While I’m sure you’re better at maintaining quality-time contact with your parents on a regular basis, I must admit that hasn’t been my greatest priority the last couple of years {or a decade if I’m totally honest}. Nevertheless, yesterday I called my dad, to whom I also owe my first hiking memories, and invited him to some father-daughter bonding in the mountains. Sharing the same genes, he immediately dropped all other plans and readily agreed. The route I selected to fit my not-the-youngest-of-fathers? Viševnik. It’s one of the most easily accessible high peaks above Bled with stunning scenery and breathtaking views of the Julian Alps and Triglav.
In case you haven’t heard of Viševnik yet, it’s the kind of hike you simply need to do if you’re here in Slovenia. It’s marked as an easy 1.5-hour walk with about 750-meter ascent and finishes at 2,050 meters. The views from the top? Stunning! Viševnik is one of those totally scenic mountains that get you by surprise. During the hike the views are ok, but once you reach the top it’s like you’ve entered another world. Triglav, Slovenia’s highest mountain, being literally just a few steps away, starts your mind overflowning with crazy superhero ideas never to return back down again but to simply continue hiking forever and become one with the mountains {or was that just me?!}.
Anyway, starting from the family sports center Rudno Polje above Bled, the trail first winds through a forest, then enters old ski slopes, and once over the first quite mundane section, the hike gets more and more interesting entering the scenic section above the ski slopes. If we took the classic way up, you can also follow a more adventurous route to Viševnik that branches off to the right at the only trail crossing above ex-ski slopes. The classic route did fine for us, though, and by progressing at my dad’s pace we arrived at the top about 2 hours later.
How was the bonding, you wonder? Walking at a leisurely pace and chatting with my dad while surrounded by spectacular beauty made this hike one of the nicest hikes I’d had in years. Not exaggerating. And this confirms my long-held theory; hiking makes a great activity for bonding. Either with your family, friends, colleagues or business partners, mountains will bring you closer together. Period. In an environment with practically no commitment and pressure you’ll experience more fun and enjoyment.
All that is to say is that you pick up your phone and invite your parents, partner or friends to the mountains tomorrow and have a hell of a good time together. Trust me, it works!
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wonderful colors!