Vrsac

Overview

Geographical structure: Eastern Alps > Julian Alps > Triglav group.


The wild north faces of Kanjavec (on the left) and Vrsac (on the right) from Zadnjica valley.

Vrsac is a mountain in nearness of Kanjavec and it is located like a one of the towers of Kanjavec. In English you pronounce Vrsac like Vrshac. Vrsac is very powerful mountain because of its famous, vertical and airy north face. Here are some of the hard climbing routes in Julian Alps. If you stand on the top of Vrsac you can lie on the top on the grassy slopes and look down in to the huge precipice almost 1100m high.

On the N side from the top of Vrsac falls down in to the Zadnjica valley steep north face. On the S side Vrsac falls down on the plateau below the W face of Kanjavec where are some lakes. On the E side is connected with the north face of Kanjavec and on the SW side goes from his summit a ridge against Lepo spicje, 2398m. On this ridge is the hut Zasavska koca na Prehodavcih, 2071m. From the summit of Vrsac is on the W side over the north face a small pass Cez dol, 1632m where come the marked routes from Zadnjica valley and from Trenta valley from the other side. From this pass rises up to the SE side the slopes of Vrsac, to the S side over the slopes goes the route on Zasavska koca na Prehodavcih and on the N side is the last mountain Zadnjiski Ozebnik, 2084m before the ridge and slopes steeply fall down to the Trenta valley.

Vrsac is the easiest approachable from Zasavska koca na Prehodavcih over the marked route, which then continue and cross the north face of Kanjavec. You follow this route to the Prehodavci pass, 2021m and then you climb and scramble on Vrsac over the easy SW slopes.

But the most popular is the huge and powerful north face of Vrsac. Here are the climbing routes really only for the very good climbers. The climbing routes take you the whole day for climbing.

Getting There

The map of Triglav group. Vrsac is the summit on the left of Kanjavec.

For climbing on Vrsac is the best starting point Zadnjica valley.

Zadnjica is quite short (3.5km) subsidiary to famous Trenta valley. It begins at Trenta village and opens towards east. It gradually rises till its end at Planja (1000m). Bottom is mostly forested and there are few meadows. Around the valley is some of the most dramatic scenery in Julian Alps. The cliffs of Pihavec (2414m), Triglav (2864m), Kanjavec (2568m), Vrsac (2194m) and Zadnjiski Ozebnik (2084m), which fall into dark depths of Zadnjica have no match in Julian Alps. They create amazing wall around the valley, which culminates with highest face of Julian Alps, that of Kanjavec, which is 1500m high! In the valley is dark and subdued atmosphere because walls around are letting very little sunshine in. End of valley is reached by road, which is closed to traffic 2km above the Trenta village.

But you can also climb on Vrsac if you are on the hiking trip from the valley of Triglavska jezera.

For more information check the main page of Julian Alps.


Maps:

Planinska zveza Slovenije: Julian Alps - Triglav, 1:20000.
Planinska Zveza Slovenije: Julian Alps - Eastern part, 1:50000.
Tabacco: Alpi Giulie Occidentali Tarvisiano. No: 019. 1:25000

Routes Overview

There are many marked routes, which convey you at the foothills of Vrsac from the south side.

The main and normal route goes from the Zasavska koca na Prehodavcih over the SW slopes to the top. The description you can read it here.

Here I named some climbing route in the famous north face of Vrsac.

North face

Centralna smer, UIAA V+, A1, 1100m, 8-12h, first climbed by Iztok Belehar, Joze and Tine Mihelic.

Smer Mladosti, UIAA VI, A2, 1100m, 10-12 h, first climbed by Pavel and Peter Podgornik.

Puntarska smer, UIAA VI,A2/V+, 800m, 6-10 h, first climbed by Janko Humar and Ivan Rejc.

Ceklinova smer, UIAA III/IV, 1000m.

Red Tape

Beautiful flowers on the Cez dol pass.

No limitations but Vrsac is located in the Triglavski Narodni park so you must be kind to the nature and other beauties.

When To Climb

For Vrsac is the best time for climbing from Spring to Autumn and for the north face the long Summer days because the climbing route in north face of Vrsac are very long and they take you a lot of time.

Mountain Huts

There are only two huts in the nearness of Vrsac and Kanjavec.

Zasavska Koca na Prehodavcih (2071m) (Zasavska Hut on Prehodavci) stands on Prehodavci pass, between Spicje and Kanjavec mountains. On the east is 7 Triglav Lakes Valley while on the west is Trenta valley, deep bellow. It was opened in 1954. In 1973 enlarged hut was reopened. In 1987 it was readapted. It has 55 beds, cold water, and power generator. View from the hut is fantastic. Hut is open from beginning of July till the end of September.

Trzaska koca na Dolicu (2151m) (Trieste Hut on Dolic) stands on the Dolic pass, between Kanjavec (2568m) and Triglav (2864m). First object was built by Italians in 1930. Renewed hut was reopened in 1948 but destroyed by avalanche in 1951. In 1952 they began to build new hut on a safer place, few hundred meters away. New hut was opened in 1953 and was named Trzaska Koca (Trieste hut) because Slovenians living in Trieste, Italy, always wanted to have hut close to Triglav. In 1973 in was enlarged. It is open from the end June till beginning of October. It has 144 beds, cold water and power generator. View from the hut is beautiful on the peaks behind the Trenta valley.

Camping

Camping inside the Triglav National Park is forbidden. Beside the mountain huts there are plenty of hotels and private apartments in the towns and villages, which surround the area. Here are few links where you can find info on accommodations closer and further away:

Kranjska Gora
Bovec
Mojstrana
Bled

Mountain Conditions

Mountain conditions in Julian Alps are well known, thanks to Kredarica (2515m) hut and meteo station, which is below the Triglav.

You can observe current conditions and forecast for Kredarica on the Wunderground meteo site. Here is direct link to Wunderground - Kredarica page.

Some weather informatin can also be found here.

Images

View Vrsac Image Gallery - 13 Images