my favorite seafood restaurant, the Atlântico Azorean.
Vista from my balcony at the AirBnb Casa da Rocha, in Ponta Garça. Note the Isle Vila Franca do Campo in the background.
Looking towards the Casa da Rocha. This was one of the best AirBnb’s I have stayed in yet.
Late day view from Casa da Rocha. In my hobbled state I spent much time on my spacious balcony.
Fumaroles at Caldeira das Furnas, in the center of the island.
Northeast (Nordeste) coastal vista with Hydrangeas. After visiting the fumaroles, I continued my first road trip around the eastern portion of the island.
Ribeira dos Caldeirões Natural Park, a very popular tourist attraction, particularly among the selfie-obsessed.
View south from Miradouro do Salto do Cavalo, high on a ridge. With generally southwest breezes, mist off the Atlantic was a frequent occurrence in October.
Finally, a sunny day at Vila Franca do Campo!
North coast in the mist with ubiquitous Easter lilies
Mosteiros coast in western-most Sao Miguel

Returning back to St. George Utah via London, I spent the remainder of the autumn exploring more of the amazing red rock landscape of which I never seem to grow tired. In reviewing some of my (and others’) photos, another blog post from southern Utah seems to be in order. . .

The Vagabond Hiker

Traverse of the Picos de Europa

Last month I joined a KE Adventures guided group on a one-week hut-based traverse of the Picos de Europa, the highest and most dramatic mountain range of the Cantabrian mountain chain in northern Spain. For those who wish more detail about the Picos as well as its national park, I recommend this website.

This trek has been on my bucket list since before 2020, when it was cancelled due to Covid. Starting above the hamlet of Soto de Cangas, where we spent the prior night, the trek in general went from west to east. The first 3 days we traversed the Macizo Occidental (western massif) and the final three the Macizo Central. (The lower, eastern massif lacks much infrastructure and only occasionally sees overnight visitors). Our fun group of 7 clients and guide, Bruno, hiked almost 55 miles with more than 20,000 ft total elevation gain across some of the most rugged limestone peaks in the world. Enjoy the photos!

Map of the mountain ranges of Spain. The Picos de Europa are the highest portion of the Cantabrian Mountains in northern Spain
Day 1. Landscape with huts above the Lakes of Covadonga, where we began our 6-day, generally west-to-east trek
European monkshood (Aconitum variegatum)
Large-flowered selfheal (Prunella grandiflora). While September is certainly not the best time to see wildflowers in the Picos, there were several species still in bloom.
Asturian Mountain cow. We saw numerous herds of this local bovine.
Heather, our guide, Bruno, and the Vegarredonda Refugio, our first night’s lodging on trek
Cantabrian chamois (Rupicapra pyrenaica parva) with griffon vultures soaring overhead. We saw so many chamois that, sadly, the novelty wore off.
A small limestone cave. Some of the deepest caves in the world are found in the Picos de Europa.
Either a vulnurable Iberian rock lizard (Iberolacerta monticola) or a common wall lizard (Podarcis muralis). Where their ranges overlap, the former is found at higher elevations. After looking at dozens of photos of each, showing widely-varying coloration, I’m still not sure which species this fellow is.
Eroded limestone rock formations, known as lapiaces. The Picos are almost entirely limestone.
An Asturian calf joined our group for a short while
View northwest from the Mirador de Ordiales
Some of our group at the Mirador de Ordiales
Climbing up to Pico Cotalba
Our group on the summit of Pico Cotalba. Bruno graciously shared many of the photos he took during the trek.
A chamois herd on Pico Cotalba
Day 2. Our group in front of an outbuilding of the Refugio Vegarredonda, where we slept the first night.
With Oliver and Peter, walking by a chilled sheep dog
Merendera, an autumn crocus (Colchicum montanum)
Bruno and a misty landscape
Our group descending to the Covadonga Lakes in the mist
Our group at Lago de la Ercina. Due to the geology, very few lakes exist in the Picos.
Another photo of some of the many Asturian cows (and a few bulls) we saw
An orograph at Cabeza la Forma pass, showing many of the nearby mountains, none of which was visible in the fog.
View of the Cabezo Llerosos group with cows
Day 3. The splendidly isolated Refugio Ario, where we stayed the previous night, seen in the morning light
Resting with Oliver and Peter (lower left) on the long descent to the Cares Gorge
Rebecca, seen here descending to the gorge, with a goat in the foreground
The Cares Gorge and path hewn out of the mountain. Although undoubtedly the most popular day hike in the Picos, the gorge didn’t seem overly crowded to me.
The Cares gorge with a tunnel and bridge
Bruno admiring the Cares Gorge
A portion of the Cares Gorge hydro plant
A goat in the Cares Gorge
Fringed pink (Dianthus hyssopifolius)
Now heading north after a rest stop at Cain at the head of the Cares Gorge. From here it is less than an hour to Poncebos, where we enjoyed a hotel for the night.
Goat and limestone formation

Day 4. This day we climbed from our hotel in Poncebos to the Refugio de Urriellu. More than 6000 ft vertical gain. In the rain. I took zero pictures. Bruno’s camera malfunctioned in the wet conditions. Therefore, no photos from that day are extant. I am also trying to erase it from my memory, but without much success.

Day 5. Morning landscape leaving Refugio Urriello. The weather steadily improved this day.
Some peaks of the Macizo Central
Some of our group descending near Tesorero and Peñas Urrielles
Mountain vista with El Naranjo de Bulnes (Picu Urriellu in Asturian) on the right
The Vagabond Hiker on the summit of Torre de los Horcados Rojos
A raven also summited
The unlikely Cabaña Verónica, a high mountain refuge. This building is an anti-aircraft battery, taken from the aircraft carrier USS Palau.
A view from Cabaña Verónica, above the clouds
Peter descending towards Hotel Aliva. Located at the end of a jeep track, Avila is somewhere between a refugio and a hotel.
Day 6. View from the Hotel Avila towards the Royal Chalet
Yet another goat.
The Teleférico Fuente Dé top station. According to Rick Steves, this cable car is the longest single-span aerial lift of Europe, with cable length of 1450 m (4757 ft)
Descent view from Pico Valdecoro to Espinama, where our final night’s lodging awaited us.
A magnificent Oak on the descent to Espinama

Following this wonderful trek in Spain, my intention was to complete another hut-to-hut trek in the Julian Alps of Slovenia, and then spend a week in the Portuguese Azores hiking around its main island from my AirBnb base. Alas, neither trip panned out the way I planned. As the scenery was spectacular, in a post next month I’ll share a few photos from some short walks I did in Slovenia.

Rather than bewail the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, however, I am now planning my 2.5-month winter trip to Rajasthan (India), Lanzarote in the Canary Islands, and Oman on the Arabian peninsula. The Rajasthan trip has large cultural and wildlife components as well as several day walks. Mountainous northern Oman has some amazing trekking, and my KE Adventures trip in late February encompasses many of the highlights. Lanzarote has long been one of my favorite winter destinations, and the subject of not one, but two blog posts from 2018 and 2019. I’ll probably take a break from blogging for those six weeks. . .

The Vagabond Hiker

Hiking California’s Eastern Sierras (and beyond)

Last month I returned for the first time in 13 years to what is without a doubt my favorite mountain range in the world: California’s Sierra Nevada. I have strong concurrence in my views from John Muir, who dubbed the Sierras the Range of Light, and with good reason.

Staying in Bishop, the largest town by far in Inyo County with a population of 3,500, was ideal for accessing many of the basins of the Eastern High Sierras, as well as the White Mountains to the east on the California/Nevada border, and providing some local walks on my rest days. Enjoy the highlights from some of my many hikes!

Blue Lake, Lake Sabrina basin
Lake Sabrina. Several great hikes can be enjoyed from this trailhead.
Midnight Lake, Lake Sabrina basin
Yosemite Valley and Half Dome from Clouds Rest. This longish (12+ miles and 3100 ft gain) hike from Tenaya Lake was a reprise of the one I did with Clifford in 2010.
Bishop Canal view with clouds and Sierras. My apartment abutted open land and the main stem of the canal.
My backyard at sunrise, Bishop, with a view of the White Mountains. The near hummingbird feeder is the one I now travel with.
The Bishop Canal and path
Some wetlands along the Bishop Canal. I even saw a great blue heron one day, not something you would expect in an otherwise arid environment.
Ancient Bristlecone Pines (Pinus longeava) in the Schulman Grove, White Mountains. The oldest non-clonal tree in the world, at more than 4000 years, is within this grove.
An ancient Bristlecone Pine. I’m not sure whether it’s still alive or not, but it looks amazing.
Reflections in Long Lake, South Lake basin. Along with Sabrina basin, South Lake is easily accessed due west of Bishop.
Sierra beard-tongue
Chocolate Peak with Chocolate Lake reflection, South Lake basin.
Bull Lake panorama, South Lake basin. This is my favorite photo from this post.
My friend John, on our Treasure Lakes hike, South Lake basin
Sierra shooting stars. Most wildflowers were past there prime by mid-August.
Seep Monkey-flowers, always found near streams.
Davidson’s Penstemon
Gilbert Lake view on the Kearsarge Pass trail from Onion Valley, west of Independence, CA.
The view west to Kearsarge Lakes from Kearsarge pass (11,760 ft)
A Golden Mantled ground squirrel, not to be confused with the smaller chipmunk.
An ancient Foxtail pine, closely related to Bristlecone pines. It’s really hard to differentiate them, except that Bristlecone pines don’t grow in this area.
A Bristlecone pine and buck on the climb to Boundary Peak from Queen Canyon, White Mountains
Boundary Peak, looking towards the summit. At 13,147 ft, Boundary Peak is the highest in the state of Nevada
A healthy example of White Mountain buckwheat
The Vagabond Hiker on the summit of Boundary Peak, my first state high-point since 2016.
Boundary Peak summit view towards Montgomery Peak (near right) in California.
Box Lake, Little Lakes Valley. This popular valley is 1/2 hour north of Bishop.
Gem Lake, Little Lakes Valley
A pack train in Little Lakes Valley
Upper Tyee Lake, accessed from South Lake
An American Pika (Ochotona princeps) above Lower Tyee Lake
A much better photo of a pika. I saw this bold fellow in 2015 on Mt Ida in the Front Range of the Colorado Rockies.
Clyde Spires and other peaks, seen from Big Pine Lakes. Big Pine is the next town south of Bishop along the Eastern Sierra corridor.
North Fork, Big Pine Creek
First Lake, Big Pine Lakes
4th Lake lunch view with Palisades glacier, Big Pine Lakes. Palisades is supposedly the largest glacier in the Sierras, but it seems just a pale ghost of its former self. (I think it’s the snow field on the far right here).
4th Lake panorama
Terrain near Moonlight Lake, Sabrina Lake basin. It might have been better to construct this post geographically, but it was easier to do it chronologically!
Hungry Packer Lake with Picture Peak, Sabrina Lake basin. This was another big hike to the uppermost lake in the basin. Consequently, I had this lunch spot to myself.
Route up from Green Lake to Vagabond Peak. I wanted to climb at least one peak in the Sierras, and Vagabond seemed the logical one!
Green Lake and Vagabond Peak (left)
Cushion buckwheat growing in granite
The final summit slopes of Vagabond Peak, 13,350ft (4070m). Another hour of class 2 bouldering remained from here to the summit.
A beautiful example of Alpine mountain sorrel
In honor of Clifford, some gorgeous rocks along the Vagabond Peak route
Summit view NW, Vagabond Peak. The clouds were moving in, and indeed there was a bit of rain on my descent, a rarity in the Sierras in August.
Summit view North, Vagabond Peak
Summit view East, Vagabond Peak, with the White Mountains in the background. The obvious high-point is White Mountain (14,250 ft), which I climbed in 2011.
The Vagabond Hiker on the summit of Vagabond Peak. The slightly higher Cloudripper is in the middle ground, but represented two additional hours to an already long day, so I saved it for another time.

I apologize for the unusual brevity of my photo captions, but I am heading out to the airport for my flight to London. Upcoming blogs starting next month will feature a traverse of the Picos de Europa in northern Spain, hut-to-hut trekking in the Julian Alps of Slovenia, and some day hikes on São Miguel island in the Portuguese Azores. Until then, take care and enjoy the autumn.

The Vagabond Hiker

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