36.09 Croatia: Paklenika National Park, Hike 4+: Difficult, Dangerous and D(st)renuous.
The second part of the ascent, from the Caves toward the summit. By the time we reached, what appeared the halfway stage, one of us thought it, arguably, the best hike we've done. On what basis does one of you keep making those bold (foolish) pronouncements? We're pleased you asked. Well, it's like this. Firstly, you should know the surface could be a lot softer. Currently, it's mostly karst which is a formation comprising dolomite and limestone. It's particularly horrible should one place the foot in molds slightly smaller than the sole and have the stone squeeze the foot into a different shape like we'd imagine a torturer would. You should try it sometime—the relief afterwards is soothing. Second point is the hikes begin some 30-40 minutes from the parking lot. Of course, one walks through the canyon to get to the so called-trailhead—no shuttle available, no roads either. Thirdly, the hikes are long and mostly steep or if not steep, very steep. Other t...