BOILING IN IDRIA
VIA ALPINA DAY 04 – 25 JUNE 2026
JAVORNIK TO IDRIJA
DISTANCE HIKED: 17.4 km
ELEVATION GAIN: 211 m
TOTAL DISTANCE HIKED: 107.3 km
TOTAL ELEVATION GAIN: 3,871 m
Birdsong started just after 4am. Chirping quietly at first and as dawn broke it got louder as more birds joined the choir. Such a beautiful way to start the day. Feeling refreshed and energised, ready for another day, hiking in a furnace. My body was aching all over when I went to sleep last night. Hammer slept in a bit as we didn’t need to start so early today We wanted to get breakfast at Crni Vrh and the store didn’t open till 7am.
Our campsite was deep in forest away from houses and roads. The descent from Javornik was steep at first and gradually flattened as we approached houses in a picturesque setting. The sun already had a sting to it as we walked the quite country roads.
Crni Vrh seems like a very nice tidy town. We saw a few residents, sitting on their porch. All seemed friendly and waved as we passed.
The store we were going to in town wasn’t open when we arrived at 7.20. We thought it was a small town maybe they don’t stick to the 7AM advertised opening time. We waited another 10 minutes and nothing. So without breakfast we headed off.
The morning was already warming up and we pushed onto Idrija, a much larger town, 12km away.
The trail to Idrija passed pleasant rural land with nice houses early on. Once we hit the forest we were on a long and very steep descent. Even with great care we both slipped on the wet rocks. Progress was slow but we soon started to hear the sound of rushing water. We reached the Idrijca River. It is the most beautiful emerald green colour. So inviting on a super hot day.
Hammer couldn’t resist and had to go for a swim. Feeling refreshed we reached Idrija after a long shaded walk along a disused canal.
We reached the Spar Hypermarket just after 11. It was oppresively hot as the town is located in a deep valley surrounded by sharp rising mountains.
When we found that the Spar Hypermart was also closed, the penny dropped. It’s a Public Holiday in Slovenia. We have no food left and have to get supplies here as there is very little available for the next 100km or so.
We had no choice, we had to cut the day short and stay in Idrija till tomorrow.
We found a hotel not far from town and we’ll shop in the morning and continue on tomorrow. We were both a little relieved. The prospect of loaded packs, hiking up the steep slope in 35°C heat in the afternoon was just too daunting.
We were starving and the hotel manager helped us to find a few food places open today. Nothing more we can do today except eat some food, shower, wash clothes and rest.
